Monday

Overview

Gallery

Monday is a recurring theme throughout the Garfield comics, serving as the franchise's main antagonistic force. Monday is an entity that, logically, appears on Mondays, where it harasses and abuses Garfield through a combination of horrible luck and practical jokes.

The majority of times, Monday stays off-panel and throws things like pies, rocks, and pianos at Garfield or manifests itself as an unrealistically large amount of misfortune. An example of this is when the ground below Garfield suddenly breaks open, causing him to fall in a hole.

During the times Monday appears on-panel, it usually is portrayed as a hideous monster.

A prominent theme was "The Monday That Wouldn't Die", in which every day in the week after a certain Monday was also Monday.

For a full gallery of Monday, click here

Comic Strips

Bad Luck

One reason for Garfield's hatred of Mondays: bad things happen to him.

11/23/1981 Garfield gets stuck in blinds. This gag would be repeated a few times.

1978 - 1989

• 9/18/1978 While batting the curtains, Garfield gets wrapped up in it. For the first time, he proclaimed his hatred for Mondays.
• 9/25/1978 Jon makes his bed and then calls Garfield for dinner, unaware that Garfield was within the bedsheets.
• 10/2/1978 Garfield jumps out the window while Jon was mowing the lawn and gets mowed on saying he hates Mondays.
• 10/9/1978 While chasing a fly, Garfield leaps at it, only to end up in the toilet.
• 5/4/1981 Garfield stands on the edge of the bed, which flips under his weight and lands on him. He plans revenge against Monday for it.
• 7/27/1981 Garfield finds a tube of toothpaste with the cap on. He squeezes it, and it explodes, getting it all over the place like silly string.
• 8/3/1981 Garfield finds sharks swimming in his water bowl, a sign of Monday.
• 10/19/1981 Garfield walks over to his food bowl, only to discover that there was a landmine in his breakfast, signaling Monday.
• 11/23/1981 Garfield bats the curtains again, and once again gets stuck, this time getting his neck caught in the blinds.
• 2/1/1982 A storm cloud appears above Garfield in bed, and it rains and storms over him.
• 5/10/1982 While salting his food, Garfield asks what a Monday is. The top of his saltshaker pops off and dumps a heap of salt on it.
• 9/6/1982 Garfield decides to change, starting with his attitude toward Monday. He begins loving Mondays, but after stepping out into the rain, he becomes only fond of Mondays.
• 2/28/1983 Garfield rips Monday off the calendar, causing everything to cease to exist.
• 11/28/1983 Garfield waits for something awful to happen to him, but then he sees Jon, which relieves him until Jon tells him that he's going to the vet.
• 4/9/1984 Garfield counts down to midnight on Monday, excited that nothing bad has happened to him, until the cuckoo clock scares him off the mantle.
• 5/21/1984 This Monday marks the beginning of a diet for Garfield, shown by the plate of healthy food.
• 7/9/1984 Jon tries to reassure Garfield by saying that everything that could happen already has, but then the power goes out.
• 10/8/1984 Garfield decides to stay in bed, but Jon intends to take him camping. Garfield refuses, until Jon dumps him out of bed. Garfield vows vengeance against Monday.
• 10/15/1984 Garfield hears that the weather is beautiful this Monday morning, so he goes outside, only to get caught in the rain that is falling over his house exclusively.
• 7/15/1985 Garfield wears a suit of armor as a Monday suit. He is confident in this protection until he passes by Odie, who slobbers on him, rusting his armor.
• 10/29/1985 Garfield retells his Monday. It was going surprisingly well, until he woke up in the middle of the night to eat some jawbreakers, unaware that those were the marbles in his collection.
• 5/12/1986 Garfield decides to test what kind of day it is by grabbing the loop on the bottom of the blinds. He is yanked into them and he concludes that it's Monday.
• 6/2/1986 Garfield angrily storms past Jon and returns with a plunger. Jon asks if his litter box is backed up, and Garfield simply replies that he hates Mondays.
• 7/21/1986 Garfield wakes up and sees monsters surrounding him. He remarks that Mondays are becoming less subtle.
• 7/22/1986 Garfield rips the Monday page off the calendar, only to see the page behind it also reads Monday. He realizes that this is, "The Monday that wouldn't die!"
• 7/25/1986 Garfield decides that the best course of action to survive Monday week is to stay in bed, unaware that his bed is on somehow on a tree branch.
• 8/3/1986 Garfield has a nightmare about the Monday that wouldn't die. He dreams of getting swept away in a tidal wave of Odie's slobber, being visited by Nermal, and trying to use a useless can opener. Jon then wakes him up and asks Garfield if he wants to see a movie. The cat accepts, just so long as there are no Mondays in it.
• 10/20/1986 Garfield is in bed, bracing for the worst. He is surrounded by barbed wire, covered by a pillow, and Pooky is wearing a soldier's helmet. However, Garfield is unprepared for a trip to the vet.
• 6/1/1987 Garfield is woken up by a sawing sound. Someone is sawing a circle around him, and he apathetically notes that it "must be Monday."
• 11/23/1987 Garfield wakes up and sees six crickets doing water ballet in his bowl. He concludes it's Monday.
• 1/11/1988 Garfield tries kicking Odie off the table to cheer himself up on a Monday, but Odie levitates in midair. Garfield frustratedly leaves.
• 7/4/1988 Garfield is yawning and walking when he gets his open mouth snagged on a low-hanging branch. He simply says, "Hellooooo, Monday."
• 5/8/1989 Garfield's alarm clock wakes him. He tries smashing it, but gets a fist full of his food instead of punching his clock.
• 8/14/1989 Garfield stares at the rain from the window and then hears that Jon is taking him camping. Garfield considers death just to not go.
• 9/11/1989 Jon is depressed during a dreary, rainy Monday. Garfield spots a motorcycle gang on the driveway from inside.
• 4/6/1979 Garfield gets to sleep in when his alarm clock doesn't go off. His thoughts turn to how he "has to get Monday out of the house."

