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Garfield #2
Garfield Gains Weight
He sleeps late and wakes up grouchy. He hates joggers, beats up dogs, and shreds his owner. He's cynical, witty, urbane, and sometimes downright mean. But best of all, he's back, better than ever, to delight cat-lovers and cat-haters alike.
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1981
152 people are currently reading
1081 people want to read
About the author
Jim Davis
2,356 books634 followersJames Robert "Jim" Davis is an American cartoonist who created the popular comic strip Garfield. Other comics that he has worked on are Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat, Slapstick, and a strip about Mr. Potato Head.
Jim Davis was born in Fairmount, Indiana, near Marion, where he grew up on a small farm with his father James William Davis, mother Anna Catherine (Carter) Davis, brother Dave, and 25 cats. Davis' childhood on a farm parallels the life of his cartoon character Garfield's owner, Jon Arbuckle, who was also raised on a farm with his parents and a brother, Doc Boy. Jon, too, is a cartoonist, and also celebrates his birthday on July 28. Davis attended Ball State University. While attending Ball State, he became a member of the Theta Xi fraternity. He earned the dubious honor of earning one of the lowest cumulative grade point averages in the history of the university, an honor incidentally shared with Late Show host David Letterman.
Davis as of 2007 resides in Muncie, Indiana, where he and his staff produce Garfield under his company, Paws, Inc., begun in 1981. He was married to Carolyn, a singer and elementary teacher whom he met while both were attending college, and has a son named James with her. However, the couple divorced, and Davis since 2000 has been married to Jill, Paws' senior vice president of licensing, who has worked there approximately 25 years.
Ironically, Davis did not own cats when he started Garfield because of Carolyn's allergies, but they owned a Labrador retriever named Molly. With Jill, the family has expanded to include children Ashley and Chris; three grandchildren, Chloe, Carly and Cody; cats, Spunky and Nermal; and a dog, Pooky.
Jim Davis was born in Fairmount, Indiana, near Marion, where he grew up on a small farm with his father James William Davis, mother Anna Catherine (Carter) Davis, brother Dave, and 25 cats. Davis' childhood on a farm parallels the life of his cartoon character Garfield's owner, Jon Arbuckle, who was also raised on a farm with his parents and a brother, Doc Boy. Jon, too, is a cartoonist, and also celebrates his birthday on July 28. Davis attended Ball State University. While attending Ball State, he became a member of the Theta Xi fraternity. He earned the dubious honor of earning one of the lowest cumulative grade point averages in the history of the university, an honor incidentally shared with Late Show host David Letterman.
Davis as of 2007 resides in Muncie, Indiana, where he and his staff produce Garfield under his company, Paws, Inc., begun in 1981. He was married to Carolyn, a singer and elementary teacher whom he met while both were attending college, and has a son named James with her. However, the couple divorced, and Davis since 2000 has been married to Jill, Paws' senior vice president of licensing, who has worked there approximately 25 years.
Ironically, Davis did not own cats when he started Garfield because of Carolyn's allergies, but they owned a Labrador retriever named Molly. With Jill, the family has expanded to include children Ashley and Chris; three grandchildren, Chloe, Carly and Cody; cats, Spunky and Nermal; and a dog, Pooky.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
January 1, 2025
Continuing where the first volume left off, this second collection of strips contains more of the Tubby Tabby's early hilarity. Some of my favorite fat cat moments are here as well, such as when Lyman pulls a prank on Jon, or when Garfield's single owner first met the lovely Liz. There were others I'd forgotten about, but that still made me laugh.
The strip was definitely different in its early years than it is now; I actually have always preferred the classic ones to what I've seen in the daily paper. Then again, I was raised on vintage sitcoms such as Mork & Mindy, so, I grew up on old-school humor.
The strip was definitely different in its early years than it is now; I actually have always preferred the classic ones to what I've seen in the daily paper. Then again, I was raised on vintage sitcoms such as Mork & Mindy, so, I grew up on old-school humor.
