Summary
- Gary Larson's use og ants as focal characters in The Far Side resulted in cartoons that delivered big laughs, as well as the occasional thought-provoking s.
- In Larson's worldview, ant colonies reflected human society in a fascinating way, offering a unique approach to his patented lampooning of human culture.
- Far Side comics regularly highlighted the impact of humanity on nature through humor – something that is particularly apparent in many of Gary Larson's cartoons starring ants.
The wonder of making insects, from flies, to spiders, to ants, the perfect focal characters for some of his funniest cartoons. In order to achieve a full understanding of The Far Side, it is therefore essential to become acquainted with his comics starring ants.
Over the years, Larson used tiny ants to get some big laughs out of his audience, as the absurdist perspective on the human experience that he cultivated throughout The Far Side found a particularly potent expression in his depiction of ants and ant hills.
For Gary Larson, something about the nature of ant colonies reflected human society in an especially fascinating way; though he used all manner of other species of animals and insects to lampoon human life at the individual level, ants offered a unique way of approaching human culture in the wider sense.
10 More Brilliant Multi- Far Side Comics
As The Far Side progressed, artist Gary Larson grew more comfortable deviating from his familiar one- style, leading to some outrageous results.
10 On The Far Side, Life Was All About Staying On The Right Side Of The Log
First Published: December 13, 1980
Gary Larson was a naturalist, and while he never sought to be didactic with his art, many Far Side jokes did find their humor in a sly critique of humanity's unintended negative effect on nature. That is illustrated here, in a which features two lumberjacks having fun log rolling – at the expense of a pair of ants, who desperately try to keep up with them, with the caption reading, "Quick! Back the other way! Back the other way!"
In this case, the joke belies the fact that humans' activity – as much pleasure as it might bring them – is endangering the natural ecosystem in more ways than one. While Larson expresses this through humor, most Far Side readers will recognize it is a form of defensive humor; the author is unquestionably on nature's side, rather than civilization's.
9 This Far Side Beckons Readers To Enjoy Life, Because Tragedy Is Always Lurking
First Published: April 24, 1981
In this Far Side cartoon, an ant enjoys a moment of peace, lounging on a leaf overhanging a pond, thinking "ahhh....life!" – unaware that a frog has emerged from beneath the surface of the water and cast a hungry glance in the tiny insect's direction.
In this way, Gary Larson offers an amusing, and also poignant, illustration of the grim fact that even in life's peak idyllic moments, the inevitable end always has at least one eye on everyone. Here, the ant's moment of leisure seemingly precipitates his doom, allowing Larson to craft a Far Side punchline that should make readers feel at least a twinge of enhanced appreciation for life, as much as it is likely to also elicit a chuckle.
8 Another Far Side Comic About Humanity's Destructive Effect On Nature
First Published: October 30, 1981
In a strange, characteristically Larsonian way, this is perhaps The Far Side's depiction of ants at their most ant-like – even though they don't actually appear in the illustration. Rather, this cartoon charts the casual annihilation of an ant hill by a human woman, who sticks a hose into the hill and floods it, with the punchline coming in the form of ant-sized furniture being washed out of an adjacent entrance to the colony.
The off- ants here are ant-like in the sense that they are totally at the mercy of humanity – and the human character here doesn't think twice about wiping out an entire society of ants, with Gary Larson effectively using the ant furniture to emphasize the parallel between an ant colony and human society.
7 The Far Side's Ants Strike Back By Coming For Humanity's Young
First Published: February 15, 1982
By far one The Far Side's most outrageous comics, this depicts a line of ants carrying a human baby toward their ant hill – only to have their triumphant return to the colony mitigated by another ant, who sticks their head out of the hill and proclaims, "you idiots!...We'll never get that thing down the hole!"
The success of this Far Side comic relies on evoking an immediate "What-the?" reaction from the reader; rather than containing the naturalist subtext of some of Gary Larson's other ant s, this one is all about the shock-and-awe of its punchline. In this case, the image and the caption effectively work together to leave the reader laughing incredulously, though perhaps in spite of themselves.
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.
6 The Far Side's "Man Vs. Nature" Jokes Were A War Of Attrition
First Published: December 7, 1982
In what is without a doubt a day that will live in infamy for these ants – should any of them survive – a human foot comes down hard on the back of a line of ants making their way across the floor of a house, leading the ones in front to unknowingly onish them to "knock off that crunching noise."