3/11/1991 Garfield slips and faceplants into his food.

1990 - 1999

• 6/11/1990 Garfield shows how Monday is different from other days. Other days, he would toast the bread and then cover it with peanut butter, as opposed to the other way around.
• 3/4/1991 Garfield notes that it must be Monday, since it's raining on him inside the house.
• 3/11/1991 Garfield claims that he no longer recognizes Mondays. He then slips on Odie's bone and splats into his food bowl. He notes that Mondays still recognize him.
• 10/21/1996 Garfield is walking when he steps on Odie's ball. He slips on it and rolls head-first into the toilet.
• 11/18/1996 Garfield refuses to be scared of Monday, instead choosing to laugh in its face. As he laughs, a large bug flies directly toward his wide-open mouth.
• 7/27/1998 Garfield wonders what will happen to him. He and his chair promptly fall into a sinkhole.
• 1/4/1999 Garfield proclaims that this Monday will not get him, as he refuses to get out of bed, but Jon asks him why he is sleeping in his litter box, horrifying his cat.
• 3/1/1999 Garfield stands up and inhales deeply, and promptly proceeds to hack, wheeze, and cough. "Monday air," he explains to the readers.

9/29/2003 Another average Monday for Garfield.

2000 - 2009

• 7/15/2002 On a Monday, Garfield looks to his left and right, seeing nothing in either direction. He realizes that something will happen right where he is standing, which is accurate when a shadow covers him.
• 9/29/2003 Jon notes that the morning is cold, dark, and hailing. He sees locusts eating the lawn and the fence on fire. For Garfield, it's a typical Monday.

4/13/2015 A Monday does unfortunate things to Jon.

2010 - 2019

• 1/6/2014 Jon serves up toast to Garfield that he burnt on purpose. For Garfield, it's just another Monday morning.
• 5/26/2014 Garfield is about to pour himself a cup of coffee, but the lid of the coffee pot tips into his mug, spilling coffee all over the floor and his feet.
• 9/1/2014 Garfield is relieved to rip the Monday page off the calendar, only to see another Monday page underneath. He scurries back to bed, terrified.
• 4/13/2015 Jon tells Garfield that he just brushed his teeth with hair mousse. Garfield states, "Welcome to my world."
• 11/21/2016 Garfield decides to adjust his attitude toward Monday, which works for a moment, but Jon asks if he wants to hear the world's longest polka on the world's loudest accordion.
• 7/10/2017 Garfield claims that the only good thing about Monday morning is coffee. He pours himself some from the coffee pot and chugs it, unaware that a mouse was bathing in said pot.
• 11/4/2019 Garfield wonders what day it is. He pokes his head out of bed and sees Nermal standing before him. He hides back in bed, the kitten sighting a tell of Monday.

