Even classic literature can’t escape the odd and twisted nature of The Far Side parodied its share of pop culture. But among the satires of movies and TV shows were strips lampooning classic and beloved stories.
If there’s one thing that’s The Far Side parodied movies and television a bit more than books, the ones that poke fun at classic literature are just as fun and these 10 strips prove it.
10 Something’s Literally Rotten in Denmark
Book Referenced: Hamlet
William Shakespeare’s works have stood the test of time, and there was one reference that Gary Larson just couldn’t help but make. In this Far Side strip, Larson takes the Bard’s infamous quote from Hamlet and makes it as literal as possible. A map is shown, and two people are discussing something that smells absolutely awful. As one suspects that something’s rotten, the other person immediately suspects Denmark, where a giant fish skeleton is lying out. A gross take on the infamous quote, but exactly what one would expect when Shakespeare's classic play meets The Far Side.
9 Moby-Dick’s Opening Line
Book Referenced: Moby-Dick, or The Whale
There’s absolutely nothing worse for a writer than when facing writer’s block. But it happens to everyone, even the big names like Herman Melville. The Far Side takes a humorous look at his earliest attempts at writing Moby-Dick, where the struggling writer appears to be unable to get his opening sentence just right. Instead of the correct “Call me Ishmael”, Larson included more commonplace names like Bill or Al. It’s hard to imagine Melville struggling over such an inconsequential aspect to the rest of the story, but it’s prime Far Side comedy material.
8 Dracula Prank
Book Referenced: Dracula
Bram Stoker’s Dracula was a book that changed the game for Gothic horror, introducing the most vampire ever seen in fiction. But as The Far Side so often does, it makes even the most horrifying figures the subject of misfortune. Here, the Count is celebrating his birthday when he receives a present from a couple of friends. However, what they’ve gotten Dracula is, in fact, a sun lamp. A friendly prank or an honest attempt at trying to kill the vampire? When it comes to The Far Side, a prank is just as likely as a gruesome death.
7 The Literal Call of the Wild
Book Referenced: The Call of the Wild
Gary Larson absolutely loved animals and wordplay, so it only seems right that he took from a book that allows him to use both in a strip. Here, a moose is at home relaxing when his wife answers the phone and informs him that it’s “the call of the wild”. No, it doesn’t have much to do with the classic adventure novel of the same name. It’s just Larson taking the iconic phrase and turning it into some humdrum (with a dash of absurdity). But hey, the simple route is just as funny as anything else in The Far Side.
6 Dorian Gray and His Dog
Book Referenced: The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a story about the price of vanity and clinging to youth and, while it makes for a good, unsettling tale, Larson makes it a bit more wholesome and funny with his offbeat approach. Yes, it’s still Dorian Gray using a portrait that ages so that he may remain eternally young. But unlike the book, The Far Side has Gray include a painting of his dog, which similarly ages while the two play out in the yard. It doesn’t make the same point as the original novel, but what pet owner wouldn’t do the same?
5 Little Women’s Biggest Fans
Book Referenced: Little Women
It’s always funny when Larson takes things seriously with The Far Side. In this instance, the strip focuses on the classic Louisa May Alcott’s timeless novel, Little Women. A group of men gathers around to read the story and, hilariously enough, they’re all little men. Were they misled as to what the book was actually about or are they a serious group of literature aficionados who happen to be tiny? One can never be too certain with Larson's work, but it’s a great visual gag and a prime example of The Far Side’s clever humor.
4 Edgar Allan Poe’s Writer’s Block
Book Referenced: The Tell-Tale Heart
Much like poor Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe didn’t fare much better in The Far Side. One of the greatest classic horror writers is also hit with a devastating bout of writer’s block. But whereas Melville couldn’t think up the right opening sentence, Larson has Poe struggling to think of a title for his story, The Tell-Tale Heart. Rather than the more famous title, Poe tried making it work with other organs, such as spleens and bladders. Only The Far Side could present literary masters as woefully incompetent and unable to generate even the simplest of ideas.
3 Frankenstein Bolts
Book Referenced: Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Interestingly enough, The Far Side is one of the few strips to have a Frankenstein gag actually be about Frankenstein and not Frankenstein’s monster. This strip is set in Victor’s lab where he and Igor are working tirelessly to bring the former’s creation to life. But Frankenstein is really putting the ‘mad’ in ‘mad scientist' as he chastises Igor for being unable to get him the right sized wrench to adjust the monster’s neck bolts. An ittedly minor problem when it comes to reanimating dead flesh, but The Far Side really makes it work.
2 Ichabod Crane in Court
Book Referenced: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a creepy tale, but while the fictional events of the small town are the things of legend, Larson uses it to have some fun. Instead of the Headless Horseman coming to take Ichabod Crane’s head, he decided to take him to the cleaners in The People’s Court. The dread has been replaced with the most hilarious drama as Crane defends himself against insulting the Horseman’s steed. It’s an unusual twist to classic literature, but one that makes the classic story fit right into the world of The Far Side.
1 Wizard of Oz Mugging
Book Referenced: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz inspired generations of readers with its delightful story of Dorothy’s journey with the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion. So Larson goes for the throat in this Far Side strip that sees the quartet mugged in an act of random crime. Worse, the thief doesn’t even want money, but rather, the things they worked so hard to get like their heart and brains. Granted, the thief can’t actually take those things, but The Far Side nails it with this demented, yet still incredibly funny twist on such a beloved children’s story.
