2024 is coming to an end, but there's still time in the year for some surprises - including musician and record producer Skrillex nailing why Jim Davis' Garfield comic has garnered such significant international appeal. Syndicated in more than 100 countries worldwide, with an audience of over 200 million, Garfield is one of the most successful comic characters to ever exist, with Skrillex (aka Sonny John Moore) putting his finger on exactly what makes the tabby cat so iconic. 3v1n5t

An early Garfieldcomic featured the cartoon cat's unique chronicle of the "History of Dogs," a hilarious take on the origin of the canine species, which held to emphasize the role of Garfield's self-centered perspective on the humor of the strip, which was still evolving at the time of the storyline's publication.

A memorable early Garfieldstoryline featured the feline's version of "the history of cats," a sequence of comic strips published in the summer of 1979; as the week progressed, series creator Jim Davis took readers on a tour of the past – from the dawn of life on Earth up through the modern era – all from Garfield's perspective.

Watching TV was an essential part of everyday life for Garfield, as Jim Davis' beloved comic strip routinely poked fun at Americans' increasing appetite for television. Davis used the iconic orange tabby as a proxy for audiences, as Garfield initially had a love/hate relationship with TV, though over time he came to love just about everything about it – even the commercials.

Jim Davis' Garfield is perhaps the most successful comic strip ever created, read 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 comic that he loved just that little bit more. This fact is made all the more interesting due to the fact that Davis was friends with his 'rival' creator, who ended up shaping Garfield by prompting Davis to rename a major character.

Garfield's greatest nemesis, Nermal, is undeniably one of the franchise's best characters, but I seriously miss his original design. First debuting on September 3rd, 1979, Nermal hit the ground running 45 years ago as one of the funniest character concepts from the hit Jim Davis newspaper strip. However, just like Garfield, his design has undergone changes over the years, and I can't help but feel like his current design misses what made his original look so funny.

Garfield is a famous prankster, a notorious food-motivated maniac, and a generally cynical cat. Garfield loves lasagna, he hates Mondays, and he finds no greater enjoyment in life than when he’s messing with Jon or bullying Odie. Indeed, when it’s not coming from food, Garfield’s happiness comes from the embarrassment, suffering, or overall misfortune of others. However, that shouldn’t suggest that Garfield doesn’t have a softer side.

Garfieldfans know that the one thing the iconic cat truly loves is eating – and corollary to that, there's a single word in the English language he loathes almost more than any other: dieting. Nevertheless, Jim Davis' legendary comic stripfrequently found humor in Jon Arbuckle's attempts to get Garfield to slim down, with these attempts at placing his pet on a diet rarely leading to any measurable success.

There are dozens of recognizable cartoon characters in the world, from Bugs Bunny to Mickey Mouse to Snoopy, and standing shoulder to shoulder with them is none other than Garfield. Since his creation, Garfield has been an absolute juggernaut of pop culture and merchandise, but he's changed so much over the years that it's unlikely fans nowadays would even recognize him.

There’s a reason Garfield is one of the most recognizable cartoon characters in history, and it isn’t exactly because he’s nice. The fat orange cat doesn’t just despise Mondays and love lasagna, he’s also the very definition of a mischievous scamp. Any chance he gets, Garfield will pull a prank on those closest to him, including his fellow pets, Odie and Nermal. However, there’s one person Garfield loves to pick on more than any other: Jon.