Permanent URL: https://mezzacotta.net/garfield/?comic=17
Strip by: Alexander Rodgers
Jon: WBMXUW ZWSQIBBV XFUXYZDCO SGUAI EY, APVKLTPI?
Garfield: BUVFO?
Garfield: XITAY QU XJ NPJ VMIFG LBFY R EII UY MDR FVPET LTO ENFL UAMYTJ?
Jon: Q LGM E CSL MBJCY!
Garfield: Y YDIXB W’G VPN ONYM TFMMWCPCH.
The author writes:
An excerpt from The Garfield Code, first published 2529:
“Aha!” exclaimed Farrel, “I knew this ancient cartoonograph was more than it seemed at first. See how the letters don’t form words? A message is hidden inside! This must be The Garfield Code!”
“But vat ees ze Garfield Cod?” enquired Farrel’s nubile foreign assistant.
“Well, as we all know, Einstein had to communicate with the rest of his secret organisation, the Boston Red Socks, in a way that would not draw attention to their activities. So they would telepost each other these cartoons, altering the text. It’s a simple cipher, just taking the numerical value of the letter and adding it to the corresponding letter in the original comic.”
“But zat zeems too eezy to break.”
“Not at all. There were literally thousands of Garfields produced. Only a hypermind like Einstein or Reagan could remember all of them.”
“But today eet ees a simple matter to look them up, nonoui?”
“I’m afraid not. All records of specific Garfields were destroyed in the Great Dross Purge of the 24th century. Only one man I know will have a book collection dating this far back. We must talk to Lord Foxx.”
Original strip: 1989-12-05.
The text in the SRoMG strip encodes a hidden message. I had fun decoding it, so won’t spoil it for anyone else. If you want spoilers, the decoded message is here:
https://sromgexplained.shoutwiki.com/wiki/17:_The_Garfield_Code
It doesn’t quite explain everything, so here’s a Python snippet that decodes it if you’re stuck:
Decoding snippet
"".join(chr(((ord(c) - ord('A') - (ord(k) - ord('A')) - 1) % 26) + ord('A')) for c, k in zip(cipher, key))