The Far Side is best known for following a certain formula, for reliably adhering to an idiosyncratic that became instantly recognizable as the comic found nationwide recognition – yet these classic Gary Larson cartoons feature one of the ways he routinely pushed the boundaries of his style, resulting in one of his most underappreciated recurring gags from over the years.

employed a multi- format with many exceptional Far Side entries over the years.

The comics collected here represent the best of both worlds, a hybrid form in which a solitary contains a sequence of images – allowing Gary Larson to produce his classic series of "evolution" s, as well as multiple timeless "one of these things is not like the others" gags.

12 This Early Far Side "Evolution" Embodies A Classic Observation About Domestication

First Published: July 30, 1982

Captioned "evolution of the dog," this Far Side canine cartoon portrays the full-circle progression of the species from a small, almost rodent-like creature, through the full lupine majesty of the undomesticated wolf, to the impressive form of a domesticated mastiff – and back to the rodent-like dachshund.

It is a trajectory that many dog lovers will have marveled at previously, making this Far Side comic as relatable as it is amusing and thought-provoking, all in one simple package. Larson's deliberately simple illustration adds to the overall effect, by drawing the reader's attention to the forms of the different breeds, while allowing them to fill in the details with their own mental pictures.

11 Another "Full Circle" Far Side Cartoon – This Time Even More Ambitious

First Published: November 11, 1982

In this Far Side cartoon, Gary Larson seems to build on his observation about dog domestication, except this time he even more grandiosely applies it to humanity itself, in his own warped – though not by any means inaccurate – take on artist Rudolph Zallinger's famous "March of Progress" illustration of human evolution. Remarkably, Larson more or less recreates the original drawing in his own style, but he also crucially adds a few steps.

In his version, Larson goes back even further than the primate origins of humankind, starting with their aquatic progenitors, depicting step one of the evolutionary chain as a fish – while the final stage features a fisherman, holding a fishing pole and smiling widely as he holds up his catch, a fish that looks identical to his oldest ancestor.

10 "The Stickman": Gary Larson Riffs On The Evolution Of Art In This Hilariously Simple Far Side Comic

First Published: January 20, 1983

Continuing his run of "evolution" comics from the early years of The Far Side, here Gary Larson charts the "evolution of the Stickman," from a single line with a circle on the end, to a fully-formed, civilized stick figure, wearing a top hat and carrying a briefcase, with a big smile on his face.

Once more, with this Far Side cartoon, Larson delivers a riff on Zallinger's "March of Progress," following the formula of the familiar image in order to trace the increasing complexity of the most simple artistic depiction of a human being. It is a simple, yet very funny twist on a recognizable image, in one of The Far Side's most on-point parodies.

9 "Giraffe Evolution": The Far Side's Most Underrated Animal Takes Shape

First Published: April 8, 1986

Gary Larson published a number of memorable Far Side cartoons starring giraffes, yet they don't get as much recognition as some of the more ubiquitous Far Side animals, such as chickens or cows. Nevertheless, what makes the giraffe such an inherently Larsonian creature is on full display here, as the artist charts "giraffe evolution," which amounts to a creature with excessively long legs and no neck morphing, over time, into the exact opposite.

Larson is still playing with the concept of "March of Progress" here, but in this case he has condensed it, having taken the formula and tweaked it to suit his own comedic purposes – to great effect, as most Far Side fans would agree.

8 A Later-Stage Far Side Evolution Joke Shows How Gary Larson's Style Changed Over Time

First Published: June 21, 1990

This Far Side comic, published a decade into the strip's run in syndication, finds Gary Larson returning to his "evolution" series, with the intervening years of refinement to his artistic and comedic style evident from the way this cartoon is distinguished from earlier iterations of this joke.

