Jon Arbuckle
| Jon Arbuckle | |
|---|---|
 Jon Arbuckle as he appears in the comic strip | |
| Full name | Jonathan Q. Arbuckle |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Cartoonist |
| Created by | Jim Davis |
| First appearance | June 19, 1978 |
| Voiced by | Thom Huge (most animated) Wally Wingert (2009 to 2016) Nicholas Hoult (2024) |
| Portrayed by | Breckin Meyer |
| Pets | Garfield (cat) Odie (dog) |
| Partner | Dr. Liz Wilson |
| Family | Doc Boy (brother) |
Jonathan Q. "Jon" Arbuckle is a fictional character and Garfield and Odie's owner in the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. He debuted alongside Garfield in the strip's first installment on June 19, 1978.
Character
Jon is a cartoonist by profession who lives in a house in the fictional city of Muncie, Indiana (based on Jim Davis's real hometown). He adopted Garfield from a pet shop and later acquired Odie from his roommate Lyman, who disappeared from the strip in 1983.
Jon comes from a farming family. His parents still run the Arbuckle farm, and his younger brother Doc Boy (named after Jim Davis's real brother) works there as well.
Personality
Jon is shown as clumsy, dorky, and often unintelligent, frequently getting himself hurt or injured by Garfield. He is socially awkward and had notoriously poor luck with women for most of the strip's history, often embarrassing himself on dates.
Despite Garfield's constant abuse (stealing his food, locking him out of the house, waking him at absurd hours), Jon remains devoted to his pets. He genuinely cares for Garfield and Odie, even when they cause chaos in his life.
Jon's fashion sense (or lack thereof) is a frequent source of humor. He's known for wearing gaudy, mismatched outfits and making poor style choices that even Garfield finds horrifying.
Relationships
Dr. Liz Wilson
Dr. Liz Wilson, Garfield's veterinarian, is Jon's love interest and eventual girlfriend. Jon attempted to ask her out numerous times over the years, but rarely succeeded. When she did accept, the outings normally became disastrous.
In 2006, while on a date with an amnesiac woman named Ellen, Jon discovered Liz at the same restaurant dating someone else. After an awkward encounter, Liz finally admitted she had feelings for Jon. The two have been portrayed as a couple since, though Jon's trademark geekiness continues to both amuse and embarrass Liz.
Garfield
Jon loves Garfield unconditionally despite the cat's constant exploitation. In The Garfield Movie(2024), it's revealed that Jon adopted young Garfield after seeing him through a restaurant window, letting him in even though Garfield proceeded to eat everything in sight.
In Other Media
In the animated series and specials, Jon has been voiced by Thom Huge (most notably in Garfield and Friends) and Wally Wingert in The Garfield Show.
In the live-action films (2004, 2006), Jon was portrayed by Breckin Meyer. In The Garfield Movie (2024), he is voiced by Nicholas Hoult.
References
- Davis, Jim (June 19, 1978). "Garfield by Jim Davis for June 19, 1978". GoComics.
- "List of Garfield characters". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026.