Garfield: The Movie
Summary
Jim Davisis illustrious for being the Jehovah ofGarfield , and for obvious understanding , asGarfieldis perhaps the most iconic comic stripin the chronicle of the metier . However , beforeGarfield , another - decidedly lesser - known - comic strip was bring forth by Davis that was arguably just as funny : Gnorm Gnat .
Gnorm Gnatwas published in The Pendleton Times from 1973 - 1975 , and while it found some succeeder , the paper ’s editor program reportedly canceled the serial because it was n’t relatable enough . evidently , glitch were n’t consider relatable to people in the mid-’70s , which is why Davis pivoted to the comic stripJon(subsequently re - namedGarfield ) . In short , Gnorm Gnatquite literally gave life toGarfield , but even so , it was suspect enough to abide on its own merit as a truly hilarious comic . Here are10 Gnorm Gnat stripsthat prove it !
The disappearance of Lyman is the biggest mystery in Garfield ’s recollective account , and a dark jocularity on the cat ’s 20th anniversary may have clear it .
10Gnorm Gnat’s First Comic Strip Sets the Stage for a Hilarious 3-Year Run
Gnorm Gnat- March 1, 1973
This strip is wakeful - hearted dismal humor at its finest . Here Freddy is , with simple days to live , say that at least yield fly are n’t getting divorced very often . This striptease is clever , on - brand ( indeed , it ’s a public featuring mouth bugs ) , and hilariously morbid . In other lyric , it perfectly sets the stage for a hilarious three - twelvemonth running play .
9Gnorm Gnat Rips Off Peanuts & Breaks the 4th Wall in 1 Comic Strip
Gnorm Gnat- March 8, 1973
The above strip show features Jim Davis speaking directly to Gnorm Gnat , telling the character to ‘ get up there ’ because the fan will sleep together it . While reader do n’t yet know what Davis is referring to , Gnorm Gnat vehemently turn down , despite Davis ’ promise that readers will love it . The argumentation gets so intense that Davis peril to erase Gnorm Gnat from existence if he does n’t heed to him . The comic end with Gnorm Gnat lying flat on his back on the cap of a dog house , say defeatedly , “ That autocrat would sell his mother to build a readership ” .
This comic isJim Davis addressing how popularPeanutsis by doing a parody of Snoopy , all while calling himself out on it the entire fourth dimension , with his own original character being against the soulless rakehell - off the entire sentence . The entire flight strip is utterly brilliant , and implausibly hilarious .
81 Gnorm Gnat Joke is Funnier Than When Garfield Did It
Gnorm Gnat- April 26, 1973
This comic striptease shows Gnorm Gnat doing a crossword mystifier , pondering a six - letter word for pain . When Gnorm asks Drac Webb , the spider say , “ arrrgh ” . Gnorm writes that off as ridiculous , at which point Drac promptly steps on Gnorms foundation , causing the gnat to squall out , “ ARRRGH ” . Gnorm forthwith postulate for the correct spelling of “ arrrgh ” , admitting licking .
Garfield did this same joke a few years later , with Jon ask Garfield a six - varsity letter countersign for pain , and Garfield jump the right way to hurting Jon as his answer . Garfield ’s version jump a whole beat of the joke , where the person who first say the word was “ arrrgh ” has to try out their pointedness to the one that express mirth them off . It ’s rare for a comic airstrip to be funnier than the iconic Garfield , but in this case , the grounds is exculpated .
7The End of 1 Gnorm Gnat Saga is Hilariously Continued by Garfield
Gnorm Gnat- May 24, 1973
This comic strip marked the destruction of a four - part saga that sawGnorm Gnat trap beneath a piece of tape . He get out by flexing his brawn , expanding the tapeline , and bursts his elbow room to freedom - and it works ! Except , right as he ’s lionize his freedom , a human script comes down upon him with a stapler , and staple him down , exit Gnorm in a worse view than he was in antecedently .
A few years later , Garfield found himself in a similar situation when he got fascinate in the window blind , and he also came up with the same solution . Garfield decided that if he could bend all his muscles , then he ’d be able to miss . But then , Garfield - being a famously rich cat - think that he does n’t have any muscle , and continues to advert there until Jon saves him . This was a hilarious good continuation of the first jape , as the thing that go for Gnorm Gnat did not work for Garfield , thereby making the original gag that much shady in retrospect .
