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Overview

The Spiders are a running gag in the Garfield comic strip. They sometimes walk around the house or dangle from the ceiling—and Garfield squishes them with rolled-up newspapers. This leads to several attempts by the spiders to get back at Garfield, about half of which are successful. Garfield occasionally obtains help from the spiders, such as to get rid of an annoying fly. While the spiders are usually portrayed as hating Garfield; they sometimes try to be nice to him. The spiders occasionally survive after being squished. For a full gallery of spiders, click here.

Over the course of the comic, the spiders have been drawn in slightly different ways. Sometimes they are portrayed as a single shiny black sphere with six or eight legs, and sometimes they are portrayed as two dull black spheres, (one being the spider's head) with six or eight legs. In The Garfield Show, they are portrayed as two dull black spheres with eight legs, with the addition of two dark red eyes.

Notable Spiders[]

Guido[]

Guido Spider1998

Garfield once hired Guido to kill a fly in 1998, he later squished him. Guido once gave Garfield a spider-sized Christmas hat. Guido would also swat Garfield for two flies (although he wound up only getting one).

Maxwell[]

Maxwell is the name of Nathan's pet spider who appeared in "Honey, I Shrunk the Pets".

Comic Strips[]

Stomping, Squishing, Smashing...[]

Whatever one wants to call it, they all have one thing in common: a spider getting flattened due to Garfield.

Newspapers[]

The newspaper is one of Garfield's most common spider-smacking tools.

