The Far Side famously does not have a main character, so the artwork is always tailored to the joke, not the other way around. This style guarantees variety, which is a big reason as to why The Far Side has stood the test of time.

However, while it’s true The Far Side has stood the test of time as a whole, it’s also true that there are a few that certainly stand out from the rest. From clever wordplay to expertly-crafted visual humor, some Far Side comics are destined to always have the ability to make people laugh, no matter the year, decade, or century. And, out of them all, these are the 10 Far Side comics that stand the test of time - even after all these years.

10 The Far Side's "Midvale School for the Gifted"

Even People who are 'Book Smart' can Lack Common Sense in The Far Side

A young schoolboy with a book in hand is making his way to his classroom, and is attempting to enter one of the side-doors at his school. However, this kid is having a little trouble, as he's trying to open the door by pushing it open, even though the sign on the door clearly reads, "pull". The Far Side comic makes a point to let readers know that this child goes to a school geared specifically toward gifted students, implying that he should be smarter than the average child.

But even still, this boy tries to push a 'pull' door, which is a problem that someone of his presumed intelligence level should never experience. It seems even people who are 'book smart' can still lack common sense, especially in The Far Side.

9 The Far Side's "Boneless Chicken Ranch"

Boneless Chicken Isn't Just an Option on the Menu in The Far Side

An entire brood of chickens living on a free-range ranch are just lying on the ground (with some lying on the fence and the sign), not because they're tired, but because they literally couldn't move if they wanted to. As the sign of this ranch reveals, it is a "Boneless Chicken Ranch", meaning the chickens that live on this ranch are, indeed, boneless. Obviously, that's absurd, as there's no such thing as a 'boneless chicken ranch', and a chicken without bones can't live.

However, the absurdity of the joke is what makes this timeless Far Side comic so hilarious. 'Boneless chicken' is usually just an option on a menu, like for tenders or nuggets. But, in The Far Side, some chickens are always boneless, and there are even entire ranches where they are raised.

8 The Far Side's "To Get TUTORED"

A Dog in The Far Side is Misinformed About What He's In For

A dog is hanging out the back window of his human's car, bragging to the neighbor's dog (named Biff) about his day. The dog in the car tells Biff that he's going to the drug store, the post office, and then the vet. Why would a dog be excited about a trip to the vet? Well, this dog is going to the vet to get tutored. At least, that's what he thinks, but it's made pretty clear that the dog misheard what his human said, and is woefully misinformed about what he's in for.

The word "Tutored" certainly sounds a lot like the word "neutered" - which is more likely for a dog to experience at the vet? Yeah, it seems this dog is about to get neutered, and he unwittingly bragged about it to his neighbor, which makes this entire Far Side comic that much funnier.

7 The Far Side's "Slide-Spiders"

Two Ambitious Spiders have a Plan to "Eat Like Kings"

Two spiders have just finished building a web at the end of a slide on a playground occupied by human children, with the goal being to catch one of those kids in their web after they slide down the slide - and, from there, these spiders will "eat like kings". While the idea of two spiders coming up with a plan like this is hilarious, what's even funnier is what is actually going to happen.

The first child who slides down this slide isn't going to get caught in the web, they are going to destroy the web, and likely squish the spiders when they do. These spiders might be ambitious, but ultimately they're pretty dumb, and the spiders are about to learn the difference the hard way in The Far Side.

6 The Far Side's "Cow-People Conspiracy"

Cows Only Act Like Cows when There are People, the Rest of the Time They Act Like People Themselves

A herd of cows are standing around in a field by the road, casually conversing and hanging out. Except, they aren't standing on all fours the way cows normally stand. These cows are standing on two legs like humans. At least, until one of the cows shouts "car!". Upon hearing that, all the cows get down on all fours, and begin standing (and behaving) as humans would expect cows to. Then, when the car is gone, the cows stand back up, revealing that cows only act like cows when people are around. The rest of the time, they act like people.

This particular Far Side comic was referenced in an episode of Cheers, which not only proves how funny it is, but also how utterly timeless. Indeed, this is a Far Side comic that won't be forgotten any time soon.

