James Robert Davis was born on the 28th July 1945, in Marion, Indiana USA, and is a cartoonist who is widely known as the creator of the internationally famous lazy, lasagna-eating cat and eponymous comic strip series – Garfield.
Have you ever wondered how much wealth this creative mind has accumulated so far? How rich Jim Davis is? According to sources, it is estimated that the total size of Jim Davis’ wealth, as of early 2016, is $800 million, and it includes ownership of Paws, Inc. – comic book studio and production company that he founded in 1981. The huge amount of Jim’s net worth has been gathered during his cartoon-making career, now spanning almost 47 years.
Jim Davis Net Worth $800 Million
Jim was raised by his parents Anna Catherine and James William “Jim” Davis, on a small farm in Fairmount, Indiana alongside his younger brother and 25 cats. After graduating from Ball State University, majoring in art and business, he became an assistant of Tom Ryan, creator of the Tumbleweeds cartoon, and under his tutoring Jim learned all the necessary skills to develop into a successful cartoonist. Subsequently, he created his first comic strip in 1969, Gnorm Gnat, cartoon series about a bug doing funny things, but the newspapers didn’t consider it as a good idea, and Jim was forced to change his approach. He noticed that there are countless comics about dogs, but neither one about cats, and – Garfield was born. This innovative idea in the world of comic strips has brought millions to Jim Davis’ net worth.
The inspiration for the Garfield plot came from Jim’s childhood – the main protagonist, the fat, lazy and cynical, orange cat that adores lasagna, is a synthesis of all the cats from his farm. Garfield’s owner, Jon Arbuckle is actually a parallel to Jim himself – they share a birth date, both grew up on farms with their brothers, and obviously both own a cat(s). Garfield debuted in 1978 in Chicago Sun-Times and, to this day, has been published in more than 2500 newspapers and is read by almost 300 million people daily. It has also won numerous prizes, including National Cartoonist Society’s Best Humor Strip in 1981 and 1985, the Elzie Segar Award in 1990, as well as an honor by the Guinness World Records as The Most Widely Syndicated Comic Strip in the World. It is certain that this venture is the main source of Jim Davis’ impressive overall net worth.
The popularity of Garfield has overgrown the comic strip, and over the years there have been several movies, TV shows and various merchandise based on the character. Apart from those mentioned, in his illustrious career so far, Jim Davis has also created some other comics, including US Acres (or Orson’s Farm as it is often referred to) and Mr. Potato Head. These engagements have certainly made a positive impact on Jim Davis’ wealth in total.
When it comes to his personal life, Jim Davis has married twice. With his first wife Carolyn, he has a son and with his current wife Jill, to whom he has been married since 2000, he has two more children, a daughter and another son.
Beside his cartoonist career, Jim Davis is also a philanthropist who is directing his efforts towards education and the environment for which he has been rewarded with National Arbor Day Foundation’s Good Steward and Special Projects Award, and the Indiana Wildlife Federations’ Conservationist of the Year Award. Jim’s The Professor Garfield Foundation collaborates with Ball State University to support children’s literacy through its website www.professorgarfield.org. Jim has also built the world’s first commercial, all natural, wastewater plant.
Jim Davis currently resides in Albany, Indiana with his family, where he enjoys golfing, gardening and fishing in his leisure time, and still actively works on Garfield.
Emmy Award, Outstanding Animated Program, Good Steward Award, Indiana Journalism Award, Project Award, Inkpot Award, Indiana Arbor Day Spokesman Award, Reuben Award for Overall Excellence in Cartooning
TV Shows
Garfield & Friends (1988-1994), The Garfield Show
#
Trademark
1
The creator of Garfield the cantankerous, overweight, orange cat that hates Mondays and loves lasagna
#
Quote
1
[on why people can identify with Garfield] Garfield is the one who makes you feel better about polishing off the leftover pizza at 3 in the morning.