  • 11/10/1988 Garfield prepares to take out a spider with a newspaper, but Jon stops him, saying that most spiders are harmless. Garfield agrees and comments, "Especially the dead kinds!" and then he kills it.
  • 3/14/1989 Garfield watches a spider crawl into a heat vent and getting lifted into the air. He then whacks it like a baseball with a newspaper.
  • 3/18/1989 Garfield smacks a spider with a paper in front of Jon, who is eating. Seeing the dead spider causes Jon to lose his appetite.
  • 3/26/1991 Garfield presents his pet spider, Renaldo, and the trick he can do. The trick is getting smashed by a newspaper, which he can only do once.
  • 9/16/1993 Garfield runs up and smacks Jon with a newspaper. Jon says that the fat cat missed the spider, but judging by Garfield's reaction, his intention was to hit Jon.
  • 9/17/1993 Garfield tells a spider that the house is not big enough for both of them. Even though it probably is, he still smacks the spider with a newspaper for fun.
  • 4/22/1994 Garfield tries smashing a spider with a newspaper, but misses. He concludes either he's getting slower or spiders are getting faster.
  • 4/23/1994 Garfield runs up to Jon, claiming to see an invisible spider. He whacks Jon a bunch of times, and Jon gets mad with him. Garfield wonders how he didn't see the invisible spider.
  • 9/14/1994 Garfield leans back as a spider walks by, only to swat it with a newspaper on his foot.
  • 9/16/1994 Garfield flatly swats a spider with a paper, only to note, "The thrill is gone." afterwards.
  • 1/12/1995 Garfield smacks a spider with a newspaper, but the spider chuckles evilly. "...not a good sign."
  • 3/12/1995 Garfield sees a spider and tells it to come closer. What follows is an alternating conversation of, "Make me." "Make me make you." until the spider forgets what they're talking about. Garfield beckons it closer again, and the process repeats.
  • 5/15/1995 A spider tells Garfield that spiders aren't insects. Garfield swats it with a paper and notes that they squish like insects.
  • 5/17/1995 A spider kicks Garfield, and Garfield swats it with the comics section of the paper. The spider then wonders what became of The Far Side, a different comic strip.
  • 4/2/1996 A spider tells Garfield that it's not poisonous. Garfield swats it with a paper, and claims it's still icky.
  • 4/7/1996 A spider trips and warns everyone around that it dropped a contact lens. Garfield smacks it with his paper and crushes the lens.
  • 6/26/1996 Garfield sees a spider and raises his paper to kill it, but the spider stops him, claiming to have already seen that section.
  • 6/30/1996 A spider walks up to Garfield, who raises a fly swatter to kill it. The spider zips away, making it outside, only to get crushed by the morning paper.
  • 9/15/1996 Garfield is flanked by a couple of spiders, and raises two newspapers. A third spider lowers above his head, and Garfield pulls off a triple kill using the newspapers and clapping the third spider with his ears.
  • 1/19/1997 Garfield, while doing a newspaper crossword puzzle, sees a spider on the wall and kills it with the paper. He is slightly put off by its flattened body and decides to use it as the center of a flower drawing.
  • 3/12/1997 A spider tells Garfield that life is too short. The cat crushes it with a newspaper.
  • 3/13/1997 A spider swats Garfield with a magazine, but Garfield retaliates by pulverizing it with a newspaper. Two more spiders walk up and ask what they can do, and the first replies, "Subscribe to a bigger magazine."
  • 6/6/1997 Garfield asks a spider what they do for fun. The spider likes to read, so Garfield smashes it with a newspaper and tells it to "knock yourself out."
  • 6/8/1997 Garfield compliments a spider after a nearly full recovery. The only thing missing is its memory, which is explained moments after Garfield swatted it with the paper.
  • 9/22/1997 A spider promises Garfield that it won't bite, since it is a pacifist. Garfield swats it, thinking it looks like a spider.
  • 9/23/1997 Garfield shows off a game he calls, "Boo-Whack". He thinks, "BOO!!" loudly, scaring a spider, and then hits it with his paper like a baseball player hitting a baseball.
  • 5/17/1998 A spider and fly stand united against Garfield, who is unimpressed. The fly leaves, and Garfield whacks the spider with a paper. The cowardly fly returns, and the spider tells it to fly into a windshield.
  • 8/10/1998 A spider asks Garfield if he remembers it. Garfield smashes it with the paper, and recalls how familiar it looks.
  • 8/13/1998 A spider tells Garfield that spiders can grow old, and then asks how long it will live. Garfield wonders if spiders are getting dumber.
  • 8/14/1998 As Garfield raises a newspaper to kill a spider, it begs for its life, promising to do anything for him Garfield. This gives the cat pause, and he decides to use the spider to chase mice for him.
  • 10/27/1998 A spider is frustrated that nothing exciting happens to it. Garfield flattens it with a paper, and the spider becomes happy with its unexciting life.
  • 10/28/1998 A spider offers to be friends with Garfield, who agrees. He swats it with a paper, claiming that is how he treats his friends.
  • 10/30/1998 Garfield tells a spider that he's back, and then crushes it with the paper. Garfield asks if it missed him, and the spider denies this.
  • 12/19/1998 Garfield swats a spider after it sang Jingle Bells.
  • 2/7/1999 A spider named Lorenzo Garbanzo stands next to Garfield prepared to avenge its ancestors. Garfield smacks it with a paper without even looking, prompting Garbanzo to ask for forgiveness from his deceased family.
  • 11/7/1999 Garfield sees a testy centipede, who tells him all about centipedes. Afterwards, it tells him that he can write in his diary that he learned something, and Garfield does so after smashing the spider with a paper.
  • 3/7/2000 A spider asks another banged-up spider named Dwayne what happened to him. Garfield clocks the first one with a paper, and Dwayne replies, "That."
  • 3/8/2000 A spider tells Garfield that it has 342 teenage kids. Garfield swats it, and it is appreciative.
  • 9/16/2000 A spider offers to tell Garfield the story of its life. Garfield agrees and then smacks it.
  • 11/13/2000 A spider tries telling Garfield that he will hate himself if he squishes it. Garfield does not find this likely, as he is rarely up before noon.
  • 11/14/2000 A spider yells at Garfield for squishing its parents and many siblings. Garfield whips out a paper and hopes that this is the end of the family line.
  • 11/16/2000 A spider introduces Garfield to its cousin, Louie the Tarantula. Without looking, Garfield smashes it with the paper.
  • 3/1/2001 Garfield slaps the paper on the table, only to realize the spider showed up late. The spider apologizes upon arrival.
  • 3/2/2001 A spider claims to not have time to stop. Garfield swats it and tells it to learn to relax.
  • 3/3/2001 A spider stops Garfield from smacking it by citing that spiders eat insects. Garfield follows through with the kill anyway.
  • 3/4/2001 Garfield hits a spider with a newspaper, only for it to come circling around behind him.
  • 3/19/2001 A young spider asks his mother if it can have a pet--Garfield. The cat holds a newspaper in his paw, ready to strike.
  • 3/21/2001 A spider tries intimidating Garfield, who promptly smacks it with a paper.
  • 3/23/2001 A spider tells Garfield that it is going to suck out his bodily fluids. Unimpressed, Garfield swats it with a paper.
  • 3/24/2001 Garfield squishes a spider's college intern with his classic newspaper.
  • 4/29/2001 A scout spider tells its basecamp that there is no sight of Garfield. Four spiders advance, but Garfield was hiding under the table. He smacks the four spiders swiftly with his newspaper.
  • 6/15/2001 Garfield swats a spider after telling it that he is on the verge of turning 23 years old.
  • 7/11/2001 A spider claims that he will always be positive. Garfield flattens it.
  • 7/13/2001 A spider asks Garfield if he has seen its sister. Garfield crushes it, and the sister asks if he has seen her brother. Garfield asks if he looks flat.
  • 8/5/2001 A spider tries hypnotizing Garfield to liking spiders as he sleeps during the night. The next morning, Garfield swats it, claiming to be a light sleeper.
  • 5/27/2002 A spider arrives and informs Garfield that the party can commence. Garfield swats it, puts a party hat on himself and the spider, and goes to get chips.
  • 5/28/2002 A spider attempts to get Garfield to fear it, but Garfield simply squishes it with the paper.
  • 5/29/2002 Garfield tells a spider that their husband is a celebrity, and is on the newspaper. He shows the spider the newspaper with the spider flattened upon it.
  • 6/1/2002 A spider just finished telling Garfield the story of its life. Garfield smashes it with the paper and says, "The end."
  • 10/13/2003 Garfield asks a spider what is new, and the spider replies, "Nothing." Garfield smacks it and then asks, "How about now?"
  • 10/14/2003 A ghost of a spider walks up to Garfield, who swats it with a ghost of a newspaper.
  • 10/18/2003 A spider tells Garfield that it wanted to take dance lessons, but they charge more due to its extra feet. Before it can rant about the high price of tap shoes, Garfield raises his newspaper to kill it.
  • 2/23/2004 A spider tells Garfield that another spider will replace it. Garfield swats it anyway and promises to renew to a newspaper subscription.
  • 2/28/2004 Garfield smacks a spider with a paper, and then goes, "Just kidding!" The spider is not amused.
  • 2/28/2005 A spider is in awe at Garfield, "The cat with the rolled-up newspaper." Garfield promptly swats it, and the spider thought that he was an urban legend.
  • 3/4/2005 The king of spiders walks up to Garfield, who immediately squishes it with his paper. He claims that he would've been more impressed if he was a spider, and the king takes note.
  • 3/5/2005 A spider dad asks his son if he wants to be like him when he gets older, and Garfield smacks the dad with a paper. The son goes to find out what his mom is up to.
  • 2/6/2006 A long line of flattened spiders on the table leads to Garfield, who holds a newspaper and notes how much he loves parades.
  • 2/8/2006 A spider tells Garfield that its back hurts. Garfield offers to crack it with a newspaper, but the spider stands straight up, claiming to be better by a miracle.
  • 3/12/2007 A spider asks Garfield, "How's it going?" Garfield replies, "Not bad," and then smacks it with a newspaper.
  • 3/13/2007 Garfield claims that spiders are disgusting. A spider questions this, and is then flattened by a newspaper.
  • 3/14/2007 A spider tells Garfield not to swat it, only for Garfield to do it anyway, and then realize his mistake.
  • 3/15/2007 A spider tells Garfield that it wishes it was thinner. Garfield smacks it, and adds that he should write a diet book. The spider isn't amused.
  • 9/12/2007 A spider asks Garfield if he's doing anything. Garfield swats it and replies that he's simply swatting spiders. The spider notes to come back later.
  • 9/13/2007 A spider claims how creepy it is. Garfield tells it that it is the spider's to blame and smacks it, which would've stung if the spider was alive.
  • 2/4/2008 A spider tries to flee Garfield, who is holding a newspaper, but is caught on its web and cannot escape.
  • 2/5/2008 A spider calls Garfield its best friend. Garfield swats it and points out how cruel the world is.
  • 2/6/2008 A spider asks, "To be, or not to be..." Garfield smacks it.
  • 2/7/2008 Garfield prepares to swat a spider, but when he hears it knows where fudge is, Garfield lets it live.
  • 2/8/2008 A spider lowers and touches Garfield's head. Garfield, who is reading the paper, asks if it is new.
  • 7/23/2008 Garfield flattens a hairy spider, seeing through the toupee it is wearing.
  • 7/26/2008 Garfield swats a spider that went to college.
  • 5/4/2009 A spider tells Garfield that it is handsome among spiders. It gets smacked.
  • 5/5/2009 A spider greets Garfield, who promptly drills it. The spider takes him off its friend list.
  • 5/6/2009 A spider on the phone insults Garfield, who flattens it with the newspaper.
  • 9/20/2009 A spider crawls onto Garfield's food. Garfield sees this and attacks, getting food all over Jon's face.
  • 9/23/2009 A couple of spiders see Garfield. One of them wants its picture taken with him, but is flattened by the cat.
  • 9/24/2009 A spider wearing a cat mask tries purring. Garfield does not buy it.
  • 9/25/2009 Jon notices dozens of spiders plastered on the table and wall. He asks Garfield if he has been busy, and Garfield confirms this.
  • 9/26/2009 A spider is in a good mood, and insults Garfield in the process. Garfield retaliates, and the other spiders have a funeral for the dead spider.
  • 11/22/2009 A spider brings a microphone and begins insulting Garfield. The cat swats it and notes that "open mic night is getting out of hand."
Similar Items[]

