Summary
WhileGarfieldis a cynical troublemaker who has an unparalleled hatred for Mondays, that shouldn’t suggest that he is totally miserable all the time.In fact, there are a number of things thatGarfield absolutely loves, such as golf, lasagna, and pranking Jon. However, the one thing that holds a truly special place in Garfield’s heart isn’t a ‘thing’ at all, but Garfield’s best friend: Pooky.
Pooky is Garfield’s stuffed Teddy Bear who (similar toCalvin and Hobbes’ titular tiger) is arguably sentient, with some comic strips leaving the nature of Pooky’s existence up to interpretation. Though regardless of whether Pooky is actually alive, it makes no difference to Garfield, as the fat orange cat loves Pooky all the same, and shares no shortage of hilarious comic strips with him. Here are the10 greatestGarfieldcomics featuring Pooky the Teddy Bear!
Garfieldhas made the leap from comic strips to our screens with a series of movie adaptations:
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990)
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10Pooky’s Garfield Debut is as Sweet as It is Iconic
Garfield, 10-25
Every friendship has to start somewhere, and for Garfield and Pooky, it started when one curious cat pilfered through his owner’s drawers,only to find a forgotten Teddy Bear that he connected with immediately. In true Garfield fashion, the orange cat is initially unimpressed by the stuffed bear, calling it “dumb” and “stupid” and “silly-looking” before finally calling him “Pooky”.
This comic strip is the official beginning of Garfield’s long-standing friendship with Pooky the Teddy Bear, but more than that, this strip is one of the sweetest interactions between them.Garfield is assuredly only going through Jon’s drawers hoping to find a way to mess with him, as that’s the only way he can think of to brighten up a seemingly boring day. But what he found instead was his new best friend, one he deeply treasures for years to come.
9Pooky is the Only One Who Makes Garfield Break the ‘1 Rule of Cats’
Garfield, 1-6
Anyone who has a cat can attest to the fact that practically all of them are fiercely independent, and only tend to show affection on their terms -and Garfield is no exception. In this comic, Garfield is sitting in a chair, seemingly alone, all while he’s talking about how cats don’t need anyone before pulling Pooky out from behind his back, turning to him and asking, “Isn’t that right, Pooky?”
As a rule, cats tend to prefer their own company, and only approach others when they want affection
Garfield loves having Pooky around him so much that he doesn’t even consider him extra company. As a rule, cats tend to prefer their own company, and only approach others when they want affection. However, it seems Pooky makes Garfield break the ‘one rule of cats’, which only speaks to how muchGarfield truly loves his Teddy Bear best friend.
8Pooky Shares Garfield’s Most Cruel Interest: Being Mean to Odie
Garfield, 2-23
One of Garfield’s cruelest interests is being mean to Odie, as he has no real reason to dislike the pup aside from built-up animosity because of Odie hogging Jon’s attention.But even before Odie was officially Jon’s dog, Garfield was still mean to him for truly no reason, proving that this particular interest is, indeed, quite cruel. And in this comic, it’s confirmed that Pooky is just as mean.
Garfield, holding Pooky, walks right up to Odie and smacks the dog with the Teddy Bear so hard that Odie goes flying off, saying after the fact, “Pooky doesn’t like dogs either”. Of course,Garfield might be projecting here, as he was the one controlling Pooky’s actions. But, they are best friends, so if Garfield says Pooky doesn’t like dogs, then it must be true.
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7Garfield’s Genuine Love for Pooky is Utterly Heartwarming
Garfield, 6-14
Even though it’s been firmly established that Garfield loves Pooky, it’s still incredibly heartwarming to see how excited Garfield gets every time he sees his stuffed bear. In this comic,Garfield is going camping with Jon, and as Jon is unpacking their supplies, he surprises Garfield with Pooky- and Garfield’s eyes light up with excitement. The final panel shows Garfield hugging Pooky lovingly, as he greatly missed him while being away from home, and feels much better now that he’s holding him in his arms.
Garfield usually only derives joy from his day by sleeping, eating, or pranking Jon, but this strip showsGarfield as happy as he’s ever been just by reuniting with Pookyafter only being away from him for a short time, confirming the cat’s genuine love for his Teddy Bear.
6Pooky Helps Garfield Do the 1 Thing He Loves Most of All: Pranking Jon
Garfield, 2-7
Pranking Jon is one of Garfield’s all-time favorite things to do, and there’s no shortage of ways he does it, from cutting holes in his umbrella to swapping his tuna can with cat food. However, Garfield rarely implements psychologically scarring tactics during these pranks like the one readers see in this comic - and that’s exactly where Pooky comes in. Promising he’ll sew him back up,Garfield pulls all the stuffing out of Pooky and wears him like a costume to make Jon think Pooky came to life.
