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Garfield

Garfield (right) and Odie

Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis featuring the cat Garfield, the pet dog Odie, and their socially inept owner Jon Arbuckle. As of 2006, it is syndicated in roughly 2,570 newspapers and journals and it currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's most widely syndicated comic strip [1]. The popularity of the strip has led to a children's cartoon show, several television specials and a feature-length film, as well as a large amount of Garfield-related merchandise.

The main character is named after Davis' grandfather, James Garfield Davis, who was named after former U.S. president James Garfield.

Overview

Garfield had its debut on June 19, 1978, which is also considered Garfield's birthday. The strip pokes fun at pet owners and their relationship with their pets often portraying the pet as the true master of the home. Garfield also struggles with human problems, such as diets, loathing of Mondays, apathy, boredom, and so on.

Garfield is able to understand anything that Jon or other humans say, but is unable to talk to humans (he communicates to the reader in thought balloons). However, Garfield is able to talk to Odie and the other animals. Odie understands what Garfield says to him, but in general can not communicate back to Garfield except by barking. Most of the other animals (Arlene, Nermal, mice, and the other dogs) are capable of a two-way conversation with Garfield. Garfield apparently is able to type and a few times has written messages that Jon has read and understood (typically letters to Santa Claus), however this happens very rarely.

Over the course of the strip, Garfield's behavior and appearance evolved. Initially, he was drawn grossly obese with flabby jowls and small round eyes. Later, his appearance was slimmed down and his eyes enlarged. By 1983, his familiar appearance—featuring oval-shaped eyes—had taken shape. By this time, Garfield was walking on two feet, and the strip emphasized sitcom situations such as Garfield making fun of Jon's stupidity and Jon's inability to make social connections. A number of the strip's readers feel that the quality of the writing has lessened, even as the artwork retained a consistent level of quality. Davis is no longer the sole, or even principal, artist.

The comic strip was turned into a cartoon special for television in 1982 called Here Comes Garfield. Actor Lorenzo Music, previously known as the voice of Carlton the doorman on the show Rhoda, was hired to portray the voice of Garfield. Soul singer Lou Rawls provided musical accompaniment. Twelve television specials were made (through 1991) as well as a television series, Garfield and Friends, which ran from 1988 to 1995.

On June 7, 1999, newspapers began to be offered full-color Garfield weekday strips.

A live-action movie version of the comic strip, Garfield: The Movie had its debut in the United States on June 11, 2004. The film employed a computer-animated Garfield and live-action Odie. Lorenzo Music had passed away prior to the filming of the movie, and Bill Murray was cast as the voice of Garfield. Murray's laid-back, deadpan delivery has often been compared to Music's; indeed, Music provided the voice of Murray's Peter Venkman character in the cartoon version of Ghostbusters. Murray became the fourth actor to provide a voice for the Garfield: Tommy Smothers voiced the role in a cat food commercial, and an unnamed Music soundalike was used in another TV spot. Prior to Murray being cast, it was widely reported that actor John Goodman had been picked to provide Garfield's voice for the film.

For his work on the strip, creator Jim Davis received the National Cartoonist Society Humor Strip Award for 1981 and 1985, and their Reuben Award for 1989.

Production and criticism

Like many comic strips, Garfield is not exclusively drawn and written by its creator. Jim Davis's company, Paws Inc., employs cartoonists and writers who do most of the work of scripting, drawing, and inking the strip, while Davis's work is usually confined to approving and signing the finished strip. Davis spends most of his time managing the business and merchandising aspects of Garfield.

The strip is deliberately written to be inoffensive, typically avoiding the social or political commentary present in some of Garfield's contemporaries, such as Boondocks, Doonesbury, Dilbert, and Cathy. Although a couple of strips in 1978 addressed inflation and, arguably, organized labor, as well as Jon frequently smoking a pipe or subscribing to a "bachelor magazine", these elements were ultimately pruned from the product with the intent of maintaining a more universal appeal. Jim Davis consciously disavowed social commentary in an interview published at the beginning of one of the book compilations, joking that he once believed that OPEC was a denture adhesive.

The characters and situations are constant, with no change or development for the past several years. While this is not unique to Garfield, as Calvin in Calvin and Hobbes and the children of Peanuts never age, other strips such as For Better or For Worse, Cathy, and Doonesbury maintain a continuity with characters who develop, age, and may even die as the strip proceeds.

Garfield's inoffensive, merchandising-oriented approach has been widely criticized by many commentators including Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson, whose views against merchandising were explained at great detail in The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book. Watterson, when asked for his opinion of fellow cartoonists, including Jim Davis, once tactfully described Garfield as "consistent". [2] Chris Sullentrop of Slate accuses Davis of creating Garfield merely for the merchandising [3] while internet humorist "Maddox" charges Davis with "traumatizing millions with his bland humor week after tragic week". [4]

Characters

Major characters in Garfield include:

Garfield 
Jon 
Odie 
Arlene 
Nermal 
Liz 
Pooky 

Themes and Settings

Usually, the standard setting is Garfield standing on a table or floor, always flat. Occasionally, Garfield ventures elsewhere and when goes somewhere else, he usually spends a week or two in that area.

