As one of the most popular cartoon characters of all time, it’s only natural that internet parody comics, and everything in between.

Unlike other comic properties, like Marvel and DC’s superhero comic books, newspaper comic strips don’t tend to see a lot of crossovers or shared universes. But the stars of the funny pages will still interact from time to time, and Garfield is no exception. Here are the best times Garfield has crossed over with other beloved comics.

10 Garfield and Jon Attend Blondie's 75th Anniversary

August 2005

On the whole, the community of newspaper comic strip cartoonists tends to be a ive one, particularly when it comes to stalwarts like Blondie. When Blondie celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2005, Garfield was one of many strips that paid tribute to Chic Young’s classic strip. In one Garfield strip, Blondie’s husband, Dagwood, stops by Jon and Garfield’s house to invite them to the Bumsteads’ anniversary party, and the two are more than happy to help mark the occasion.

Garfield and other beloved characters from newspaper comics would attend another big bash at Blondie and Dagwood’s house 10 years later, when the Bumsteads host a massive Halloween party.

In the two weeks leading up to the strip marking Blondie’s 75th anniversary, many beloved comic strip characters appear at Blondie and Dagwood’s house. Garfield and Jon are seen in one Sunday Blondie strip arriving at the big party, with Garfield appropriately hoping that the guest room is ready for him to rest in. Several recognizable figures stay with the Bumsteads during this time, including characters from Hagar the Horrible, MUTTS, The Wizard of Id, Mother Goose and Grimm, and The Family Circus.

9 Snoopy Pops Up in Garfield's Mirror

November 14, 1988

Charles Schulz and his seminal comic strip, Peanuts, were a huge influence on Jim Davis. So, it makes sense that the first time Garfield crosses over with another famous cartoon character, it would be with Snoopy. Walking past a mirror, Garfield inexplicably sees Snoopy looking back at him instead of his reflection. Naturally, this occurs on a Monday, the one day of the week that will never cease to harass Garfield.

In his 20th anniversary book, 20 Years and Still Kicking, Davis says that he got special permission from Schulz to feature Snoopy in this strip. It’s a tad surprising, considering that Schulz viewed Garfield as a rival to Peanuts. But it’s clear that Davis has an immense respect for Schulz, whose work would be honored in future Garfield strips.

8 Grumpy Cat and Garfield

2017

While Grumpy Cat might not be a cartoon character, per se, it could be argued that memes hold just as high a position in the realm of public awareness today as comic strips did in decades previous. Either way, as two of the internet’s favorite felines, it makes perfect sense that Grumpy Cat and Garfield would team up one day. The two sourpusses finally crossed paths in 2017 for a three-issue comic series from Dynamite Entertainment and BOOM! Studios.

Written by Mark Evanier and drawn by Steve Uy, the story sees an evil cat food company kidnap Garfield and Grumpy Cat aka Tardar Sauce. The CEO hopes to brainwash them in order to make their personalities more dog-like. Naturally, these two take an instant disliking to each other. But after they are both temporarily turned into happy cats, they team up to put a stop to the evil corporation’s plans.

7 "Garfield Meets the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"

Winter 1992

As two staples of Saturday morning cartoons in the 1980s and 1990s, it only makes sense that Garfield would one day run into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While they’re vastly different in of tone and subject matter, the two series do have one thing in common: a love of pizza. That’s on full display in a one-page story that appeared in the Winter 1992 issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Magazine.

Written by Jim Davis with art by Gary Barker and Larry Fentz, “Garfield Meets the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” sees Garfield trying to infiltrate the TMNT in order to get his hands on their pizza. Disguising himself as another ninja named “Garfello,” the orange tabby tries to get the Turtles to go off and fight crime while he guards the pizza. His plan fails when Odie gives him away, and the Turtles kick him to the curb.

6 Don't Compare Heathcliff to Garfield

December 1, 2015

Despite debuting five years before Garfield, George Gately’s Heathcliff seems doomed to forever live in the shadow of comics’ other tubby orange cat. It’s unfortunate, because Heathcliff is a hilarious strip in its own right that manages to distinguish itself from Jim Davis’ more famous comic. It just goes to show that, while two comics may appear to have a similar concept on the surface, the creators’ artistry and sense of humor can make them wholly unique.

Peter Gallagher, the cartoonist responsible for the daily Heathcliff comic since 1998, is obviously aware of the comparisons to Garfield and has poked fun at them on occasion. However, Heathcliff himself does not appear to have a sense of humor about the subject. This is apparent when Heathcliff sits for a portrait painted by his owner, Mrs. Nutmeg. She accidentally paints a portrait of Garfield, earning a furious look from Heathcliff.

5 Pearls Before Swine Can't Help Poking Fun at Garfield

August 2014

Pearls Before Swine creator Stephan Pastis is known for regularly mocking other comic strips in his work. Sometimes these can get quite dark, particularly when it comes to more innocent and wholesome comics. For example, Bil Keane’s The Family Circus is a frequent target of his, with characters like Jeffy beating up Pig or getting sent to Guantánamo Bay.

