Born on a small farm in rural Indiana, Jim Davis' asthma forced him inside and into drawing. Growing up with more than 25 cats, it's no wonder that in 1978 Davis created Garfield. The fat, lazy, lasagna-loving, cynical cat would soon catapult to the top, appearing in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide, garnering 4 Emmy awards and starring in a top rated Saturday morning cartoon. Along the way Davis and Garfield also managed to compile a publishing record that would make Stephen King jealous. Davis now oversees his own company where in addition to the animation art, comic strips and TV specials, a variety of books continue to be developed.