2
[on whether he owned a cat like Garfield] Lord no, I don't make THAT much money.
3
I always tell people Garfield is a human in a cat suit.
4
[on the huge worldwide "Garfield" phenomenon] I get to draw cartoons. That for me is the biggest thrill.
5
[on the PAWS, Inc. studio dedicated to the craft of Garfield] If we take care of the cat, the cat will take care of us.
6
[on the 'diet week' Garfield strips] When I go on a diet, Garfield goes on one too.
7
When I write the comic strip, it's like watching TV in my head. I put Garfield in a situation--on a diet, camping, something--and I watch him and ask myself, 'What would he do? Where would he go? What would the other characters do and say?' I watch Garfield until he does soething funny, back up three frames and cut it off.
#
Fact
1
On advice from "Peanuts" cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, changed Garfield's walk from one on four feet to two feet.
2
His first strip before Garfield was Gnorm Nat.
3
Has two children Ashley and Christopher with current wife Jill.
4
Has one son James with ex-wife Carolyn.
5
Parents are James and Betty Davis.
6
Has one younger brother Dave "Doc".
7
Despite growing up with cats and drawing the comic strip Garfield, Davis owns no cats today. His wife is desperately allergic.
Winner of the Outstanding Young Men of America Award, 1972; National Cartoonists Society, Reuben Award for best humor strip, 1982, 1986, and 1990, Segar Award, 1985, Cartoonist of the Year, 1990; Golden Plate, American Academy of Achievement, 1983; Marketing Hall of Fame award, American Marketing Association (southern California chapter), 1983; Sagamore of the Wabash Award, State of Indiana, 1984; National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ("Emmy") Award for outstanding animated program, 1984, for Garfield on the Town, 1985, for Garfield in the Rough, 1986, for Garfield's Hallowe'en Adventure; named Volunteer of the Year by Indiana Council of Fund Raising Executives, 1985; Forest Conservationist of the Year, Indiana Wildlife Federation, 1990; Hoosier Pride Award, 1990; Arbor Day Award, National Arbor Day Foundation, 1990; Distinguished Alumnus Award, American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Honorary doctorates from Ball State University and Purdue University, both 1991.
13
Beat the legendary Charles M. Schulz's "Peanuts" as the most widely read and financially successful strip in history.
14
His favorite licensed product of the "Garfield" strip is the Garfield telephone.
15
Also created the cartoon strip "U.S. Acres," based on his childhood and life growing up on a farm in Indiana.
16
He is in the record books of Ball State University as having accumulated the lowest GPA in the university's history. The other student who achieved this feat was David Letterman.
17
The inspiration for Garfield was his grandfather, Jame A. Garfield Davis; cynical, cantankerous and lovable. As well as the 25 cats Jim Davis grew up with on his Montana farm.
18
Both he and James Dean are born in the same town (Marion, Indiana).
19
Garfield's weight is 27 pounds. This is revealed in the 21 January 1986 strip, in a series of Ripley's parodies, when it says "A Jon Arbuckle claims to own a cat", which is Garfield, "who can eat 10 times its body weight. To verify this claim, we offered the cat 270 pounds of lasagna". (The strip ended, saying "The cat only ate 219 pounds of lasagna" and Garfield saying "Things went so well in rehearsal!")
20
On the 22 August 1980 strip, Jon and Garfield are sitting on a hill on Jon's parents' farm. Jon says "You're really getting into this farm thing, aren't you, Garfield?" Garfield says "Yup. Wanna swap dirt jokes?" The original copy of the strip says "Sheep jokes". It was caught after the proofs came out. The correction was sent, but some papers ran the original. The Garfield book it's in (#4) also printed the original.
