Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Calendar of the Jons?


Holy callback to July 7! Seriously, pulling in a minor gag from a strip 18 days ago as a major plot point is a ballsy move. To say nothing of the implication that when Jon told Liz he had a full social calendar she believed him.

Jon's moronic bravado has revealed Liz's feelings, a fine recommendation for terrible behavior; usually in Garfield humanity gives in to its foibles on a daily basis, but there's a certain amount of bemused fatalism to the moral failure. The best result is usually that the characters have come to Know Themselves, and take sick comfort in that knowledge. It looks like this story arc might "pay off" for Jon. The results will doubtless be as destructive as positive. Because why, after 27 years, does Liz want to go out with Jon? Because after 27 years Jon and Liz are both still alone. That weird camera tilt up doesn't bode well for anyone.

Where'd Garfield go? Probably off bussing tables in the restaurant.

Liz's sentiment in the last panel hits a personal chord with me, and has gotten us all into endless amounts of trouble: well, I had to go out with someone, didn't I?

Jon's Horoscope: Day Eight
There's nothing sadder than trying to impress someone with a lie - except maybe when they run out of clams at the All-You-Can-Eat-Fried-Clam Day. Stay true to your wimpy self. Today's lucky number: 364.

From whose perspective are these horoscopes written? Garfield? I prefer to think Davis' strip celebrates our worst aspects, and wouldn't be too harsh on liars. In fact, the horoscope implies the saddest thing in the world is inability to wallow in gluttony.

In Garfield, compared to today, every other day of the year is your lucky day. And that goes for every day.

Anybody else predicting that Ellen leaves Chez Fruit Picture with old Li'l Abner Blue Suit?

5 comments:

catastrophile said...

Perhaps it's not the lying that's bad, but the trying to impress -- the wanting to impress badly enough to get all creative about it. Way too much effort.

Anonymous said...

Is it just me, or is Liz's date a younger version of Statler the Muppet? Does this mean that Garfield is Waldorf?

Anonymous said...

Wow. looking at *today's* strip, you totally called the Ellen - Waldorf thing. at least it looks like it anyway.
and Marion, yeah It's hard to remember but either a younger Statler or a younger Waldorf. heh

Anonymous said...

OH MY GOD! Jon has no left hand in panel one! Or panel two! WHAT ARE WE oh, there it is.

Anonymous said...

The Garfield Factory -- er, I mean, "Jim Davis" -- may have been inspired by Cathy finally getting married. Especially considering the lucrative website-whoring opportunity demonstrated by that strip. Write "The BigBigDay.Com" in every panel and become even more obscenely rich!