In the summer and fall of 2006, five fiberglass statues of Garfield the cartoon cat, in various wacky poses, were placed around Grant County, Indiana, the home of Garfield's creator, Jim Davis.

On December 15, news came that shocked the region: the town of Marion's Garfield -- the one dressed in a purple sweat pants -- had been horribly vandalized, his head deliberately torn off!

Local officials immediately set a dragnet for the missing head, going as far as to drag the Mississinewa River (The head was found three days later along a road near a local reservoir.) The headless body was moved to the town garage to thwart any further desecration. Suspects included: a) punk vandals; b) James Dean fans angered that their idol, another local boy, had been supplanted by a cartoon cat; and c) people who just hate Garfield on principle.

On January 4, however, news came that Garfield had not been abused, but rather had been loved too well. A local 22-year-old man confessed that he and a buddy had been out drinking in a local bar, and when driving home had spotted the statue. The man leapt out of the car, gave Garfield a big boozy hug, and inadvertently popped its head off. Frightened, the man tossed the Garfield head into the car and drove into the night, leaving it later beside the reservoir road so that it could be found.

No charges are expected to be filed.

[01/06/2007]