Captioned "the evolution of Medusa's hair," Larson is actually making a joke about the evolution of womens' hairstyles in the 20th century, depicting her with increasingly outragous 'dos across six decades, from the 1940s to the 1990s; by making his subject the infamous snake-haired Gorgon from Greek mythology, Larson gives his joke a much stronger chance standing out and grabbing readers' attention, while also adding his patented touch of absurdist whimsy, which is an essential ingredient to the cartoon's success.

7 "Awkward Ages": The Far Side Reminds Readers Growing Pains Are Universal

First Published: August 9, 1991

In this Far Side , Gary Larson humorously draws parallels between the "awkward ages" of different species, starting with "human, 11-13 years," and proceeding through the adolescent stages of dogs, frogs, elephants, and sharks, in increasingly hyperbolic and deliberately cartoonish .

As silly as the joke is – and it is, by design, very silly, as silliness is one of The Far Side's prolific, yet often underappreciated modes of humor – it also has a note of poignancy to it, as Larson seemingly strives to young readers that they are not going through their "awkward age" alone, and that it is in fact a widely recognizable experience, one they just need to get through.

6 Gary Larson Nitpicks "Flawed Cultural Treasures" In This Hilarious Far Side Cartoon

First Published: September 19, 1991

Captioned "flawed cultural treasures," this Far Side consists of sketches of various historical artifacts – the Liberty Bell, Venus de Milo, the Sphinx, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Shroud of Turin – with annotations pointing out their imperfections – "cracked," "no arms," no schnoz," "leaning," and "coffee stains," respectively.

With this final example, Gary Larson ends the joke on a hint of sacrilege, one that takes an anachronistic, absurdist jump, which the reader is perfectly primed for by the straightforward, suspiciously no-nonsense tone of everything that comes before. While the premise is amusing in its own right, this escalation at the final moment is what makes this a full-on chuckle-inducing Far Side cartoon.

5 Gary Larson Was Great At Disrupting His Own Conventions With The Far Side

First Published: January 14, 1992​​​​​​​

The Far Side was experimental, without a doubt – but Gary Larson was also clearly an artist who liked to have familiar formats and structures that he could build on the foundation of. That is why so many of the entries on this list feature a single with six illustrations, something Larson slyly subverts here by squeezing in a seventh character, in this case a beetle with a pencil around its neck grouped in with the rest of The Far Side's "common rescue animals."

These include the familiar St. Bernard with a barrel of beer around its neck, but after that, the list is increasingly off the rails, including a dolphin bearing goldfish, a rhino with a pizza, a cow carrying cereal, the aforementioned bug, a snake with keys, and a chicken transporting floss.

4 Gary Larson Dabbles In The Art Of Being A Rock Critic, Far Side Style

First Published: March 23, 1992

Gary Larson was a jazz musician, a ion which many different aspects of The Far Side can be traced back to. More generally, he was a fan of music, and here he flexes some of his knowledge by depicting some mash-up records that sound highly unorthodox, to say the least, if not outright unappealing.

These hilariously include "Sinatra & Prince: The Duets," "Public Enemy #1 Does Cole Porter," and perhaps the funniest, "Metallica and the Andean Pan Pipe Players," the cover for which features a metalhead screaming in the foreground, with the pipers piping in the background. In a way, this Far Side comic is unlike any other, representing a unique entry in Gary Larson's extensive ouvre.

3 Let's Take A Closer Look At One Of The Far Side's Weirder Pop Culture References

First Published: June 12, 1992​​​​​​​

In this strange and cerebral Far Side cartoon, Gary Larson depicts the "lips of the animal kingdom," ranging from those of a yak, to a musk ox, to a mosquito, to a leech – while also including famous musicians Madonna and Mick Jagger, as well as former president Ronald Reagan, whose mouth is depicted as old and frail, his wrinkled lips curling in on themselves.

It is one of The Far Side's stranger jokes, for sure, if for no other reason than the gag seems especially out-of-left-field, prompting readers to wonder what the genesis of the joke was, and more specifically, which of the three famous people referenced Larson intended to take a sly dig at first.