Friday, September 29, 2006

Cat's Donut Dance


Panel 1: Damn it, Jon, seriously, you left a plate of donuts out on the table unguarded? You expect to be eating any donuts today? Though he is not in it, this panel tells us more about Jon than Garfield; about his bottomless capacity for trust, and refusal to admit how his friend treats him. Fall guys are funniest when they set up their own fall.

Panel 2: Well. At least Jon was only expecting "a donut" out of an entire plate of sinkers. When a man's dreams are so small... it just makes them easier to crush.

I haven't anything insightful to add about it, but Garfield standing with hands on hips and expression of satisfaction at a mouthful of fried dough gave me a laughing cramp.

Panel 3: The giant cat tongue is a good sight gag, offering saliva-drenched food a good gross-out gag, and the conciliatory gesture Garfield knows Jon would never accept a sharp character note about remorselessness and insincerity. Note also: It is impossible to know how much time elapses between Panels 1 and 2, which is the secret power of the punchline. In Panel 2 it looks for all the world like Garfield is chewing the donuts. Surprise! This begs another question. If all six donuts visible on the plate are accounted for on his tongue, plus another presumably buried in the stack, plus another now mushed into his cheeks, where in his anatomy was Garfield concealing the 8+ donuts? And where might we get a donut with pale blue frosting?

Verdict: Garfield donut jokes are hilarious.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe it's just poor reproduction, but I don't seem to see any pale blue frosting.

Elliot said...

Third from the right on Garfield's tongue.

Anonymous said...

They're hilarious, and they're also almost always quite a stretch realistically, and at the same time they manage to display perfectly Jon's true feelings. Like Jon asking his cat to give him "one of those." Everything he says sounds like he's confessing that he's completely willing to give Garfield a part of anything he has.

That is love.

Jordan said...

wow, I can't wait to see your post concerning today's sunday strip (october 15th.) I had to read it 3 times before I got the joke. It's one of the stranger ones.


-Jordan

Jordan said...

http://www.garfield.com/comics/comics_archives_strip.html?1999-ga991017

Oh my god! What do you make of this? I'm a bit concerned for Jon here...


-Jordan

Anonymous said...

10/16 = Ewwwwwwwwww.

becca jo said...

i don't get yesterday's either. WTF? is odie on an acid trip?

Anonymous said...

I think it looks more like Jon and Garfield are on an acid trip.

Chris Stangl said...

What do I make of the fact that Jon's teeth always get rounded when he makes an "insane face", or what do I make of the fact that Garfield is dressed as a character from La Dolce Vita?

Jordan said...

Does Jon always lose his mind like this? Is this a reacurring bit in Garfield? Or is that strip a special breakdown for Jon? I just wonder where it came from.


And yes actually a 2000 word essay on Jon's front teeth is the only thing that can satisfy me right now.


-Jordan

Unknown said...

Where can you get a pale blue donut? Probably from Voodoo Doughnut!