Friday, April 07, 2006

Arbuckle House Party


Summary: Jon wants to have a party. With his cat. The cat doesn't want to have a party. And Jon is embarrassed and ashamed.

Thematic discussion questions: Why does Garfield need to shame a man for the mere consideration of pursuing momentary happiness? Is Garfield such a pleasure to have at social events that Jon's plans are immediately dashed if the life-of-the-party won't participate? Is Garfield ever a pleasure to have anywhere? It is the habit of Garfield characters to break the fourth-wall with a sidelong "get me out of this strip" gaze - but why does Garfield assume even the reader hates parties?

Notes: At some point, Paws, Inc. started drawing Garfield's hind paws as large as his 26-pound torso.

So today's strip features some of my favorite things about Garfield, namely the slow physical change of characters over decades, Arbuckle in despair, and Garfield overstepping the bounds of his normal rudeness and greeting cruelty head-on.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This one maintains the level of pathetic desperation and ennui that you get when you excise Garfield's speech. Only they've done it for us.

Anonymous said...

eve (everythis vs everyting)!