  • The TV Chair is one of Garfield's favorite places, where he entertains himself with shows such as Binky the Clown and others. Many of the shows mentioned are absurd and stupid, and give Jim Davis an opportunity to comment on pop-culture.
  • Outside, Garfield has confrontations with various characters, such as dogs (more vicious than Odie), birds, worms, and even conscious flowers. "Beware of Dog" signs are abound, and Garfield often tries to torment the chained-up dogs as some kind of revenge. Garfield tries to capture birds in the bird fountain, often unsuccessfully (However, unlike Tom in Tom and Jerry, Garfield does occassionally kill and consume his prey). He finds it a lot easier to capture flowers though, and often eats them.
  • Early in the series, Garfield would spend time on the window ledge and always get trapped in the roll-up blinds. This culminated in a two-week storyline in which Garfield, Odie, Jon, two complete strangers, and even a street lamp (Odie had to go) all got trapped in the blinds. This was one of the few storylines in which a Sunday strip was part of the regular story arc. After this, Jon bought Venetian blinds (which Garfield, somehow, still manages to get stuck in).
  • The Fence in the Alley is an area where Garfield often tells bad jokes or caterwauls, in a homage to vaudeville. Odie joins the act from time to time, once as a ventriloquist's dummy, and once as "Mr Skins", who accompanied Garfield on the drums. Garfield is frequently the target of disgusted fans, who throw shoes, rotten vegetables, and houseplants at him and once burned down his fence with burning arrows (Garfield's temporary replacement, a plastic flamingo, just "didn't feel the same"). Garfield, however, loves the attention he receives, and once complained that he thought a joke deserved more than a single shoe. He does sometimes get applause from his audience, though one time the audience consisted solely of his mother.
  • Up the tree is another area where Garfield often traps himself. Garfield knows not to climb, but ironically can never overcome the urge. A firefighter usually has to save him on the last day of the week. One time, Jon got stuck up the tree trying to rescue him.
  • Occasionally, Garfield will be taken to the vet's office, a place he loathes. In this setting, Jon always tries to get a date with Liz, the vet, and usually fails badly, his failures causing Garfield to snicker. At the end of one date, Jon got a kiss, currently his only on-screen kiss in the comic.
  • Sometimes Jon takes Garfield to the park. Jon tries to meet girls in the park, but always fails miserably and humorously.
  • Vacations are taken by Jon and his pets every so often, usually to exotic places. Early in the series, Garfield had to sneak along in the suitcase, but at some point Jon gave up and took him along as an equal. These are funny because they portray Jon's inability to get along with people normally. They also introduce new scenarios, which are usually rare in this strip.
  • The Beach is frequented by Garfield and company, and is another site at which Jon fails at finding girls. Garfield hates the beach simply because it has no TV, and is too hot. This theme will often show up in the summer.
  • Irma's diner was visited often early on, but not as much as the series progressed. Irma is a chirpy, but slow-witted and unattractive waitress/manager, and one of Jon's few friends. The food is terrible, and is the center of most of the jokes, along with the poor management.
  • The window is a setting showing Garfield looking from inside the house, making comments on events going on outside. Sometimes Jon joins him.
  • Jon periodically visits his parents and brother on the farm. This results in comical displays of stupidity by Jon and his family, and their interactions.
  • The used car lot is an entertaining scene that parodies the business. Jon always gets conned by the overly clever and sneaky salesman, while Garfield knows it all along. This is paralleled in the used refrigerator store and used Christmas tree lot which appear later.

Garfield's often engages in week-long interactions with a minor character, event, or thing, such as Nermal, Arlene, the mailman, an alarm clock, a scale, the TV, Pooky, spiders, mice, coffee, hamburgers, balls of yarn, rubber chickens, dieting, shedding, pie throwing, fishing, Mondays, Clive, lasagna, the "Caped Avenger", sweaters, colds, etc.

Some more unique themes are things like "Garfield's Believe It or Don't", "Garfield's Law", "Garfield's History", which show the world, history, and science from Garfield's point-of-view. Another particular theme is the "National Fat Week", where Garfield spends the week making fun of skinny people. Most of December is spent preparing for Christmas, with a predictable focus on presents. Every week before June 19th, the strip focuses on his birthday, which Garfield dreads. Occasionally the strip celebrates Halloween as well with scary-themed jokes. Jokes are introduced seasonally, with snow-related gags common in January or February and beach or heat themed jokes in the summer.

One storyline, which lasted a week from October the 23rd, 1989 (possibly to coincide with Halloween, although the 31st actually fell the following week), is unique in that it is not humorous. It depicts Garfield awakening in a future in which the house is abandoned and he no longer exists. This is revealed to have been a dream of some kind, and ends with this narration: "An imagination is a powerful tool. It can tint memories of the past, shade perceptions of the present, or paint a future so vivid that it can entice...or terrify, all depending on how we conduct ourselves today."

Garfield's Marketing

  • His album: Am I Cool or What?
  • His suction-cupped kitties: "Stuck on You" phenomenon across America and takes several years for production met the demand. The concept was created after an idea trade with Scott Adams in 1990, which involved what type of object could hold the thing other than sticky items.
  • His Fantasy Books: Garfield and friends appear in a series of fantasy books called Garfield's Pet Force where Garfield, Nermal, Arlene, Odie and Pooky were given super powers in an alternate dimension.

