In an interview with Heritage Auctions, Davis spoke in detail about the visual evolution of Garfield, noting that changes to his initial drawing of the tabby were required to allow Garfield to do new, different things.

The creator also spoke about how the newspaper strip medium had an impact on the character over the course of the comic's long run. Changes in how papers were printed resulted in corresponding tweaks to Garfield's image. Over time, this produced the unmistakably distinct look he is known for to this day.

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Garfield Creator Jim Davis Explains The Character's Changes Over The Years

A Series Of Happy Accidents

Asked about the change from Garfield's initial look to his later appearance, creator Jim Davis responded:

That was never intentional. That just kind of happened over time to allow Garfield to do the things he needed to do. To better reach a pie on a high shelf, or better move around.

Finding the exact right look for Garfield was a creative trial-and-error process – however, it is interesting to note that it was never Davis' deliberate intent to "fix" or "improve" Garfield's look. Instead, the visual progression of the character came from looking for new opportunities for humor. During its early years, as more papers began to syndicate Garfield, and more new readers were finding the strip, keeping the comic's humor fresh and engaging was even more vital than the central character's appearance.

Rather than a solution to a problem, the evolution of Garfield's character design was an organic process, with Davis artistically adapting to suit the needs of the jokes he wanted to tell. This resulted in a more dynamic, more active character, which in turn made the character more viable in other mediums, like animated television – and eventually, live action film. In a way, all of Jim Davis' success can be at least partially attributed to his consistent willingness to be creatively flexible.

Garfield's Growth Was Necessary To The Comic Strip's Success

Keeping Up With The Medium

Making necessary changes to Garfield's design was crucial to keeping up with the strip's evolving humor, especially as Jim Davis found his footing as a comedic writer in the early days of its publication. However, as Davis noted in his interview with Heritage auctions, there was another – even more utilitarian – explanation for some of the character's growth. As a newspaper cartoon, Garfield was uniquely shaped by changes in its publishing medium. According to Davis:

The newspaper strips got smaller in 1983, with the newsprint shortage. I had to make the eyes bigger, and the mouth bigger, to get the expressions literally big enough so that people – older people, older readers – could see. I made the lettering larger too, because a lot of papers were shrinking the strips almost out of sight, and I was losing the expressions of the characters.

In other words, more than simply a creative decision, Garfield was altered by practical decisions entirely outside of Jim Davis' control.

Once again, though, Davis' ability to adapt and thrive as a creator stands out here. Not all artists would have put as much careful thought into considering their readers' experience in response to the downsizing of newspaper comic pages. By drawing Garfield to compensate for these concerns, Davis ensured that he did not lose readers; in fact, it can be argued that this may be a subtle, yet unavoidable factor in the character's rise to global recognition throughout the rest of the 1980s, and the ensuing decades.

Evolution Is A Natural Part Of Long-Term Art

Jim Davis' Style Never Grew Stagnant

Every long-term, serial creative project evolves over time – and while Jim Davis' has managed for nearly fifty years to remain remarkably consistent in tone, style, and sensibility with Garfield, a close read of the strip throughout the decades makes its growth more evident. The design of its eponymous, most memorable character is naturally the most prominent example of this, but it points toward the larger idea that the strip never grew stale, or boring. In large part, this has been because Davis himself has never grown bored with his creation.

Instead, he remains grounded as an artist even after his phenomenal success are all invigorating studies for creators seeking to replicate both his commercial success and artistic fulfillment.

Garfield's Look Had To Be Refined To Become The Icon He Is Today

Jim Davis Arrived At The Best Possible Version

Had Jim Davis not been open to the creative decision which led to Garfield's design evolution, it is possible that the strip would not have ascended to the singular heights of popularity and recognition that it has. Garfield merchandise represents a billion-dollar-a-year industry, with the orange tabby's likeness on every conceivable piece of merchandise, and then some. It is worth questioning whether the original design would have been as successful, or if it was the perfection of the character through revision that made the extent of the character's fame possible.

The development of Garfield's artistic style is among the most interesting aspects of the strip's history, particularly its earliest era. Further, one of the most fascinating sociological questions associated with the strip concerns the way changes to Garfield's look had a positive impact on the character's enduring popularity, undergirding Jim Davis' success by shaping his vision of the lasagna-loving cat into an image that would successfully visually imprint on millions and millions of people across the world, making Garfield one of the most successful creations of all time.

Source: Heritage Auctions, Jim Davis interview