Heathcliff Comics Are Surreal Works of Genius, And These 10 Comics Prove It

Often called "comics' original orange cat," Heathcliffis the surreal alternative to Garfield, routinely breaking with reality to deliver cerebral and strange jokes that have the ability to take even the most savvy readers by surprise. In publication for over forty years now, Heathcliff has grown steadily more unhinged as time has gone on – to the benefit of generations of readers.

Heathcliff is beloved by those who know the comic, but the strip arguably doesn't get as much recognition as it deserves. First published in 1973, at a time when Peanuts was at its peak, and Doonesbury was doing Pulitzer-prize winning work, Heathcliff was created and illustrated by George Gately until 1998; since then, it has been the product of his nephew Peter Gallagher.

While Heathcliff was always odd, it has become especially weird in the Gallagher years, which have grown increasingly absurd, keeping pace with the increasingly surreal style of internet humor.

10 "I Love My Job": Heathcliff's Bubblegum Float Motif Is A Surreal Treat

First Published: January 13, 2024

Heathcliff, January 13, 2024, Heathcliff and a friend float away after blowing giant bubblegum bubbles.

In this contemporary Heathcliff cartoon, Heathcliff and his girlfriend Sonja float off into the sky, carried upward by giant bubblegum balloons, as the proprietor of the Gum Store below stands on the sidewalk out front of his establishment and marvels, "I love my job."

Blowing giant bubbles and floating away has become a recurring gag in the Peter Gallagher era of Heathcliff, in part because of the amusing imagery, but also because the joke has managed to stay refreshing for readers, in the way of the best recurring motifs. What makes this cartoon particularly hilarious is the gum-seller's perspective – fans of the comic will know how masterfully it has employed countless different POVs over the years – which adds a level of genuine feeling to the comic, which actually works to its humor more impactful.

9 "His Robot Always Knows": Heathcliff's Hilarious Embrace Of Technology

First Published: October 15, 2019

Heathcliff, October 15, 2019, Heathcliff's robot butler shoots him out of a cannon.

Robots are another recurring element in modern Heathcliff comics, and this robot cartoon is particularly on-brand, in terms of how absurd the strip has the capacity to get. In the panel, Heathcliff once again soars into the sky, this time shot out of a cannon by his "robot butler," who the cat's owner notes "always knows when I'm going to give him a bath."

While other long-running cartoons – such as Heathcliff's primordial rival Garfield, or the office comedy Dilbert – have embraced change, and incorporated more present-day technology into their humor, Heathcliff has taken that to another level, often parlaying an absurdist take on tech into laugh-out-loud moments like this one. If nothing else, the combination of a robot and a cat being shot out of a cannon is bizarre enough to get a laugh out of almost any audience.

8 "Fish Zombies!" Heathcliff Has Always Been Unpredictable

First Published: April 11, 2016

Heathcliff, April 11, 2016, Heathcliff and his racoon friend are confronted by fish zombies.

In this cartoon, Heathcliff and a raccoon friend enjoy a late night hang out session, sitting on some overturned trash cans – and presumably making a meal of what's inside – when they are accosted by "fish zombies!" Whether the joke is a riff on The Walking Dead's popularity, or just the next strange idea that popped into artist Peter Gallagher's head, it is a strange and silly moment that is representative of Heathcliff's dynamic range of humor.

This "fish zombies" panel also embodies perhaps the greatest thing about Heathcliff: from one day to the next, readers can never be quite sure what the comic is going to throw at them. It is similar to The Far Side in this vein, though, whereas Gary Larson's comic eschewed recurring characters in favor of maximum creative liberty, Heathcliff's constant presence in comics ranging from cute to outrageous has its own comedic charm.

7 "This Was Be Where Heathcliff Lives": The Original Cat With An Outsized Ego

First Published: December 16, 2014

Heathcliff, December 16, 2014, a huge Heathcliff banner hanging outside his house.

"This must be where Heathcliff lives," a man walking his dog says, gazing upon the giant banner with Heathcliff's face on it hanging from the front of a suburban house. There is something hilarious about the use of "this must be" in order to convey something glaringly obvious, with the caption effectively conveying an absurdly casual tone.

While many of the parallels between Heathcliff and Garfield are obvious, one that is especially worth noting is that both cats possess an overinflated ego – and this is one case, in particular, in which a head-to-head comparison undeniably leads to Heathcliff being declared the victor. Garfield’s self-obsessed behavior has always been part of his charm, while Heathcliff’s borderline-narcissism is a constant source of hilarity in his strip.

6 "That's My House": Heathcliff Always Flies His Own Flag

First Published: October 21, 2011

Heathcliff, October 21, 2011, Heathcliff flies a MEAT flag.

"That's my house," Heathcliff's owners' grandson Iggy says, walking home from school with a friend, as Heathcliff raises a flag out front of their house with the word "MEAT" emblazoned on it in stark red letters. Once again, the humor of this panel comes from a character who is acclimated to Heathcliff's antics undercutting the obvious absurdity of his behavior, this time by adding "the one with the cat outside."

