The comic strip Garfield has always been a funny staple of newspaper comics sections, but one notable experiment has given the series a dark makeover. Garfield Minus Garfield is a webcomic created by Dan Walsh that edits Garfield strips by creator Jim Davis that removes the titular cat and his commentary from the strips. This often leaves Garfield’s owner, Jon Arbuckle, alone and talking to himself.

The changes are always unforgettable, and often for the darkest possible reasons. Many strips present Jon as lonely, downbeat and quite sad. Of all the Garfield Minus Garfield strips, the following 25 stand out as some of the darkest to ever be created.

“Where’s Garfield?” Asks A Chilling, But Necessary Question

Describe This “Garfield,” Jon

One of the simplest Garfield Minus Garfield strips portrays Jon trying to enjoy a cup of coffee, before looking around and asking “Where’s Garfield?”. Ordinarily, readers would wonder what sort of mischief the lasagna-loving cat would be getting into. Instead, in the context of these edits, Jon’s thoughts become a bit more alarming, prompting readers to wonder whether Jon is slowly realizing that Garfield isn’t real, or desperately trying to cling to the fantasy that his cat is still around.

“Times Change,” Highlights Jon Arbuckle’s Melancholic Nature

He Wishes They Wouldn’t

There are, of course, two ways to approach the unyielding flow of time – go with it, and work to make the future better than the past, or swim against the timestream, and risk drowning in nostalgia and “remember whens.” Jon Arbuckle appears to choose the latter in this Garfield Minus Garfield strip. Jon has often been portrayed as a glass-half-empty kind of guy, or at least someone whose enthusiasm for life is quickly dampened, and with the omission of Garfield, the absence of response to his call emphasizes his struggle against life.

“Cat Hair” Captures Jon’s Fractured Psyche

Humanity Slipping Away With Every Meal

Garfield was known for always disrupting Jon’s own food time while making unbelievable demands for his own cuisine. But here, Jon’s meal isn’t interrupted by anything other than the thought a cat hair could be in his food. However, there is no Garfield, making Jon’s intense search not only pointless but quite disturbing. The fervor with which he scans his food makes it seems like he’s trying to find some evidence that Garfield is real.

The Story of Jon Arbuckle’s Life

Who Would Have Guessed? It’s Nothing Without Garfield

A world that includes Garfield would give Jon’s attempt to write the story of his life some needed zip and levity. But without his iconic feline, what does Jon write? Even he doesn’t know, as his first attempt to immortalize himself fails once he realizes how devoid his life actually is when Garfield’s not around to spice it up.

“I Have Fleas!” is Unhinged, Absurd, and Perfect

But Do You Have A Pet, Jon?

In the original Garfield comic strips, Jon was always ready to get on Garfield’s case for his slovenliness. With the iconic feline removed, however, Jon has no one to get mad at over the state of his house other than himself. In this Garfield Minus Garfield recontextualization of a classic strip, somehow, in spite of having no visible pets in sight, Jon has managed to get fleas. It makes one wonder just what Jon has been doing to actually get such a perturbing infestation.

“Tape” Exhibits The True Brilliance Of “Garfield Minus Garfield”

Jon Arbuckle’s Psyche Comes Unraveled

While Garfield and Jon’s relationship could sometimes be contentious, the comic strip usually presented Jon as his own worst enemy. Nothing shows that better than this Garfield Minus Garfield strip, which portrays Jon Arbuckle as somehow bound by scotch tape. Lacking Garfield, this strip suggests that Jon is out of his mind with boredom and trying to find something to occupy his time. However, based on whatever project he was attempting here, it’s clearly not going well.

“I’ve Been Thinking About Things”

Jon is Dangerously Close to Coming Undone

Garfield usually acts as Jon’s sounding board. But in Garfield Minus Garfield, Jon has no one to bounce ideas off of. So when he says he’s been thinking about things, to no one, it comes off painfully sad. What has Jon been contemplating? Is he happy, sad, or simply wondering what he means in a world without his better half?

“Then I Fail” Reveals Jon’s Worst Enemy

It Was Never Garfield

Without Garfield’s humorous commentary, many of these edited strips take on a much darker tone than the original. Here, Jon is talking to himself, self-assuring that he always tries his hardest at whatever he sets out to do, though he contends it usually ends with failure. Garfield is usually presented as a counter to Jon who eggs on his negative side. But here, that negativity comes from within, revealing how self-critical Jon is.

“What Do I Do It For?” Depicts An Existential Crisis

There Is No Answer

Many of Garfield Minus Garfield’s minor edits turn a silly little comic strip into a dark examination of Jon Arbuckle. In this strip, he is shown standing around, asking himself: “What do I do it for?”. Of course, fans know that the original Jon’s life revolves around his pets. Remove him from the context of pet ownership, and what drives Jon, what keeps him going, suddenly becomes unclear – and yet in a way, this makes him more relatable than ever, as he suddenly is thrust into the deepest waters of existential philosophizing.

“It’s a Shame” Confirms Jon is Completely Alone

He Doesn’t Want To Be Around Himself

While there’s a certain humor that can be found in removing Garfield, eliminating him completely reveals just how barren Jon’s life is. Here he contemplates how rough it is not having someone to spend time with, with the following panels simply showing empty space. Jon does have his girlfriend Liz, but more often than not, he’s only ever seen associating with his pets. Taking them away practically destroys the only things in Jon’s world.