Television

  • Garfield and Friends (Animated cartoon series, 1988–1995)
  • Garfield Gets a Life (animated special) 1991
  • Garfield's Feline Fantasies (animated special) 1990
  • Garfield's Thanksgiving (animated special) 1989
  • Garfield's Babes and Bullets (animated special) 1989
  • Garfield: His 9 Lives (animated special) 1988
  • Garfield Goes Hollywood (animated special) 1987
  • A Garfield Christmas (animated special) 1987
  • Garfield in Paradise (animated special) 1986
  • Garfield's Halloween Adventure (animated special) 1985
  • Garfield in the Rough (animated special) 1984
  • Garfield on the Town (animated special) 1983
  • Here Comes Garfield (animated special) 1982

Books

Numbered Paperbacks

These books, generally released twice a year, contain reprints of the comic as it appears in newspapers daily. These books were originally printed in black and white, but recent ones have been in color, each book covers approximately six months of comics, including the larger weekend comics (in black and white in all except the recent editions).

The titles of these books were styled as double entendres alluding to Garfield's weight or his habits. These books introduced the "Garfield format" in publishing, whereby the books are horizontally oriented to match comic strip dimensions. They are currently being reprinted in a larger format, showing the Sunday strips to be formatted in a size as they usually are, instead of shrunken-down to meet the book size. Newer versions of the books will be released in paperback only, and in full color for every cartoon, not just the Sunday strips.

  1. Garfield At Large: His First Book 1980
  2. Garfield Gains Weight: His Second Book 1981
  3. Garfield Bigger than Life: His Third Book 1981
  4. Garfield Weighs In: His Fourth Book 1982
  5. Garfield Takes the Cake: His Fifth Book 1982
  6. Garfield Eats His Heart Out: His Sixth Book 1983
  7. Garfield Sits Around the House: His Seventh Book 1983
  8. Garfield Tips the Scales: His Eighth Book 1984
  9. Garfield Loses His Feet: His Ninth Book 1984
  10. Garfield Makes it Big: His 10th Book 1985
  11. Garfield Rolls On: His 11th Book 1985
  12. Garfield Out to Lunch: His 12th Book 1986
  13. Garfield Food for Thought: His 13th Book 1987
  14. Garfield Swallows His Pride: His 14th Book 1987
  15. Garfield World Wide: His 15th Book 1988
  16. Garfield Rounds Out: His 16th Book 1988
  17. Garfield Chews the Fat: His 17th Book 1989
  18. Garfield Goes to Waist: His 18th Book 1990
  19. Garfield Hangs Out: His 19th Book 1990
  20. Garfield Takes Up Space: His 20th Book 1991
  21. Garfield Says a Mouthful: His 21st Book 1991
  22. Garfield By the Pound: His 22nd Book 1992
  23. Garfield Keeps His Chins Up: His 23rd Book 1992
  24. Garfield Takes His Licks: His 24th Book 1993
  25. Garfield Hits the Big Time: His 25th Book 1993
  26. Garfield Pulls his Weight: His 26th Book 1994
  27. Garfield Dishes it Out: His 27th Book 1995
  28. Garfield Life in the Fat Lane: His 28th Book 1995
  29. Garfield Tons of Fun: His 29th Book 1996
  30. Garfield Bigger and Better: His 30th Book 1996
  31. Garfield Hams it Up: His 31st Book 1997
  32. Garfield Thinks Big: His 32nd Book 1997
  33. Garfield Throws His Weight Around: His 33rd Book 1998
  34. Garfield Life to the Fullest: His 34th Book 1999
  35. Garfield Feeds the Kitty: His 35th Book 1999
  36. Garfield Hogs the Spotlight: His 36th Book 2000
  37. Garfield Beefs Up: His 37th Book 2000
  38. Garfield Gets Cookin': His 38th Book 2001
  39. Garfield Eats Crow: His 39th Book 2003
  40. Garfield Survival of the Fattest: His 40th Book 2004
  41. Garfield Older and Wider: His 41st Book 2005
  42. Garfield Pigs Out: His 42nd Book 2006
  • In the UK, over 60 Garfield books, mainly 'Pocket Books' or paperbacks, have been published by Ravette. The format is slightly different, as the strips are presented in a vertical style.

Other books

  • Garfield: His 9 Lives (1984) - graphic novel, later made into a TV special.
  • Garfield and the Truth About Cats (1991)
  • Garfield's Guide to Everything (2004)
  • Garfield book of Cat Names (1988)
  • Garfield Crazy about Numbers (sticker book)
  • Give Me Coffee and No One Gets Hurt (discontinued)
  • Garfield's Big Book of Excellent Excuses (2000)
  • Garfield and the Santa Spy

Additionally, adaptations of Garfield television specials have been published in comic format:

  • A Garfield Christmas (1987)
  • Garfield Travel Adventures (2005) collects three previous books:

Several early-reader adventure novels featuring Garfield were published in the late 1990's:

  • Garfield and the Beast in the Basement (1998)
  • Garfield and the Mysterious Mummy (1998)
  • Garfield and the Teacher Creature (1998)
  • Garfield and the Wicked Wizard (1999)

Video games

Title screen for Garfield: Caught in the Act

Garfield was also transported into video games, the first being a never-released Atari 2600 prototype, in 1983, and there was also an NES game of Garfield made in Japan in 1989.

