Did Jon Really Drink Dog Semen In This 1990 Garfield Comic? Jim Davis Says No

Get the Full StoryThe “dog semen” comic has been talked about for decades.

Garfield creator Jim Davis says a 1990 comic strip has been widely misunderstood, and that it does not show Garfield's owner, Jon Arbuckle, drinking a cup of dog semen.

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The infamous comic has long befuddled fans.

It ran May 30, 1990, and that entire week's strips were devoted to Jon and Garfield's trip to the veterinarian's office, where Jon repeatedly and unsuccessfully hits on the vet, Liz.

The strip in question shows Jon grabbing a cup on the counter and taking a big swig, apparently in the belief that it's filled with coffee.

"Congratulations, Mr. Arbuckle," says Liz. "You are going to give birth to a fine, healthy litter of puppies."

Jim Davis Via Garfield.com

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But Davis says people have it all wrong.

"On the farm, we used to give first-calf heifers a high protein supplement to help them deliver healthier calves," he said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. "The supplement was provided by our vet."

Since Liz is a vet, "I assumed that there would be a similar supplement for dogs," Davis said.

"So Jon is drinking a protein-enriched drink formulated for a pregnant dog."

That's why Liz mentions the "healthy" litter Jon would have — because he had just drunk a supplement for pregnant dogs, not dog semen.

"There you have it!" Davis said.

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