While newspapers are Garfield's go-to, he tends to use whatever reading material is available, even if not a newspaper.

  • 6/30/1986 Garfield sees a spider and offers to share his bed, food, and and his library, which involved dropping a book on it.
  • 6/11/1987 Garfield asks to use Jon's book. He takes it and flattens a spider with it.
  • 6/5/1988 Garfield claps a book on a spider, and uses it to scare Jon.
  • 1/10/1995 Garfield hosts a spider race. One spider gets slapped by a book, and is deemed the winner by Garfield.
  • 3/10/1996 Garfield kills a spider with a comic book. Jon swipes it from his paw and gets terrified by the spider.
  • 4/1/1996 A spider gives Garfield a pamphlet for "Be Kind to Spiders Week." Garfield uses it to kill the spider.
  • 4/5/1996 Garfield reads a letter from the spiders asking for peace. When a spider approaches him, he crushes it with that same paper.
  • 3/11/1997 A spider, seeing Garfield raise a paper to flatten it, demands to call its attorney. It requests a phone book, which Garfield calls, "too easy."
  • 6/2/1997 A spider reads its horoscope about it traveling soon. On cue, Garfield whacks it with a magazine.
  • 1/3/1998 A spider tells Garfield it is a new year and insultingly adds that he should change the calendar. Garfield does, using it to smash the spider.
  • 10/26/1998 Garfield welcomes a spider to his home, lulling the spider into a false sense of security before crushing it with a guest book.
  • 2/24/2004 A spider refuses to get near Garfield. Nonetheless, the cat swats it with a magazine on a stick.
  • 2/25/2004 A spider plots to swat Garfield with a magazine featuring Jim Davis's picture on the cover, but it is too heavy and the spider crushes itself.
  • 12/21/2005 Garfield uses wrapping paper to swat a spider.
  • 3/17/2007 A spider wonders where its Uncle Dave it. Garfield claims it got hit by a train... or rather, a train schedule.
  • 2/3/2008 Liz sees a spider pass by and swats it with a magazine. Garfield witnesses this and tells Jon to marry her.
  • 7/24/2008 A spider claims to hate Garfield, who promptly swats it with a magazine.

Garfield's Hands or Feet[]

Garfield stomping spiders is quite common, be it with or without boots.

  • 5/10/1984 Garfield stomps a spider simply for being a spider. He stops for a moment, and then resumes, just for good measure.
  • 8/24/1986 Garfield sees a spider and swats it with his hand. Its wife and son mourn the loss, making Garfield feel sorry for a moment, but then he swats the other two with his hand.
  • 2/17/1987 Garfield jumps and tries to stomp a spider, but misses and crashes through the floor.
  • 3/15/1989 Garfield flicks a spider away, only to get it on his food, frustrating him.
  • 3/17/1989 Garfield squishes a spider under his thumb, unaware that a giant spider is behind him.
  • 9/18/1993 Garfield stomps a spider while wearing Jon's bunny slippers.
  • 4/18/1994 Jon hears some loud clomping behind him. Garfield uses a boot to stomp spiders.
  • 9/14/1994 Garfield swats a spider and then holds up the newspaper he used to swat it with his toes. "The old 'newspaper-on-the-foot' trick."
  • 6/24/1996 A spider begs Garfield not to swat it, and Garfield agrees, instead choosing to stomp it under his foot.
  • 1/2/1997 Garfield, while building a snowman, sees a couple of spiders behind him and stomps them with his foot. He uses them as the snowman's eyes.
  • 9/26/1997 A spider introduces Garfield to Petey the Tick. Garfield crushes him with his thumb, horrifying the spider since Petey owed it money.
  • 11/23/1997 Garfield intends on stomping a spider, but the spider threatens to call its big brother. Garfield accepts the challenge and the big brother arrives, but after seeing Garfield, the older spider asks if he can have its sibling's CDs.
  • 3/1/1998 Garfield pours himself some coffee and sees a spider crawling up to him. He stomps it with his foot and a tiny ambulance rolls up to take the injured spider away. Garfield witnesses this and is put off from his coffee.
  • 5/24/1998 A spider shuffles on the carpet and gives Garfield a tiny zap with static electricity. Garfield sees the spider giggle, and shuffles his own feet on the carpet before smashing it with his foot.
  • 10/25/1998 Jon sees a spider and gently sweeps it outside, right into Garfield, who stomps on it.
  • 11/15/1998 A spider tells Garfield to watch his back, since it has backup, a roach. Garfield flicks the lights on, which scares the roach, and smashes the spider with his foot. The roach explains that light hurts its eyes, and the spider threats to hurt it.
  • 11/26/1998 Garfield sees a spider on a scale and stomps them both, killing the spider and dazing and disgusting the scale.
  • 3/6/2000 Garfield races after a spider and swiftly stomps it. The spider complains that it cannot outrun anyone despite extra legs.
  • 5/7/2000 A spider walks up to Garfield and insults him, assuming the cat is no threat without his paper. Garfield deals with it rather effortlessly by flicking it away with his finger.
  • 9/16/2001 Garfield stumbles upon a spider and gently pets it. The spider is shocked, thinking that it is dreaming, and then gets stomped under the cat's foot. The spider wakes up from its dream and screams, startling Garfield so much that he spits out his coffee.
  • 10/14/2001 A spider informs Garfield that it has been thinking a lot about mortality, and what the afterlife is like. Garfield smacks it with his paw and asks what it sees. "Lots of stars and birdies," is the reply.
  • 9/11/2007 Two spiders get run over by Garfield, who is wearing the boots he got for his birthday from a spider.
  • 7/21/2008 Garfield, using a pair boots, stomps a spider.

