The Ephemerist

It would seem that Jim Davis’ Garfield is a real cornucopia for literary experimentation. Much more than any other popular comic, be it Peanuts or Calvin And Hobbes, Davis’ universe clos and iconic characters seem to lend themselves to postmodern repurposing and extistentialist critique.

Earlier we had Forever Garfield and Nothing Garfield, and now Garfield Minus Garfield presents Jon’s little world without his cat’s overwhelming presence. It’s as if Samuel Beckett is doing the funnies. And it even made USA Today’s Pop Candy blog.

(from The Hurting)

Here’s a nice mashup with “stock” Garfield images that I received from a cartoonist who requested to remain anonymous. Somehow this luminary succeeded in transforming this daily comical cartoon into an existential drama of Beckett-like proportions.

As another luminary (this time less anonymous, for it was Matt “99 Ways To Tell A Story” Madden) said, “Garfield is the new Nancy“…

(Garfield is © Paws, inc. All Rights Reserved)

Read the rest of this entry »