2/21/2022 Monday strikes, and strikes hard.

2020 -

• 3/2/2020 Garfield wears a helmet and two pillows, one on his front and the other on his back. He looks at the reader and explains why, "Because it's Monday, that's why."
• 1/18/2021 Jon spots a dead fly in Garfield's coffee. Garfield raises a toast to Monday.
• 3/1/2021 Jon tells Garfield that this morning needs a polka. Garfield wishes Monday would kill him.
• 2/21/2022 Jon tells Garfield that the wi-fi is down, the coffee machine is broken, the store is out of donuts and it is hailing. Garfield calls it, "even Monday-er than usual."
• 6/27/2022 Garfield opens a fortune cookie, and the fortune inside reads, "The worst is yet to come." "Monday fortune cookie," he explains.
• 8/8/2022 Jon tells Garfield that the store ran out of delicious foods like donuts, candy, pasta, and coffee. On the other hand, it had a sale on raisins. Garfield sips his coffee and greets Monday.
• 9/12/2022 A spider asks Garfield if he wants the fly in his coffee. Garfield lets it eat it, which the spider does, and then asks the reader how their Monday is going.
• 2/6/2023 Garfield notes that it is a hailing Monday in February. He returns to bed. "Three strikes and I'm out."
• 2/5/2024 On a snowy day, Garfield laments going outside, since it's a Monday in February.
• 4/22/2024 Garfield is hunched over, looking grumpy with his fur mussed up. He points out his walk, the "Monday-morning-bakery-was-out-of-donuts-Jon-made-decaf walk."
• 7/1/2024 Garfield notes that his coffee is perfect for a Monday: "Terrible."
• 8/12/2024 Garfield claims he hasn't had a Monday this bad since the last one.

Casual Hatred

Sometimes, nothing happens to Garfield. He simply states how much he hates Mondays.

6/21/1982 Garfield says his iconic line in bed.

1978 - 1989

• 4/16/1979 Jon takes Garfield with him to get the mail, which reminds him that he is alive. Garfield quips, "That's a pretty heavy thought for a Monday."
• 7/7/1980 Jon asks Garfield what he is going to do on Monday, and Garfield replies that he's going to sleep until Tuesday.
• 7/8/1980 Garfield wakes up on Tuesday, which he likes because it's not Monday.
• 9/28/1981 Garfield wakes up bored because he hates Mondays and routine. He decides to mix things up by wearing his supper bowl and making funny noises.
• 10/5/1981 Garfield hates Mondays because "It begins a long week of drudgery with no end in sight." He then calls himself a social chameleon because he does not have a job.
• 10/26/1981 - 10/27/1981 Garfield sleeps through Monday and wakes up the following Tuesday, suddenly realizing what happened.
• 12/28/1981 Garfield wonders what day it is, but Jon putting him on a diet answers his question for him.
• 6/21/1982 Garfield wakes up and sees Nermal, who rubs his cuteness in Garfield's face. The fat cat hides and states his hatred of Monday.
• 11/15/1982 Garfield says that he hates Mondays, and explains why: "Because Mondays hate me." and on cue, the table falls on him.
• 2/20/1984 Garfield tells his clock that he hates Mondays, and his conscience tells him through the clock that that is not nice. Garfield demolishes the clock, and now his conscience hates Mondays.
• 4/2/1984 Garfield feels Monday in the air, and expresses that the world will end on a Monday since it ending before a weekend would be a shame.
• 11/11/1984 Garfield skips out of bed, eats breakfast with Jon, and the two read the funnies together. Garfield is in such a good mood until he hears a scratching at the door. He opens and sees a darkness, which is Monday, coming.
• 3/25/1985 Garfield angrily expresses his hatred of Monday as he passes a mirror. He stops and notes how cute he is when angry.
• 8/11/1986 Garfield shoves Odie's head into his bowl and slaps Jon with a newspaper. He claims he's training them to hate Mondays as much as he does.
• 1/19/1987 Jon wakes Garfield and tells him about his life-changing decision: he is going to grow a moustache. Garfield retreats back into bed and blames Monday for this.
• 4/20/1987 Garfield decides to stay in bed and contemplate life's truths. After Odie bounces over him, his clock rings, and Jon calls him out of bed, he concludes that Mondays stink.
• 4/1/1987 Garfield puts Jon's new pet bird on the same level as dogs and Mondays.
• 6/29/1987 Garfield flips through a book and notes that that date, June 29, 1987, is the longest Monday in the world.
• 2/8/1988 Garfield expresses his hatred of February, and equates it to being "the 'Monday' of months."
• 3/7/1988 Jon states that he hates Mondays, and Garfield agrees. Jon wonders why, since he does not work, and Garfield replies, "Sympathy pains."
• 11/14/1988 Garfield passes a mirror and sees Snoopy from the comic strip Peanuts in it. He notes that it's one of those Mondays.
• 2/6/1989 Garfield pours himself a cup of coffee, and expresses his hatred of February. Mondays in February, however, are so bad he pours the coffee on himself.
• 2/13/1989 Jon tries to get Garfield up, noting that it's a wonderful February morning. He adds that it's Monday, but not just any Monday, Monday, February 13th. This proves to be three strikes for Garfield.

