Summary

The romance between at the core ofGarfielddeserves a deep analysis . It ’s easy to take there is n’t anything more toGarfieldthan just Garfield , but it ’s easier for readers to adorn in the corroborate mould as much as the centrepiece orange fur ball . For example , Jon Arbuckle is just as key to Garfield , and so is his love affair with Dr. Liz Wilson .

If Garfield is the core of his comics , then Jon and Liz ’s relationship is often the heart and soul of these strips . In fact , before they develop together , Liz and Jon ’s romance had been establish for almost as long asGarfieldhad been an active comic strip show , almost since the very kickoff .

This article seek to chronicle Liz and Jon ’s human relationship from its start - ranging from Liz ’s entry , how she evolve as a character within the strip , and how her bond to Jon grew with each strip . Charting the flight of their romance is the best way to illustrate just how important they are toGarfield’soverall history .

garfield waves at the reader, a photo of jon and liz in the background

Liz’s On-Panel Debut

And the Start of a Beautiful Romance with Jon

There are technically two appearance reader can abduce as Liz ’s first appearance , the first get beforeGarfieldwas even make . Before there wasGarfield , Jim Davis penned a comic strip calledJon , a image ofwhat would finally becomeGarfield . Davis ' February 26 , 1976 comic strip ofJonfeatures Jon attempting to flirt with an nameless adult female using a pickup line so spoilt that she runs away by the next panel . While the adult female is unnamed here , she would go forward to appear in futureJoncomics , formally mention that her name is Liz in a March 10 , 1977 mirthful flight strip .

After age of searching for love , Jon Arbuckle explicate a relationship with Liz , a character who bring a clean moral force to the long - track down funnies .

As Liz would continue to make appearance inJon , the title character would continue to make attempts to court her , failing at every turn . Sometimes , she would shoot him down instantaneously in his attempts to ask her out on dates . Other times , there would be some kind of interruption or obstacle in his direction preventing him from even sample to come out such a query , like a bigger military man gaining her attending and affection instead . Jon ’s unsuccessful person to court Liz would become a running gag in officialGarfieldcomics , to the point that some jokes inJonwould be assume verbatim forGarfield .

Garfield reacting in dismay at Jon Arbuckle’s terrible outfit

It ’s interesting to see how different Liz looks in these early comics from her theme song appearance . Even her officialGarfielddebut looks different from what she ’d become in the future , but this version of Liz lacks her theme song expressive eyes , eyelashes , lip feature film , or even red sassing colour . The whisker is at least somewhat reminiscent of Liz ’s distinctive coif , still maintain the common feathered face . It ’s still a far vociferation from who Liz would become , but a entrancing start point for where Liz begin .

Liz’s OfficialGarfieldDebut

Liz Wilson Becomes Garfield’s New Vet

Just over two years later , Garfieldwould formally hit newspaper stand in 1978 . tight - forward to a fateful workweek in 1979 andJune 26 would score Liz Wilson ’s official launching within actualGarfieldlore . Over the next week , from June 26 to June 30 , the next five comics would be dedicated to Jon taking Garfield to his veterinary date , and most importantly , creating the building block for a romance between Jon and Liz . Of course , Jon ’s attempt to solicit Liz get off to a shivering commencement .

It seems plain that creator Jim Davis always had plans to make Liz into Jon ’s sexual love interest , given how he is instantly enamored with her at first peck . However , Davis does n’t make the route to love easy for his lead human star . With each panel , he tries to make conversation with Liz , only to be shut out down by her sarcasm and disinterest . floor featuring Liz in ulterior year would showcase a fresh side of her , but her early panel play up a more deadpan approaching with her dialogue .

Join Jon Arbuckle as he pilot Mondays , lasagna fiesta , and the witty quip of everyone ’s best-loved orange cat , Garfield , in these screaming comics .