March 18, 2018
What a mischievous moggy he is!!👍🐯
October 7, 2010
3.5 stars. Before Calvin and Hobbes and The Farside, Garfield was the gold standard for humorous comic strips. This is book two of the Garfied collection and the beginning of a where Garfield really hits his stride. Recommended!!
April 25, 2023
Collection of early Garfield strips. Garfield doesn't quite look like he does today, nor does Jon. Lyman the roommate plays a pretty big part. He was the original owner of Odie, but has disappeared. This is the book that introduces Liz, the veterinarian, and currently Jon's girlfriend.
December 31, 2022
Having read Garfield since the first strip in 1978 when I was 6 years old, I have decided at age 50 to re-read all of the Garfield books in my collection, and I am glad I made the decision. In this second volume, Jim Davis continues to perfect the more primitive version of Garfield and Jon seen in volume 1. This book also introduces Garfield's female vet, Liz, who Jon will pursue for decades to come, and Nermal the kitten also makes his first showing along with Irma the waitress! This second volume includes some of the funniest strips of the early years, including when Garfield eats so much his stomach gets so large his feet can't touch the floor, and his time as the "caped avenger!" There are a few dated strips, but overall, this book is an improvement on volume 1 and contains strips that I remember well and still smile and laugh over more than 40 years after I first read them!
November 14, 2025
Garfield, Odie, Jon Arbuckle, and even Lyman are back in Garfield Gains Weight: His Second Book, featuring every Garfield comic strip from January 23 to August 26, 1979. The evolution of Jim Davis's artwork is less noticeable from start to finish than in Garfield at Large: His First Book, but some refinement can be seen in Garfield's appearance. The tone of the comics isn't much different from the first half-year of Garfield: jokes about him loving food and loathing mondays, being grossly overweight, his rivalry with Odie as the dog learns to give as well as he takes. Garfield is almost purely comedy, so sit back and have a good time.
A series of strips about Garfield's love of television starts the book. February 9 (page eleven) is a funny sight gag with Garfield aggressively hinting that Jon needs to turn up the thermostat, and February 17 (page fourteen) is a playful bit featuring a crossword puzzle. We're re-introduced to Garfield's teddy bear, Pooky (we meet him in the previous book) in a series of gags (February 24 [page seventeen] is my favorite). February 27 (page nineteen) is an interesting commentary about the times when we don't feel like giving or receiving affection ("Some days I'm just not in the mood to be adored"), and February 28 is humorous turnabout for Garfield over Jon, showing what he thinks of his owner's cutesy baby talk. March 7 (page twenty-two) comically shows that sometimes Jon takes it too easy on his cat, and March 17 (page twenty-six) is a rare affirmation of the truth that Garfield doesn't hate Odie, as much as he wants us to believe he does. March 18 (page twenty-seven) is a thoughtful Sunday comic, Garfield creating his manifesto on life, even if his paw print writing is indecipherable to Jon. That's okay; people are apt to misinterpret our take on life even if we write in their language. A brief interlude follows with Garfield as the Caped Avenger, wearing his blue blanket everywhere and posing as a defender of justice. Spring arrives, dominating dialogue for a week. April 11 (page thirty-seven) is funny, Jon preparing to tease an ill-tempered Garfield, but thinking better of it because he values his own life. Garfield's dour mood persists for a week's worth of comedy. In mid-May it finally happens: Garfield overeats so egregiously that his stomach bulges past his feet and he can't walk. He stays that way for a week, culminating in the hilarious May 17 (page fifty-three) strip. That has to be Jon's best line of the book.