7/1/1996 A clock rubs salt in Garfield's wound.

1990 - 1999

• 9/3/1990 Garfield says he hates Monday, but at least it's almost over, but Jon reads that lasagna causes warts. Garfield desires to be shot.
• 12/31/1990 Garfield looks back at his year. He notes he had 313 good days, since all the Mondays sucked.
• 2/4/1991 Garfield decides to get up and face the Monday. He stands up in his bed, and then sits back down.
• 12/4/1995 Garfield states that only idiots enjoy Monday. On cue, Odie walks by with a big smile on his face, and Garfield thanks him for providing a visual aid.
• 7/1/1996 Garfield is woken up by his alarm clock. He concedes, and the clock tells him that it's Monday. Garfield is not amused.
• 3/30/1998 Jon reads that one-seventh of one's life is spent on Monday. He tells this to Garfield, who stuffs the newspaper Jon was reading into his mouth.
• 2/1/1999 Garfield hears a knock at the door and asks who it is. It's Monday. Garfield urges it to come back tomorrow, but that's its day off. Monday suggests it return early next week.

6/21/2004 Garfield expresses his disgust for Monday.

2000 - 2009

• 6/19/2000 Jon and Odie awaken Garfield and tell him that it's Monday, and the cat rises and proclaims his hatred of Mondays. They then tell him that it's his birthday, making Garfield reconsider.
• 7/10/2000 Jon wishes a cranky Garfield a "Happy Monday," which Garfield calls, "The mother of all oxymorons."
• 6/21/2004 Garfield expresses his hatred for Mondays, and Jon energetically tells him that it's Monday. Garfield goes on, "and people who love that I hate Mondays."
• 3/5/2007 Jon wishes Garfield a happy Monday. As a response, the fur on his back stands straight up on end.
• 3/10/2008 Garfield is working on writing a poem to Monday, but cannot find a rhyme for a blowing raspberry sound.

8/27/2018 Garfield tells Monday to die.

