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Jim Davis

Creator of Garfield, Now Read By Over 263 Million Readers Around the Globe

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Jim Davis Biography

Jim Davis’ presentations combine the wit and humor of a cartoonist and the savvy of an international businessman who has made sure his character is known and loved around the world.

Jim Davis was born July 28, 1945, in Marion, Ind., and was raised on a small Black Angus cow farm with his parents, James and Betty, and his younger brother, Dave (Doc). As on most farms, the barnyard had its share of stray cats - about 25 at one time, by Jim's estimation.

Jim thinks he probably would have become a farmer had it not been for his serious bouts of asthma as a child. Forced inside, away from regular farm chores, he whiled away the hours drawing pictures. His pictures were so bad he had to label them. With practice, he got better, but Jim concluded that pictures accompanied by words were more fun anyway.

By junior high school, his asthma was in check, and Jim even went on to letter in high school football. Later, he attended Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., where he majored in art, business and practical jokes.

After college, Jim spent two years working for a local advertising agency before becoming an assistant to Tumbleweeds creator Tom Ryan. Jim learned the skills and discipline necessary to become a syndicated cartoonist and began his own strip, Gnorm Gnat. When he tried to sell the strip to a newspaper syndicate, he was told: "It's funny, but bugs? Who can relate to a bug?" After five years of drawing Gnorm, Jim drew a giant foot that fell out of the sky, crushing Gnorm in his last comic appearance.

Jim studied the comics pages very closely and noticed there were a lot of successful strips about dogs, but none about cats. He combined his wry wit with the art skills he had honed since childhood, and Garfield, a fat, lazy, lasagna-loving, cynical cat, was born. Jim says Garfield is a composite of all the cats he remembered from his childhood, rolled into one feisty orange fur ball. Garfield was named after Jim's cantankerous grandfather, James Garfield Davis.

The strip debuted on June 19, 1978, in 41 U.S. newspapers. Several months after the launch, the Chicago Sun-Times canceled Garfield. More than 1,300 angry readers demanded that Garfield be reinstated. It was, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, Garfield is read in 2,600 newspapers by 263 million readers around the globe.

Jim Davis has had many successes with Garfield, including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program and induction into the Licensing Hall of Fame (1998), but his most prized awards are from his peers in the National Cartoonists Society: Best Humor Strip (1981 and 1985), the Elzie Segar Award (1990) and the coveted Reuben Award (1990) for overall cartooning.

Davis is founder and president of Paws, Inc., a full-service licensing studio created to support Garfield's global business ventures.

Speech Topics

Programs include:

• Follow Your Dream — Do What You Love • The Creative Process • Working With Artists/ Creative People • Licensing • Taking a Western Brand Abroad • Taking Corporate Responsibility for the Environment • Using Comic Strips to Teach Kids to Read • How to Become a Syndicated Cartoonist in 10,041 Easy Lessons

Videos
Books
Garfield the Big Cheese: His 59th Book

Garfield the Big Cheese: His 59th Book

Garfield Goes to His Happy Place: His 58th Book

Garfield Goes to His Happy Place: His 58th Book

Garfield Souped Up: His 57th Book

Garfield Souped Up: His 57th Book

Garfield at Large

Garfield at Large

Garfield Brings Home the Bacon: His 53rd Book

Garfield Brings Home the Bacon: His 53rd Book

Garfield Lard of the Jungle: His 52nd Book

Garfield Lard of the Jungle: His 52nd Book

News
FAQs
  • How do I book Jim Davis to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jim Davis for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Jim Davis, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Jim Davis or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Jim Davis

    Speaking fees for Jim Davis, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Jim Davis are $30,000 - $50,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jim Davis, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Jim Davis speak about?

    Jim Davis is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Arts & Humanities, Business, Creativity Speakers, Sales, Marketing and Branding.
  • Where does Jim Davis travel from?

