5480: Arbuckle '08: Garfield's Nightmare

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Arbuckle '08: Garfield's Nightmare
5480.png
Made by: Michael Jacoby


Explanation[edit | edit source]

The author writes:[edit | edit source]

This strip is a drawing I made c. mid-2008 for the Garfield edit-site Arbuckle, which, for those of you who don't know, I already discussed in a previous strip of mine. Back when I was 16, I planned to scan this strip and email it to the people at Arbuckle, but those plans didn't happen as I didn't have access to a scanner at the time and I lacked my own email address. Although I got both a few years later, I was preoccupied with college and never submitted it (and I wasn't sure if Arbuckle was even accepting submissions anymore). On a sadder note, this strip is also dedicated to the memory of my late cat, Elphaba (or Elphie, neé Claire). We adopted from from a no-kill cat shelter in late April 2015 (with the shelter people estimating her to be four years old) and, unfortunately, in January 2024, she started developing health issues, sitting in places she normally doesn't, not eating or drinking, and being unusually lethargic. She was taken to a vet on the 16th, had an IV in her, and she seemed to get better at first, then her sodium levels went dangerously up, with a kidney issue appearing to be the cause, then her eyes and possibly her brain were starting to go, too. The vets didn't know if the kidney failure was the result of her brain issue or vice versa. Ultimately, we went to the vet on the evening of January 18, 2024 to say goodbye to her before she got put down. Anyway, sorry for any jarring change in tone in the author's notes.

Original strip: 1988-01-10.

Transcript[edit | edit source]

{The entire strip is a B&W pencil drawing on paper, digitally scanned, and the lines darkened for visual clarity}
{Title panel: a realistically-drawn Garfield lays stoically in his bed as a sinister, demonic shadow crawls ominously towards the cat; the title of the panel isn't Garfield, but Arbuckle}
{A slightly svelte Garfield walks over to his bed}
{He falls asleep for a catnap}
Garfield {while dreaming}: Z
{In Garfield's dream:}
Narrator: Presenting: Rip Van Garfield—The story of a catnap that lasted 50 years!
{An aged Garfield wakes up; he, along with all the aged characters appear to have dark gray fur/hair so that the whole pencil drawing can be visible on a monitor/device screen}
Narrator: Some things had changed...
{In a futuristic city, with a Chrysler-Building-like tower in the background, an aged Odie zooms around in a wheelchair chasing a car}
Odie: Arf arf!
Narrator: ...some things hadn't changed...
{Garfield is being checked out at the vet by an old Liz as a lonely, elderly Jon stands nearby}
Jon: How about a date, Doc?
Liz: No way!
Narrator: [A]nd some things had really changed!
{in some vast mountainous area, a heavily-armed/protected trooper has a net with seeming intent to eat Garfield}
Trooper {referring to Garfield}: Set the table, Mom! Here's a juicy one!
{In the dialogue, the word "here" is circled and pointed at the aged Garfield}
{The Garfield from the start of the strip wakes up with a start}
Text: fín...