2010 - 2019

• 2/18/2013 Jon wakes Garfield up and shows him his shaved eyebrows. Garfield claims to hate Mondays.
• 3/25/2013 Jon wakes Garfield up and tells him that he got a wedgie getting dressed. Garfield claims to hate Mondays.
• 5/12/2014 Jon reads in the paper that one should greet Monday with a smile. He looks at Garfield, who instead offers a scream of desperation.
• 10/26/2015 Garfield sees a news report about aliens taking over the Earth who hate cats. Garfield claims to hate Mondays.
• 9/12/2016 Jon sees his watch reading 11:59 on a Monday night, and wonders if his watch stops, if it will stay Monday. Garfield refuses to think about it.
• 2/27/2017 Garfield is bummed at another Monday, using various expressions and adjectives to describe it, and he refuses to let Jon stop him.
• 6/26/2017 Garfield has Friday on his mind, but seeing his calendar say Monday bums him out.
• 7/3/2017 Garfield sees Jon, who has "Monday-morning ugly" face on him.
• 7/2/2018 Jon says that life is a highway. Garfield agrees with this, and says that Mondays are the potholes.
• 8/27/2018 Garfield starts the week with his version of an inspirational thought, "DIE, MONDAY, DIE!!!"
• 11/12/2018 Garfield sarcastically grins, calling Monday, "The best day ever!"
• 11/17/2018 Jon notes to Garfield that it's early for his Monday face (considering it's Saturday). Garfield claims he's getting into character.
• 8/19/2019 Garfield excitedly greets the weekend, blinks, and then angrily greets Monday.
• 8/27/2019 Jon wishes Garfield a happy Tuesday. Garfield sees it as Monday, the sequel.
• 11/18/2019 Jon asks Garfield if he ever wanted to visit Venus. Garfield immediately rejects this, claiming that Mondays there last for 2,802 hours.
• 12/30/2019 Garfield is frustrated at another Monday since this particular month has five Mondays in it.

7/3/2023 Garfield forcing a smile on a Monday.

2020 -

• 3/9/2020 Garfield looks at his phone, wishing for an opt-out button for Mondays.
• 1/4/2021 Garfield gives Monday a zero-star review on his laptop, with the added comment, "Would not recommend."
• 4/19/2021 Jon tells Garfield to greet the day. Garfield hides back in his bed and tells Monday to "buzz off".
• 8/2/2021 Garfield is sleeping when his alarm wakes him up with loud, cheerful singing. Garfield hides in his bed.
• 2/28/2022 Jon thinks he can make Garfield smile. The cat is doubtful, since it is Monday, but Jon reminds him about Taco Tuesday, which does the trick.
• 7/11/2022 Garfield presents his "Happy Monday dance." He stands motionless.
• 7/18/2022 Garfield sits next to a giant ball, which he calls a "Monday stress ball."
• 7/25/2022 Garfield lists some of the side effects of Monday: Headache, nausea, fatigue, and general apathy.
• 1/9/2023 Garfield attempts to rewind to the weekend, but Jon tells him that he cannot do that. The cat blames Monday for it.
• 2/13/2023 Garfield equates Monday to a terrible movie... "with sequels."
• 2/20/2023 Garfield calls happiness a giant cup of coffee. He walks up to a giant mug, and notes that Monday is a giant cup of decaf.
• 6/26/2023 Garfield chugs cup after cup of coffee, and he states that no one should talk to him until he has had 17 cups of it.
• 7/3/2023 Garfield expresses his disgust of Mondays, so Jon asks him if he can be cheerful. Garfield forces a smile onto his face and repeats, "I hate Mondays!"
• 7/17/2023 Garfield claims to need a day between Sunday and Monday called, "Notreadyyetday".
• 7/24/2023 Garfield says that there is nothing worse than Monday morning, but when Jon announces that they're having tofu burgers for lunch, he decides that Monday afternoons are worse.
• 7/31/2023 Garfield says that weeks are like stories, with Monday being the villain and coffee being the hero.
• 8/14/2023 Garfield gives the reader his "prescription for Mondays..." enough coffee to last until Tuesday.
• 9/4/2023 A grouchy Garfield holds his mug of coffee with Odie standing next to him. Nermal and Jon would join soon after, and Garfield just sighs and notes that Monday has gotten worse threefold.
• 10/9/2023 Garfield asks a spider if it hates Mondays. The spider denies, but after getting swatted by Garfield, it denounces a curse on Mondays.
• 10/30/2023 The Ghost of Mondays past from 1978 arrives to haunt Garfield. Garfield is not impressed, until the ghost recounts several trends of the era, which Garfield calls "scary."
• 11/13/2023 Garfield claims to have a recurring nightmare called, "Monday."
• 1/15/2024 Garfield claims that the amount of Mondays in a year is "excessive."
• 2/26/2024 Jon tries to get Garfield up, claiming he's missing, "The best part of the day." Garfield retorts that there is no "best part" of Monday, making air quotes with his fingers.
• 3/4/2024 Garfield locked the door, closed the curtains, and killed the lights. Despite this, Monday snuck in through the pet door.
• 3/11/2024 Garfield lies on his back, thanking gravity for making Monday possible.
• 6/24/2024 Garfield smells the air and is disgusted by Monday's scent.
• 7/8/2024 Garfield has a DO NOT ENTER sign directed at Monday specifically.
• 7/22/2024 Garfield states "They say every day is a gift", then asks if Mondays can be returned.
• 7/29/2024 Garfield wonders if the week will end. When Jon greets him with "Happy Monday," he concludes that it will not.
• 7/26/2024 Garfield states that it's Monday, and he needs more comfort. A giant Pooky is there for it.

