Garfield Minus Garfield

About

Garfield Minus Garfield is a web based comic strip created by Dan Walsh that rose to prominence in 2008. Each strip is a reprint of previous Garfield strips but with a twist. The titular character is digitally removed from them and generally just consists of Garfield’s owner John Arbuckle interacting with himself. The Strips website characterizes it as “a journey deep into the mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness and depression in a quiet American suburb”.

Origin

While Garfield Minus Garfield was the first site dedicated and is believed to be responsible for the popularity of the strip. Creator Dan Walsh has said in an interview that he did not come up with the original idea:

C.L.: How did you get the idea for Garfield Minus Garfield?

D.W.: I didn’t! The idea had been floating around on message boards for a couple years before I started posting them. I wasn’t the first person to come up with the premise for Garfield Minus Garfield, but I think it’s fair to say I did champion and popularize it. As far I know, I was the first person to create a site devoted to it. It’s pretty much impossible to find who did it first--believe me, I’ve tried."

Interview

There is also a variation on garfield minus garfield posted on an internet messageboard in early 2006. It depicts the character of Garfield without any of his speech or thought bubbles.

Garfield Without Speech

Other Garfield Parodies inspired by Garfield Minus Garfield include

Garfield as Garfield

Garfield Minus Everyone Plus Tony Orlando & Dawn

Square Root of Minus Garfield

See the “Garfield Parodies” sub-meme entry for a wider look at Garfield parodies found online.