Other titles:

  1. Create With Garfield [5] (1985) for Apple II and Commodore 64
  2. Garfield: A Big Fat Hairy Deal (1987) for ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64
  3. Garfield: A Winter's Tail (1989) for Atari ST (Will not work on Atari STe computers), Amiga, ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64
  4. Garfield no Isshukan (1989) for the NES
  5. Garfield: Caught in the Act (1995), for Genesis , Game Gear and PC
  6. Garfield (2004), for PC and PS2
  7. Garfield's Mad About Cats (2005), for PC
  8. Garfield: The Search for Pooky (2005) for GBA
  9. Garfield his nine lives (2006) for GBA
  10. Garfield a tale of two kitties (2006) for Nintendo DS
  11. Garfield Bound for Home (2006) for Nintendo DS

Films

  • Garfield: The Movie (2004) — Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield.
  • Garfield 2 (2006) — same cast.

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Other titles:. The heart may also be illustrated as an icon (), symbolizing love. Garfield was also transported into video games, the first being a never-released Atari 2600 prototype, in 1983, and there was also an NES game of Garfield made in Japan in 1989. It can vary from one to four chambers (2 atria and 2 ventricle). Several early-reader adventure novels featuring Garfield were published in the late 1990's:. Different species have different heart chambers. Additionally, adaptations of Garfield television specials have been published in comic format:. It resembles venison in structure and taste.

Newer versions of the books will be released in paperback only, and in full color for every cartoon, not just the Sunday strips. They are counted among offal, but being a muscle, the taste of heart is much more like regular meat than that of other offal. They are currently being reprinted in a larger format, showing the Sunday strips to be formatted in a size as they usually are, instead of shrunken-down to meet the book size. The hearts of cattle, sheep, pigs and certain fowl are consumed as food in many countries. These books introduced the "Garfield format" in publishing, whereby the books are horizontally oriented to match comic strip dimensions. The earthworm has a series of multiple primitive hearts. The titles of these books were styled as double entendres alluding to Garfield's weight or his habits. The Gray Whale's heart beats 9 times per minute, Harbour Seal 10 when diving, 140 when on land, elephant 25, human 70, sparrow 500, shrew 600, and hummingbird 1,200 when hovering.

These books were originally printed in black and white, but recent ones have been in color, each book covers approximately six months of comics, including the larger weekend comics (in black and white in all except the recent editions). See "Early development" above for information about the early human heart rates. These books, generally released twice a year, contain reprints of the comic as it appears in newspapers daily. This is evident within a species as well, as the young beat their hearts faster than the adults. It can tint memories of the past, shade perceptions of the present, or paint a future so vivid that it can entice...or terrify, all depending on how we conduct ourselves today.". Smaller animals have faster heartbeats. This is revealed to have been a dream of some kind, and ends with this narration: "An imagination is a powerful tool. Birds and mammals show complete separation of the heart into two pumps, for a total of four heart chambers; it is thought that the four-chambered heart of birds evolved independently of that of mammals.

It depicts Garfield awakening in a future in which the house is abandoned and he no longer exists. The blood from the single ventricle is then pumped to both the lungs and the body tissues, an type of double circulation. One storyline, which lasted a week from October the 23rd, 1989 (possibly to coincide with Halloween, although the 31st actually fell the following week), is unique in that it is not humorous. Blood from both the body and the lungs is pumped into the single ventricle, where unoxygenated and oxygenated blood may mix. Jokes are introduced seasonally, with snow-related gags common in January or February and beach or heat themed jokes in the summer. Amphibians and reptiles have a three-chambered heart: two atria and one ventricle. Occasionally the strip celebrates Halloween as well with scary-themed jokes. The blood pumps through the gills and on to the the body tissues without returning to the heart.

Every week before June 19th, the strip focuses on his birthday, which Garfield dreads. In fish, the system has only one circuit. Most of December is spent preparing for Christmas, with a predictable focus on presents. The heart of fish have only two chambers: one atrium and one ventricle. Another particular theme is the "National Fat Week", where Garfield spends the week making fun of skinny people. If an automated external defibrillator is available, this device may automatically administer defibrillation if this is indicated. Some more unique themes are things like "Garfield's Believe It or Don't", "Garfield's Law", "Garfield's History", which show the world, history, and science from Garfield's point-of-view. If a person is encountered in cardiac arrest (no heartbeat), cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) should be started, and help called.

