Garfield has long been considered a "classic" property because he has not only endured, but continues to be fresh and funny after over 30 years in the limelight. Part of the strip's broad appeal is due to its lack of social or political commentary, which was always Jim Davis's intention. Originally created (in June 1978) with the intention of "coming up with a good, marketable character", Garfield is now the world's most syndicated comic strip in history with over 200 million readers daily in over 2,400 newspapers around the globe, translated into 45 languages. He has spawned a profusion of merchandise, including clothing, toys, games, credit cards and related media. In addition to the various merchandise and commercial tie-ins, other achievements include:- Mobiles - with animations, ring tones and graphics. Web - the website www.garfield.com attracts nearly 2 million visitors a month. Publishing - over 135 million Garfield books have been sold worldwide. Movies - the two movies released by Twentieth Century Fox were both box office hits. TV - 'The Garfield Show' via Cartoon Network is shown around the world. Games and DVDs - Garfield can boast a large library of video games for Nintendo, Playstation and Wii, as well as dozens of DVDs in the marketplace.