The Garfield comic strips have been classics for decades. Since 1978, Garfield has been making readers’ Sunday mornings better. The kooky cat and his dysfunctional family have gone on to take television channels and movie theaters by storm, but at the end of the day, the iconic Garfield comics are where it all began.
However, these notoriously popular comics wouldn’t be the same without Garfield’s owner, Jon Arbuckle. The best comic strips in the entire series tend to feature him. Whether he is falling victim to one of Garfield’s pranks or falling in love with his long-time veterinarian, Jon Arbuckle is a shining star in the Garfield comic strip series.
The Coffee is Too Strong for Jon
Coffee Has Been a Garfield Staple Since 1978
This list wouldn’t be complete without the often-used coffee joke. Coffee has been a running gag in the Garfield comic strip series since its conception in 1978. The use of coffee to make readers laugh still goes on today, in 2024. Creator Jim Davis often uses hot beverages to draw the characters with insanely silly faces, as seen in the above-featured comic strip.
Although this longtime joke is a classic and has become almost an inside joke among Garfield fans, it isn’t quite as funny now that it’s been going on for nearly fifty years. With Jon having many other appearances where he does much more hysterical, unique things, this comic strip falls at the bottom of this list. However, the coffee gag remains one of the best gags in the series.
Jon Arbuckle Attempts to Reprimand Garfield and Fails
This Becomes a Common Occurrence for Jon
Every fan of the Garfield comic strip series knows that Garfield does his own thing. Getting the fat cat to listen has been a huge struggle for Jon Arbuckle since the beginning of the comic strips. In this comic strip, we see one of Jon’s first attempts to ever reprimand Garfield. When Garfield attempts to steal pie from the kitchen, Jon places a collar on his neck with a bell to let him know what rooms Garfield is going in and out of.
Of course, this attempt fails, with Garfield being as witty as he is. Many, if not most, of the attempts to reprimand Garfield after this point also fail. This particular comic strip is one of the best examples of the playful dynamic between Jon Arbuckle and his cat Garfield. The comic strip is also one of the funniest moments for the lovable dog Odie, as he is made to be the unfortunate scapegoat once again, which is typical for his character in the series.
Jon Arbuckle’s Iconic ‘Vet Coffee’ Comic Strip
This Embarrassing Moment Has Haunted Jon for Decades
Many fans in the series have at least heard of the disgusting ‘vet coffee incident’ that Jon went through if they have not read the above comic strip themselves. In this comic strip, Jon Arbuckle goes to drink some of his future girlfriend’s coffee, only for her to make a joke that it might be something rather disgusting. This comic strip immediately went viral not only for its implications, but because fans wondered if Jon had really drunk something horrible or if Liz was only messing around to annoy him.
Of course, Jon has plenty of funny and embarrassing moments throughout the Garfield comic strips. However, this one sticks out in fans’ minds as one of the worst experiences Jon has possibly ever had. For Davis to create such a dynamic joke in only three panels is a testament to his comedic work as a comic strip creator and illustrator.
Jon and Garfield’s Banter is Unparalleled
Garfield is About to Turn Forty-Five in This Comic Strip
Many of Jon Arbuckle’s most iconic moments feature the main character and household pet, Garfield. In this comic strip, we see Garfield reminding Jon that he’s been making jokes and living with him for the past forty-five years. Not only is this moment a gentle reminder of how long the series has been running, but Davis also slips in an uncharacteristic moment that fans can catch if they’re paying attention.
With Davis rarely breaking the fourth wall in the Garfield comic strips, plenty of readers hunt for any implication that the characters know they’re in a comic strip. When the series was first released, Davis habitually allowed Jon to give a side eye or glare right at the reader, even if he didn’t say anything directly to them. As the series went on, these moments became more and more rare. In this comic strip, however, we can see in the final panel that Jon is giving a subtle side-eye to the reader as Garfield talks, making this comic strip a rare find for true fans of the series.
The Arbuckle Family Gets Caught in the Mud
Jon Loves to Entertain His Boys
In this comic strip, we see Garfield and Odie playing around in the mud together. In a moment of sentimentality, Jon runs out of the house and joins them, splashing around in the dirt with his two boys. However, the three of them are soon caught by Jon’s date for the night.
