While he's being redesigned, Garfield briefly resembles Bart Simpson. Film Roman the animation company for Garfield and Friends (1988) actually started animated episodes for The Simpsons (1989) from it's fourth season from 1992 to it's twenty seventh season from 2016.
Mr. Sprocket references two popular Hanna Barbera series when he suggests Garfield be part of a team of mystery-solvers ('Scooby Doo') or a cat-themed rock band ('Josie and the Pussycats').