Think how much ink he could have saved

There's a problem with "Garfield." It's not something a lot of people like to talk about. It's an unpleasant reality, like bacteria on a subway handrest or the contents of a McDonald's hamburger.

Yes. I'm talking about unfunny.

I have vague memories of laughing at "Garfield" when I was a kid, back when rat tails were cool and the Beastie Boys were considered dangerous. But perhaps the lasagna jokes grew stale. I found myself laughing at "The Far Side" more than the antics of that striped orange cat.

Until now. What's the secret? Why--eliminating Garfield. An explanation:

Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolor disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against lonliness and methamphetamine addiction in a quiet American suburb.

And an example:



Yes. We have a winner. "Garfield" is funnier without Garfield.