Humor featuring Jon's unimpressive love life starts with more frequency, then a week of Garfield reveling in his own laziness by never leaving bed. May 30 (page fifty-eight) is the week's most surprising and enjoyable punchline. After all, a comic-strip celebrity, even a cat, owes the fans something. Garfield and Jon go camping and run afoul of a porcupine, and June 19 (page sixty-seven) is a historic occasion: the first birthday of the Garfield comic strip. Jim Davis honors the milestone with a low-key two-day party: just Garfield, Jon, Odie, and a birthday cake for Garfield. Late June sees a taking-Garfield-to-the-veterinarian story, where Jon meets an attractive doctor named Liz. He tries to impress her with wit and a smooth demeanor, but Liz shuts him down every time. This isn't the last we see of her. June 28 (page seventy-one) is one of the week's funniest strips, Jon "discreetly" urging Garfield to exaggerate his symptoms to buy more time with Liz. June 29 is also amusing, Garfield smugly agreeing with Liz's medical advice until she prescribes the dreaded diet. Wacky comedy comes from the strict diet that Jon puts Garfield on, and the storyline carries over to Sunday, July 8 (page seventy-five), where Garfield spots a strange new food on the dinner table (is it a kind of crescent roll?) and decides to try it. The reveal of what the exotic "food" is delivers a hilarious punchline. Garfield gets stranded up a tree all the next week, crescendoing to a warm, humorous gag on July 14 (page seventy-seven). This sort of mini story is what I love about Garfield. In late July Garfield and Jon are back at the vet with Liz, and the storyline finale, July 28 (page eighty-three), is a memorable punchline. "Garfield's History of Cats" leads a tour through alternative history, focusing on important cats from the dawn of time through the modern day. The highlight is August 10 (page eighty-nine), an explanation of how Christopher Columbus's cat actually discovered America. An assortment of gags brings the collection to its end.
Jim Davis tightened the formula somewhat by year two of Garfield, but there isn't a dramatic difference. The strip was good in 1978, 1979, 1999, and every other year it headlined the daily funnies. Garfield is an icon, beloved for decades as a friend to catch up with in the newspaper, whether one read the strip every day or rarely. The comedy appeals to young readers, making these books ideal children's literature, but everyone in the family can appreciate Garfield, and that's the best part. Like a certain cat and his lasagna, we can never consume too much Garfield. I hope to have another generous portion soon.
A series of strips about Garfield's love of television starts the book. February 9 (page eleven) is a funny sight gag with Garfield aggressively hinting that Jon needs to turn up the thermostat, and February 17 (page fourteen) is a playful bit featuring a crossword puzzle. We're re-introduced to Garfield's teddy bear, Pooky (we meet him in the previous book) in a series of gags (February 24 [page seventeen] is my favorite). February 27 (page nineteen) is an interesting commentary about the times when we don't feel like giving or receiving affection ("Some days I'm just not in the mood to be adored"), and February 28 is humorous turnabout for Garfield over Jon, showing what he thinks of his owner's cutesy baby talk. March 7 (page twenty-two) comically shows that sometimes Jon takes it too easy on his cat, and March 17 (page twenty-six) is a rare affirmation of the truth that Garfield doesn't hate Odie, as much as he wants us to believe he does. March 18 (page twenty-seven) is a thoughtful Sunday comic, Garfield creating his manifesto on life, even if his paw print writing is indecipherable to Jon. That's okay; people are apt to misinterpret our take on life even if we write in their language. A brief interlude follows with Garfield as the Caped Avenger, wearing his blue blanket everywhere and posing as a defender of justice. Spring arrives, dominating dialogue for a week. April 11 (page thirty-seven) is funny, Jon preparing to tease an ill-tempered Garfield, but thinking better of it because he values his own life. Garfield's dour mood persists for a week's worth of comedy. In mid-May it finally happens: Garfield overeats so egregiously that his stomach bulges past his feet and he can't walk. He stays that way for a week, culminating in the hilarious May 17 (page fifty-three) strip. That has to be Jon's best line of the book.
