A secret detail about the long-missing Garfield character Lyman has essentially implied that Jon Arbuckle is actually a psychopath. For the most part, every Garfield character from the long-running strip’s history has endured to the present day. However, one character’s disappearance has remained a mystery to fans for years. Introduced as Jon’s roommate and Odie’s original owner, Lyman suddenly vanished in the 1980s. Fans have debated for years over what happened to him, but the truth seems to be darker than they thought, according to the comic’s creator.
In the 1998 book 20 Years & Still Kicking!: Garfield’s Twentieth Anniversary Collection by Jim Davis, a list is presented to readers with possibilities regarding what could have happened to Lyman following his disappearance. Some of the entries are fairly humorous, such as suggesting he left the comic “to pursue [his] dream of Olympic figure-skating gold” and being fired by Davis because he “hit on Blondie and Cathy.” However, the number one entry takes things down a dark path as it explains the biggest reason in five terrifying words: “Don’t Look in Jon’s Basement!“
The idea that Lyman has been hiding under fans’ noses this entire time completely changes everything they thought they knew about Jon Arbuckle, setting him up to be one of the most ruthless psychopaths on the Sunday Funnies.
Jon Hiding Lyman in His Basement Explains Some of His Creepier Traits
While at first it may seem like a long shot to say Jon is more devious than he lets on, a glimpse at his actions in the past suggests otherwise. One of his biggest detractors is how he refuses to leave certain women alone, namely Liz the veterinarian, by constantly asking them out on dates even though they repeatedly tell him no. It’s so bad that Jon has even gotten restraining orders for the way he behaves. Plus, without Garfield around in the Garfield Minus Garfield strips, it makes him come off as more unhinged. It wouldn’t necessarily be a reach to suggest that Jon’s secret sociopathy could translate to him stashing Lyman away in his basement.
10 Funniest Garfield Comics Starring Jon Arbuckle
Join Jon Arbuckle as he navigates Mondays, lasagna feasts, and the witty quips of everyone’s favorite orange cat, Garfield, in these hilarious comics.
A Long-Lost Garfield Game Might Have Confirmed the Lyman Theory
Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this theory is that it actually has evidence to back up Jim Davis’ dark joke in the Twentieth Anniversary Collection. A now unplayable Flash game from the official Garfield website called Garfield’s Scary Scavenger Hunt had players navigating the titular cat in a point-and-click Halloween adventure through a creepier version of his house that’s pure nightmare fuel. At one point, Garfield finds himself in the basement, and chained to the wall is none other than Lyman after years of being missing. This was likely done in jest following the dark joke in the book from the ’90s, but incorporating this reference that some readers may not have noticed before makes it solid evidence for what really happened to Lyman after years of going missing.
Whether this theory regarding Lyman’s disappearance turns out to be a joke, it’s still interesting to see Jim Davis raise this possibility as the most likely reason for Lyman’s exit from the comic. The character was never a huge part of the comics when he was around, but it’s amazing to see how fans took notice when he was removed in the ’80s. If Lyman truly is wasting away in Jon Arbuckle‘s basement, it ultimately confirms that Garfield‘s nerdiest character has been hiding a secret life that fans never knew about after all these years.
