The original title of the comic strip Garfield was “Jon” , named after his owner Jon Arbuckle.

Quick Scoop: What Was Garfield Originally Called?

When Jim Davis first launched the strip in a small local paper in the mid‑1970s, it didn’t actually revolve around the cat at all.

  • The strip was originally titled “Jon” , focusing on Jon Arbuckle, a bachelor cartoonist.
  • Garfield the cat appeared as a character, but he wasn’t yet the star of the show.
  • As readers responded more to the sarcastic, food‑loving cat, the focus gradually shifted toward Garfield.
  • In 1977, the title of the strip was changed from “Jon” to “Garfield” , ahead of its wider syndication launch in 1978.

So the clue “also the name of his owner” points straight to “Jon” as the original title.

Answer in one line:
The comic strip now known as Garfield was originally titled “Jon”.

TL;DR: Before it was Garfield , the strip was called “Jon” , named after Jon Arbuckle, who was first intended as the main character.

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