Garfield Creator Responds To Allegations That John Drank Dog Semen

In the Garfield universe, some facts are indisputable: Garfield loves lasagna, hates Mondays, Odie is big-hearted but clueless and Jon Arbuckle is in love with veterinarian, Dr. Liz Wilson.

What has been questioned? Jon drinking semen.

A 1990 comic strip depicts a trip to the veterinarian's office, where Jon clumsily attempts to flirt with Liz.

He sees a coffee cup sitting on the examination table and takes the liberty to drink its contents, only to discover it wasn't filled with coffee.  

"Congratulations, Mr. Arbuckle," Liz exclaims. "You are going to give birth to a fine, healthy litter of puppies."

This has led to fans insinuating the cup was in fact filled with dog semen.

The "Jon drinks semen" theory has been floating around the internet for ages, as seen in a 2006 thread from The Straight Dope's message board. The discussion argues over both the strip's legitimacy and the substance in the mug, with one user offering writing:

"I really think that if a veterinarian saw someone drink dog semen they wouldn't say 'you are going to give birth to a fine, healthy litter of puppies[.]' I think they'd just say 'Hey, doofus! You just drank a steamin' cup of fido jizz!'"

The hoopla has finally prompted Jim Davis, the cartoon's creator, to speak. He firmly refuted the lewd claim.

In a statement to Buzzfeed News, Davis said, "On the farm, we used to give first-calf heifers a high protein supplement to help them deliver healthier calves. This supplement was provided by our vet."

"I assumed that there would be a similar supplement for dogs. So Jon is drinking a protein-enriched drink formulated for a pregnant dog. There you have it!"

Did you think Jon drank dog semen?