21
First Garfield comic strip appeared on 19 June 1978
22
Graduated from Fairmount High School in 1962
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Garfield Show
TV Series 1 episode, 2010 characters - 28 episodes, 2009 - 2013
Garfielf
2013
Short comic strip
Garfield's Pet Force
2009
Video
Garfield's Fun Fest
2008
Video
Garfield Gets Real
2007
Video
Garfield: The Bound for Home
2006
Video Game creator
Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties
2006
comic strip "Garfield"
Garfield and His Nine Lives
2006
Video Game creator
Garfield: The Search for Pooky
2004
Video Game characters
Garfield
2004
comic strip "Garfield"
Garfield
2004
Video Game characters
Garfield: Caught in the Act
1995
Video Game characters
Garfield and Friends
1988-1994
TV Series creator - 121 episodes
Garfield Gets a Life
1991
TV Movie creator / written by
Garfield's Feline Fantasies
1990
TV Short creator / written by
Garfield's Thanksgiving
1989
TV Short creator / written by
Garfield's Babes and Bullets
1989
TV Short creator / written by
Garfield: His 9 Lives
1988
TV Movie book / written and created by
Happy Birthday, Garfield
1988
TV Movie documentary
Garfield: Winter's Tail
1988
Video Game characters
A Garfield Christmas Special
1987
TV Short comic strip Garfield
Garfield Goes Hollywood
1987
TV Short creator / written by
Garfield: Big, Fat, Hairy Deal
1987
Video Game characters
Garfield in Paradise
1986
TV Short creator / written by
Garfield in Disguise
1985
TV Short creator / written and created by
Garfield in the Rough
1984
TV Short creator / written and created by
Garfield on the Town
1983
TV Short creator / written by
Here Comes Garfield
1982
TV Short creator / written by
The Fantastic Funnies
1980
TV Movie documentary comic strip: "Garfield"
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Garfield Show
2009-2013
TV Series executive producer - 29 episodes
Garfield's Fun Fest
2008
Video executive producer
Garfield Gets Real
2007
Video executive producer
Garfield and Friends
1991-1994
TV Series executive producer - 64 episodes
Garfield Gets a Life
1991
TV Movie executive producer
Happy Birthday, Garfield
1988
TV Movie documentary producer
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Garfield
2004
Drunken Conventioner (uncredited)
Garfield and Friends
1990-1993
TV Series
J.D. / Police Chief
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Happy Birthday, Garfield
1988
TV Movie documentary
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Stripped
2014
Documentary
Himself
Mauricio de Sousa
2009
TV Movie
Himself
Garfield Gets Real: Animating from the Seoul
2007
Video documentary short
Himself
Garfield Gets Real: Jim Davis, Raw and Un-Cat
2007
Video documentary short
Himself
Garfield Gets Real: Legends Working Together
2007
Video documentary short
Himself
Garfield Gets Real: The Animation Process
2007
Video documentary short
Himself
The Birth of Garfield
2004
Video documentary short
Himself
Today
2003
TV Series
Himself
I Love 1980's
2001
TV Series documentary
Himself - 'Garfield' Creator
Good Grief, Charlie Brown: A Tribute to Charles Schulz
2000
TV Special
Himself
The Daily Show Summer Spectacular
1999
TV Special
Himself
The Daily Show
1999
TV Series
Himself
Troldspejlet
1997
TV Series
Himself - Garfield creator
The Pat Sajak Show
1989
TV Series
Himself
Happy Birthday, Garfield
1988
TV Movie documentary
Host
Too Close for Comfort
1986
TV Series
Himself
Bitte umblättern
1986
TV Series documentary
Himself
Late Night with David Letterman
1982
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Troldspejlet
1998-2014
TV Series
Himself - Comic book artist / Himself / Himself - Garfield creator
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1989
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)
Garfield's Babes and Bullets (1989)
1986
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Animated Program
Garfield in Disguise (1985)
1985
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Animated Program
Garfield in the Rough (1984)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1991
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
Garfield Gets a Life (1991)
1990
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
Garfield's Feline Fantasies (1990)
1990
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)
Garfield's Thanksgiving (1989)
1989
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)