Physical Pain

Garfield getting hurt on a Monday is quite common.

1978 - 1989

• 10/2/1978 Garfield bounces on a footrest outside, right into the path of Jon's lawnmower. He gets his back and tail fur shaved off.
• 4/7/1980 Garfield walks toward Jon and unintentionally steps on a bowl, which whacks him on the nose.
• 8/25/1980 Garfield whacks his alarm clock, which bounces off the chair and crushes his head.
• 1/19/1981 Garfield wakes up, only to trip on his bed and fall on his face. "It must be Monday," he says.
• 3/23/1981 Garfield wonders what day it is. For an answer, he steps on the edge of his bed, which bonks him in the head. He concludes that it's Monday.
• 6/15/1981 Garfield worries since nothing good happens to him on Mondays, but he figures he'll be same in a wide open field. This is proven wrong when a piano drops on his head.
• 9/7/1981 Garfield takes a swipe at a dog twice his size. The dog promptly eats him.
• 11/2/1981 Garfield runs up a tree to escape from a dog, only for the tree to bend under his weight. The dog then mangles him.
• 2/22/1982 Garfield zips up a tree, and then runs out of tree since it is barely taller than a stump. He lands on his head.
• 8/2/1982 Garfield cannot stand the suspense of what Monday will do to him, so he demands Monday to get it over with.
• 10/11/1982 Garfield tries pulling the calendar off the wall, thinking that this will help him no longer hate Mondays, but as he pulls it, the wall falls down on him and crushes him.
• 11/15/1982 While Garfield leans against a table leg, the table collapses on the upper half of his body.
• 3/21/1983 Garfield demand that Monday do something to him, since the suspense is killing him. He gets promptly clocked by a flowerpot.
• 3/28/1983 Garfield kicks Odie into the air, having one of his better Mondays, but Odie lands on top of him.
• 5/7/1984 Some people wonder why Garfield hates Mondays. The cat himself thinks that he's just stupid, as shown by him getting squished by a window after knocking the pole keeping it up away.
• 8/13/1984 Garfield goes to the pet door only to get whacked into the air by Odie charging through it.
• 7/16/1985 Garfield senses something amiss. He gets flattened behind the door as Jon walks through, and he realizes that Monday was disguising itself as Tuesday.
• 7/23/1986 Jon notices the calendar pages all reading Monday and tries comforting Garfield by saying it's just a misprint. At first the cat is relieved, but then the calendar falls and bops him on the head.
• 10/13/1986 Garfield is sleeping when a newspaper gets flung through the window, breaking it, bounces off the lamp, breaking it too, and onto Garfield's head. Garfield comments, "Monday paper."
• 5/18/1987 Garfield wishes for a 50-pound pan of lasagna, which promptly falls on him. He claims he should've known better to say that on Monday.
• 1/23/1989 After Garfield says that he hates mornings, Mondays, and January, the window slams shut on his fingers.

1990 -

• 12/27/1993 Garfield looks at the calendar, anticipating the New Year, but then the wall falls on him since the year is full of Mondays.
• 11/14/1996 Garfield asks Monday where its sting is. It appears when Jon opens the door, slamming him into the wall.
• 7/5/2004 Garfield notes that it's Monday and sees the screws on the chandelier need tightening as it falls on him, crushing him.
• 7/6/2009 Garfield tries reverse psychology, claiming to love Mondays, but then gets squashed by a pig.
• 7/7/2014 Garfield shows the calendar, which says Monday, and acknowledges that something bad will happen eventually, but before he can finish his sentence, he walks off the table.
• 7/12/2021 Garfield starts Monday by stretching, and throws his back out in the process. He spends the rest of Monday recovering from said stretch.