Other Weapons[]

Garfield has used many random things to smash spiders.

  • 12/31/1982 Garfield sees a spider, but Jon prepares to flick it away with his hand. Garfield, however, grabs a frying pan and smacks the spider with it, breaking Jon's hand in the process.
  • 9/11/1984 Jon offers Garfield a chicken. The cat uses it to smash a spider next to him.
  • 8/4/1985 Garfield sees a spider in the windowsill and attempts to smash it with the window, only for him to slam the window so hard the whole house collapses on him. The spider survived.
  • 11/20/1989 A spider walks by, only to get crushed by Garfield in his bed.
  • 11/21/1989 A spider crawls on the ceiling and then gets flattened by Garfield standing up under his bed.
  • 11/22/1989 Garfield uses a rolling pin to flatten a spider, scaring Jon.
  • 11/23/1989 Garfield whacks a spider with Jon's pillow, scaring Jon when he sees it.
  • 11/24/1989 Garfield catches a spider in the blinds. Upon opening it, Jon sees a giant flattened spider, frightening him.
  • 3/19/1990 Garfield sees a spider and decides to use bug spray, whacking the can over it multiple times.
  • 9/9/1990 Garfield sees a spider and quickly catches it in his mug. He quickly grabs a golf club and destroys the mug with it. After finishing, he wonders where the spider is, but Jon sees it at the end of the club.
  • 11/5/1993 Jon offers Garfield some eggs, which Garfield declines, mostly because the spatula Jon is using is what Garfield uses to swat spiders.
  • 5/15/1994 Garfield sees a spider and crushes it with a glass. He hands it to Jon, who sees the spider, causing him to spit the water out.
  • 1/11/1995 Garfield hears a spider coughing and gives it a pack of cough drops, flattening it.
  • 4/4/1996 A spider asks Garfield if he squished its brother-in-law. Garfield confirms this, and is thanked by the spider.
  • 6/27/1996 A spider sees a brown ring and stands in the middle of it. Garfield sets his coffee down, crushing the spider as well.
  • 9/11/1996 Garfield pummels a spider with a spatula.
  • 9/12/1996 A spider taunts Garfield--who is eating a sandwich. He smashes it between the slices of bread and offers it to Jon.
  • 11/17/1996 A spider organizes the other household bugs, determining who will annoy who. A fly is told to bug Jon, and a flea is sent to attack Odie. The spider itself decides to take Garfield, and the meeting ends with Garfield crushing the three of them with a mallet.
  • 3/9/1997 A Spider Scout walks up to Garfield and offers it various insect-flavored cookies in an attempt to make money for her troop (A reference to Girl Scouts and their famous cookies). Garfield crushes her with his coffee mug.
  • 3/10/1997 A spider walks onto a spoon handle. Garfield uses it to catapult it into the ceiling.
  • 6/3/1997 A spider named Myron introduces itself to Garfield and extends an arm/leg to shake. The cat, who is sitting right next to a mallet, says that today is a good day.
  • 3/10/2000 A spider sees Garfield next to a massive hammer. It assumes he is a construction worker, and Garfield prepares for the ironic twist.
  • 9/24/2000 A spider father leads his son to a ritual. Garfield holds a brick for the son to catch, and if the son can catch it, he can lead their people. The son agrees and gets crushed by the brick, and the father remains leader.
  • 2/26/2004 A spider gives Garfield a restraining order. The cat smiles, since he has never squished a lawyer until now.
  • 2/7/2006 A spider tells Garfield that it has a painful headache. Garfield crushes it with a bottle of aspirin.
  • 3/16/2007 A spider is cold, so Garfield clobbers it with a cup of coffee to warm it up, and it actually works.
  • 9/14/2007 Garfield gets a call, and is told it is for a spider. The spider gets flattened by the phone.
  • 7/22/2008 A spider gets flattened by a bowling bowl from Garfield.
  • 9/25/2008 A spider gets an email on a laptop. It reads, "Dear spider, 3...2...1..." and then the spider gets flattened in the laptop.
  • 4/8/2009 A spider warns Garfield that it is a black belt. Garfield asks if it can break a brick, and the spider accepts the challenge. It is then crushed by said brick.
  • 5/7/2009 A spider tries appealing to Garfield, asking if they can get along. It returns to the other spiders, severely injured, (though it is not shown how) telling them to bite Garfield on the eyelids.
  • 5/29/2009 Garfield--wearing a sombrero and holding a bat--approaches a spider. The spider does not want to play "Pinata," to which Garfield replies, "No hablo ingles, senor." (I do not speak English, sir.)
  • 8/2/2009 Garfield spots a spider behind him and whips it with his tail. He claims to have learned that move from a cow in New Jersey.

Unorthodox Kills[]

Spiders have died in various ways, not just getting flattened.