Humor featuring Jon's unimpressive love life starts with more frequency, then a week of Garfield reveling in his own laziness by never leaving bed. May 30 (page fifty-eight) is the week's most surprising and enjoyable punchline. After all, a comic-strip celebrity, even a cat, owes the fans something. Garfield and Jon go camping and run afoul of a porcupine, and June 19 (page sixty-seven) is a historic occasion: the first birthday of the Garfield comic strip. Jim Davis honors the milestone with a low-key two-day party: just Garfield, Jon, Odie, and a birthday cake for Garfield. Late June sees a taking-Garfield-to-the-veterinarian story, where Jon meets an attractive doctor named Liz. He tries to impress her with wit and a smooth demeanor, but Liz shuts him down every time. This isn't the last we see of her. June 28 (page seventy-one) is one of the week's funniest strips, Jon "discreetly" urging Garfield to exaggerate his symptoms to buy more time with Liz. June 29 is also amusing, Garfield smugly agreeing with Liz's medical advice until she prescribes the dreaded diet. Wacky comedy comes from the strict diet that Jon puts Garfield on, and the storyline carries over to Sunday, July 8 (page seventy-five), where Garfield spots a strange new food on the dinner table (is it a kind of crescent roll?) and decides to try it. The reveal of what the exotic "food" is delivers a hilarious punchline. Garfield gets stranded up a tree all the next week, crescendoing to a warm, humorous gag on July 14 (page seventy-seven). This sort of mini story is what I love about Garfield. In late July Garfield and Jon are back at the vet with Liz, and the storyline finale, July 28 (page eighty-three), is a memorable punchline. "Garfield's History of Cats" leads a tour through alternative history, focusing on important cats from the dawn of time through the modern day. The highlight is August 10 (page eighty-nine), an explanation of how Christopher Columbus's cat actually discovered America. An assortment of gags brings the collection to its end.
Jim Davis tightened the formula somewhat by year two of Garfield, but there isn't a dramatic difference. The strip was good in 1978, 1979, 1999, and every other year it headlined the daily funnies. Garfield is an icon, beloved for decades as a friend to catch up with in the newspaper, whether one read the strip every day or rarely. The comedy appeals to young readers, making these books ideal children's literature, but everyone in the family can appreciate Garfield, and that's the best part. Like a certain cat and his lasagna, we can never consume too much Garfield. I hope to have another generous portion soon.
May 12, 2020
4 stars.
Another day, another great Garfield comic. I especially like this one because it's the one where John and Garfield meet Liz.
Another day, another great Garfield comic. I especially like this one because it's the one where John and Garfield meet Liz.
September 2, 2022
Old school Garfield was much cuter
September 9, 2014
Garfield Gains Weightis the second Garfield book. I liked it, but it wasn't as good as the first one in my opinion. There was a lot of eating and laziness (but this is Garfield). Garfield and Odie's antics are always fun, we are also introduced to Liz in this book (I like Liz). There is also Garfield's brief career as the "Caped Avenger" which was fun. Their are some funny and amusing strips that I really liked but a lot more that were just kind of repetitive. Still, a fun book when you need a laugh or a smile.
February 4, 2022
Bueno, los Garfields, uno de los compañeros de nuestra infancia. Recuerdo haberme encontrado el primero en casa de un amigo y habérmelo devorado de una sentada, con 5-6 años, sin entender varios de los chistes pero disfrutando mucho de los más obvios. Esta sensación de saber que siempre iba a encontrar unos cuantos graciosos la tuve durante las dos décadas posteriores en las que Garfield iba apareciendo periódicamente en mi vida. No es una obra culmen de la literatura, pero nos ha alegrado muchos momentos.
March 7, 2017
Tis is a book about when garfield wakes up hungry and he gets a mean and mad then it just other little short comics inside. I like it because it is not just one story it is many. It made me feel happy because it made me laugh a little inside. If you read the other Garfield books you would like this one its like some of the 19 something comics (i forget what it is called) with just some short comics in it.
September 26, 2007
Jim Davis is a fucking crazy genius. He draws Garfield with bold strokes and a bolder heart. Garfield can be a dick to Odie and Nermal, but can you blame him? Jon's kind of a puss.
May 10, 2010
Garfield is a boy cat.
February 4, 2011
This was my favorite strip cartoon when I was a kid, and remains in the top 5, definitely. Davis just perfectly captures the wonderful insanity that is cats, and Jon is so lovely and pathetic. This collection is one of the early ones, with Jon first meeting Liz, Odie's character not terribly fleshed out, and the illustrations being slightly different than later version. Still the lovable sarcasm of the lasagna-eating fiend, though. Definitely good for a quick laugh.
December 10, 2008
I like this book because it say about the life of a lazy cat and how lazy this cat can get in trouble and how his owner be so blind with this cat, I also like the dog in this story, it was very entreteinent to see how the cat just ate and sleep all day.
