Welcome to RetroFitted, a new feature that focuses on pop culture
phenomena from the '70s, '80s and '90s, and assesses whether they stil
l resonate with today's kids.
First up: "Garfield."
The
comic strip about an overweight cat and his dork of an owner made its
debut in 1978. In the early 1980s -- when "Garfield" creator Jim Davis
founded the company Paws Inc., effectively launching the "Garfield"
brand -- Jon Arbuckle's best friend transformed from mere cartoon to
full-on feline franchise. The cat was everywhere: On the cover of
best-selling books, in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in animated
TV specials and stuck to a hell of a lot of back windshields in the
form of a stuffed animal with suction cup feet.
I was in
elementary school when Garfield first got hot. I adored him, and I have
the plush Pookie and an original copy of "Garfield Weighs In" to prove
it. My friends and I traded stickers with Garfield and Odie on them. We
lovingly referred to that sarcastic puss as "Garry." We thought every
one of his lasagna jokes was freakin' high-larious.
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