As one of the biggest names in newspaper comics, Garfield is a natural target for Pastis to take shots at. In one instance, the Pearls characters get jobs in other comics, with Goat going to work in Garfield’s comic (where he’s about to get squished by the orange tabby). In another, longer story, Rat believes he is pregnant, only to learn that he has actually eaten Garfield. Pastis (a character in his own strip) goes to Davis to beg for forgiveness. Davis lords over Pastis, pointing out how much more money he makes. He also has Rat’s head chopped off for his transgression.

4 Garfield is Bill the Cat’s Dad

December 22, 2015

One of the most famous characters in Berkeley Breathed’s beloved Bloom County comic strip, Bill the Cat, was initially created as a direct parody of Garfield. In Bill’s first appearance, the other Bloom County characters acknowledge that they are hoping to capitalize on the hot trend of merchandising, as well as the big bucks that come with it. Unfortunately for Bill, he lacks Garfield’s marketability, as his perpetual drug-induced comas and propensity for hacking up hairballs don’t lend themselves easily to children’s toys and cartoon specials. Neither does the fact that he has died and been resurrected on more than one occasion.

Bill the Cat has held a bunch of strange jobs over the decades, including presidential candidate, lead singer of the metal band Deathtöngue, Soviet spy, televangelist, Garfield impersonator and Donald Trump.

Garfield would make infrequent appearances in Bloom County, as well as Breathed’s sequel strips, Outland and Opus. Shortly after Breathed revived Bloom County in 2015, he revealed that Garfield is actually Bill the Cat’s father. But while “even Darth Vadar [sic] acknowledged his son in the end,” Garfield refuses to even answer the phone when Bill calls every Christmas.

3 The U.S. Acres Gang Lives at Jon Arbuckle's Family Farm

May 14, 2023

Kids who grew up watching the animated Garfield and Friends show likely the U.S. Acres segments that ran in each episode after an adventure starring Garfield. Few probably that U.S. Acres was actually a comic strip before the cartoon premiered. Created by Jim Davis and Brett Koth, the comic strip ran from 1986 to 1989. It centered around a group of barnyard animals including the level-headed Orson Pig, the wisecracking Roy Rooster, Sheldon (a chick that decided not to hatch from its egg), and the hydrophobic Wade Duck.

Of course, the daily Garfield strip is still running strong today, and there have been numerous animated and live-action adaptations in the years since Garfield and Friends went off the air. U.S. Acres, on the other hand, has not enjoyed the same longevity. But Davis has clearly not forgotten his less popular comic, as this Garfield strip from 2023 shows. When Jon and Garfield drop in on the Arbuckle family farm for Mother’s Day, Roy Rooster and Orson Pig are among the farm animals who line up for a hug from Jon’s mom.

2 Snoopy Shows Up to Celebrate Peanuts' Charles Schulz

November 26, 2022

As mentioned earlier, Charles Schulz was a huge inspiration for Davis, as well as an entire generation of cartoonists. “Sparky” Schulz was such a monumental figure in the comics industry that fellow cartoonists continued to pay respect to him decades after he ed away in 2000.

In 2022, on what would have been Schulz’ 100th birthday, Jon reads to Garfield and Odie about a young boy who loved comics and grew up to create a strip of his own. “That comic strip made people laugh, and warmed hearts around the world and we lived happily ever after!” The last shows Snoopy once again making an appearance at the Arbuckle house, this time with a birthday cake. Naturally, Garfield is more interested in the cake than the story, but it’s a touching tribute to an artist who brought so much joy to the world.

1 The Great Comics Switcheroonie

April 1, 1997

Cartoonists are tasked with coming up with new gags every day, so it’s no surprise that they would celebrate April Fools’ Day. What is a bit surprising, though, is that 46 cartoonists would be able to collaborate on a massive prank on their editors, newspapers and readers. In what’s now lovingly referred to as the Great Comics Switcheroonie, dozens of cartoonists swapped strips for the day, taking on writing and drawing duties for one another. Beetle Bailey’s Mort Walker took over for Shoe, Mike Peters of Mother Goose and Grimm handled For Better or For Worse, and FoxTrot was drawn by Brad and Guy Gilchrest of Nancy fame.

Peanuts creator Charles Schulz and MUTTS creator Patrick McDonnell were originally going to swap comics, but ultimately did not after Schulz decided it wasn’t a good idea.

Two of the biggest titans of the comics page, Garfield’s Jim Davis and Blondie’s Dean Young and Stan Drake, switched for the day. In that day’s Blondie, Dagwood is making one of his signature sandwiches when Garfield shows up to devour it. Meanwhile, Garfield sees Jon and Garfield going to stay with Blondie and Dagwood while their house is being repainted. The extra-meta comic strip not only sees Garfield and Jon acknowledging that they’re in a comic strip, but conversing directly with one another. The Great Comics Switcheroonie has gone down as one of the biggest events in the history of newspaper comic strips, and remains the greatest crossover between Garfield and another cartoon to date.