    Jim Davis generally travels from Indianapolis, IN, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Jim Davis’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Jim Davis for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Jim Davis for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jim Davis or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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Users also viewed these speakers:

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Creator of Garfield, Now Read By Over 263 Million Readers Around the Globe

Travels From:
Indianapolis, IN, USA
Speaking Fee:

Jim Davis Biography

Jim Davis’ presentations combine the wit and humor of a cartoonist and the savvy of an international businessman who has made sure his character is known and loved around the world.

Jim Davis was born July 28, 1945, in Marion, Ind., and was raised on a small Black Angus cow farm with his parents, James and Betty, and his younger brother, Dave (Doc). As on most farms, the barnyard had its share of stray cats - about 25 at one time, by Jim's estimation.

Jim thinks he probably would have become a farmer had it not been for his serious bouts of asthma as a child. Forced inside, away from regular farm chores, he whiled away the hours drawing pictures. His pictures were so bad he had to label them. With practice, he got better, but Jim concluded that pictures accompanied by words were more fun anyway.

By junior high school, his asthma was in check, and Jim even went on to letter in high school football. Later, he attended Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., where he majored in art, business and practical jokes.

After college, Jim spent two years working for a local advertising agency before becoming an assistant to Tumbleweeds creator Tom Ryan. Jim learned the skills and discipline necessary to become a syndicated cartoonist and began his own strip, Gnorm Gnat. When he tried to sell the strip to a newspaper syndicate, he was told: "It's funny, but bugs? Who can relate to a bug?" After five years of drawing Gnorm, Jim drew a giant foot that fell out of the sky, crushing Gnorm in his last comic appearance.

Jim studied the comics pages very closely and noticed there were a lot of successful strips about dogs, but none about cats. He combined his wry wit with the art skills he had honed since childhood, and Garfield, a fat, lazy, lasagna-loving, cynical cat, was born. Jim says Garfield is a composite of all the cats he remembered from his childhood, rolled into one feisty orange fur ball. Garfield was named after Jim's cantankerous grandfather, James Garfield Davis.

The strip debuted on June 19, 1978, in 41 U.S. newspapers. Several months after the launch, the Chicago Sun-Times canceled Garfield. More than 1,300 angry readers demanded that Garfield be reinstated. It was, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, Garfield is read in 2,600 newspapers by 263 million readers around the globe.

Jim Davis has had many successes with Garfield, including four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program and induction into the Licensing Hall of Fame (1998), but his most prized awards are from his peers in the National Cartoonists Society: Best Humor Strip (1981 and 1985), the Elzie Segar Award (1990) and the coveted Reuben Award (1990) for overall cartooning.

Davis is founder and president of Paws, Inc., a full-service licensing studio created to support Garfield's global business ventures.

Speech Topics

Programs include:

• Follow Your Dream — Do What You Love • The Creative Process • Working With Artists/ Creative People • Licensing • Taking a Western Brand Abroad • Taking Corporate Responsibility for the Environment • Using Comic Strips to Teach Kids to Read • How to Become a Syndicated Cartoonist in 10,041 Easy Lessons

Jim Davis Videos

  • A Greeting From Jim Davis - YouTube
  • Jim Davis and Garfield - By the Numbers 2014 - YouTube

Jim Davis Books

FAQs on booking Jim Davis

  • How do I book Jim Davis to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Jim Davis for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Jim Davis, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Jim Davis or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Jim Davis

    Speaking fees for Jim Davis, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Jim Davis are $30,000 - $50,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Jim Davis, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Jim Davis speak about?

    Jim Davis is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Arts & Humanities, Business, Creativity Speakers, Sales, Marketing and Branding.
  • Where does Jim Davis travel from?

    Jim Davis generally travels from Indianapolis, IN, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Jim Davis’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Jim Davis for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Jim Davis for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Jim Davis or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Jim Davis is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Jim Davis for your event is $30,000 - $50,000. Jim Davis generally travels from Indianapolis, IN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Chris Skinner, Jeff Tobe, Rory Sutherland, Joel Zeff and Tim Sanders. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Jim Davis for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Jim Davis Speaker Videos

  • A Greeting From Jim Davis - YouTube
    Jim Davis and Garfield - By the Numbers 2014 - YouTube

Jim Davis News

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

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Speakers Similar to Jim Davis

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

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