Splut Pies

Garfield getting hit with pies is a somewhat recurring aspect in the strip.

• 12/27/1982 Garfield wonders what will happen to him. He gets hit in the face with a pie.
• 8/22/1983 Garfield, being unable to eat all the food on the table, prepares to engage in a food fight, but Monday blindsides him with a pie to the back of the head.
• 5/28/1984 Jon wonders why Garfield hates Mondays so much. Garfield gets hit with a pie and shows this to Jon as an explanation.
• 11/25/1985 Garfield looks for a word to describe Monday. He gets hit with a pie, which makes the word "Dreary" come to mind.
• 7/24/1986 Garfield, during a week-long Monday, hides in bed and uses Pooky to check if it's still Monday. Pooky gets nailed with a pie, and Garfield concludes that yes, it is.
• 1/18/1993 Garfield holds up a sign with his face, testing if it's Monday. The sign gets hit with a pie, and Garfield stands up, thinking he fooled Monday, unaware of the much larger pie coming at him from behind.
• 3/1/1993 Garfield goes to the door, opens it, and gets nailed by a pie because it's Monday yet again.
• 1/1/1996 Garfield gets hit by a pie after trying to wish a happy new year to the readers, realizing that New Year's Day fell on a Monday.
• 8/6/2007 Garfield gets hit by a pie after simply saying, "Monday."
• 6/19/2017 Garfield gets hit with his birthday cake on a year his birthday fell on a Monday.

Other

• 5/28/1979 Garfield wakes up one morning, claiming that he loves Monday mornings, mostly because he does not have to work.
• 7/12/1982 Garfield decides to face Monday like a man, only to toss Pooky out of bed first.
• 8/23/1982 Garfield is in a deep, blue funk. He looks at the calendar and sees it's Monday.
• 8/24/1982 Garfield cannot escape his funk and concludes that this week is going to feel like a Monday.
• 9/13/1982 Garfield is determined not to leave, especially on Monday the 13th.
• 10/18/1982 Garfield decides to not leave bed, thinking Monday will not hurt him, but Nermal shows up to visit, making Garfield want to sob.
• 9/24/1984 Monday morning is cold drizzly, the radio is playing the blues and Garfield's breakfast is cold. It's all so depressing Garfield cannot help smiling.
• 10/1/1984 Garfield watches people go to work on Monday morning and makes a face at them, since he does not have to work.
• 3/29/1986 Garfield asks when diets begin to the readers. He states that Monday is second most popular, behind only "tomorrow".
• 3/21/1988 Jon tries getting Garfield out of bed with a plate of breakfast. Garfield is really excited at first, but quickly zips back into bed. Jon is frustrated his plan did not work, and Garfield states that Jon almost got him up on Monday.
• 1/13/1997 Garfield hugs Pooky, ready to face the day. He pauses and hugs him again because it's Monday.
• 9/28/2008 Garfield has a nightmare where he is excited that the following day is Monday.
• 10/21/2013 Garfield, during a rainy Monday morning, claims that he does not have to get out of bed, since he's a cat. He smirks and asks the reader not to hate him.
• 11/16/2015 Jon tells a depressed Garfield to cheer up and think happy thoughts, which Garfield succeeds in doing. This is one of the few times that it worked.
• 2/10/2020 Garfield says that today is Monday, which he calls, "Stay in bed with a teddy bear day."
• 4/12/2021 Garfield presents where the "Monday magic" happens. It involves him doing nothing.
• 12/27/2021 Garfield keeps his eyes closed, thinking that this will prevent Monday from getting him.
• 1/10/2022 Garfield tries easing into the week. When he wakes fully, it'll be Friday.
• 1/24/2022 Garfield asks if the reader knows what the best thing is about waking on Mondays. He does not know either, so he goes back to sleep.
• 8/29/2022 Garfield presents his normal morning donut, but because it's Monday, he adds another plateful of donuts.
• 11/7/2022 Garfield activates Monday mode: hiding deeper in bed.
• 3/13/2023 Jon tells Garfield that it is Monday. He sleeps and then wakes up, asking if it still is Monday.
• 3/27/2023 Garfield lives his life by a code: Never start a diet on a Monday... or any other day by that matter.