November 2, 2012
This book is awesome, although it is a comic, the author makes it funny, I love when Garfield get chubby and shoot tennis balls, what is also funny is he also gets obese and cannot walk. It is a hilarious comic book and I like the author or illastsratour
July 2, 2015
Just finished the second Garfield book. I am making my way through them again. It has been a long time since I read the series so I decided to go through them again. That is the great thing about working at a library, most or all of the series is readily available!
December 12, 2007
When I was in third grade this was the best. book. ever.
It still might be.
Garfield is a cat.
And he is fat.
Whoah . . . awesome.
It still might be.
Garfield is a cat.
And he is fat.
Whoah . . . awesome.
August 18, 2008
The Garfield books are so hilarious. Be sure to read one! they're comics
November 3, 2010
I love Garfield. This is about one of 20 books I have.
May 31, 2013
I LOVE Garfield! <3
November 8, 2016
It is so funny especially when Jon has a alarm clock in his pants!
January 28, 2022
Der beste Spruch: "Hey nicht zu zweit auf die Waage steigen."
June 23, 2019
5 stars not enough , amirite?
March 3, 2021
This comic is just as good as the first one!, packed with belly bursting laugh's!
November 28, 2025
Fitting for the holiday
May 21, 2018
I don't ever remember laughing at Garfield. Reading it was like re-watching an episode of a sitcom you've already seen ten times and know all the plot threads and punchlines. There's a bland comfort to it and, for a stretch in early Middle School, bland comfort was preferable to none.
I consumed all the Garfield books in the Middle School library, idly wondering when something new would happen to shake up the Groundhog Day-esque loop in which they lived their lives, for a character to maybe grow or change. As the library's stock dwindled, so to did my desire to wade through any more of Garfield's doldrums.
In some ways the world of Garfield seems to represent some primal desire to keep everything safe by maintaining the conformity of each new day to the mold fixed by the last, but such a life seems more like death by whimper.
I consumed all the Garfield books in the Middle School library, idly wondering when something new would happen to shake up the Groundhog Day-esque loop in which they lived their lives, for a character to maybe grow or change. As the library's stock dwindled, so to did my desire to wade through any more of Garfield's doldrums.
In some ways the world of Garfield seems to represent some primal desire to keep everything safe by maintaining the conformity of each new day to the mold fixed by the last, but such a life seems more like death by whimper.
July 23, 2016
I got hooked on Garfield books as a child. They were some of my favorite presents.
I reread them often and laughed like crazy at the antics of Jon Arbuckle, his crazy cat, and his friends and family. I got all of the books as soon as they were published until the tenth one and then I tired of it and moved on to something else.
April 2016 update: Our girls have really gotten into reading these books and love Garfield as much as I did back then. We really love to compare the illustrations and humor from the first books to the latest ones.
I reread them often and laughed like crazy at the antics of Jon Arbuckle, his crazy cat, and his friends and family. I got all of the books as soon as they were published until the tenth one and then I tired of it and moved on to something else.
April 2016 update: Our girls have really gotten into reading these books and love Garfield as much as I did back then. We really love to compare the illustrations and humor from the first books to the latest ones.
December 4, 2011
I loved Garfield when I was in middle school. I had several of these collections, and I read them all again and again.
I'm giving three stars based on the way I felt about the book when I read it the first time (or should I say the first 10 to 15 times?). Now I can't imagine reading any one of these books one time.
I can barely believe how many of these collections exist.
I'm giving three stars based on the way I felt about the book when I read it the first time (or should I say the first 10 to 15 times?). Now I can't imagine reading any one of these books one time.
I can barely believe how many of these collections exist.
January 29, 2012
I read all of Jim Davis's Garfield books back in 4th grade where every week I would take out another Garfield cartoon book and just read it. I thought that they were funny and hilarious, and I absolutely loved reading them. Garfield is just so sarcastic and funny, and I love that it was in cartoon form.
To this day Garfield is still one of my favorites.
To this day Garfield is still one of my favorites.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews