Over the course of nearly fifteen years writing Far Side s with enduring legacies might number in the hundreds, there are still legions of comics that have fallen into relative obscurity.
A select few hardcore Far Side fans might count one, or more, of the cartoons collected here among their favorites, but by and large, these deep-cut comics will be new to a majority of readers, given that for one reason or another, they have garnered less attention than others.
As readers will quickly recognize, these cartoons contain all the same elements as the most beloved Far Side s, and therefore deserve to have their reputations amplified among the generations of audiences who continue to discover Gary Larson's creatively chaotic ouvre to this day.
10 The Far Side's Executioners-In-Training Is One Of Many Forgotten Gems
First Published: November 16, 1993
The Far Side featured its share of executioners, competent or otherwise, including this classroom full of trainees at the "Electric Chair Operator Night School" – at least one of whom needs to go back to chapter one of the textbook, as the teacher confirms that flipping the switch "down and up real fast" is not the way to do it.
Gary Larson's sense of humor was notoriously dark from the very start of The Far Side, and while his ability to deliver a bleak joke became more precise over the years, this is evidence that his actual sense and style of humor did not change much between 1980 and 1995. Visually, the giant "On/Off" switch sketched on the chalkboard adds a perfect dimension to the joke, as does the student who answered incorrectly staring daggers at "Douglas," whose hand shot up next.
9 Not Every Far Side Cartoon Got A Participation Trophy
First Published: November 2, 1993
The Far Side's humor could be – occasionally decried as offensive. All a Far Side cartoon really needs to be memorable is to be just one of these things; conversely, however, when one of Larson's jokes tread dangerously close to being "ordinary," that could cause it to less with readers.
That is the case here, in a that depicts a Boy Scout troop being given "Big Boy Velcro Kits," as the caption explains that "even the Boy Scouts who fail knot-tying get to go camping." It is a funny enough joke, but the biggest knock against it is that it doesn't live up to The Far Side's reputation for oddity and unruliness.
8 Sometimes Gary Larson's Punchline Was Lost In The Details
First Published: December 17, 1991
Gary Larson has acknowledged the importance of detail and specificity to The Far Side's humor, and in many cases, he's right to say that being specific about certain details added to the impact of his jokes. Occasionally, however, the opposite was also true. That is, sometimes a perfectly amusing punchline could be obscured by the details of the .
Arguably, that can be said to be the case here; the comic depicts a buffalo with a harness tied around its neck, with the other end of the rope tied to the nose of a woman lying on an operating table, as a doctor, identified in the caption as "Dr. Irwin Blumenthal," prepares to startle the bull, tearing off the patient's nose. Evidently, this was something he did "until his medical license was suspended." It is a lot to process, and while the sum total might be funny, the result might be a delayed reaction.
7 The Far Side Has Many Memorable Characters – But Many More Who Are Not So Iconic
First Published: February 19, 1991
In this Far Side cartoon, an apple arrives at his date's front door to pick her up, only for a worm to pop out of his head at the most inopportune possible time, causing him to "[feel] himself turning even redder." It is a funny enough joke, and is actually one of Gary Larson's more relatable punchlines – yet for some reason, it hasn't stuck in readers' memories the way other Far Side comics do.
10 Far Side Comics That Put Terrible Pet Owners to Shame
The Far Side had its share of bad pets and pet owners alike; this list calls out the worst things Gary Larson's characters ever did to their pets.
One reason for this might be the absence of The Far Side's more recognizable characters, who became touchstones for readers over the years. While anthropomorphized apples are a fun image, they didn't appear enough to endear themselves to readers the way the comic's chickens and ducks, or bears and elephants, managed to.
6 Gary Larson Reminds Readers The Sistine Chapel Has A Floor Too
First Published: January 30, 1991
This Far Side cartoon deserves far more attention than it gets, because while it might not be a laugh-out-loud joke, it is by far one of Gary Larson's most thought-provoking punchlines. In the , the caption laments that "although history has long forgotten them, Lambini & Sons are generally credited with the Sistine Chapel floor," as the tiles are shown being laid, with the walls and ceiling surrounding the workers rendered a stark, empty white.
