As happens in the world of comics, the idea for the new "Garfield" movie is the result of "daydreaming and doodling," cartoonist Jim Davis said.
"Garfield's Pet Force" ($19.98), just released June 16 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, is geared for viewers ages 6 to 12. It's the third in a trilogy of direct-to-DVD movies about Jon and his pet.
Davis credits a young assistant who worked for him -- and did freelance for comic books such as "The Incredible Hulk" series -- for suggesting that the fat cat turn super hero. That was 15 years ago.
The 78-minute CGI movie finally arrived after a Scholastic book series built upon the idea, and envisioned Garfield, Odie, Arlene and all the feline favorites as caped heroes with muscles and super powers.
The film is the latest in a long list of accomplishments for Garfield, who just celebrated his 31st birthday. His credits include starring in one of the most widely circulated comic strips ("Garfield" runs in THE TIMES). The cartoon cat has more than 200 million readers and has sold more than 11 million DVDs sold to date. The new release even includes a DVD-ROM game.
Davis, a Hoosier claim-to-fame born in Fairmont, Ind., the same hometown as James Dean, took time out of his busy schedule to talk to me by telephone from his home and Paws Inc. studio just outside Albany, Ind.
PP: What is this new movie about and why did it take so long to bring Garfield from the comics pages and Saturday morning cartoons to movies?
JD: What makes this movie so fun is it allows all of the traditional characters, like Garfield, Odie, Nermal and Arlene, to discover a parallel universe where they get to act just the opposite of how they usually are, and, in the guise of this team of superheros. It's set in space and we have them facing all of the things that kids love, from villains and aliens to zombies and rocketships. It's high energy, with a wild plot. As for why I waited so long to get Garfield into the movies, it's not because I wasn't approached over and over, beginning years ago. But the problem was the technology was never available years ago to do justice with bringing Garfield to the screen. But CGI (computer generated image) technology is perfect for Garfield. After I saw what could be done after Disney's "Toy Story," and later, "Monsters Inc.," I knew the time was right.
PP: I know Garfield has changed over the last three decades in his look and art design, but do you think your style and approach to humor and writing has changed over the years?
JD: I always think back to a quote that Al Capp (1909-1979) once said during the very changing times of the late 1960s. He said: "I'm very conservative in my views and liberal in my humor." My sights have never changed. I always keep my views right in front of me. I want the humor to be shared laughs, done in a style that assures it remains timely and classic. That's one of the reasons I never get too topical. I don't go for the "embarrassed laugh." Cartoons have definitely changed over the years, especially in animation, and you could see it starting with "The Simpsons," and then "Beavis and Butt-head" and "South Park." I like to have readers feeling even better than they did before after a dose of this humor.
PP: Have you found over the years that Garfield has a very specific fan base?
JD: His appeal reaches everyone from age 6 to 80. And yes, there are also some who strictly relate to him as being a cat. But when hearing from some college students recently, I was surprised by how many described him as being "hip." And, yes, he resents authority. Has there been a certain shift in audience and age range in some respects? But that has more to do with the times. It used to be 12-year-old girls played with Barbie dolls. Now, that ends at around age 8. But mostly, I find people still connect to Garfield, just as they did in 1978. People still sleep too much and they still eat too much. One of the greatest compliments I can get is when some reads my comic and then, with a smile, they say to either themselves or to someone else the words: "Isn't that true?"