Garfield's often engages in week-long interactions with a minor character, event, or thing, such as Nermal, Arlene, the mailman, an alarm clock, a scale, the TV, Pooky, spiders, mice, coffee, hamburgers, balls of yarn, rubber chickens, dieting, shedding, pie throwing, fishing, Mondays, Clive, lasagna, the "Caped Avenger", sweaters, colds, etc. See cardiac arrest for emergencies involving the heart. Occasionally, Garfield ventures elsewhere and when goes somewhere else, he usually spends a week or two in that area. See also: Cardiology diagnostic tests and procedures. Usually, the standard setting is Garfield standing on a table or floor, always flat. The transplant team was headed by Christiaan Barnard. Major characters in Garfield include:. At Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, 53-year-old Louis Washkansky on December 3, 1967 became the first human to receive a heart transplant (however he died 18 days later from double pneumonia).

[4]. Nitroglycerin and other compounds that give off nitric oxide are used to treat heart disease as they cause the dilation of coronary vessels. [2] Chris Sullentrop of Slate accuses Davis of creating Garfield merely for the merchandising [3] while internet humorist "Maddox" charges Davis with "traumatizing millions with his bland humor week after tragic week". Beta blockers are drugs that lower the heart rate and blood pressure and reduce the heart's oxygen requirements. Watterson, when asked for his opinion of fellow cartoonists, including Jim Davis, once tactfully described Garfield as "consistent". If a coronary artery is blocked or narrowed, the problem spot can be bypassed with coronary artery bypass surgery or it can be widened with angioplasty. Garfield's inoffensive, merchandising-oriented approach has been widely criticized by many commentators including Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson, whose views against merchandising were explained at great detail in The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book. Important diseases of the heart include:.

While this is not unique to Garfield, as Calvin in Calvin and Hobbes and the children of Peanuts never age, other strips such as For Better or For Worse, Cathy, and Doonesbury maintain a continuity with characters who develop, age, and may even die as the strip proceeds. The study of diseases of the heart is known as cardiology. The characters and situations are constant, with no change or development for the past several years. The heart also secretes ANF (atrial natriuretic factor), a powerful peptide hormone, that affects the blood vessels, the adrenal glands, the kidneys and the regulatory regions of the brain to regulate blood pressure and volume. Jim Davis consciously disavowed social commentary in an interview published at the beginning of one of the book compilations, joking that he once believed that OPEC was a denture adhesive. In the event of severe pathology, the Purkinje fibers can also act as a pacemaker; this is usually not the case because their rate of spontaneous firing is considerably lower than that of the other pacemakers and hence is overridden. Although a couple of strips in 1978 addressed inflation and, arguably, organized labor, as well as Jon frequently smoking a pipe or subscribing to a "bachelor magazine", these elements were ultimately pruned from the product with the intent of maintaining a more universal appeal. The time taken for the wave to reach this node from the sinoatrial nerve creates a delay between contraction of the two chambers and ensures that each contraction is coordinated simultaneously throughout all of the heart.

The strip is deliberately written to be inoffensive, typically avoiding the social or political commentary present in some of Garfield's contemporaries, such as Boondocks, Doonesbury, Dilbert, and Cathy. Once the wave reaches the atrioventricular node, situated in the lower right atrium, it is conducted through the bundles of His and causes contraction of the ventricles. Davis spends most of his time managing the business and merchandising aspects of Garfield. The sinoatrial node, often known as the cardiac pacemaker, is located in the upper wall of the right atrium and is responsible for the wave of electrical stimulation (See action potential) that initiates atria contraction. Jim Davis's company, Paws Inc., employs cartoonists and writers who do most of the work of scripting, drawing, and inking the strip, while Davis's work is usually confined to approving and signing the finished strip. The rhythmic sequence of contractions is coordinated by the sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodes. Like many comic strips, Garfield is not exclusively drawn and written by its creator. The heart's rhythmic contractions occur spontaneously, although the frequency or heart rate can be changed by nervous or hormonal influences such as exercise or the perception of danger.

For his work on the strip, creator Jim Davis received the National Cartoonist Society Humor Strip Award for 1981 and 1985, and their Reuben Award for 1989. This is in contrast with skeletal muscle, which requires either conscious or reflex nervous stimuli. Prior to Murray being cast, it was widely reported that actor John Goodman had been picked to provide Garfield's voice for the film. Cardiac muscle is self-exciting. Murray became the fourth actor to provide a voice for the Garfield: Tommy Smothers voiced the role in a cat food commercial, and an unnamed Music soundalike was used in another TV spot. Finally complete cardiac diastole involves relaxation of the atria and ventricles in preparation for refilling with circulating blood. Murray's laid-back, deadpan delivery has often been compared to Music's; indeed, Music provided the voice of Murray's Peter Venkman character in the cartoon version of Ghostbusters. The ventricular systole consists of the contraction of the ventricles and flow of blood into the circulatory system. Again, once all the blood empties from the ventricles, the pulmonary and aortic semilunar valves close.

Lorenzo Music had passed away prior to the filming of the movie, and Bill Murray was cast as the voice of Garfield. It is the closing of the valves that produces the familiar beating sounds of the heart, commonly referred to as the "lub-dub" sound due to the closing of the semilunar and atrioventricular valves. The film employed a computer-animated Garfield and live-action Odie. This prevents any backflow into the atria. A live-action movie version of the comic strip, Garfield: The Movie had its debut in the United States on June 11, 2004. Once the blood has fully left the atria, the atrioventricular valves, which are situated between the atria and ventricular chambers, close. On June 7, 1999, newspapers began to be offered full-color Garfield weekday strips. Every single beat of the heart involves a sequence of events known as the cardiac cycle, which consists of three major stages: atrial systole, ventricular systole and complete cardiac diastole. The atrial systole consists of the contraction of the atria and the corresponding influx of blood into the ventricles.