The comic's humor comes from the anachronistic "Lambini & Sons" being thrust back into Renaissance-era Rome, yet at the conceptual level, it makes the evocative point that, for Michelangelo to paint the Chapel's ceiling, many people whose names have been lost to him had to first build the Chapel, from the foundation up.
5 Many Far Side Comics Are Due For A Revival, As New Fans Discover Them For The First Time
First Published: July 26, 1990
In this Far Side cartoon, a careless custodian accidentally pulls the plug on a room full of bodies, as well as some disembodied heads, preserved at the "Frozen Friends Cryogenic Enterprise,' after getting his leg wrapped around the power cord.
This comic is a great example of Gary Larson's ability to be absurd in varying degrees; while the abrupt deaths of these individuals as a result of janitorial negligence might shock readers, the sheer silliness of their freeze being plugged into an easily accessible outlet is crucial to the joke. In effect, this hilarious Far Side comic deserves to be thawed out and introduced to a new generation of fans, because it is an all-time great one that hasn't earned the reputation it deserves.
4 Not Every Term Gary Larson Coined In The Far Side Caught On
First Published: October 16, 1985
The Far Side famously coined the term "thagomizer," for a stegosaurus' tail, which was adopted by the scientific community. However, that was not the only terminological joke Gary Larson made over the years, it was just the one that stuck. That is because he identified something that lacked a name, but could use one, and coined the term for it.
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.
This cartoon is actually much funnier, but the word it invents only applies to a scenario that is at once hyperspecific, and also highly improbable. According to the caption, "luposlipaphobia" means "the fear of being pursued by timber wolves around a kitchen table while wearing socks on a newly waxed floor," with the illustration portraying precisely that scenario. While this is a hilarious image, thankfully, no one has seemingly needed to use Larson's term in the decades since he created it.
3 Some Far Side Jokes Have Hurdles To Clear To Stick In Readers' Minds
First Published: January 28, 1984
This Far Side cartoon – in which a man on safari is startled by indigenous drummers, and ends up tangled in a fence, as a gazelle gracefully leaps over it – is a perfect representation of the hundreds upon hundreds of s that were perfectly serviceable in the pursuit of getting an absentminded chuckle from readers as they skimmed their daily funny pages, in this case on a Saturday morning.
As far as posterity goes, there is nothing that jumps out at the reader in a way that is likely to stick with them, especially in comparison to so many other Far Side comics. Without question, it is amusing, but in a way this comic fights a losing battle, as even if it manages to grab readers' attention, it will have a hard time keeping it for too long.
2 Sometimes The Far Side Was Too Simple For Its Own Good
First Published:April 15, 1982
Far Side readers can likely conjure to mind examples of cartoons where the weirdness actually got in the way of the punchline, or times in which Gary Larson asked too much of his readers, expecting them to catch a reference that wound up going right over most people's heads.
On the flip side of that, there were the occasional Far Side cartoons that were actually overly simple, leading them to be more quickly forgettable. That is arguably the case here; the depicts two dogs scratching a human's belly, causing his leg to kick – and that's it. The illustration is sparse, and the lacks a caption, though it doesn't need one. This is arguably a perfect example of Gary Larson's "inversion" technique, but beyond that, it doesn't stick out to readers the way so many of The Far Side's dog jokes did.
1 The Far Side Reveled In Depicting The Moment Before Everything Comes Crashing Down
First Published: May 21, 1980
This early Far Side cartoon is one of Gary Larson's best, and absolutely deserves more inclusion on "best of" lists. "Hey, who's that wise guy that keeps cracking his knuckles?" a kid in a tree fort says, as he keeps being interrupted while trying to hold a vote for their club's new name – not realizing that a beaver has chewed nearly all the way through the trunk of the tall tree they're hanging out in.
This Early Far Side Comic Was "Cow Tools" Months Before "Cow Tools" Was Published
"Cow Tools" is widely considered the most infamous Far Side comic, but few fans Gary Larson made a nearly identical joke months prior.
This is a perfect collusion of image and caption, in the way that makes the most memorable Far Side cartoons. There is no good reason why this doesn't have a greater legacy, other than that it has simply fallen into obscurity over time. However, Far Side fans will recognize its merit, and sing its praises, meaning that hopefully, like so many great Gary Larson cartoons, it finds a new audience in the years to come.
- 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.
