What is Jim Davis’ Net Worth?
Jim Davis, the American cartoonist behind the internationally successful comic strip “Garfield,” has a net worth of $800 million dollars.
“Garfield” has been in syndication since 1978 and follows the daily lives of the cat Garfield, his owner Jon Arbuckle, and Jon’s dog Odie. Davis produced the CBS series “Garfield & Friends” and has written numerous “Garfield” television specials. He also wrote and produced several direct-to-video “Garfield” films.
Besides “Garfield,” Davis has also worked on comic strips such as “U.S. Acres,” “Gnorm Gnat,” “Tumbleweeds,” and “Mr. Potato Head.”
Early Life and Education
Jim Davis was born in Marion, Indiana, in 1945. He grew up on a cow farm in Fairmount, Indiana, with his mother, father, and brother. Davis attended Fairmount High School, where he was the Art Editor of the school newspaper and drew numerous illustrations for the yearbook.
After graduating from high school, Davis enrolled at Ball State University to study art and business. He also joined the Theta Xi fraternity during his time at the university.
Jim Davis’ Background in Comics
Before creating “Garfield,” Jim Davis worked at an advertising agency and was the assistant of Tom Ryan, creator of “Tumbleweeds” comic strip. During his time with Ryan, Davis created “Gnorm Gnat,” which ran in “The Pendleton Times” from 1973 to 1975. Despite being told that “nobody can relate to bugs,” Davis took inspiration from the popularity of Snoopy in “Peanuts” and created his own furry character.
Jim Davis: Creator of Garfield
Jim Davis is an American cartoonist and creator of the comic strip “Garfield,” which has been syndicated in more than 2,500 newspapers worldwide. He began publishing “Jon,” which later became “Garfield,” in “The Pendleton Times” from 1976 to 1978, and the strip became syndicated in 1978. Davis also created “U.S. Acres” in the 1980s and wrote a “Mr. Potato Head” comic strip with Brett Koth from 2000 to 2003.
“Garfield” has been adapted into two live action/computer-animated feature films and several primetime specials and direct-to-video movies. The animated series “Garfield and Friends” aired from 1988 to 1994, and “The Garfield Show” aired from 2009 to 2012. In 2019, ViacomCBS bought Jim’s company, Paws, Inc., with plans to develop a new “Garfield” animated series for Nickelodeon.
Jim has been married twice and has a son from his first marriage. He was hired as an adjunct professor at Ball State University in 2016 and lives in Albany, Indiana, where he produces “Garfield” under his company Paws, Inc. He is also the founder of the Professor Garfield Foundation, which supports children’s literacy.
Jim has received numerous awards for his work, including 10 Primetime Emmy nominations, a Golden Plate Award, a Sagamore of the Wabash, and several honors from the National Cartoonist Society. He was presented with an Inkpot Award at San Diego Comic-Con International in 2016.