Summary

• The Far Side comics brilliantly infuse silliness into the American Old West, creating hilarious scenarios in a stock setting.
• The 10 funniest Far Side comics set in the Wild West mock the over-idealization of cowboys, gunfights, and cattle in American culture.
• The comics highlight absurd and comical situations, such as gunfights over ping-pong paddles, trivia quizzes during showdowns, and heroes who clean up towns.

In cartoonist Gary Larson’s The Far Side, some of the most memorable and hilarious entries into the long-running series share the same setting: the American Old West. A concept teeming with drama, natural splendor and of course the occasional high noon showdown, the Wild West impeccably illustrates Larson's ability to infuse silliness into stock settings. This gift is a key part of The Far Side’s enduring and ever endearing-charm is drawn.

Cowboys, gunfights and cattle may no longer be a staple of American culture, but the image of them lingers on in the American imagination. Now watch as The Far Side rips this once-noble over-idealization to shame in the 10 funniest Far Side comics set in the Old West.

10 Stumpy’s Dilemma

February 11, 1993

In a classic “fish out of water” bit, yokel Stumpy finds himself in the midst of a classic Wild West showdown, entrenched in a duel against one of the local tough guys that can only end in defeat for one of them. While one would think that this kind of spectacle might involve a quick-draw with deadly weaponry of some kind, it appears this town values the supremacy of skill at the ping-pong paddle over the way of the gun. A more peaceful conclusion than the usual foibles of the times, save for Stumpy’s possible embarrassment in the event that he loses the match in front of the entire town.

9 Catching Bullets

November 29, 1994

A gang of outlaws sits around a campfire out on the range after one of their forays into crime, no doubt counting the spoils from their ill-gotten gains. However, all is not well in this posse of ne’er-do-wells, and it appears that one of them has had enough of his comrade Bill’s false bravado. Most likely after another boast by Bill over his having taken fire from opposing lawmen, a badge of courage among such villains, this unnamed desperado refuses to contain his incredulousness and calls him out for his grandstanding. The sight gag, of course, is that he simply wears an extra-tall hat, which allows him to make such statements while minimizing the actual danger he gets into without strictly speaking exaggerating his having “caught” a bullet.

8 Shoot First, Ask Questions Later

February 10, 1986

Though a common warning for any type of heated discourse might be to avoid “shooting first, asking questions later,” it appears cowboy Bart has not heard this common adage, and has instead chosen violence. While the tragedy of this cowpoke and his brashness might be regarded as a bleak subject otherwise, his decision to quiz his now-deceased adversary on various trivia one might learn in elementary school, and his eager obliviousness in the face of the obvious poverty of answers he will receive, turn this into a keeper. At the very least, his questions beg yet more questions, such as whether or not it was his goal to quiz him on such minutia that led to such a fatal kerfuffle in the first place.

7 From the Book Guide to Western Stuff

November 21, 1990

The Wild West was a place full of excitement, danger and daring-do, but sometimes life isn’t always like a movie. In a reference to the classic Western kitsch of cinema, Larson here decides to lampshade the oft-seen sequence of the carriage-driver jumping onto the rigging of his out-of-control team of draft horses to somehow stop the calamity. This is the first method described in Larson’s fictional book, Guide to Western Stuff, no doubt a more heroic demonstration of that old Western ethic. The second method, likely not as personally dangerous but certainly more traumatic for the enger, involves shooting all the horses in vintage brick joke fashion. In reality, this would also likely not be remarkably safe, but in a crisis like that, it might be better to take one’s chances, albeit in a method terribly cruel to the animals.

6 He Sure Cleaned Up This Town

July 27, 1981

It’s the conclusion of every great Western tale: the hero cowboy riding off into the sunset, having saved another innocent hamlet from the cruel depredations of some nefarious tycoon or recalcitrant thug. In this variation, however, it appears the unnamed hero did more than simply end the career of some hard-nosed villain. This time, the hero made sure to pick up all the litter, scouring the thoroughfares of trash and debris so that every citizen might feel a little more civic pride in their sleepy berg. The reader is left with the impression of a truly humble hero, and not one who was afraid to get his hands dirty.

5 Duel at Boot Hill

December 10, 1991

Every great Western story also needs a fitting climax, a true clash of philosophies and mettle that ultimately symbolizes the existential struggle taking place on the edges of the American frontier, the battle for the soul of the country itself. So it is for Boot Hill, as one of the old-timers remarks that, after a quick-draw showdown between these two high-heel-wearing heavies, the settlement will never be the same again, no matter the victor. What existential battle is being exhibited here, it is hard to surmise, but at the very least it does seem to fit the bill of a watershed moment for a town on the verge of real change.

4 Make Your Move, Bart

July 31, 1987

In this , gunfighter Bart seems to have found himself in yet another of a long line of gunfights he has chosen to engage in, and it seems likely that he doesn’t have that many more left in him. As an episode in this unfortunate saga, Bart enters this confrontation bereft of his left hand, his right leg and his right eye, and on top of that, his hat appears to be in tatters due to bullet holes. Nevertheless, he does appear to be taking an aggressive posture, and while it is impossible for the reader to know exactly who is in the right in this instance, it seems likely that this kind of behavior is the root cause of Bart’s unluckiness. And his streak is not likely to end.

3 We Forgot The Cattle

November 15, 1982

A group of intrepid cowboys set out across the great prairies, seeking to drive their cattle to new lands, rolling hills and fresher pastures. While their party cuts an impressive image of the rugged, hardworking American yeoman, they’ve somehow managed to misplace the veritable sea of driving steer they were tasked with shepherding. This not only shatters the illusion of their steely-eyed, romantic workmanship, but it also begs the question as to how they could’ve possibly forgotten the literal hundreds to thousands of cattle under their care, to the point where one of them would have to remind them that they were not there midway through. A brilliant example of having the image first, with the caption providing the comedy with deft juxtaposition.

2 The Sloth Nailed Him

July 3, 1987

In another "quick-draw" situation, it appears that cowboy Hank has found himself on the wrong end of victory following a gun duel with a sloth. Sloths, being among the slowest animals known to man, would likely fair terribly in an actual quick-draw gun battle. However, this brave creature, stoic and also wearing a cowboy hat, has somehow come out the faster gun. The absurdity of the event even leads onlookers to note with frustration that Hank probably shouldn’t have chosen this fight. Much of the humor involves visualizing in hindsight the sloth slowly raising his arm, which, despite the violence, would’ve been oddly cute.

In fact, quick-draw duels were incredibly rare in the Wild West, with one of the only recorded such duels taking place between famed gunslinger "Wild" Bill Hickok and Davis Tutt in Springfield, Missouri on July 21, 1865.

1 Anyone See What Happened Here?

June 2, 1992

In the best Far Side comic set In the Old West, the aftermath of some kind of barroom brawl appears to have cost the life of a chicken, as the frustrated sheriff frantically attempts to get a handle on the situation. Such crimes were commonplace in the frontier territories of the Old West, where often the only law a man could find was in his six-shooter, but this violent encounter engenders a certain surreal pity, as the victim, now dead, was armed with only the eggs they had laid. Still, if the chicken somehow provoked the fight with an ostentatious lob of the egg to the face of the miscreant, such a circumstance might act to be a mitigating factor for the likely soon-to-be charged varmint. All in a day’s work for the sheriff of a lawless town to enact some order.