Paws, Inc.
Paws, Inc., doing business as Paws, Incorporated, is an American comic studio and production company founded by American cartoonist Jim Davis in 1981[1] to support the Garfield comic strips and its licensing. The company is located inside Paramount Global's headquarters building in New York City. It was originally located in Muncie, Indiana, relocated in 1989 from Davis' own farm when he was a boy.[2]
| Paws Incorporated | |
| Type | Privately held company (1981–2019) Subsidiary (2019–present) |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1981 Muncie, Indiana |
| Founder | Jim Davis |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Film production, television production, comics, films |
| Brands | Garfield |
| Owner | Jim Davis (1981–2019) Viacom (2019) Paramount Global (2019–present) |
| Parent | Nickelodeon Group (2019–present) |
In 1994, the company purchased all rights to the classic Garfield comic strips from 1978 to 1993 from United Feature Syndicate, although United still holds the original black-and-white daily strips and original color Sunday strips. The full-color daily strips and recolored Sunday strips are copyrighted to Paws as they are considered a different product. The strip is currently distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication (formerly Universal Press Syndicate and Universal Uclick), while rights for the strip remain with Paws, Inc. By 2015, the company employed almost fifty artists and administrators.[3]
In 2019, Davis sold Paws, Inc. to Viacom (now known as Paramount Global), including global merchandising and existing licensees. The deal put Paws under Viacom's Nickelodeon banner (which itself is part of its Kids & Family division).[4] The deal excluded the rights to the live-action Garfield films from 2004 to 2006, which are now owned by The Walt Disney Company through its 20th Century Studios label,[4] as well as the upcoming animated film The Garfield Movie, which will be distributed by Sony Pictures under its Columbia Pictures label.[5] Although Paws, Inc. is now effectively located in Manhattan, Davis will continue to draw the comic strips in Indiana for newspapers and Andrews McMeel Syndication.[6]
Filmography Edit
Television specials Edit
| Work | Original release | Studio | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Here Comes Garfield | 1982 | Bill Melendez Productions Lee Mendelson Productions United Media | CBS |
| Garfield on the Town | 1983 | ||
| Garfield in the Rough | 1984 | Film Roman United Media | |
| Garfield's Halloween Adventure | 1985 | ||
| Garfield in Paradise | 1986 | ||
| Garfield Goes Hollywood | 1987 | ||
| A Garfield Christmas | |||
| Happy Birthday, Garfield | 1988 | ||
| Garfield: His 9 Lives | |||
| Garfield's Babes and Bullets | 1989 | ||
| Garfield's Thanksgiving | |||
| Garfield's Feline Fantasies | 1990 | ||
| Garfield Gets a Life | 1991 |
Television series Edit
| Work | Original release | Studio | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield and Friends | 1988–1994 | United Media (seasons 1–6) Lee Mendelson Productions (seasons 2–7) Film Roman | CBS |
| The Garfield Show | 2008–2016 | Dargaud Media | France 3 (France) Cartoon Network (United States, seasons 1–3) Boomerang (United States, seasons 4 and 5) |
| Garfield Originals | 2019–2020 | France 3 | |
| Untitled Garfield television series | TBA | Nickelodeon Animation Studio | Nickelodeon |
Feature films Edit
| Work | Original release | Studio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield: The Movie | 2004 | 20th Century Fox Davis Entertainment | Live-action/CGI Hybrid |
| Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties | 2006 | 20th Century Fox Davis Entertainment Dune Entertainment Major Studio Partners Ingenious Film Partners | |
| Garfield Gets Real | 2007 | 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Davis Entertainment The Animation Picture Company | Fully computer-animated, direct-to-video feature |
| Garfield's Fun Fest | 2008 | ||
| Garfield's Pet Force | 2009 | ||
| The Garfield Movie[5][7][8] | 2024 | Columbia Pictures Alcon Entertainment Amuse Entertainment DNEG Animation | CG computer-animated |
References Edit
- ^ Kirby, Audrey J. (June 4, 2019). "Garfield HQ up for sale, proceeds to support Ball State Foundation". The Star Press.
- ^ Shuey, Mickey (June 19, 2018). "On the prowl: Behind the scenes at Garfield HQ". The Star Press. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ "Today in Comics History: A Celebration of Garfield". Comics Alliance. June 19, 2015.
- ^ a b Mullin, Benjamin (August 6, 2019). "Viacom, Hungry For Hits, Gobbles Garfield". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
- ^ a b Rubin, Rebecca (November 1, 2021). "Chris Pratt to Voice Garfield in Upcoming Animated Movie". Variety. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ Porter, Rick (August 6, 2019). "New 'Garfield' Series Set at Nickelodeon". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (November 1, 2021). "'Garfield': Chris Pratt To Voice Title Character In Alcon Entertainment's Animated Film". Deadline. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (October 18, 2023). "Peter Luo's Stars Collective & China's Hana Investment Partner On Ambitious Fund; 'The Garfield Movie' Among First Collaborations". Deadline. Retrieved October 23, 2023.