Featured Image: early version of Garfield (center) while a later version looks on, shocked (right)

While the irony persist a part of her character in the future , it ’s even more on display in these early board , particularly in the final strip date June 30 , 1979 . reader will remark thatthe funnies in question is a complete revamp of Liz ’s unofficial debut fromJonyears earlier , right down to Jon using the exact same joke about rice paddy in Hong Kong . Except , this time , rather than passing stage entrust , Liz fires back with a vituperative quip of her own to signal the end of her debut week inGarfield .

coming into court wise , not too much has changed about Liz from how she ’d add up to wait in later years . The hair is still there , but the lips and lip food colour are not as prominent as they would become in later years , miss the red shading that gives the lips their larger conformation . The eyelids are also lower than usual , throw the ex-serviceman a more tired looking at without the pupils being as wide or prominent . The lack of contingent on the center really makes her sarcastic , deadpan lines finger all the more marked .

Liz and Jon Have Their First Real Date

It’s Been a Long Road to Get Here

Much like inJon , Mr. Arbuckle would constantly try out and go wrong to come through over the philia of Dr. Wilson . Oftentimes , he ’d get up the boldness to require her out during Garfield ’s vet appointments , only to be either shot down , insulted , blown off , or all of the above . The faithful to success he ’d come is in a series of strip bring out in 1981 . By now , she ’s switch her black lip rouge for her signature reddish shade , complete the look she ’s usually known to have . In a December 16 , 1981 strip , after spending the last couplet day deserving of strips failing to postulate Liz out , she finally says yes .

By the end of the hebdomad ’s worth of strips , the date demonstrate such a succeeder thatJon manages to share his first candy kiss with Liz in the December 19 strip . Yet , for some reason , nothing comes from it . They do n’t start date after that , and there ’s no concrete reason on - panel as to why . Liz would n’t appear again until the December 31 strip , where she once again assumes the role of Garfield ’s doctor with no acknowledgment of her date with Jon . Even stranger , Liz would be for the most part absent fromGarfieldcomics for the next few year .

Garfield creator Jim Davis once explain how , rather than for aesthetic reasons , Garfield ’s facial expression change out of necessity over the years .

Jon Arbuckle walking arm-in-arm with his girlfriend Liz, as Garfield follows in their wake

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.

Liz and Jon Finally Start Dating

After Almost Three Decades

When Liz does start appearing inGarfieldstories again , her and Jon are right back into their " will they , wo n’t they ? " active . The dynamic itself slows down the more that Jon starts to branch out in dating other women . at last , 27 years after make her on - panel debut , Liz and Jon would at long last lead off date in 2006 , coincidently around the time that Jon proposes to Liz on the bountiful screenland in that same year’sGarfield : A Tale of Two Kitties . The funnies reach a turn point starting in a series of July amusing strips .

On July 20 , 2006 , after Jon fit to a eatery date with Ellen after finding out she ’s developed amnesia , he ’s shocked to check that date someone who does n’t remember him is a lot harder than it sounds . Things get worse when he find out Liz is on a appointment of her own in the same eating house . Curiosity strikes him , so he disguise himself ( poorly ) as a waiter , which Liz immediately sees through . However , it make Liz the chance to in the end admit on July 26 that she likes Jon .

The two ditch their several date and on July 28 , they deal a kiss . As Garfield says,“and they lived mirthfully ever after . “And they ’ve lived mirthfully since 2006 , still dating ( but not married ) to this day . perchance it was the years ' worth of commitment , maybe the final camouflage showed Liz how much Jon cares , or maybe it was just time to give audiences the fan table service they ’d been waiting for . Whatever inspire it , Jon was finally able to win overGarfield’svet , and they ’ve been a duo ever since .

Garfield is the central character in Jim Davis ’s comic comic strip , which officially began in 1978 under the same name . Garfield is an orange tabby cat cat-o'-nine-tails with a love of lasagna and a disdain for Mondays . He tend to torment his owner and dog while render to secure more food - and quiet .