Twelve television specials were made (through 1991) as well as a television series, Garfield and Friends, which ran from 1988 to 1995. The function of the heart is to pump blood around the body. Soul singer Lou Rawls provided musical accompaniment. See main page cardiac cycle. Actor Lorenzo Music, previously known as the voice of Carlton the doorman on the show Rhoda, was hired to portray the voice of Garfield. The blood supply to the heart itself is supplied by the left and right coronary arteries, which branch off from the aorta. The comic strip was turned into a cartoon special for television in 1982 called Here Comes Garfield. The endocardium is a further layer of flattened epithelial cells and connective tissue which lines the chambers of the heart.

Davis is no longer the sole, or even principal, artist. Beneath this is a much thicker myocardium made up of cardiac muscle. A number of the strip's readers feel that the quality of the writing has lessened, even as the artwork retained a consistent level of quality. The first is the outer epicardium which is composed of a layer of flattened epithelial cells and connective tissue. By this time, Garfield was walking on two feet, and the strip emphasized sitcom situations such as Garfield making fun of Jon's stupidity and Jon's inability to make social connections. The heart wall is made of three distinct layers. By 1983, his familiar appearance—featuring oval-shaped eyes—had taken shape. The contractile nature of the heart is due to the presence of cardiac muscle in its wall which can work continuously without fatigue.

Later, his appearance was slimmed down and his eyes enlarged. Even though the ventricles lie below the atria, the two vessels through which the blood exits the heart (the pulmonary artery and the aorta) leave the heart at its top side. Initially, he was drawn grossly obese with flabby jowls and small round eyes. As the right ventricle needs to pump blood only to the lungs, it requires less muscle. Over the course of the strip, Garfield's behavior and appearance evolved. The left ventricle is much more muscular (1.3 - 1.5 cm thick) than the right (0.3 - 0.5 cm thick) as it has to pump blood around the entire body, which involves exerting a considerable force to overcome the vascular pressure. Garfield apparently is able to type and a few times has written messages that Jon has read and understood (typically letters to Santa Claus), however this happens very rarely. Even the lungs take some of the blood supply from the aorta via bronchial arteries.

Most of the other animals (Arlene, Nermal, mice, and the other dogs) are capable of a two-way conversation with Garfield. The left ventricle then pumps the blood through the aorta to the entire body. Odie understands what Garfield says to him, but in general can not communicate back to Garfield except by barking. From the left atrium this newly oxygenated blood passes through the mitral valve to enter the left ventricle. However, Garfield is able to talk to Odie and the other animals. The oxygenated blood then flows through pulmonary veins to the left atrium. Garfield is able to understand anything that Jon or other humans say, but is unable to talk to humans (he communicates to the reader in thought balloons). In the lungs gaseous exchange takes places and the blood releases carbon dioxide into the lung cavity and picks up oxygen.

Garfield also struggles with human problems, such as diets, loathing of Mondays, apathy, boredom, and so on. The right ventricle pumps the deoxygenated blood to the lungs, through the pulmonary artery. The strip pokes fun at pet owners and their relationship with their pets often portraying the pet as the true master of the home. The blood then passes through the tricuspid valve to the right ventricle. Garfield had its debut on June 19, 1978, which is also considered Garfield's birthday. Oxygen-depleted or deoxygenated blood from the body enters the right atrium through two great veins, the superior vena cava which drains the upper part of the body and the inferior vena cava that drains the lower part. . On both sides, the lower ventricles are thicker than the upper atria.

president James Garfield. The left side (see left heart) collects oxygenated blood from the lungs and pumps it out to the body. The main character is named after Davis' grandfather, James Garfield Davis, who was named after former U.S. this happens through a process called diffusion. The popularity of the strip has led to a children's cartoon show, several television specials and a feature-length film, as well as a large amount of Garfield-related merchandise. The function of the right side of the heart (see right heart) is to collect deoxygenated blood from the body and pump it into the lungs so that carbon dioxide can be dropped off and oxygen picked up. As of 2006, it is syndicated in roughly 2,570 newspapers and journals and it currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the world's most widely syndicated comic strip [1]. Finally complete cardiac diastole involves relaxation of the atria and ventricles in preparation for refilling with circulating blood.

Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis featuring the cat Garfield, the pet dog Odie, and their socially inept owner Jon Arbuckle. Again, once all the blood empties from the ventricles, the pulmonary and aortic semilunar valves close. Garfield 2 (2006) — same cast. Valves between the atria and ventricles (atrioventricular valves) maintain coordinated unidirectional flow of blood from the atria to the ventricles.The ventricular systole consists of the contraction of the ventricles and flow of blood into the circulatory system. Garfield: The Movie (2004) — Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield. A septum divides the right atrium and ventricle from the left atrium and ventricle, preventing blood from passing between them. Garfield Bound for Home (2006) for Nintendo DS. It consists of four chambers, the two upper atria (singular: atrium) and the two lower ventricles.

