Not long now…. Holidays are coming, holidays are coming. We all want a taste of the real thing, and I’m not talking about a carbonated drink. When Christmas comes around, you can’t help but get excited. Whether it’s music, movies, or any form of entertainment, Christmas comes to the forefront. As we continue the Christmas animation countdown (in no particular ranking, by the way), no list would be complete without the dry humour of the lasagne-loving feline, Garfield.
A Garfield Christmas Special
Garfield has been on our TV screens in some form since 1978 through to today. Before Garfield & Friends, the Jon Davis Garfield and Orson’s Farm popular team up show that would begin in 1988, the Garfield author’s work would often be adapted for the small screen in the form of half-hour specials. One such special is A Garfield Christmas, which originally aired 21st December 1987.
Jon is taking Garfield and beagle Odie to his childhood home for an Arbuckle Christmas get together. Following a fantasy Christmas morning dream where Jon lays out a trail of lasagne’s, having to leave the house is a reality Garfield simply doesn’t want to face. For those familiar with the antics of Garfield, these interactions make up the majority of the TV show and original comic strips. But from time to time Jon Davis treats us by including equally quirky characters outside of Garfield’s immediate family.
Upon arrival, Garfield simply isn’t in the mood for Christmas, let alone one leaving the house and spending time with others. But naturally, as it often does, Christmas spirit comes into play, and Garfield cannot help but get into the spirit himself, along with the rest of Jon’s family. But there are some testing moments for this lazy cat, of course. Tasked with climbing up the ceiling-high Christmas tree to place the star on top, his subsequent fall that follows appears to be the final straw.
“Whoever invented Christmas trees should be drug out into the street and shot.” – Garfield
But Garfield isn’t the only star of the show. Jon’s reconnection with his brother brings out a toddler-like excitement in the Arkbuckle boys; pestering their sleeping dad at 1:30am in an attempt to go present-opening brings back memories of myself as a young whipper-snapper (not in my thirties, honest). Odie becomes an unlikely Christmas hero for both Garfield and Jon’s grandmother, gifting the former a handy back-scratcher device and stumbling across old love letters from grandpa for the latter. It is here that we witness Garfield in a rare sentimental moment.
“All right, you guys, just permit me one sentimental moment here, will you? I have something to say. Christmas: it’s not the giving, it’s not the getting, it’s the loving. There, I said it. Now get outta here”. – Garfield
If you’re looking for a homely slice of Christmas togetherness, A Garfield Christmas is pretty damn perfect. Although written over thirty years ago, Jon Davis has created a classic that still holds up today, and should be viewed by everyone young and old. It is an excellent Christmas short that resonates as much as it entertains.
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