"obtuse, esoteric, and strange," in creator Gary Larson's own words – but another facet of the comic's humor, its rich vein of overly literal, overtly obvious jokes, was equally important, something that is perhaps best exemplified by his "Chicken of Depression" cartoon.
Understanding how Larson literalized, and often over-literalized, things throughout The Far Side is essential to "getting" his humor on a deeper level. At least, as deep as a level as The Far Side has.
Part of the ongoing cultural and critical discourse about Gary Larson's work is how much subtext it contains – with the generally accepted consensus answer being that there is more than the author would it, but less than most readers expect. How fans of The Far Side interpret Larson's most literal jokes, therefore, fit into that conversation in an interesting way.
The Far Side's "Chicken Of Depression" Comic, Explained (Why Is It Funny?)
First Published: January 20, 1988
The Far Side's "Chicken of Depression" features a man sitting hunched over at the foot of his bed, in his pajamas, hair disheveled, the surrounding room a mess; a bare lightbulb hangs from the ceiling, a broken mirror is askew on the wall, and the floor is covered in clothes and what look to be crushed beer cans. In the window, staring at him unsympathetically, is a chicken, as the caption notes:
The Bluebird of Happiness long absent from his life, Ned is visited by the Chicken of Depression.
In this way, Gary Larson delivers a joke that is deliberately crafted so that it is nearly impossible for Far Side fans to misunderstand or misinterpret.
The Deep Cut Reference Behind This Classic Far Side Punchline Made Me Realize This Is Officially Gary Larson's Greatest Cow Joke
I thought The Far Side's "Discontented Cow" cartoon was funny even before I realized it was a sly reference, which made me appreciate it even more.
In the process, Larson also embodies a difficult subject literal form in the way only the best fiction can accomplish. Depression is a hard subject to tackle, especially in a single , and in this instance, The Far Side effectively depicts what it is like to be stuck in a depression cycle – not by being blunt, but rather, overly literal. Here, psychological states have physical avatars that visit people like poor Ned; more than just facilitating the comic's punchline, this literalization is in itself at the core of the 's humor.
How "Chicken Of Depression" Can Help Readers Understand Gary Larson's Humor Better
How To Interpret The Far Side
The Far Side often derived its humor from asking "What if?", in effectively the same way that many great prose authors do, especially those who work in the sci-fi and speculative fiction genres. The difference, which "Chicken of Depression" highlights, is that Gary Larson's endpoint was often where a Karen Russell short story or an episode of Twilight Zone begins. In other words, in other mediums, a man being visited by a chicken that embodies his depression would be the start of a story, whereas with The Far Side, it is the punchline in itself.
Larson's routine use of literalization is an invitation to be comfortable interpreting the less obvious Far Side jokes.
One thing "Chicken of Depression" can do is give fans a better insight into Gary Larson's style of comedy; by understanding The Far Side's humor at its most literal, readers can develop a better sense of when, and how, to decipher comics when their meaning isn't immediately clear. This makes The Far Side less confusing, and in the process, reveals to the reader how crucial their active engagement in the comic actually is. In other words, Larson's routine use of literalization is an invitation to be comfortable interpreting the less obvious Far Side jokes.
Gary Larson's Overly Literal Jokes Were An Early Version Of Contemporary Popular Internet Humor
A Prototype For Absurdist Memes
The Far Side is cited as a progenitor of contemporary meme comedy for Gary Larson's absurdist style of humor, which the author remains most closely associated with to this day. Yet readers will recognize a strain, or subtype of this absurdism, which is becoming increasingly popular – the overly literal – as coming from the Larsonian playbook. These jokes highlight the fact that sometimes the most head-smacking obvious thing is the most outrageous, a technique that Larson used incredibly effectively during the entirety of The Far Side's run.
The Far Side Complete Collection
Fans of the far side can't up this master collection of Gary Larson's finest work. Originally published in hardcover in 2003, this paperback set comes complete with a newly designed slipcase that will look great on any shelf. The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever published, which amounts to over 4,000, plus more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book and even some made after Larson retired.
While it is difficult to trace direct links between The Far Side and contemporary meme humor, the connection is evidence of the shift in that direction. Arguably, the evolution of meme humor can be looked at as an accelerated version of the development of comic strip humor; as much as Larson's work was pioneering in a way, it was also the end result of a long progression in the medium over the course of the 20th century. The Far Side's more obscure jokes might make exploring that connection harder, but its literal humor clarifies the interrelation.
Gary Larson Often Took For Granted That Readers Wouldn't Look For Deeper Meaning In The Far Side
"Chicken Of Depression" Is What Readers Make Of It
Notoriously, Gary Larson all but denied that there was "meaning" beyond the surface level of Far Side jokes, or even that his cartoons had any meaning at all. The truth, of course, is more complicated. The more time readers spend closely analyzing Far Side cartoons, the more their deeper meanings – or perhaps more aptly put, their motivations and origins – become increasingly clear. Larson was undisputedly a naturalist, for example, and The Far Side carries a strong strain of pro-animal sentiment.
The Far Side at its strangest could be ephemeral, even superficial...while its overly literal comics could offer a level beneath that immediate reaction.
Similarly, Larson was a perennial outsider, and his proliferate an immediate impact on the reader, rather than leave a lasting impression – while its overly literal comics could offer a level beneath that immediate reaction.
This wasn't always the case, if for no other reason than The Far Side was never monolithic, and that as much as it was the product of a formula, Gary Larson consistently found ways for the comic to subvert itself. If there is one comic strip where it is applicable, though, it is "Chicken of Depression," – which stands out as a Far Side comic that is more wide open to interpretation, because readers will bring their own mental health experiences to their engagement with the joke, leading it to far exceed the pure literal surface of the .
- Writer
- Gary Larson
- Colorist
- Gary Larson
The Far Side is a humorous comic series developed by Gary Larson. The series has been in production since 1979 and features a wide array of comic collections, calendars, art, and other miscellaneous items.