  • 3/13/1989 Garfield sees a spider dangling from the shower head. He unplugs the tub and cuts the spider string, sending it down the drain.
  • 11/25/1989 Garfield tries coaxing a spider down into a blender. The spider did not die in the strip, but Garfield nearly got it.
  • 4/20/1994 Garfield pulls a lever, causing a spider to fall through a trapdoor.
  • 4/6/1996 A spider sees Garfield coming and pretends to be dead, only for Garfield to pick it up and flush it down the toilet.
  • 6/25/1996 A spider sends a message to Garfield, and blows a raspberry at him. Garfield flattens it with something (it's unclear what he used).
  • 2/8/1997 A spider kicks a snowcat, and then gets crushed by it.
  • 2/16/1997 Garfield sees a spider dangling from a branch. It gets snapped up by a bird, which gives him an idea. He goes inside, returns wearing a spider costume, and uses a rope to dangle from a tree, unaware of a giant bird hungrily licking its beak behind him.
  • 6/5/1997 A fly notices a flattened spider and asks what happened. The spider tells it, and the fly also shows that it got de-winged.
  • 9/24/1997 Garfield asks a spider how the wife and kids are, and he tells the cat that they got squished yesterday. Garfield remembers this and notes how awkward it is.
  • 9/25/1997 Garfield tells Jon something he learned: Spiders are not good at swimming, which Jon learns after finding something in his coffee after drinking it.
  • 8/11/1998 Garfield watches a spider get clapped in an alarm clock. After the incident, it seems to have gone hard of hearing.
  • 8/12/1998 Garfield sits in an elegant chair, wearing a robe and smoking a pipe. Jon sees him and questions him about it, and the spider on a plaque next to him.
  • 9/15/2000 A spider asks Garfield if he squished her husband, and Garfield answers that he probably did. She gives Garfield insurance papers to verify that the spider was not injured on the job. Garfield asks what his job was, and she replies, "Household pest." Garfield states that he was on the clock.
  • 11/18/2000 A spider informs Garfield that it feels like taking on the world. Garfield leaves and flattens the spider with a globe.
  • 7/10/2001 Garfield sees a spider in a cast. The spider insults the cat afterwards, and the cat reacts by putting it in a full body cast.
  • 7/14/2001 Two spiders chat with each other. One of them claims to have seen Garfield, and the other is shocked that it did not get crushed. The first spider claims that it did, and it is wearing a black body cast.
  • 10/15/2003 A spider bit its tongue, and then died. It turns out it was poisonous.
  • 2/10/2006 A spider lowers itself to a hole in a donut, only to get dunked in coffee by Garfield.
  • 2/11/2006 Garfield gives a spider a balloon, and it floats into the sky.

Spider Torture[]

Even though spiders are not always killed, Garfield still has a tendency to abuse them.

  • 9/12/1994 Garfield has a spider raise itself to arm level for him to use it as a punching bag.
  • 9/13/1994 Garfield sees a spider and puts his coffee under it. The spider is burned by the steaming cup of joe.
  • 1/9/1995 Garfield holds a spider upwards on a web. He claims to have found it in the freezer.
  • 6/4/1997 Garfield is surprised to see a spider that he presumably squished the day before, but he only got its leg. The spider asks if he wants to sign its cast.
  • 1/10/1999 A spider walks onto Garfield's newspaper. He rolls it up, shoots the spider into the screen door, which gets flung back to Garfield and smashed into a frying pan, making a loud dinging noise. Jon goes to get the door, and the spider yields.
  • 1/16/1999 A spider asks Garfield what he got on his pizza. Garfield burps at it and answers, "Garlic." The spider's legs curl.
  • 9/4/1999 A spider goes up to Garfield, asking him to swat it since it just lost its job. Garfield smiles and declines this request, and the spider calls him cruel.

Spider Survival[]

On the other side of the coin, spiders occasionally outsmart Garfield and/or manage to escape.

  • 4/3/1996 A spider tells Garfield what he would say and do upon seeing it, tricking him into thinking he killed the spider long enough for the arachnid to escape.
  • 6/28/1996 A spider demands Garfield to stomp it, but Garfield refuses to comply. After the spider gets away, the cat realizes what happened.
  • 1/14/1997 A spider crawls up to Pooky and then sees something worrying. It hides, pretending to be Pooky's nose, but Garfield isn't impressed.
  • 9/27/1997 Garfield sees a couple of spiders, confused since he doesn't recall swatting them. It turns out the spiders were playing dead, and it worked to perfection.
  • 3/11/2000 A spider pretends to be flat on the table. Garfield sees it and tries remembering if he swatted a spider, allowing the arachnid to escape.
  • 9/13/2000 Garfield sees a spider coming toward him and takes multiple whacks at it with his paper, but the spider got away thanks to "some impressive open-field running."
  • 2/9/2006 Garfield sprays a spider, only to realize he sprayed it with cologne instead of bug spray.
  • 9/15/2007 A spider crawls by Jon wearing a hard hat, having survived Garfield's repeated attempts to crush it with a newspaper.
  • 2/7/2008 Garfield asks a spider for its final words. It claims to know where fudge is, which spares its life.

Revenge of the Spiders[]

While Garfield often deals with spiders handily, sometimes, the spiders get back at him.

  • 3/17/1989 Garfield crushes a spider on his chair. He smiles proudly, unaware that a giant spider is crawling up behind him.
  • 9/26/1993 Jon is taking an uninterested Garfield camping. As Jon spouts the wonders of nature, Garfield gets carried off and trapped by a giant spider.
  • 4/21/1994 Garfield whacks a spider dangling from a string, only to have it get wrapped around his head.
  • 9/15/1994 Garfield sees a spider crawling up the wall and grabs a paper to kill it, only for the spider to smack him with a spider-sized paper.
  • 2/12/1995 Garfield smacks a spider with his paw and flicks it away and goes back to sleep, but the spider wraps him up in spider silk.
  • 6/7/1997 Garfield sees a present and excitedly opens it, only to get hit with a pie. The spider inside giggles and leaps out of it, the trap having worked perfectly.
  • 8/23/1997 The spider spray paints, "The cat is stoopid" on the wall. Garfield is not amused, even less so after the spider wrote, "The cat" on his eyelids.
  • 8/15/1998 A spider runs up and whacks Garfield with a paper. Another spider gives the first its payment, a fly, even though the deal was two flies.
  • 9/11/2000 A spider tickles Garfield's head. Garfield glares up at it and vows revenge, raising his paper against it.
  • 2/27/2001 The avenging spider kicks Garfield's arm. Garfield scratches at it, and the spider flees.
  • 3/4/2001 Garfield sees a spider and smacks it with his paper. He watches it go, and then loses where it went. It had gone full circle and smacks him in the back of the head.
  • 9/10/2007 Garfield tries coaxing a spider down, but the spider taunts Garfield, telling him to come up. Garfield agrees, and gets trapped in web.
  • 2/9/2008 Garfield blows a spider away, only for it to swing back and hit him in the face.
  • 7/25/2008 Several spiders pull Garfield up and roll a cactus under him. Garfield simply claims, "This does not bode well..."
  • 5/8/2009 A spider tickles Garfield's head. Garfield tries smacking it, but instead smacks himself. The spider offers him an aspirin, but Garfield is not amused.

