Garfield Celebrates 40 Years

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (June 19, 2018)—Andrews McMeel Syndication (AMS) is pleased to announce the 40th anniversary of world-renowned comic strip Garfield. Created by multitalented cartoonist Jim Davis, Garfield made its newspaper debut on June 19, 1978.

The strip, which joined AMS in 1994, is now syndicated in more than 2,100 newspapers internationally and is a favorite on GoComics.com. Beloved for its ironic, aloof, lazy lead feline, Garfield also holds the Guinness World Record for “The Most Widely Syndicated Comic Strip in the World” and boasts a readership of more than 200 million people globally.

In addition, Garfield has had tremendous success in licensing and editorial ventures. Countless calendars, books, merchandise items, and even theme parks have been created in Garfield’s image. Beginning in the early 1980s, the strip’s popularity extended into television (Garfield and Friends and The Garfield Show), cinema, eleven primetime specials, two feature films, and three animated features for DVD. A new animated series of shorts, Garfield Originals, is in the works, as well as a brand-new animated feature film, produced by Alcon Entertainment with Bridget McMeel and Jim Davis, which is currently in development.

To celebrate the snarky orange tabby’s birthday, Age Happens: Garfield Hits the Big 4‑0, will be released by Ballantine Books. This lavish, full-color collection features a foreword by Lin-Manuel Miranda—long-time Garfield fan and Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of Hamilton—and commemorates Garfield’s 40th with birthday-themed comic strips dating back to 1978. Guest cartoonists’ work, fan art, and insider extras are also included.

For more on Garfield, please visit www.gocomics.com/garfield or www.garfield.com.

About Andrews McMeel Universal

GoComics.com is part of Andrews McMeel Universal, a creative media company based in Kansas City, Missouri, and home of all-time classic comics such as Calvin and Hobbes, Doonesbury, Peanuts, The Far Side, Garfield, and contemporary favorites Sarah’s Scribbles, Breaking Cat News, and Phoebe and Her Unicorn. Our divisions include the largest independent comics syndicate in the U.S. (Andrews McMeel Syndication) as well as a global publishing house (Andrews McMeel Publishing) and numerous other entertainment websites. No matter the medium, our aim is to bring joy and inspiration to people’s lives through the work of our talented creators (andrewsmcmeel.com).

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Contact:  Kathy Hilliard, khilliard@amuniversal.com, 816.581.7497