Garfield: His 9 Lives by Jim Davis (1984-11-12)

Garfield, the cat with an ego as big as his appetite (and proud of it!), wants you to pump up your self-image and start acting like the superior person you are! In The Me Book, Garfield covers all aspects of superiority, from basic self-confidence to world domination, including More...

I first found this book in 7th Grade in a comic book box at my high school library, and I was amazed. I'd always liked the Garfield comic strips, but this book was so much more. The artwork in all the stories was beautiful and the story lines were both delightful and hilarious. Garfield's commentary was also good. Because these stories are all very different I'll rate them each individually. In the Beginning: 4/5 This story is one of the cleverest in how it presents the 'joke' of the story and the artwork is very interesting, as it appears to be a amalgym of photographs, trippy colour saturation and air brush art. Very cool. Cave Cat: 3/5 this one was funny but probably one of the weaker stories. The artwork was interesting and would certainly entertain a small child. Viking Story (don't remember the title): 4/5 Funny, well drawn and true, in a sense, to the original Garfield comics. It has cheeky moments that would keep adults (or library dwelling teenaged girls, in my case) entertained, but would not be really picked up by younger readers. The artwork was truly comic book style, and Garfield looked like himself behind the beard and helmet. Detective Story (again the title eludes me): 4/5 This is nothing like you would expect, it's very film noir, but funny none the less. The illustrations are very lovely and well drawn (reminds me a bit of Blacksad), and the story is actually quite a clever mystery. It loses a star because it's not really a comic per se, but it is still an entertaining addition to the book. The Exterminators: 4/5 Bravo Jim Davis! This story is hilarious both for it's own jokes and for it's rather clever parody of the Three Stooges. True to original Garfield, but still unique and interesting, and the art is quite scribbly and humourous. Lab Animal: 4/5 This story is a bit darker in tone, and the humour a little more oblique, but it's one of the most interesting tales in the book. Other reviewers have slammed it for being too scary, but this one isn't really too bad in my view, it is funny in its own way and it gets you thinking. The art is fascinting in its detail, and the realism suits the story. The Garden: 4/5 this story probably deserves two ratings, one for the story and another for the art. The story isn't really funny, but it is very gentle (perfect for little kids) and it carries a nice message. The art is colourful and stunning, and it is certainly the most beautiful story in the book. The art work makes me think of Lisa Frank stationary and it is both futuristic in a way, yet also very eighties. Almost psychadelic, really. Primal Self: 5/5 This one is probably my favorite from a story point of view. It builds suspense very well, and I laughed myself sick at the end. Primal Self is very unusual and if you like your humour a little dark and creepy, like I do, then this story has real appeal. The artwork is realistic, yet surreal and captures the mood of the story perfectly. I might scare very little child

I was in love with this book when I was a young teenager, and it was one of the things that directly inspired me to become an artist. Kudos to Jim Davis for such open minded creativity. I still admire and enjoy every one of these stories and the many flavors of art that go along with them. It has a permanent home on my bookshelf.

This is quite a rare book about Garfield, to be sure, but it definitely proves Jim Davis cannot be put into the proverbial box. The story lines are diverse, with both whimiscal themes as well as the disturbing. Overall, it is a showcase of Davis' talents as a story teller and an artist above and beyond the classic Garfield we all know and love. If you really want to appreciate Mr. Davis' creativity, definitely get this book.

"Garfield his nine lives" is the best book ever written by Jim Davis. It goes through 9 of garfield's most exciting lives like cave cat, space cat, and detective cat. The wonders never cease when you read this amazing book. You'll filp when ya' see it.