5 The Far Side's "Immediately Devoured"

A Man Tries (& Fails) to Avoid Getting Eaten by a Monster in The Far Side

A man opens the front door of his house after hearing a knock at the door, while his wife sits in her chair, watching television. When the man opens the door, he's greeted by a ferocious, terrifying monster. The monster's mouth is filled with razor-sharp teeth, and it's curled into a sinister smile. The man, adopting survival tips from animals such as a peppered moth or an artic hare, stands perfectly still, hoping to avoid being eaten by the monster if he does so. That's not the case.

This Far Side comic sets up the scene as if the man (named Harold) would ultimately survive, and that the survival tips he picked up from the aforementioned animals would work. But, in a hilariously callous manner, The Far Side reveals that standing still doesn't work, and that Harold was, of course, devoured.

4 The Far Side's "Fallout Fishing"

These Two Guys are Fishing Without Limits in The Far Side (Thanks to Nuclear War)

Norm and his buddy are out in their boat on the lake one day, enjoying a little fishing trip. However, even during the best fishing days these two could hope for, there are still legal limits to the types of fish they can catch, and how many. But then, Norm notices nuclear explosions going off behind them, ones that are obliterating society as they know it. Norm asks his friend what this means, and his friend answers, "I'll tell you what this means, Norm - no size restrictions and screw the limit".

Since the world is on the precipice of falling into a post-apocalyptic wasteland because of nuclear war, Norm and his friend are going to fish without limits, which is a hilariously weird bright side to this otherwise horrific moment in The Far Side.

3 The Far Side's "Darrell's Reversed Spoon"

Darrell's Suspicious Nature has Overwhelmed His Common Sense in The Far Side

A man named Darrell is sitting at the bar of a diner, trying to enjoy the soup he had just ordered. However, there seems to be an issue with his spoon. It's not holding the soup as it's designed to do, the soup just keeps rolling off the spoon and back into the bowl. This makes Darrell suspicious of everyone around him, as he's convinced that someone slipped him a 'trick spoon' with its concave side reversed.

It didn't occur to Darrell for even a moment that he might just be holding his spoon wrong, as his suspicious nature utterly convinced him that someone was out to get him. While this Far Side comic is absolutely hilarious, it also paints the picture of a man whose suspicious nature has completely overwhelmed his common sense.

2 The Far Side's "Prankster Scientist"

Scientists are Famously Stupid in The Far Side, but This One's the Dumbest

One scientist is working in his lab, hammering nails into a nuclear bomb (which, alone, doesn't seem like the brightest thing to do). And as this scientist is working on something so dangerous, another scientist decides that would be the perfect time to prank him with the loud 'pop' of a bag filled with air. One wrong move, and this entire lab - and the surrounding area - gets obliterated. But, nothing can stop a hilarious prankster, even in the face of instant death.

Scientists are famously pretty stupid in The Far Side, with a number of comics dedicated to proving just that. From chasing ice cream trucks to smacking animals, The Far Side's scientists aren't the brightest bunch. However, this 'prankster scientist' is arguably the dumbest one of them all (for pretty obvious reasons).

1 The Far Side's "Thagomizer"

The Tail of a Stegosaurus is Named After a Brave Caveman in The Far Side

A caveman is teaching a class of other cavemen about dinosaur biology, including the names of body parts of different dinosaur species. In the lesson that fans can read in the comic strip above, the caveman-teacher is teaching his class about the tail of the stegosaurus, otherwise known as the "Thagomizer" - specifically, how it got its name. Apparently, a caveman named Thag Simmons got killed by the spikey end of a stegosaurus' tail, so the scientific caveman community decided to name it after him.

Interestingly enough, the term "thagomizer" has been adopted by real-world paleontologists as an informal anatomical term for a stegosaurus' pointy tail, which only makes this Far Side comic that much funnier. But more than that, this - along with the rest of these 10 comics - is a Far Side comic that absolutely stands the test of time, and will continue to do so for years to come.