Garfield by Jim Davis for April 23, 2023

Garfield is too good for all fours.

It took Jon this long to realize that Garfield doesn’t walk on 4s

A catch 22 situation, eh Garfield ?

Garfield exhibits distinct atrophy of his forward appendages.

I figured his tummy would drag on the ground.

I’ve been in that condition a few times

ᴴᶦᶜ*

Just send Broomie to the Narwhal breeding grounds!

Rolly Polly tum tum

Jon might not, but we did…….

Being lazy, the poor feline has lesser developed arms.

So used to walking upright, he can’t keep his balance when on all fours.

Harder to kick Odie when on all fours.

Title Panel: So accustomed to seeing Xs and L as movie copyright dates that I first thought it was a zero, not a garment size.

Eh… Garfield use walk on four legs in Garfield and friends cartoon.Remember…

I can relate to this strip. I consider myself pretty adept on a bicycle, but cycling home from Costco on a narrow forest path, my backpack shifted as I was maneuvering around a pair of walkers, and I found myself on my back, with legs tangled in my bike frame. When they asked if they could help, I said, “Yes, please forget you saw this.”

Maybe the table was wet and Garfield slipped.

See what?

In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Garfield walked on all fours virtually all the time. I think he started walking only on his hind legs in 1982, and this transition to walking only on his hind legs was complete by 1985.

His front feet couldn’t take the weight of his enhanced stomach!

At least Garfield sits on two legs.

As far as I know, he hasn’t walked on all fours in approximately 20 years. After that time, it’s easy to forget stuff.

I suspect Jon did that on purpose

Gravity kicked in a little too early eh, Garfield?

He can’t, his belly would drag on the floor.

“OH, PLEASE…”

(imagines a different version of this part of the dialogue of this cartoon)

I COULD WALK ON ALL FOURS

“YOU DIDN’T SEE THAT”

(imagines a different version of this part of the dialogue of this cartoon)

SORRY, I’M NOT PERFECT

So much for being graceful, huh, Garfield?

cats are really good at “you didn’t see that”

❝ I don❜t see what all the fuss is about ❞

https://i.ibb.co/8s89Trn/2or4.jpg

Charles Schulz made Garfield forget after teaching how to walk on two legs.

I don’t know what’s funnier: Jon pointing out Garfield’s been walking on two legs or the fact Garfield forgot HOW to walk like a cat XD

it seems that Garfield has to go back to Kittengarten to learn again…so gracious, huh?

“Sorry, thought you meant ‘forelegs’.”

With all that weight, Garfield is too top heavy to walk on all fours.

Bipedal, the next step in cat evolution…

Character evolution caught up with him.

I remember way back in the day Jim would draw Garfield with digitigrade legs that would look more like an actual quadruped standing up when he was on 2 feet, I think the current cartoon cat design has been his default since at least the late 80’s though since it was how he looked in the Garfield and Friends cartoon (though the original 4 legged design DID make it into the “Here Comes Garfield” special which I believe premiered right before the proper animated series)

No Jon I didn’t see anything ?

He was funnier when he walked on 4 legs—before “Jon is an idiot” became the focus instead of “Garfield is incorrigible.”

And while we are at it, seems to me that upright walking is a feature of most cartoon cats: Sylvester, Tom, Top Cat and his gang for starters, and many more no doubt. Actually I can’t think of a single cartoon cat who walks on all fours.

When was the last time that Garfield walked on all fours?

This is why I got rid of the Garfield books I had past 1985. After 1985 Garfield stopped looking and acting like a cat. Since it is in my Sunday paper I still read that but more out of habit than finding it truly amusing anymore.

lol

Kinda the inverse of an early strip when he attempted to go bipedal, succeeded went about his day, only to fall on his face when Jon told him cats can’t do that.

Also, Garf’s feet are reminiscent of cartoon human feet, while his paws remain paws that can hold things like people can. He used to be drawn more cat-like but is now the anthropomorphic “straight cat” we know and love.

…and he didn’t laugh at that, either!?

I remember back when he walked on four legs there were two occasions when he ate so much, his stomach outgrew his legs. I wonder how often that would have happened if he stayed on four legs.

This would be an interesting story arc