There's no doubt that Gary Larson's irreverent strip The Far Side is a classic, but would the series find the same kind of success today? It's hard to deny how genius and rib-tickling Larson's opus is, but in a world where The Far Side never launched back in the late '70s, how would the world take the series' absurdist humor?

The Far Side’s original publication and Larson could get away with a lot of things he never could during the strip’s original run. A few considerations aside, The Far Side could absolutely be published today, perhaps finding greater success than it did during its initial publication.

Some Far Side Content Hasn’t Aged As Well as Others

Even The Far Side Isn't Immune From Time ing

The Far Side was originally published in 1979 and ran through the mid-’90s. As most older readers know, a lot of comedic material from this period of time has not exactly aged well. Sometimes it’s because of negative depictions of marginalized groups, while other times it's because social mores have changed. Comedy is a very ‘of the time’ genre and the truth is that a lot of material from this period simply hasn’t aged well, and even The Far Side isn’t immune.

To be fair, The Far Side was better than most other comedies at the time. Larson rarely, if ever, made any specific group or community the butt of the joke, nor did he use his strip as a means to denigrate people for their race, sex, gender, or sexuality. But even The Far Side, for all the good humor it provided, would occasionally do something that’s a bit cringy to look back on. Native Americans, for example, are almost always depicted in an Old West, ‘cowboys and Indians’-style role.

Larson wasn’t afraid to make jokes about the lax gun policies in America, nor the country’s shockingly high number of mass shooting incidents.

Beyond negative depictions, The Far Side delved into some cultural jokes that simultaneously aged well and harshly. Larson wasn’t afraid to make jokes about the lax gun policies in America, nor the country’s shockingly high number of mass shooting incidents. While one could argue these strips were prescient for their day, one must it they’d have a harder time getting published today. All that said, The Far Side aged better than most strips, which aided its evergreen popularity decades later.

The Far Side Could Thrive in the Comedy Sphere Today

Larson Would Have Virtually No Boundaries Making The Far Side Today

While creators do attempt to be more sensitive than the past, the comedy world is, frankly, a lot more lax than it used to be. While no creator is allowed to go hog wild, it’s a different world than it was in 1979. Creators can use more casual swearing, showcase more violent or unrestrained behavior, and even be a little more suggestive. While The Far Side wasn’t exactly known for pushing the envelope, it would absolutely thrive in a world without restrictive and arbitrary boundaries.

Granted, it’s not like Larson wanted The Far Side to be an adults-only comic strip. But even he faced some surprising pushback in his career. As revealed by Larson in The Prehistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit, there was one animal he was never able to feature. Unlike the strip’s cows and chickens he frequently used, The Far Side wasn’t allowed to use dung beetles. Larson even showed one of his potential dung beetle ideas in the collection, showcasing what could have been had he had a little bit more editorial freedom.

If The Far Side was published today, Gary Larson wouldn’t just find his audience, he’d find creative freedom...

There may be something to be said about how funny The Far Side still was despite facing editorial notes. After all, limitations force creators to be more creative and that’s always a good thing. That being said, Larson wasn’t trying to push boundaries, he just wanted to tell the kinds of jokes he thought were funny. Sure, they’re a little crude, but it’s nothing shocking or worthy of being hidden behind a censor. If The Far Side was published today, Gary Larson wouldn’t just find his audience, he’d find creative freedom that would fuel more authentic (and hilarious) jokes.

The Verdict: The Far Side Could Totally Work Today

At the End of the Day, The Far Side is Just Plain Funny

Sure, there are a lot of things that were once funny a few decades ago that aren’t considered funny now. But aside from a strip or two, The Far Side is just as laugh-worthy today as it was back then. Part of the reason that Larson’s strip has such a timeless appeal is because he used his comic to lampoon the human condition. He didn’t waste time chasing ephemeral trends or going after any particular group. The Far Side was mocking humanity, and its worst (or at least, most annoying) faults.

Larson tapped into something amazing with his strip, something awkward and odd, but hilarious and relatable...

If the world never had the pleasure of The Far Side several years ago, and it was introduced today, there’s no doubt it would be a success. Larson tapped into something amazing with his strip, something awkward and odd, but hilarious and relatable at the same time. Something that has such broad appeal with a unique flavor to it is always going to find an audience no matter what decade it's in. Other comedic material may struggle with relevancy, but The Far Side's humor shows no real sign of aging.

Gary Larson was in the right time and place when he first made The Far Side. And what he made was so unique, so funny, and so evergreen, it’s tickling the funny bones of readers just as much as it was when it was first syndicated. That’s a rarity in the comedy world, and it’s something Larson should be proud of. Though not everything funny stands the test of time, The Far Side does, and if it was published today, it’d no doubt find the same level of success.