Jim Davis was born near Fairmount, Indiana, and attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. The Garfield comic strip was born on June 19, 1978. Today, it is the most widely syndicated comic strip in the world with 230 million readers and a licensing and publishing empire that spans 111 countries. Garfield has earned Davis four Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program, the coveted Reuben Award (1990) for overall excellence in cartooning, and many other awards and distinctions.