Anthropomorphic Spiders[]

Like other recurring animal characters, the mice, spiders are often shown doing human things.

  • 9/14/1993 A spider crawls onto Garfield and yodels. Garfield is left confused as to where the noise came from.
  • 5/18/1995 A spider parachutes down next to Garfield, who realizes he may not be sleeping enough.
  • 5/19/1995 While Garfield sleeps in the sunbeam, a spider climbs on top of him and dances, using the beam as a spotlight.
  • 6/29/1996 A spider rolls by Garfield, looking like an eight-pointed star. Garfield explains that it's doing cartwheels.
  • 9/10/1996 Garfield sees a lot of muddy dots on the ground and angrily storms over to a spider. He demands the spider wipe its feet.
  • 10/27/1996 Garfield walks past his friends, each of whom wears a ghost costume. He stops when he sees a spider in a ghost costume.
  • 3/22/2001 Garfield reads a spider a bedtime story about a princess kissing a frog, which promptly turned into a spider. The princess is claimed to stomp the spider flat, but the listening spider orders him to stick to the story.
  • 5/17/2001 Garfield watches a TV show featuring someone who squishes spiders. Garfield critiques the person's form, and the spider watching with him agrees.
  • 10/16/2003 A spider shows Garfield pictures of its 73,000 grandchildren.

Casual Conversation[]

Despite the general animosity between Garfield and the spiders, the two sides have chatted like casual friends on occasion.

  • 9/14/2000 A spider tells Garfield about its uncle Barton, and how he died during a bug spray commercial. It tells Garfield about the funeral, which bores the cat.
  • 3/20/2001 While Garfield eats his dinner, Jon warns him about a spider dangling above his head. Garfield glares at it and criticizes its lookout ability.
  • 7/12/2001 A spider demands that Garfield squish her husband after he got her vacuum bags for their anniversary... again.
  • 5/30/2002 Garfield sees a spider wearing a hat. The spider is thankful to him for noticing.
  • 5/31/2002 A spider shows Garfield a picture of its kids. Garfield is repulsed and says as much, and the spider takes it as a compliment.
  • 10/17/2003 A spider asks Garfield for a ladder, since it has run out of web. "Pathetic." is the cat's reply.
  • 2/15/2008 Two spiders talk about a Valentine's Day gift that cost "an arm, and a leg, and a leg, and a leg..."

Spider Phobia[]

Garfield is known for his hatred of spiders, but both he and Jon have shown to have a fear of them as well.

Garfield[]

Garfield's fear of spiders has been shown multiple times.

  • 2/21/1982 Garfield is looking out at a lousy, rainy day and then sees a couple of spiders crawl up to him. He gets scared and flees, noting that he hates spiders more than rain.
  • 2/28/1982 Garfield says that he is fearless, except when spiders are involved. He finds it funny that he is scared of spiders but not snakes, until the snake swallows him whole.
  • 5/9/1984 Garfield refuses to get out of bed, but when Jon tells him about a spider on his bed, Garfield leaps onto the ceiling and hangs there.
  • 7/17/1984 Jon greets Garfield, who screams after seeing what he thinks is a spider. Jon says that it's only lint, and Garfield notes, "It sure does a great spider impression."
  • 1/15/1986 Jon gives Garfield a special treat on his food, only for Garfield to scream in horror of it. Jon had put shaved coconut on it, but Garfield mistook it for albino spiders.
  • 6/10/1987 Garfield sees a spider crawl up behind him and leaps into the air in fear. He thinks he's safe on top of the TV, unaware of more spiders above him.
  • 6/5/1988 Garfield flees from a spider, and Jon mocks him for being scared. Garfield responds by taking the book Jon was reading, clapping the spider with it, returning it, and scaring Jon with the flattened spider between the pages.
  • 9/1/1993 Garfield runs from a spider in the cookie jar, but then stops and asks it for a chocolate chip cookie.
  • 9/13/1993 Garfield alerts Jon of a hairy spider in the bathroom, so hairy that it's using the comb.
  • 9/15/1993 Garfield flees and warns Jon about a hairy spider... "With a ponytail!"
  • 9/16/1993 Jon sees a spider, and Garfield runs up and smacks Jon with a newspaper. Jon claims that the fat cat missed the spider, which terrifies Garfield.
  • 9/17/1994 Garfield races off to grab a tape measure, and alerts Jon of a "really big spider!"
  • 10/16/1994 Garfield points out a spider and demands that Jon get him things like a whip, and 10 gallons of bug spray, only to realize that it's just a piece of lint.

Jon[]

Like Garfield, Jon has also shown to have some sort of arachnophobia.

  • 6/5/1988 Garfield takes a book Jon was reading and claps a spider with it. He gives the book back, and the flattened spider scares Jon.
  • 11/22/1989 A spider flattened by a rolling pin scares Jon.
  • 11/23/1989 A flat spider on Jon's pillow, frightens him.
  • 11/24/1989 Jon opens the blinds and sees a giant flattened spider, frightening him.
  • 4/3/1990 Garfield wonders if he should tell Jon about the spider crawling up his leg, his shirt, and then his face, scaring him. Garfield decides not to, since Jon knows about it now.
  • 9/14/1990 Garfield decides to scare Jon with a rubber spider. Jon, however, knew it was rubber, but was still scared by it.
  • 12/17/1992 Jon gets the Christmas decorations from the attic and as he digs around in them, he finds a hairy spider within it, scaring him.
  • 5/15/1994 Garfield crushes a spider with a glass. which he hands to Jon. He sees the spider, while drinking, causing him to spray water on Garfield's prepared umbrella.
  • 3/10/1996 Jon steals a comic book from Garfield and gets terrified by a spider that Garfield crushed with it.
  • 10/29/1998 A spider dangles in front of Jon, who flees in terror. Garfield takes takes advantage by eating Jon's food and promises the spider reimbursement.