Garfield a tale of two kitties (2006) for Nintendo DS. In normal adults, its mass is 250-350 g, but extremely diseased hearts can be up to 1000 g in mass. Garfield his nine lives (2006) for GBA. A stethoscope can be placed directly over the apex and count the beats. Garfield: The Search for Pooky (2005) for GBA. The apex is the blunt point at the base of the heart. Garfield's Mad About Cats (2005), for PC. It is enclosed by a sac known as the pericardium and is surrounded by the lungs.

Garfield (2004), for PC and PS2. In the human body, the heart is normally situated slightly to the left of the middle of the thorax, underneath the sternum (breastbone). Garfield: Caught in the Act (1995), for Genesis , Game Gear and PC. [2]. Garfield no Isshukan (1989) for the NES. There is no difference in male and female heart rates before birth. Garfield: A Winter's Tail (1989) for Atari ST (Will not work on Atari STe computers), Amiga, ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. After the 15th week the deceleration slows reaching an average rate of about 145 (+/-25 bpm) bpm at term.

Garfield: A Big Fat Hairy Deal (1987) for ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. After peaking at about 9.2 weeks after the LMP, it decelerates to about 150 bpm (+/-25 bpm) during the 15 week after the LMP. Create With Garfield [5] (1985) for Apple II and Commodore 64. [1]. Garfield and the Wicked Wizard (1999). This acceleration is approximately 3.3 bpm per day, or about 10 bpm every three days, an increase of 100 bpm in the first month. Garfield and the Teacher Creature (1998). It then accelerates linearly for the first month of beating, peaking at 165-185 bpm during the early 7th week, (early 9th week after the LMP).

Garfield and the Mysterious Mummy (1998). The human heart begins beating at a rate near the mother’s, about 75-80 beats per minute (bpm). Garfield and the Beast in the Basement (1998). The human embryonic heart (EHR) begins beating at approximately 21 days after conception, or five weeks after the last normal menstrual period (LMP), which is the date normally used to date pregnancy. Garfield Travel Adventures (2005) collects three previous books:. . A Garfield Christmas (1987). The term cardiac means "related to the heart", from the Greek kardia (καρδια) for "heart".

Garfield and the Santa Spy. The heart (Latin cor) is a hollow, muscular organ that pumps blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions. Garfield's Big Book of Excellent Excuses (2000). Congenital heart defects. Give Me Coffee and No One Gets Hurt (discontinued). It is sometimes treated by implanting an artificial pacemaker. Garfield Crazy about Numbers (sticker book). Cardiac arrhythmia is an irregularity in the heartbeat.

Garfield book of Cat Names (1988). Endocarditis and myocarditis are inflammations of the heart. Garfield's Guide to Everything (2004). Congestive heart failure is the gradual loss of pumping power of the heart. Garfield and the Truth About Cats (1991). A heart attack occurs when heart muscle cells die because blood circulation to a part of the heart is interrupted. Garfield: His 9 Lives (1984) - graphic novel, later made into a TV special. Coronary heart disease is the lack of oxygen supply to the heart muscle; it can cause severe pain and discomfort known as Angina.

The format is slightly different, as the strips are presented in a vertical style. In the UK, over 60 Garfield books, mainly 'Pocket Books' or paperbacks, have been published by Ravette. Garfield Pigs Out: His 42nd Book 2006. Garfield Older and Wider: His 41st Book 2005.

Garfield Survival of the Fattest: His 40th Book 2004. Garfield Eats Crow: His 39th Book 2003. Garfield Gets Cookin': His 38th Book 2001. Garfield Beefs Up: His 37th Book 2000.

Garfield Hogs the Spotlight: His 36th Book 2000. Garfield Feeds the Kitty: His 35th Book 1999. Garfield Life to the Fullest: His 34th Book 1999. Garfield Throws His Weight Around: His 33rd Book 1998.

Garfield Thinks Big: His 32nd Book 1997. Garfield Hams it Up: His 31st Book 1997. Garfield Bigger and Better: His 30th Book 1996. Garfield Tons of Fun: His 29th Book 1996.

Garfield Life in the Fat Lane: His 28th Book 1995. Garfield Dishes it Out: His 27th Book 1995. Garfield Pulls his Weight: His 26th Book 1994. Garfield Hits the Big Time: His 25th Book 1993.

Garfield Takes His Licks: His 24th Book 1993. Garfield Keeps His Chins Up: His 23rd Book 1992. Garfield By the Pound: His 22nd Book 1992. Garfield Says a Mouthful: His 21st Book 1991.

Garfield Takes Up Space: His 20th Book 1991. Garfield Hangs Out: His 19th Book 1990. Garfield Goes to Waist: His 18th Book 1990. Garfield Chews the Fat: His 17th Book 1989.

Garfield Rounds Out: His 16th Book 1988. Garfield World Wide: His 15th Book 1988. Garfield Swallows His Pride: His 14th Book 1987. Garfield Food for Thought: His 13th Book 1987.

