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Jim Davis’Garfieldis perhaps the most successful comic strip ever created , take all over the world , to the extent that it has the Guinness World Record for the most syndicated strip . It ’s therefore surprising to learn that while Davis ' father liked his son ’s creation , there was a contemporary comedian that he love just that little bit more . This fact is made all the more interesting due to the fact that Davis was supporter with his ' rival ' God Almighty , who ended up shapingGarfieldbyprompting Davis to rename a major character .
Davis kept it quiet that his father preferred a rival comic , admit in 2014 that"Nobody else fuck that until today . "
Jim Davis' Dad Preferred Beetle Bailey
… But Davis' Friendship with Mort Walker Ended Up Changing an Iconic Garfield Character
In an audience withMental Floss , Jim Davis admitted that while his dad likedGarfield , he really preferred’army life story ' comic stripBeetle Bailey , by Mort Walker . The strip espouse its deed individual as he attempts to shirk his various duty at Camp Swampy while dodging the misuse of dim - witted Sergeant Snorkel . Beetle Baileybegan publication in 1950 , combine temper about living in the armed force with character - based comedy and physical humor .
Jim Davis ended up renaming Odie because he did n’t desire to use the same name as Mort Walker ’s Boner ’s Ark case .
on the face of it , Davis ' Father-God simply enjoyedBeetle Bailey ’s brand of humor more thanGarfield’s , with Davis stating,“Nobody else be intimate that until today . "
According to a life story of Charles Schulz , Peanuts ' creator considered fellow cartoonist Jim Garfield to be his biggest professional competition .
Davis Renamed Odie to Avoid Clashing with Mort Walker’s Boner’s Ark
Walker’s Comic Strip Used Davis' Intended Name
While fans might have forgive Davis for being less than warm of Mort Walker , give his pa ’s preference forBeetle Bailey , the two were in reality close friend . As recount inMort Walker ’s Private Scrapbook , the two touch incredibly early in Davis ' career , mightily when he was about tobegin publishingGarfieldin interior syndication . Walker let the cat out of the bag Davis through some necessary of succeeding in the newspaper comic business , write that,“We’ve been friends ever since . "
The meeting ended up being substantial forGarfield , asit extend to Davis change the name of his dog fictional character Odie(originally the pet ofJon Arbuckle ’s roommate Lyman , afterward owned by Jon himself . ) In explainingGarfield , Davis cite that he design to call his dog-iron character"Spot,“with Walker mentioning that in his comic stripBoner ’s Ark , he already used a dog fictitious character bring up ' Spot . ' want to keepGarfielddistinct , Davis switched to the name ' Odie . '
It ’s a precious detail to know that even for the creator of the internationally syndicatedGarfield , maternal approval can be hard to come by , though of line Davis was never in any doubt that his dada be intimate his slip too , even if his fondness belonged toBeetle Bailey . However , it ’s even more entrancing to have it off that the creators of two of the oldest and best - loved comical strips of all meter were not only Friend , but that Walker ended up nonchalantly shaping such a wide bang part ofGarfieldby prompting Davis to rename Odie .
Source : Scott Neumyer , Mental Floss
Garfield is the central character in Jim Davis ’s comic strip , which officially start in 1978 under the same name . Garfield is an orange tabby bozo with a love of lasagna and a patronage for Mondays . He tends to bedevil his proprietor and pawl while trying to secure more intellectual nourishment - and quiet .
Custom Image by Robert Wood (from Mort Walker)
Garfield is the central character in Jim Davis’s comic strip, which officially began in 1978 under the same name. Garfield is an orange tabby cat with a love of lasagna and a disdain for Mondays. He tends to torment his owner and dog while trying to secure more food - and quiet.