Bug Eaters[]

Spiders are known to eat bugs. This remains true in the strip.

  • 9/13/1996 A spider gives Garfield a half-eaten fly in exchange for peace. He, however, is not buying it.
  • 3/15/1997 A spider burps above Garfield and tells him that it ate a whole fly. Garfield calls it a pig.
  • 3/26/1998 After a week of dealing with a pesky fly, Garfield goes to a spider to get rid of it. The spider demands 50%, but Garfield offers it the whole fly, which the spider gladly accepts.
  • 3/27/1998 Jon asks Garfield what happened to the fly when he hears a burp behind him. A spider ate it.
  • 8/15/1998 A spider is given a fly for hitting Garfield with a tiny paper.
  • 3/9/2000 Garfield sees a hobo spider, who asks for a spare fly. Garfield isn't impressed.
  • 7/23/2000 A spider asks Garfield if he has various bugs: crickets, gnats, dung beetles, millipede, and fruit flies. The spider's jambalaya is ruined, and Garfield is thankful.
  • 9/12/2000 A spider tells Garfield that it ate a millipede for lunch, and how it went down kicking and screaming over and over.
  • 11/12/2000 A fly starts buzzing around Garfield's head. Irritated, he snags it out of midair, and then is asked by a spider if he is gonna eat it.
  • 11/17/2000 A spider tells Garfield about the moth it ate yesterday evening. It was flame-broiled on the porch light.
  • 2/28/2001 Garfield tells a spider to go away. While the spider thinks it is because of its dangerous characteristics, Garfield claims it is because of its fly breath.
  • 9/26/2008 A spider orders three tons of dead flies on Jon's computer.
  • 9/21/2009 Garfield swats a fly, and is then asked by a spider if it is going to eat it.

Holiday Spiders[]

Spiders have shown up during various holidays and special occasions.

Christmas[]

  • 12/6/1997 A male spider tells a female spider to look up. The male is under mistletoe, which the female calls, "Cute".
  • 12/20/1997 Garfield walks past his Christmas tree, smiles at a mouse trimming its tree, but stops upon seeing a spider hanging with its tree.
  • 12/22/1997 Garfield compliments a spider on its homemade Santa hat. The spider offers to make Garfield one, and Garfield accepts, only to get a spider-sized Santa hat that barely fits on his ear.
  • 12/16/1998 Garfield asks a spider if it has a Santa, like humans. The spider confirms this, and adds that houseflies pull his sleigh and gnats make the toys.
  • 12/19/1998 A spider sings Jingle Bells, and Garfield says that it is flat. The spider denies this, but then Garfield whacks it with a paper, making it literally flat.
  • 12/21/2005 A spider wishes Garfield a happy holidays. Garfield smacks it with gift wrap.
  • 12/28/2005 Garfield watches a spider bouncing above the tabletop. He notes to the reader that it got a trampoline for Christmas.
  • 12/16/2006 A spider looks at itself in an ornament, claiming that horizontal stripes are not flattering.
  • 12/6/2007 A spider tells Garfield that it visited Spider Claus. Garfield wonders what knee it sat on.
  • 12/7/2007 A spider looks at its reflection in a Christmas ornament and smiles wide.
  • 12/8/2007 A spider hops onto a lit Christmas bulb and gets singed, screaming and flying over Garfield.
  • 11/28/2008 A spider attempted to pass a Christmas ornament, but it fell down, crushing it.
  • Attempting to offer Garfield a candy cane for Christmas.
  • Attempting to disguise itself as Santa Claus.

Garfield's Birthday[]

  • 6/18/1998 A spider gives Garfield his present that the arachnid wrapped in silk.
  • 6/15/2001 A spider tells Garfield that no spider has lived to be 23 years old.
  • 6/11/2008 A spider taunts Garfield by telling him his cake will have a smoke alarm ahead of the cat's 30th birthday.

New Year's[]

  • 1/1/1997 A spider bounces on its web next to Garfield after a huge New Year's party. Garfield wishes the reader a happy new year.
  • 1/2/1998 A spider asks Garfield how his New Year's was. Garfield says that he had a quiet evening. The spider asks if Garfield wants to know how its New Year's was, but Garfield is not interested, judging by the fact that the spider is hanging on a balloon.
  • 1/3/1998 A spider tells Jon to change the calendar.
  • 12/31/1998 Garfield counts down for the spider to drop, much like the ball at Times Square, signaling the start of the new year.

Odie and Spiders[]

Odie rarely interacts with the spiders, as the latter are mostly Garfield's adversaries, but that does not mean the pup hasn't done it before.

  • 3/16/1989 Odie watches a spider crawl toward him. He keeps watching it crawls between his paws and past him, bending his neck between his legs.
  • 2/27/2004 Odie sees a spider and starts yipping at it. He gets so loud and repetitive that the spider wishes Garfield could squish it.

Less Proud Moments[]

Occasionally, spiders have been shown to be nothing more than slight annoyances, doing little more than irritating Garfield.

  • 9/14/1996 A spider climbs a salt shaker and gets its legs stuck in the holes. Garfield calls it pathetic.
  • 10/31/1998 Garfield sees a spider dangling sideways. Annoyed, he yells for someone to close the window.
  • 3/28/1999 Garfield hears the doorbell and goes to answer it, only to see no one there. He leaves, but hears the bell ring again. He sees no one at the door, making him frustrated, so he closes the door and hears the bell ring once more. He catches a spider ringing a couple of bells with a mallet.
  • 7/9/2001 A spider tries to advocate to Garfield that spiders are not to be flattened. Garfield then shows it a mirror, terrifying the spider.

Web Slingers[]

Spiders are known for spinning webs. This is shown in the strip.

  • 12/28/1979 Garfield watches a spider spin a web and says a poem about it, wondering how it can spin a web so well with nothing but feet.
  • 4/29/1993 A spider sneezes while on its string, tangling it's silk in the process.
  • 4/21/1994 Garfield whacks a spider dangling from a web. Its web wraps around Garfield's head, infuriating him.
  • 3/1/2005 A spider makes an arc with its web, climbs to the middle of it, and goes to sleep. Garfield calls it a hammock.
  • 3/2/2005 Garfield comes across a spider with curly legs hanging from a curly web. It claims to hate humidity, and Garfield notices.
  • 3/3/2005 Garfield is surprised by a spider dangling from a chain as opposed to a web. When questioned, the spider defensively claims to have "put on a little weight."
  • 2/4/2008 A spider's web prevents its escape from Garfield.