Whether in the original Gately years, or the past several decades of the Gallagher era, Heathcliff has always been defined by its title character's radical individualism. For readers unfamiliar with Heathcliff, he is one of the wildest characters in the history of comic strips – he's always up to something, and it's usually strange or chaotic.

5 "Commonly Known As Birdbath Back": Heathcliff's Problems Have Matured Over The Years – He Hasn't

First Published: August 11, 2011

Heathcliff, August 11, 2011, Heathcliff leaving the chiropractor with birdbath back.

In this hilariously wacky Heathcliff panel, a pair of chiropractors stare out their office's front window as Heathcliff leaves, with one of them remarking about his condition, "it's commonly known as 'birdbath' back" – because Heathcliff is walking around balancing a birth on his head.

Over the years, Heathcliff's comedy has done a remarkable job of balancing staying current, and developing with age. Though Heathcliff has largely remained the same mischief-prone, rake-like figure for decades, the creators behind the character have both used him as a proxy to joke about their own maturation as well, such as in this case, which lampoons the aches and pains of getting older. Heathcliff himself may not have aged much in four decades, but two generations of artists have now devoted decades of their adult life to him.

4 "On Garbage Night We Put The Canvas Out": Heathcliff Makes The Most Out Of "Low Art"

First Published: December 1, 2008

Heathcliff, December 1, 2008, Heathcliff painting a portrait on garbage pick-up night.

Comic strips have a reputation as a "low" art form, as opposed to some ephemeral idea of "high art." Readers familiar with comics like Doonesbury, or The Far Side, or especially Calvin and Hobbes– to offer just a small sampling of intellectually-stimulating cartoons – will know that this is anything but true, and this Heathcliff comic evokes a similar sense of playfully toying with the comic's status as artistically "less than."

In the panel, Heathcliff roots through his humans' garbage the night before trash pick-up; rather than just tearing into bags, eating scraps, and making a mess, however, Heathcliff turns trash into art, using the detritus tossed out by his family to craft a painting that they can treasure forever, though whether it is a masterpiece or not is obscured from the reader by the canvas's positioning in the frame.

3 "We Also Have Golf Carts:" Heathcliff Can Always Be Counted On To Make The Inexplicable Decision

First Published: September 10, 2007

Heathcliff, September 10, 2007, Heathcliff riding a camel on the golf course, instead of a cart.

On the surface, the absurdity of this panel, of course, is the fact that Heathcliff has a camel, and has chosen to ride it around while on the green while playing a round of golf. Beneath that, however, is a deeper level of surreal, abstract humor, as the caption – a perplexed employee at the course noting, "we also have golf carts – deliberately invites the reader to question Heathcliff's motivations.

Naturally, it is essential to the joke here, and the strip's humor at large, that Heathcliff has no explicable motivations – that is, none that are discernible to the reader. Part of what makes strips like this so strange is the fact that Heathcliff acts so confidently, and clearly according to his own internal logic, but it is alien to audiences in a way that translates to big laughs.

2 "I Told You A Thong Wouldn't Help": Heathcliff Wouldn't Be Heathcliff If He Took Advice

First Published: August 3, 2005

Heathcliff, August 3, 2005, Heathcliff flings his thong into the sky.

While the word "absurdity" is frequently associated with The Far Side, Heathcliff can more readily be categorized as bizarre. The strip's humor is a mash-up of elements and tones, which is deliberately jarring at times. Take this panel for example, which is all kinds of weird; it features Heathcliff hurling at thong into the sky, after having placed eighth at the "Wesfinster Cat Show," with his loyal human companion Iggy reiterating that he knew wearing one "wouldn't help."

Again, there is a deeper level to the humor of this Heathcliff panel, which involves the fact that the character is a paragon of stubborn self-determination, one who is defined by his lack of willingness to heed wise counsel. In effect, Heathcliff is a character who would rather lose his way than win someone else's way.

1 "That Must Have Been Some Party": For A House Cat, Heathcliff Has Always Been A Wild Animal

First Published: January 2, 2002

Heathcliff, January 2, 2002, Heathcliff and an elephant after a wild new years eve party.

In this hilarious New Year's morning cartoon, Heathcliff and an elephant friend sit at the kitchen table having coffee, with ice bags on their heads, surrounded by the wreckage of a raucous New Year's Eve party, which has presumably only just ended. Heathcliff's owners look on in surprise, remarking, "that must have been some party."

This hilariously calls into question how they didn't go about a rager in their own home, but in any case, it is delightfully indicative of Heathcliff's wilder side. While Garfieldmight overindulge when it comes to coffee, or watch too much television, Heathcliff is a cat inclined toward much more serious vices, and that has always been part of what makes him stand apart from comics' other orange cat, and the rest of the medium's iconic characters.

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