Jim Davis takes one week out of every month and puts himself where only he can go -- in Garfield's world.
During that week, with toe tapping, sweat forming and heart pounding, he sits intensely watching his striped friend stroll through his mind.
He waits.
Whatever happens, is up to the cat.
And then, when Garfield makes him laugh, the pen begins to move.
"He has to make me laugh first," Davis said.
It's a formula that has worked for years, and a formula Davis expects to keep working for many years to come.
"He is easy to conjure up in my imagination -- easy to watch," Davis said. "I can't put words into Garfield's mouth. The readers would pick up in an instant if I were forcing it."
The Ball State University alumnus has not only been coexisting with Garfield for 25 years, he has also been thriving with grand success in the comic-strip business.
Now viewed in 2,570 newspapers and read by more than 263 million people every day, Davis can say with a smile, "We are home free now."
However, success wasn't always automatic for the "Garfield" comic strip creator. After majoring in art and business while attending Ball State in the 1960s, Davis graduated and worked on several projects before "Garfield."
He said he spent a couple of years doing art for a local advertising company and then nine years as an assistant to Tom Ryan on the cartoon "Tumbleweeds." After that, but before "Garfield," Davis tried a strip titled "Gnorm Gnat," which lasted five years as Davis continued to have syndicates question the reader's ability to relate to bugs.
At that point, Davis took some time to analyze the comic industry. The result was the realization that he needed a "hook." Davis said syndicates asked him, "What makes your idea different?"
After working on the "Tumbleweeds" strip, a cartoon that deals primarily with cowboys and Indians, Davis said he didn't want to draw humans.
"This was way before political correctness; but nevertheless, some people would protest," Davis said. "(Ryan) lost six papers because of that. I thought, 'I don't want to deal with humans. I don't want the pressure; I want to do an animal.'"
After further skimming the comics, Davis said a light went off, and the answer hit him.
"There were a million dogs, but no cats," Davis said.
But for the 58-year-old Marion, Ind., native, once he created Garfield, his favorite characteristic of the cat became Garfield's humanistic thoughts and attitude.
"The more human-like I make Garfield, the more cat-like people say he is," Davis said.
Once Garfield took off, it was Davis' drive and work ethic, something he attributes to being raised on a farm, that allowed the strip and his company to grow. Three years after Garfield's creation in 1978, Davis created Paws, Inc., a creative house to support "Garfield" licensing.
Now located at 5440 E. County Road 450 N. in Albany, Ind., Paws, Inc. also plays home to 57 artists, writers, and licensing business executives.
One of those is Mike Fentz, a cartoon illustrator at Paws, Inc. for 21 years. Fentz has been with Paws longer than any other artist, other than Davis.
In those 21 years, Fentz has worked hand in hand with Davis on many projects and can say with confidence that Davis is a guy with a "laid back personality." However, when it comes to drawing Garfield, Davis makes sure he is drawn correctly by the art department, Fentz said.
"Basically he is real picky in general," Fentz said. "But it kind of fluctuates because he is so busy with so many things. He would like to be involved with everything right down to the last nut and bolt. That is his nature to do that."
Fentz was sure to point out that even though Davis can be picky, he remains to be a good guy to work with.
"In general he is a real laid-back guy; you'd think he is real wishy-washy. But, he's not," Fentz said. "He's always thinking. He likes input from everybody in the staff, but he still makes all the big decisions."
For the most part, all of those decisions have been made in the same place over the last 25 years. Davis has always been stationed in Indiana. He attributes that to the need for Midwest humor.
"Humorists are by and large from the Midwest," Davis said. "Look at David (Letterman) with his sense of humor. It is very marketable -- Tom Wilson with 'Ziggy,' Mort Walker from Kansas City, does 'Beetle Baily,' Charles Schulz was from St. Paul, Minn. There is just something about the Midwest sense of humor that is a good balance between both coasts."
Davis said he has never had reason to move because the only thing he has ever needed was a mailbox.
"The whole rhythm and being comfortable when writing comes from being here," he said. "There is no reason to move whatsoever. I have always found something wrong with the other parts of the country anyways -- either too much traffic, mud slides or earthquakes."
After living around Muncie nearly his entire life, Davis said this is the area of the country where he is most noticed by the common "Garfield" fan. But for the lifetime artist and winner of four Emmy awards, being noticed doesn't happen as often as some may think.
"I can't say the notoriety is a burden," Davis said, "Garfield is the famous guy. I get to live in relative anonymity."
Davis said he still gets approached for autographs in Muncie, but not as much as he used to. He assumes that over 25 years, most people who want an autograph have gotten one. Davis said that once outside the Muncie area, there are times that he goes unnoticed.
"Take a half a dozen of the most widely syndicated cartoonists and march us down the street. No body would look," Davis said. "Other than people would say 'There is a bunch of oddly dressed old guys.'"
When reflecting on the best part about being Jim Davis, the seasoned cartoonist replied much like a pro-athlete or successful actor.
"I get to do what I love, and I get paid for it," he said.
On a larger scale, Davis said everyone likes to feel that they are making a difference -- something he feels he has been able to do.
"I think I make people feel better with what I do," he said, "and that is the best part because that is why I created it."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
