The keyword term "September 11th Garfield comic" functions as a proper noun phrase. It designates a specific, albeit fictional, cultural artifact that is the subject of a widely circulated internet myth and a prominent example of the Mandela Effect. The myth alleges that a syndicated Garfield comic strip published on the morning of September 11, 2001, contained content that inadvertently or prophetically referenced the terrorist attacks. However, no such comic strip was ever created or published.
An analysis of the publication process for syndicated comics debunks the myth's premise. Newspaper comics are created, submitted, and scheduled by creators and syndicates weeks, and often months, prior to their publication date. It is logistically impossible for a strip to be written and distributed in response to an event on the same day. The actual Garfield strip that ran on September 11, 2001, involved a non-topical joke about Garfield being annoyed by a talking fish with an alarm clock. The persistence of the false memory is attributed to the convergence of several factors: the rise of "creepypasta" (internet-native horror stories), the subculture of surreal and dark fan edits of Garfield comics (such as the "I'm Sorry, Jon" genre), and the human psychological tendency to seek patterns and omens in media surrounding traumatic events.
Ultimately, the "September 11th Garfield comic" is not a physical piece of media but a phenomenon of cultural memory and digital folklore. Its significance lies in what it reveals about the creation and propagation of misinformation and shared false memories in the internet age. The discussion surrounding this non-existent comic serves as a case study in how compelling narratives, detached from factual basis, can become embedded in the collective consciousness, with individuals developing vivid but entirely false recollections of experiencing them.