This moment in the comic strip is a perfect example of how rotten Jon Arbuckle’s dating life is before he begins dating veterinarian Liz Wilson. Despite his futile attempts to be impressive and likable, he often gets caught being himself in a way that wards potential partners off. Readers who have been with the series for a long time know that this pattern of scaring off future girlfriends has been a running gag for decades, all the way up until Liz and Jon became a couple in 2006.
This Sentimental Christmas Comic Strip Can’t Be Beat
Jon Arbuckle Has a New Family Now
It’s rare for a Garfield comic to feature such a sweet moment between Garfield, Odie, and their owner, Jon Arbuckle. More often than not, one of the trio is the butt of some funny joke. For Christmas comic strips, however, Davis tends to allow his characters the freedom to be more heartwarming. When Jon mentions family at Christmas, all three think of their parents in the thought bubbles above their heads.
This moment between the three is so sweet that it deserves the fifth spot on this list. While there may be other moments where Jon is funnier or more softhearted, this Christmas comic strip is easily among the best comic strips featuring Jon.
Jon Arbuckle Has Had Enough Of His Food-Stealing Pets
Garfield and Odie Get Pretty Scared in This One
Jon Arbuckle often gets his dinner stolen by Garfield, and when it isn’t Garfield, it’s Odie. In this comic strip, Jon appears to go slightly further in trying to prevent them from stealing his food. As Garfield and Odie both beg for his meal, Jon simply has enough. He starts to eat the food intensely, mimicking how Garfield or Odie look when they scarf his meals down as quickly as possible.
This attempt to frighten the dynamic duo of Garfield and Odie off actually works. They both look absolutely terrified as Jon laughs in their faces about being able to finally finish a meal. This is a strange and out-of-character moment for Jon. It is easily one of the best comic strips featuring him simply for its illustrations, if nothing else.
Jon Arbuckle Has His First Date With Liz Wilson in this Comic Strip
Their Relationship is Just Too Cute
The relationship between Liz Wilson and Jon Arbuckle develops over almost three decades throughout the early stages of the Garfield comic strips. In this comic strip, we see Jon dancing away happily after having his first kiss with veterinarian Liz Wilson.
While Jon may make many attempts throughout the series to date other women, his attraction to Liz is something he never fully walks away from. Her consistency in his life is different from all the other women Jon meets, and she is the only woman he dates who seems to accept Garfield’s place in Jon’s life. This comic strip stays in many early fans’ minds as one of the sweetest moments in the franchise, as Jon getting positive attention from a partner was a rare sight for decades.
This April Fools’ Crossover is One of A Kind
Jon Moves His Family Into the Bumstead Household
Everyone loves a good crossover, but it rarely happens in comic strips. This one from the Garfield series was a rare moment for fans to witness. Back in the ’90s, the creator of Garfield, Jim Davis, and the creator of Blondie, Chic Young, pranked readers by allowing their characters to do a never-before-seen comic strip crossover on April Fools’ Day.
This comic strip was memorable for the Garfield franchise and was known among comic strip fans as a wild and hilarious move for the pair of illustrators to make. Readers had not seen a moment like this happen before, and for two major comic strip series to clash together was a really cool and unique moment for readers to participate in real-time.
The First Ever Garfield Comic Strip is Truly The Best
Nothing Beats a Timeless Classic
The first-ever Garfield comic strip, released in 1978, is an iconic strip that almost all mega-fans of the series have seen before. It features Jon and Garfield breaking the fourth wall to introduce themselves to the readers, something illustrator Jim Davis rarely does during the comic strip series. Among all the comic strips that feature Jon, this is one of the most well-known in the entire Garfield franchise.
Because this comic strip is so popular, it simply must take the top spot. It brings readers back to the nostalgia of the old Garfield art style and reminds them of where it all started. When looking back at this comic strip, fans can see how far the Garfield series has come. Jon’s loving introduction of his cat Garfield only happens once in the entire series. As the comic strip grows in popularity, it will be honored as the birthplace of the entire franchise.
- First Film
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Garfield: The Movie
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Garfield and Friends
- Latest TV Show
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Garfield Originals
