& I am ecstatic to finally have the medium to do it properly.
This is life-changing stuff right here, if you let it hit you in just the right way. If we think of Garfield as the pop radio of syndicated comics (stale form, rarely original, mass appeal), this series of strips is the "Blister in the Sun" or "Paper Planes." Here we have Davis showing a flash of brilliance &, at the same time, a glimmer of regret towards his own art. This still doesn't explain why Garfield, sucks, though. Maybe someday someone will be able to explain that.
Welcome aboard, Jim.