Yesterday was Veteran's Day. So it was more than a little surprising that the joke for the day's Garfield strip was about an "annual day of remembrance" called "National Stupid Day." Does Garfield support the troops?!

Okay, okay, so the strip—you can read it here—isn't an actual dig at Armistice/Veteran's Day—it's just victim to some really, really unfortunate timing. (And, also, it barely even makes sense, as a joke, so.) Garfield cartoonist Jim Davis released the following statement on his site and Facebook page:

Dear Friends, Fans and Veterans:

In what has to be the worst timing ever, the strip that runs in today's paper seems to be making a statement about Veterans. It absolutely, positively has nothing to do with this important day of remembrance.

Regarding today's Garfield comic strip , it was written almost a year ago and I had no idea when writing it that it would appear today — of all days. I do not use a calendar that lists holidays and other notable days so when this strip was put in the queue, I had no idea it would run on Veterans Day. What are the odds? You can bet I'll have a calendar that lists everything by my side in the future.

My brother Dave served in Vietnam. My son James is a Marine who has had two tours of duty, both in Iraq and Afghanistan. You'd have to go a long way to find someone who was more proud and grateful for what our Veterans have done for all of us.

Please accept my apologies for any offense today's Garfield may have created. It was unintentional and regrettable.

Okay, Jim, apology accepted. (Though, of all holiday dates to forget, Veteran's Day? I mean, it's November 11. You only have to remember one number, and repeat it four times.) I will be honest, though: I would be way more interested in Garfield if Davis had the characters take on a extremist, veteran-hating worldview.

[Garfield]