While pranking Jon was its own reward, this gag came with another benefit: eating Jon’s steak
This prank made Jon question his own sanity, as he’s shown speaking about it with a therapist. While pranking Jon was its own reward, this gag came with another benefit: eating Jon’s steak.That was the main goal, Garfield just had to prank Jon to pull it off - and he couldn’t have done it without Pooky.
5Pooky is the Only Thing that Can Make Mondays Tolerable for Garfield
Garfield, 1-13
Garfield famously despises Mondays, as he’s notably depressed every time Monday rolls around again - and it’s not one-sided.It’s fair to say that Mondays actively hate Garfield too, as the orange cat does experience a great deal of bad luck on Mondays compared to the rest of the week. However, on this particular Monday, things weren’t so bad, and that’s all because of Pooky.
Garfield givs Pooky a big hug, as he so often does, before putting him down to go on with the rest of his day. However, before walking away, Garfield gives Pooky one more big hug, saying, “Better take two… it’s Monday”. Any other day of the week, Garfield would have only hugged Pooky once, butsince it was Monday, he decided to hug him twice, putting a heartwarming spin on Garfield’s least favorite day.
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4Pooky Gained Sentience to Be Brutally Honest with Garfield
Garfield, 7-4
In one of the fewGarfieldcomics that allude to the possibility that Pooky is actually alive, Garfield is practicing his stand-up comedy routine in front of his trusty Teddy Bear. However, Garfield makes the mistake of telling a joke at the bear’s expense (and not a very funny one, at that). In response,Pooky seemingly throws a tomato in Garfield’s face, as if he was being booed off-stage by a gang of produce-wielding patrons.
Readers don’t see Pooky throw the tomato, as it hits Garfield from off-panel, so it very well could have been Jon or Odie.However, no one else was in the area when it happened(at least, not in these three panels, anyway), leaving one to assume that Pooky gained sentience just to be brutally honest with Garfield about his stand-up.
3Garfield Realizes that He Really Shouldn’t Go Camping with Pooky
Garfield, 4-15
While Garfield was ecstatic that Jon remembered to bring Pooky the last time they went camping, he gets a grim reality check in this comic strip. While walking through the woods during a camping trip, Garfield comes across ‘Pooky’ sitting on a log far away from the camp site. Garfield is surprised to see his best friend way out there, so he picks him up and brings him back to camp. However, when he returns,Garfield finds that Pooky never left camp, and he was actually holding a real bear cub- one whose mother was not happy.
Garfield faced the full-might of an angry momma bear protecting her cub, which could have meant a swift and brutal end for everyone’s favorite fat orange cat.And the danger he was in was all because of Pooky, proving that Garfield really shouldn’t go camping with him again.
2Garfield Confirms the REAL Reason He Loves Pooky So Much
Garfield, 9-23
While there are many reasons for Garfield to love Pooky, from their shared love of tormenting Odie to Pooky’s willingness to help Garfield pull any prank. However, one day, Garfield actually outlines exactly why he likes Pooky so much. While hugging his Teddy Bear,Garfield admits the real reason they’re best friends: “You’re the only one I don’t have to share food with”.
It’s no surprise that Garfield’s relationship with Pooky has something to do with food, as Garfield is the most food-motivated cat in existence.Hopefully, Pooky doesn’t become a sentient Teddy Bear for real, or else Garfield might have to kick him out for fear of sharing his food. But, until then, Pooky is Garfield’s best friend, and this is the reason why.
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1No Matter What, Pooky Can Still Never Replace Jon in Garfield’s Life (for 1 Hilarious Reason)
Garfield, 9-21
Garfield’s love for Pooky is practically unparalleled, with one of the main reasons for that love being that Garfield doesn’t have to share his food with him, since he’s just a stuffed bear. However, being best friends with an (allegedly) inanimate object has its downsides, too, which is why Pooky can never replace Jon - even if Jon sometimes gets insecure about just that. In this comic,Jon tells his cat that it seems like Garfield loves Pooky more than him, and Garfield replies, “As long as you’re able to operate that can opener, you have a special place in my heart”.
Literally, he isn’t physically able to work a can opener - which is absolutely hilarious
As beloved as Pooky is by Garfield, the Teddy Bear could never replace Jon.Literally, he isn’t physically able to work a can opener - which is absolutely hilarious. That’s why this is one of the 10 bestGarfieldcomics featuring Pooky the Teddy Bear.
In Jon’s first appearance, the author speaks directly to the reader, laying out the concept of his creation:
Garfield
Garfield is the central character in Jim Davis’s comic strip, which officially began in 1978 under the same name. Garfield is an orange tabby cat with a love of lasagna and a disdain for Mondays. He tends to torment his owner and dog while trying to secure more food - and quiet.