Garfield Out to Lunch: His 12th Book 1986. Garfield Rolls On: His 11th Book 1985. Garfield Makes it Big: His 10th Book 1985. Garfield Loses His Feet: His Ninth Book 1984.

Garfield Tips the Scales: His Eighth Book 1984. Garfield Sits Around the House: His Seventh Book 1983. Garfield Eats His Heart Out: His Sixth Book 1983. Garfield Takes the Cake: His Fifth Book 1982.

Garfield Weighs In: His Fourth Book 1982. Garfield Bigger than Life: His Third Book 1981. Garfield Gains Weight: His Second Book 1981. Garfield At Large: His First Book 1980.

Here Comes Garfield (animated special) 1982. Garfield on the Town (animated special) 1983. Garfield in the Rough (animated special) 1984. Garfield's Halloween Adventure (animated special) 1985.

Garfield in Paradise (animated special) 1986. A Garfield Christmas (animated special) 1987. Garfield Goes Hollywood (animated special) 1987. Garfield: His 9 Lives (animated special) 1988.

Garfield's Babes and Bullets (animated special) 1989. Garfield's Thanksgiving (animated special) 1989. Garfield's Feline Fantasies (animated special) 1990. Garfield Gets a Life (animated special) 1991.

Garfield and Friends (Animated cartoon series, 1988–1995). His Fantasy Books: Garfield and friends appear in a series of fantasy books called Garfield's Pet Force where Garfield, Nermal, Arlene, Odie and Pooky were given super powers in an alternate dimension. The concept was created after an idea trade with Scott Adams in 1990, which involved what type of object could hold the thing other than sticky items. His suction-cupped kitties: "Stuck on You" phenomenon across America and takes several years for production met the demand.

His album: Am I Cool or What?. This is paralleled in the used refrigerator store and used Christmas tree lot which appear later. Jon always gets conned by the overly clever and sneaky salesman, while Garfield knows it all along. The used car lot is an entertaining scene that parodies the business.

This results in comical displays of stupidity by Jon and his family, and their interactions. Jon periodically visits his parents and brother on the farm. Sometimes Jon joins him. The window is a setting showing Garfield looking from inside the house, making comments on events going on outside.

The food is terrible, and is the center of most of the jokes, along with the poor management. Irma is a chirpy, but slow-witted and unattractive waitress/manager, and one of Jon's few friends. Irma's diner was visited often early on, but not as much as the series progressed. This theme will often show up in the summer.

Garfield hates the beach simply because it has no TV, and is too hot. The Beach is frequented by Garfield and company, and is another site at which Jon fails at finding girls. They also introduce new scenarios, which are usually rare in this strip. These are funny because they portray Jon's inability to get along with people normally.

Early in the series, Garfield had to sneak along in the suitcase, but at some point Jon gave up and took him along as an equal. Vacations are taken by Jon and his pets every so often, usually to exotic places. Jon tries to meet girls in the park, but always fails miserably and humorously. Sometimes Jon takes Garfield to the park.

At the end of one date, Jon got a kiss, currently his only on-screen kiss in the comic. In this setting, Jon always tries to get a date with Liz, the vet, and usually fails badly, his failures causing Garfield to snicker. Occasionally, Garfield will be taken to the vet's office, a place he loathes. One time, Jon got stuck up the tree trying to rescue him.

A firefighter usually has to save him on the last day of the week. Garfield knows not to climb, but ironically can never overcome the urge. Up the tree is another area where Garfield often traps himself. He does sometimes get applause from his audience, though one time the audience consisted solely of his mother.

Garfield, however, loves the attention he receives, and once complained that he thought a joke deserved more than a single shoe. Garfield is frequently the target of disgusted fans, who throw shoes, rotten vegetables, and houseplants at him and once burned down his fence with burning arrows (Garfield's temporary replacement, a plastic flamingo, just "didn't feel the same"). Odie joins the act from time to time, once as a ventriloquist's dummy, and once as "Mr Skins", who accompanied Garfield on the drums. The Fence in the Alley is an area where Garfield often tells bad jokes or caterwauls, in a homage to vaudeville.

After this, Jon bought Venetian blinds (which Garfield, somehow, still manages to get stuck in). This was one of the few storylines in which a Sunday strip was part of the regular story arc. This culminated in a two-week storyline in which Garfield, Odie, Jon, two complete strangers, and even a street lamp (Odie had to go) all got trapped in the blinds. Early in the series, Garfield would spend time on the window ledge and always get trapped in the roll-up blinds.

He finds it a lot easier to capture flowers though, and often eats them. Garfield tries to capture birds in the bird fountain, often unsuccessfully (However, unlike Tom in Tom and Jerry, Garfield does occassionally kill and consume his prey). "Beware of Dog" signs are abound, and Garfield often tries to torment the chained-up dogs as some kind of revenge. Outside, Garfield has confrontations with various characters, such as dogs (more vicious than Odie), birds, worms, and even conscious flowers.

Many of the shows mentioned are absurd and stupid, and give Jim Davis an opportunity to comment on pop-culture. The TV Chair is one of Garfield's favorite places, where he entertains himself with shows such as Binky the Clown and others.