Mondays in Media

Garfield's hatred of Mondays has been a staple, and his TV shows are no exception to this.

Garfield and Friends

The fat cat's disgust for Monday was the focus of a couple of Garfield and Friends episodes.

Monday Misery

After learning that the day is Monday, Garfield gets horrified by all the terrible things that could happen to him. He goes back to bed until Monday is over, but Jon forces him outside. After various bad things happen, he decides to mail himself to Samoa to avoid Monday. He finds a package Jon mailed to his Samoan pen pal and gets inside it. Upon arriving, he is told that due to the time difference, Monday is just starting in Samoa, which is confirmed by a pie hitting Garfield in the face.

Day of Doom

After checking the calendar, Garfield sees that it's Monday, and a series of unfortunate events happen to him, ranging from being fed raisins to Nermal coming to visit. To escape from Nermal, Garfield decides to walk with Jon and Odie to the park, where they notice a wishing well. Garfield wishes for no more Mondays, and to his surprise, his wish comes true. At first, things are great, until he notices things, like trash piling up since collection day is Monday, and lack of food in the house, since Jon gets paid on Monday and without it, he cannot buy groceries. Worst of all, Monday is also the day Jon makes lasagna for Garfield. Desperate, Garfield returns to reverse the wish, only to learn that the wishing well is an alien wreaking havoc, until his mom comes down and fixes everything he did. Everything goes back to normal, even Garfield getting hit by pies.

Quickies

Gravity

Garfield is depressed on a Monday when he stumbles upon Odie at the end of the table. He decides to kick him off to cheer himself up and gears up to do so. He leaps toward Odie and delivers a quick kick to his behind, only for the pup to float in midair. Surprised, and peeved, he concludes that gravity has it in for him and leaves.

The Garfield Show

Monday is not the focal point as much in The Garfield Show as it is in Garfield and Friends, but is still referenced a handful of times.

Freaky Monday

The episode's title plays on Garfield's disgust of Mondays and the movie Freaky Friday. However, nothing in the episode neither confirms nor denies that the events of the episode did in fact take place on a Monday.

Black Cat Blues

Garfield gets up from his chair, anxious that it might by Monday. He expresses his worry to the audience and then checks the calendar. Upon seeing that it is not Monday, he celebrates by twirling on his twinkle toes, making himself a couple of sandwiches, and going outside to enjoy them.

Garfield would reference Monday a couple more times during this episode. After seeing Jonah for the first time, he expresses his joy with it not being Monday. While rolling down the hill on a fruit truck, he tells the viewers to imagine how much worse it would be if it was Monday. The next day, while walking with Harry, Garfield gets crushed by a piano because it is now Monday.

What a Difference a Pet Makes

Garfield wakes up and says how great a morning it is. One of the aspects of a great morning: it's not Monday.

Bewitched: The Hall of Witchdom

During a scene where ghosts test Garfield's bravery, the fat cat sees Jon telling him that it's Monday, which terrifies him.

Trivia

• Monday has been mentioned 115 times, the 17th most.
• Monday is Garfield's least favorite day of the week.
• Garfield also hates people who like the fact that he hates Mondays, such as Odie and Jon, as is revealed in the June 21, 2004 comic.
• There have been times in which someone successfully cheers Garfield up on Mondays, such as in the November 16, 2015 comic. Such instances, however, are few and far between.
• The November 18, 2019, comic has Jon suggesting that Garfield and himself visit the planet, Venus. Garfield rejects the idea, claiming that Mondays on Venus last for 2,802 hours.
• In the February 10, 2020 comic, Garfield refers to Monday as "Stay In Bed With A Teddy Bear Day".
• In the March 9, 2020 comic, Garfield remarks that he wishes that there was an opt-out button for Mondays.
• In the February 21, 2022 comic, Jon informs Garfield that their Wi-Fi is down, the coffee maker is broken, the store recently sold out of donuts, and that it is hailing outside. Depressed, Garfield remarks it "even Monday-er than usual".
• There is a no Monday calendar.