Learn more about 'Garfield' creator in this rare exhibit
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The man behind a sassy orange cat that has charmed a generation of comic-strip readers and cartoon enthusiasts is the subject of a rare two-month exhibit at an Indiana art museum here.
Jim Davis, the Marion, Ind., native who created Garfield, is still very much a part of the Hoosier landscape.
- The 71-year-old grew up on a small farm near Fairmount, Ind., with more than two dozen cats — several who became the inspiration for the iconic Garfield.
- Paws Inc., the company that Davis created in 1981 to handle Garfield licensing, has its headquarters near his home in Albany, Ind.
- Davis became an adjunct professor and artist in residence starting this fall at his alma mater, Ball State University, about a dozen miles away in Muncie, Ind.
- Garfield the comic strip is set in Muncie, Ind., though that is rarely mentioned to give readers the idea that the fat cat could be living in their town.
You've probably seen Garfield grace the silver screen, in 2004's Garfield: The Movie that used Bill Murray to voice the wisecracking cat; the TV screen, in two television series and more than a dozen TV specials; newspaper comics pages since its June 19, 1978, debut; and car windows in a plush version attached with suction cups.
But you might not have seen memorabilia of the steps Davis took to gain such popularity.
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Because of Davis' soft spot for Indiana and penchant for lending the character to projects that help Hoosiers, working with the Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art made sense, said Kim Campbell Beasley, director of public relations for Paws Inc. The exhibit opens Sept. 10 and runs through Nov. 18.
"It's not about Garfield because he's not the artist. Jim's the artist," said Bob Haan, the founder of the museum that focuses on Indiana pieces in its permanent collection. "But you can't have anything about Jim unless you have Garfield."
Paws Inc. doesn't often assemble exhibits like this because of the work involved in pulling, inventorying and packaging the items for display, Beasley said.
Guest curator Elizabeth Weaver and Bob and Ellie Haan are arranging the show, placing sketches, comics at different stages, photos of Davis growing up, movie slides, TV storyboards and, of course, Garfield memorabilia, Bob Haan said. The exhibit also will include a hands-on activity room for kids.
Overall, it focuses on Davis' development as a writer, artist, businessman and philanthropist, Weaver said.
"Garfield is just sort of ... an anti-hero," Beasley said. "And I think there's a little bit of an anti-hero in all of us."
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Jim Davis: An Indiana Legend
• Sept. 10 to Nov. 18, 2016, at the Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art, 920 State St., Lafayette, Ind. The museum is open 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday.
• $5 for adults, $3 ages 17 and younger.
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