All you really need to become super rich is one truly great idea, the talent to bring it to life, and the ability to capitalize on it. Cartoonist Jim Davis thought of 'Garfield', drew 'Garfield', and has made money from 'Garfield' every day of his life ever since.
The world's most famous cat came to life in the late 1970s and became a staple of newspapers across America and worldwide shortly afterwards, achieving mass syndication. The character is loved by both adults and children and bringing it to life with a live action film was an obvious move to make which enriched Davis no end. By the time that 'Garfield' made his big screen debut in a live action movie in 2004, Davis was already a made man. He's enjoyed some success with other animated creations in the meantime, but he'll always be 'the Garfield guy' to us.