Other[]

  • 3/30/1986 Garfield points at Jon and Odie and then flicks each of their noses. Jon tells him about a spider on his belly, but he does not buy it, unaware of the spider actually on his belly.
  • 10/28/1990 Garfield puts on a spider costume to scare the mailman. He climbs onto the roof and jumps, only to faceplant onto the pavement because the rope he used was too long.
  • 4/19/1994 Garfield begs Jon not to stomp a spider, only for him to do it anyway. Garfield is frustrated, since he wanted to do that.
  • 5/16/1995 Jon puts his coffee on a spider, and it carries the mug past Garfield. He calls that a strong cup of coffee.
  • 5/20/1995 Garfield sees Odie's water seemingly lapping itself up. He rubs his eyes and walks away, but a spider was having itself a drink.
  • 9/9/1996 A spider tells Garfield that it's poisonous. Garfield denies this, but then the spider offers him a drink, making him suspicious.
  • 3/14/1997 Garfield spies on a spider. It eats a donut and rises back up on its web, looking like a donut with legs.
  • 11/15/2000 Garfield's hands fall asleep and his nose itches. He clears his throat, and a spider scratches his nose for him.
  • 2/26/2001 Garfield lists the reasons he hates spiders: "They're sneaky, and [he] suspect[s] that they're stealing food." Food remains drop behind him.
  • 5/9/2009 A spider swats itself with a spider-sized newspaper since Garfield is not around at the moment. It notes how bad service has been.

Victories[]

  • Using a laser pen to make Garfield fall off the table.
  • Taking Pooky as a hostage.
  • Ruining Garfield's selfie.
  • Imprisoning Garfield in a web.
  • Going to the beach for spring break (two spiders went together).
  • Distracting Garfield by dancing on his head.
  • Zooming across the counter on a spider-like scooter.
  • Showing Garfield a picture of its new girlfriend with its cell phone.
  • Telling Garfield about a mobile app that helps spiders build intricate spider webs.
  • Telling Garfield his mother would care if spiders never existed.
  • Telling Garfield it's not easy being a spider and that 5 of its knees hurt; this prompted Garfield to reply to the spider "Ouch."
  • Telling Garfield that pants are very expensive if you're a spider; this prompted Garfield to reply to the spider "You don't wear pants."
  • Telling Garfield that his wife told him to go vegetarian; this convinced Garfield to spare the spider, claiming that the latter already suffered enough.
  • Telling Garfield it will become famous if he squashes it; this is proven to be true, as a spider teacher asks its students in a spider-like classroom why they celebrate National Stupid Day.
  • Escaping Garfield's bedroom via moonlight and an open window.
  • Wearing Jon's hard hat to keep Garfield from squishing it; this deafened the spider when Garfield hit the hat.
  • A team of spiders once trapped Garfield and Odie in a cocoon of spider silk and threw it into a yard that contained the Big Vicious Dog, who proceeded to beat them up.
  • Attaching itself to a balloon; this subsequently allowed the spider to escape the house.
  • Playing a spider-sized accordion in front of Garfield; the spider also told him that it plays bagpipes and sells insurance.
  • Showing Garfield a long, spider-like Christmas list; this caused Garfield to remark "And I thought MY Christmas list was long" after reading it.
  • A spider creates a Christmas tree-shaped spider web, which successfully impresses Garfield.
  • A mouse attempts to swat a spider with a heavy rolled up magazine, only to lose its footing and fall.
  • When a spider-like version of Santa Claus (named Spider Claus) once offered another spider a gnat as a Christmas stocking stuffer, the other spider gladly accepted the gift and thanked him for it.
  • Hiding in a rigged present.
  • Using a scooter to dodge Garfield.
  • Capturing Pooky as a hostage to force Garfield to be nice to them.

Failures[]

  • Claiming that they are better than Garfield.
  • Telling 4 other spiders not to fear Garfield; this prompted Garfield to eliminate the entire group.
  • Attempting to offer Garfield handrails as a birthday present; this frustrated Garfield, who replied to the spider "Scram, punk."
  • Telling another spider that swatting spiders is wrong; this caused the other spider to tell the one Garfield swatted that doing so is unattractive as well.
  • Telling Garfield that it will eventually turn into a butterfly in front of a caterpillar.
  • Telling Garfield that it got a fly caught in its throat; this angered Garfield, who replied to the spider "That's gross!"
  • Telling Garfield that the older you get the wiser you'll become; this caused the spider to remark that Garfield's reflexes weren't bad after he squashed it.
  • Attempting to give Garfield a gingerbread fly while he was watching a Christmas movie.
  • Attempting to impress Garfield with a ball of yarn.
  • Attempting to convince Garfield to give it a hug for Christmas.
  • Asking Garfield where to find a masseur who could deliver a deep-tissue massage.
  • Attempting to call Garfield, Odie, Liz, and Jon; this only puzzled them into believing the phone call was theirs.
  • Asking Garfield whether or not a nearby spider convention was being held.
  • Garfield tries to use a squashed spider as a makeshift Christmas tree star, which Jon rejects.
  • Garfield tests out a spider's new toy, hurting the spider as a result.
  • Garfield knocks a spider off its web, which he remarks, "doesn't look safe".
  • Garfield swats a spider on the ceiling; the spider then falls into Jon's coffee.
  • A spider tells Garfield that deep down, it believes he's a good guy; Garfield swats it and the spider remarks "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY deep down".
  • When a spider once climbed onto Odie's nose, he sneezed the spider away, causing it to end up on Jon's face.
  • A spider calls Garfield "chubs" and asks him what's new; Garfield swats it and the spider remarks "That is so NOT new!"

Trivia[]

  • They have appeared 393 times, the 6th most appearances.
    • Guido has appeared 7 times.
  • Spiders barely appear in Garfield and Friends - one huge spider is imagined by Wade the Duck in "The Thing in the Box".

Appearances[]

Garfield and Friends[]

Season 7[]

The Garfield Show[]

Season 1[]

Season 2[]

Season 4[]

Comic Strip[]

Gallery[]

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