‘Garfield’ Comic Strip is Coming to Nickelodeon as a New Show

The lasagna-loving lazy cat is now heading to a new home. In a few weeks time, he’ll be under Nickelodeon’s roof as Viacom acquires the rights to the beloved comic-strip cat.

Through one of its subsidiaries, Viacom is acquiring Paws Inc., the company that holds all intellectual property rights to Garfield as well as U.S. Acres. This includes rights to content, consumer products, and experiences. And it will be managed by Viacom Nickelodeon Consumer Products. However, this deal will not affect the central comic strip itself. According to TheWrap, Jim Davis is still happy to continue producing it.

“I’ve always tried to make people laugh with humor that is classic and appealing to both kids and adults. I’m delighted that Garfield is going to be placed in the capable hands of the folks at Nick,” Davis said in The Wraps’ report. “They know how to entertain and will be great stewards for the franchise. I am also excited to continue to do the thing that gets me out of bed every morning… the comic strip!”

Garfield Joins the Nickelodeon Family

Once the deal is set and done, Garfield will be joining other hit franchises on Nickelodeon such as SpongeBob Squarepants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Dora the Explorer. It follows Nickelodeon’s move on expanding its content for its younger customers. Before Garfield, the company also acquired rights to Paddington, the adorable British bear, as well as characters from the recent Lego movies. A new animated Star Trek series is also in the works. And in addition to all that, the company is also collaborating with YouTube influencer Ryan to develop a new series.

“This acquisition marks another step in our evolution toward being kids’ first stop for the best new content and characters, so we’re incredibly happy to have Garfield join our growing roster of globally loved franchises and to introduce this cool cat to a new generation of fans,” Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins said in a statement.

“Great content is core to the strength of our brands, and Garfield is a beloved character that continues to be part of the cultural zeitgeist with universal resonance across all ages,” added Viacom Media Networks COO Sarah Levy. “The acquisition of Paws, Inc. provides another opportunity for Viacom to leverage our platforms to extend the global reach of iconic IP.”

With its worldwide fame, Garfield has had TV series made in its honor. There were the Garfield and Friends in the 1980s that premiered on CBS and The Garfield Show on the Cartoon Network that ran from 2009 to 2012. Garfield has been a mainstay favorite across generations. But funnily enough, it also holds the Guinness World Record for the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world.