MarmaZiggy, Garfield sans Garfield and TrackForum

Somehow, I'm going to combine all of these things together into one post. Wish me luck.

If you've read my blog over the past few months, you know that I'm a Photoshop user and an IndyCar fan (or just an open-wheel racing fan). There's a place on the Internet for dorks like me and it's called TrackForum. I can go there to spout off about the series, drivers, courses, etc. But more importantly, there's a specific forum called, "Off Topic... & Tenderloins" where we can discus all things not specifically related to the type of racing we love. A few years ago, a fellow TrackForumian made an odd comment about the merging of Marmaduke and Ziggy, which prompted me to create this:
This was back in the day before I had a blog as my own personal creative outlet (i.e. the dumb blog that you're reading now to avoid responsibility). Of course, being the humble man that I am, I thought this was brilliant.

But just the other day, I stumbled upon an idea so great that I've considered deleting my personal copy of Photoshop and throwing my laptop into the trash (which would probably get me fired since my company owns both). You take one of the country's most popular daily comic strips and remove the main character from every panel. In the creator's own words, here's what you get:

Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolor disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against lonliness in a quiet American suburb.

Here's the result:


Now, go read it for yourself. I actually feel better about my life when I read this.