Garfield's home at Paws, Inc. in Muncie is not only home to the famous cartoon cat, but also to 12 Ball State graduates, including Garfield creator Jim Davis.
Wife of Jim Davis and senior vice president of licensing at Paws, Inc., Jill Davis said the people at Paws, Inc. have become a family.
"We have not only watched Garfield grow up over the [last] 25 years, but we have watched each other grow and each other's children [grow]," Jill said.
Jill is a 1967 graduate of Ball State. She has been with Paws, Inc. since the beginning of Garfield.
Upon returning from the Garfield cruise "It's All About Me (At Sea) in 2003," she said she saw the impact Garfield has had on his fans.
I heard hundreds of stories about how Garfield helped teach kids to read, how sick children smiled when reading Garfield and how children with disabilities felt comfort in Garfield, Jill said.
"Hearing these stories would make Jim cry," she said.
Karen Blank had been an avid fan of Garfield because of her interest in cats. Once when attending one of Garfield's book signings she saw Jim Davis, with whom she had met while at Ball State.
"I had read Garfield and never put two and two together," Blank said.
Blank, Ball State alumna of 1972, left Ball State to be an elementary education major, after spending time working as a teacher in surrounding Muncie schools, she left to work for Davis.
Blank is currently the vice president of international relations with Asia and Latin America at Paws, Inc.
"Jim's a great person to work for," Blank said. "This is such a relaxing and fun place to work."
As visitors walk through the halls of Paws, Inc. they notice that the walls are filled with Garfield pictures and various pieces from Garfield product lines.
While Blank has worked at Paws, she has become a collector herself.
"It is hard to not know where I work when you walk into my house," Blank said.
A fan of Garfield's dieting comic strips, she said she had to admit that she has fallen in love with Odie over the years.
Tom Greiwe, a class of 1976 Ball State graduate, does the accounting at Paws, Inc.
Not quite a fan of comic strips before he started, Greiwe said working at Paws, Inc. -- and with Garfield -- has brought some exciting and fun moments.
"One day a guy stood out front playing his accordion in protest of a Garfield strip that had made fun of accordion music," Greiwe said.
Greiwe said that doing Garfield's tax returns is as fun as accounting gets.
Betsy Knotts, Paws, Inc. art director and Ball State alumna, loves working with Davis and the sense of humor that comes with him.
"Every time he would introduce me to someone, he would call me the world's tallest designer," Knotts said.
Knotts said she often wore high heels making her over six feet tall, and although she has invested in flat shoes, Davis still refers to her as the tallest designer, Knotts said.
One of the Web designers for Garfield.com is Ball State alumnus Jeff Wesley.
"When I was in seventh grade I would buy Garfield posters and hang them on my wall at home," Wesley said.
Now Wesley works to bring Garfield to the public.
Wesley, who has been with Paws, Inc. for eight years, said, "You never know what you going to end up doing each day."
While attending Ball State, Wesley majored in graphic design, which has allowed him to become the director of online graphics at Paws, Inc.
"The versatility of this job is what makes it fun and interesting," Wesley said.
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