6Gnorm Gnat Helps Drac Webb Come Up With a Recipe for Lunch - & He’s Lunch
Gnorm Gnat- July 19, 1973
Drac Webb is something of an antagonist inGnorm Gnat , proven true when he catches Gnorm Gnat in his vane and threatens to corrode him for dejeuner . But the funny part is , Gnorm is weirdly tangled in the cookery process - specifically , choose the formula . Drac Webb lists a routine of unlike dish that he could cook Gnorm into , with Gnorm shoot them all down until he finally hear the one he like : “ Wry Bread ” . Though it seemed like the only reason he chose that one was so he could say the punchline : “ It would feel nice to be kneaded ” .
This strip is in reality yet another saga alike to the one where Gnorm Gnat was trapped underneath tape recording , though this one cease with the verbatim intervention of Jim Davis ( for Gnorm ’s benefit , as that ‘ Stapler Hand ’ may very well have belonged to Davis as well ) . Davis erased Drac ’s web , thereby both freeing Gnorm and remind readers that he ’s still very much an alive part of the serial .
5Gnorm Gnat’s Freddy the Fruit Fly Becomes Decidedly Less Optimistic
Gnorm Gnat- September 6, 1973
This funnies sees the regaining of Freddy the Fruit Fly , and just like last metre , his short life means he has no time to stop and talk with Gnorm Gnat . However , that does n’t intend he does n’t have a few passing words , particularly after Gnorm says that Freddy ’s light lifetime should n’t demoralise him , and that he should populate it up to the total in the little bit of time he ’s got . To that , Freddy quickly reply that he ca n’t afford to , saying , “ You should see my living insurance premium ” .
Freddy the Fruit Fly was definitely sorry about his short life the first fourth dimension he was featured on - panel , but at least he was optimistic about fruit fly front divorce rates . Here , however , he ’s decidedly less optimistic , as he marches through a short life to a quick death , all the while pay assuredly an unconscionable amount of money for liveliness insurance .
4Gnorm Gnat Tries Out Some New Stand-Up Material (& Totally Bombs)
Gnorm Gnat- October 25, 1973
Despite being the virtuoso of his very own comic strip show , Gnorm Gnat essay his hand at a life history in stand - up comedy- and totally bombs . Gnorm catch absolutely no reaction from the unseen audience as he ’s up there on the stage , and when his jape do n’t land , he tells them that he know they ’re there because he can hear them respiration , which is distressing even for the most dire comic .
Rightfully so , Gnorm Gnat gets hooked off the stage , though that is n’t where this little saga ends . Gnorm proceeds to try stand - up two more times in this four - part saga , each time flunk more miserably than the last - make each time more screaming than the last as well .
3Jim Davis Uses Gnorm Gnat to Prove He’s the King of Dad Jokes
Gnorm Gnat- January 31, 1974
The above strip features Gnorm Gnat model alone with his thoughts . He ’s thinking about how he wished he lived in the sixth Century , because then he would be a “ Gnat in beam armour ” . One can finger the corporate eye axial rotation of every person who has ever read this comical landing strip since it was published in 1974 , and that alone makes it dead screaming .
It ’s no secret thatJim Davis is the king of daddy jokes- his voice shining through persona like Jon and Garfield have made that abundantly open - but Gnorm was the first part through which Davis ’ dad jokes could flourish , and almost none of them can top this one .
2Jim Davis Uses Gnorm Gnat’s Comic Strip Existence as a Meta Prop
Gnorm Gnat- February 7, 1974
This strip sees Gnorm Gnat demand his admirer Lyman how to spell the word “ musical rhythm ” . So , Lyman asks him to say the Scripture again , at which point Lyman looks directly at the word bubble of Gnorm Gnat restate the news , and simply spells what he sees . Gnorm Gnat then looks straight at the reader , sound out , “ He ’s so smart ” .
This spirit level of meta consciousness in aGnorm Gnatcharacter allowsJim Davis to literally use the comic funnies mass medium as his own personal property , stool the final joke that much more entertaining .
1Freddy the Fruit Fly’s Final Gnorm Gnat Appearance is His Funniest (& Most Depressing)
Gnorm Gnat- May 22, 1975
Freddy the Fruit Fly was there at the start of the series , and he was there to finish off his three - year saga that canonically take aim office in less than a week . Here , Gnorm Gnat works at a watch repair stand , and Freddy come near him to get his sentry fix ( which , in and of itself , is hilarious given how long it ’s remove Freddy to die , despite his perpetual intestinal colic ) . Gnorm tells Freddy that it ’ll take about two week to pay back his vigil , so Freddy lamentably recount Gnorm to keep it , and continues on his agency .
Jim Davismay be most noted as the creator ofGarfield , but comic strips like this one confirmGnorm Gnatis easy just as funny , and well - worth appear back on .
