When Gary Larson returned to the world of Far Side after 25 years, his first comic was the perfect showcase for his cartoon genius. In 2020, Larson's first comic strip after unretiring, showcased a mad artist being brought a tray of snacks from a Frankenstein-like monster who was a cow. The strip was a great way to highlight his return to the industry while keeping his trademark style readers had grown to love since Far Side debuted more than 40 years ago in newspapers.
When Gary Larson launched his website and returned to Far Side in 2020, his first comic back illustrated his return to comic strips. In the one- comic, the shadow of a mad scientist (as a cartoonist) works away as a cow brings him food and a warm drink. The comic takes place in a basement, as it seems to be a metaphor for Larson's own mad genius finally being freed as he started working again - while alongside one of the most notable animals he used throughout Far Side.
Gary Larson's Return To Comics Was A Total Surprise
Larson had seemingly accomplished all he could when he walked away from Far Side in 1995 after a 15-year run in syndication that saw his comic strips printed in thousands of newspapers across the United States. So, when Larson announced he was returning to draw comics again in 2020, it caught readers by total surprise, as he seemed to be retired. However, as his first comic upon returning shows, he was just hiding his genius while taking a break from the industry - locking himself away.
Larson returned to the industry because he found a new format and ion for drawing Far Side after learning how to use digital tools in his art. Without picking up the new skill, it's likely that Far Side wouldn't have continued in 2020, and Larson would still remain retired. However, he itted to finding a new "sense of adventure" upon transitioning to the world of digital art, in which all of his new comics are done in.
The Frankenstein-inspired comic ended up being the perfect first comic for Gary Larson's return to Far Side, as it showed his uniquely creative mind hadn't lost a step while giving readers a glimpse of how his mind processed and operated while he stepped away from the comic strip. Thankfully, Larson's return in 2020 was permanent, as the Frankenstein Far Side comic would be the first of many pieces the talented writer and artist would complete since unretiring from comics. Hopefully, it's a long-time before Larson considers stepping away again.
