The original orange cartoon cat is Bergen-born

Two rows of fresh fish chill on ice outside the Elite Fish Market in the colorful port town of Westfinster. From behind the counter, the fishmonger, Mr. Schultz, looks on incredulously. “Geo Gately,” in faultless looping script, is written on the wall above his head. His ire seems focused on a striped feline, who stands upright in swim fins atop the fish-filled rack. The cat is wearing goggles on his head and a delightedly devilish look on his face. He's holding a spear.

The image, from the cover of a 1989 Heathcliff comic book, is a classic take on the original fat cartoon cat. Unlike his portly peer Garfield, who arrived after him on the comic strip scene, Heathcliff chose raw fish over lasagna, milkman over postman, street over house. Gruff, sarcastic and adorable, the hellion-turned-icon found joy in mischief, pain in baths and satisfaction in thwarting the boisterous neighborhood bulldog, Spike.

All of it was conceived by George Gately, a former Bergen County resident of rare talent. Born on Dec. 21, 1928, George Gately Gallagher was raised in Bergenfield. After graduating from the town's high school, he attended the Pratt Institute in New York City with a view to profiting off his creativity through advertising.

His fate had long been sealed, however. For Gately, ad work proved far too stifling. Gately would later say he wanted to be a cartoonist from the first time he picked up a pencil.

Doodling was encouraged by his parents. Arguably, it was in his blood. His older brother, John Gallagher, was also a well-known cartoonist and would help him pen “Heathcliff” in its heyday (George may have dropped his last name professionally to avoid confusion). After Gately’s 1998 retirement, his nephew, Peter Gallagher, picked up the pencil and ensured the strip’s survival.

Gallagher, who lives in North Jersey, teaches at Montclair State University and started working with his uncle in 1994, crafts the daily one-panel and the Sunday strip in a similar style and spirit. There are, however, notably more helmets, robots and absurdity in his cartoons. In an August comic, Gallagher revealed the Little Utz Girl is Heathcliff’s celebrity crush.

Gately created his first newspaper strip in 1964. Called “Hapless Harry,” it was heavy in misfortune. After several years with decent success, Gately bravely scrapped the average doofus. In his place, he penned a lovable rogue with a slightly toothy grin.

Named for the character in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, "Heathcliff" premiered in print in 1973. The tabby quickly gained a following. In Gately’s 2001 obituary in The Los Angeles Times, the newspaper said 900 protest letters forced the paper to reinstate the strip after “Heathcliff” was pulled in 1974.

After capturing the 1970s, the street-smart cat peaked in the '80s. Two separate animated series had Mel Blanc voicing the cat. An incomparable legend in voice acting, who powered Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Barney Rubble, Blanc solidified Heathcliff’s status as an endearing wise guy.

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Ever relatable, the rotund cat steals, but he also stands for workers' rights. He has a loyal best friend in innocent Iggy, an ever-out-of-reach crush in sleek Sonja and a less-than-ideal role model in convict "Pops" Heathcliff.

“When you look at the features that have been successful, you notice that they’re usually very simple, and deal with things that people of every circumstance can relate to,” Gately was quoted as saying in The Los Angeles Times. “I’m as interested in having the poorest person relate to Heathcliff as I am the richest person.”

In his late adult life, Gately lived in Upper Saddle River. He was known for singing and playing the piano in local bars, though he dealt with emphysema and weight issues. He died from complications related to a heart ailment on Sept. 30, 2001, at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. He was 72.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: George Gately's ‘Heathcliff’ comic strip started and continues to hail from Bergen