Once more, Gary Larson mines humor from the gulf of disparity between how casually human beings will step on an ant, and what a life-or-death calamity that is from the other creature's perspective. Though the joke is certainly funny, readers are just as likely to find themselves prompted to reflect on their own relationship to nature upon taking a closer look at this Far Side comic.
5 The Far Side's "Nature Vs. Nature" Jokes Were Classics Too
First Published: May 28, 1984
The Trojan Horse appeared in several memorable Far Side s, though this one stands out for transposing the story from the antiquity of human history onto the divide between different species of ants, with the joke accruing absurdity in the process of translation. "I don't know about this," a skeptical black ant says, peering at the wooden horse from the spout of its hill, before adding "the red ants never gave us anything before."
Those familiar with the Trojan Horse story will know that the similar skepticism of several Trojans was overruled, resulting in the ultimate downfall of the city. Whether these black ants will go on to share similar fates is left deliberately unknown, and that tension plays a significant role in how effectively this punchline lands.
4 One Of The Far Side's Finest "They're Just Like Us" Cartoons
First Published: March 27, 1987
In this , Gary Larson depicts another classic human activity – observing other humans – from the perspective of ants, as a pair survey the bustling colony around them, with one commenting to the other, "You ever do this?....Just sit in a place like this and antwatch?"
The humor here is accentuated by the way that the majority of the ants in the colony are depicted carrying on with routine, ant-like behavior – while the two focal characters break from this by embodying human characteristics, and reiterating a familiar human refrain about how rewarding it can be to act as a kind of benign voyeur, stepping back and observing others going about their conventional, daily activities. Considering The Far Side's strong strain of expositional humor, it is clear that Gary Larson himself loved peoplewatching, just as much as he loved antwatching.
10 Far Side Comics That Prove Gary Larson Preferred Animals Over Humans
The Far Side universe is full of animals, usually shown clashing with humans. These ten moments prove Gary Larson will always side with the animals.
3 Gary Larson Flips The Script In This Absurd Far Side Ant
First Published: March 21, 1988
Without a doubt, this is one of the funniest Far Side ant cartoons – depicting a tiny ant striding through the door of its family's apartment wearing human-sized shoes, and squashing several of its relatives in the process, all while an apron-clad, matronly ant cries out: "Ernie, look what you're doing! Take those shoes off this instant!"
Mixing absurdity and tragedy in the way he only could, Gary Larson offers a twist on the idea of humanity as a threat to ant; in this case, the ants have gotten their hands on dangerous human technology – hilariously, this is shoes – and used it recklessly, with "Ernie" becoming the threat in his own right. According to Gary Larson, he actually wrote stories that went along with many Far Side comics, and this is almost certain to leave readers wondering about the backstory of this ant family, as well as the aftermath of this incident with the shoes.
2 These Far Side Ants Call Them Like They See Them
First Published: June 4, 1988
This Far Side cartoon contains another parallel between ants and humans, perhaps one of the silliest Gary Larson had to offer. In the comic, a pair of ants stand atop a tall blade of grass, looking at their brethren below; one remarks to the other, "man, from up here, we really look like ants."
Certainly, this isn't one of The Far Side's easier-to-miss punchlines; the joke is obvious, and that is its strength. Larson effectively doubles his language here, to great comedic effect. Of course, the ants are parodying what humans say when standing on a tall structure and looking at other humans below, but the emphasis on "really" in the caption drives home that these ants are at least glimpsing a human perspective from their vantage point.
1 Another Iconic "Ants, They're Just Like Us" Far Side Joke
First Published: September 27, 1988
Anyone who has run into an acquaintance, only to have the person's name elude them, will have to smile ruefully at Gary Larson's depiction of the ant-hill version of this social phenomenon. In this Far Side cartoon, two ants meet at the top of a bustling hill; one of the ants immediately greets the other, saying, "Hey Doug! Good to see you again!" while the other stalls, thinking, "Uh oh, what's this guy's name?"
As with all the best Far Side comics featuring ants, this one recontextualizes a familiar social experience most readers will be familiar with through the lens of the most social insects. This highlights the timelessly effective quality of Gary Larson's humor, which has led The Far Side to experience a renewed surge in popularity decades after it ceased publication, as new generations and old readers alike gravitate toward Larson's unique outlook on life.
- 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.
