The Far Side ended its run in publication thirty years ago, but ten years before that, in 1985, Gary Larson's legendary newspaper cartoon was just preparing to reach the height of its success. These comics, which recently celebrated their 40th anniversaries, serve as a testament to why The Far Side remains an enduring fascination to this day.
Each of these entries displays one of the classic virtues of Larson's style of humor, from his wry darkness, to his playful use of language, to his ability to make the most obvious punchline still feel unexpected in some way, shape, or form.
1985 represents what is arguably the beginning of The Far Side's greatest era, and these comics from the beginning of '85 make it clear why, as Gary Larson was evidently firing on all cylinders at the time.
10 One Of The Far Side's Most Memorable "Not If I Have Anything To Say About It" Moments
First Published: February 5, 1985
Gary Larson frequently depicted vultures in his comics, repeatedly proving the carrion-eating birds to be a viable source of macabre, yet still classically cartoonish humor. As most readers will know, these avian species are defined by the fact that they wait until their prey has already died to pick the bones clean – except here, where the joke involves a vulture going against its nature in the most aggressive, yet hilariously implausible way.
That is, the bird grips a piano in its claw, as part of a desperation attempt to keep a dying man crawling through the desert from reaching an oasis and getting a gulp of some life-sustaining water. "Dang, I think he's going to reach the water," the murderous vulture's companion says, to which the one with the piano resolutely declares, "Oh no he's not,' as it swoops in to finish the job itself.
9 Sometimes, On The Far Side, A Bird's Worst Enemy Was Its Own Self-Image
First Published: January 31, 1985
In another classic Far Side bird comic, a parakeet named "Bobby Joe" has an altercation at the bar, getting beak-to-beak with another, equally confrontational bird – except he doesn't realize he's preparing to fight himself, until another patron explains "that's just your reflection."
This cartoon is a perfect example of Gary Larson's most famous creative technique: take a familiar human situation, and substitute animal characters, in order to find out how their behaviors would skew the situation. Many readers will recognize the tendency for small birds to be riled up by their own image in a mirror, and by embodying that in a human setting, Gary Larson calls to attention the absurdity of both. The Far Side is full of examples of this technique, but this one certainly stands out as one of the most memorable.
8 "Squid-Be-Gone" Remains One Of Gary Larson's Most Beloved Far Side Businesses
First Published: January 28, 1985
This subcategory of Far Side comics that utilize a split- to depict two locations simultaneously. In fact, it is an essential example of this type of Larsonian punchline, as it features a woman calling "Harry's Squid-Be-Gone" in order to deal with a giant sea creature currently manhandling her husband – while the reader can see the "back in a jiffy" sign hanging on Harry's front door.
10 Best Far Side Comics With Stories Too Ambitious For One To Contain (From the Back Half of Gary Larson's Career)
As Gary Larson's career progressed, his jokes became more involved, leading to ambitious punchlines that a single Far Side couldn't contain.
While there is a lot to praise about the technical execution of this punchline, what ultimately makes it laugh-out-loud funny is its vibe; that is, the fact that, in the world of The Far Side, a business like "Squid-Be-Gone" would be sustainable is a delightful absurdity, as is the seemingly casual lack of urgency of the woman placing the call.
7 For Some People, "Don't Count Your Chickens" Is Metaphorical – But Not For Actual Chickens
First Published: January 25, 1985
"Of course, George keeps saying we shouldn't count them until they hatch," a hen says, referring to her actual eggs, but using an idiom most Far Side readers will recognize as referring to the idea that people should not count on good things that might be contingent, or coming in the future, until they actually materialize.
Another important dimension to Gary Larson's humor was his use of over-literalization. In other words, with this comic, he takes the phrase "don't count your chickens until they hatch" out of the realm of metaphor, and makes it an actual reality for the hen laying the eggs. Also vital to the effectiveness of this punchline is the domesticity of the setting; though the hen sits on a clutch of freshly-laid eggs, she does so in a human-style living room, rather than a coop, with her houseguest sitting in an adjacent recliner and sipping coffee or tea from a mug.
6 When Far Side Characters Were Forced To Make A Decision, It Was Usually The Wrong One
First Published: January 17, 1985
The "lost at sea" trope was a staple of The Far Side, providing the subject and the setting for some of Gary Larson's most iconic jokes. This is an all-time great example of that, as well as of Larson's comedic use of folly – that is, the way his characters frequently exhibited poor judgment, usually with hilarious, and at times catastrophic results.
Case in point here, in which a man on liferaft opens the lit on a crate which has floated up to them, and as his two fellow shipwreck survivors look on uneasily, decides to bring "a box of rusty nails, broken glass, and throwing darts" onto their inflatable vessel. The combination of sharp objects is absurdly funny, but the true humor of the relies on the man's outrageously poor decision-making, which leapfrogs over absurdity and lands in downright surreal territory.
5 Gary Larson Reveals The Real Inspiration For One Of The Greatest Scientific Discoveries In History
First Published: January 14, 1985
In this legendary Far Side scientist , no less a historic figure than Albert Einstein himself is hard at work trying to figure out his formula for the relationship between matter and energy – when a cleaning lady tidying up his desk inadvertently gives him the key to unlocking one of the universe's greatest mysteries.
"Now that desk looks better," the woman says, hands-on-hips, talking to herself, "everything's squared away, yes sir, squaaaaaared away," as Einstein looks over his shoulder at her, eyes bulging with what readers can infer is a look of annoyance turned into insight. More than just a silly apocryphal moment, though, this comic also illustrates the wonders of unexpected inspiration, something that Gary Larson knew exceptionally well.
4 This Instantly Iconic Far Side Chicken Joke Sets The Bar High For Gary Larson's Humor
First Published: January 12, 1985
In this Larson omits a caption here, and for good reason, because the ominous glance from the chicken, which almost seems to suggest that she's thinking, "I can always lay more," is strong enough on its own to get a laugh.
This also provides a great entry-point into talking about the fact that Gary Larson's mash-ups of humans and animals were never exactly "1-to-1" translations; in other words, the blending of the two was meant to give rise to multiple interpretations. So, while the human reaction to a mother hen cooking her own eggs might be one of shock and surprise, it is worth noting that animals don't always feel so protective of their offspring. That dissonance, in fact, is part of what makes this such a funny Far Side comic.
3 One Of The Far Side's Most Underrated Anthropological Punchlines
First Published: January 9, 1985
Captioned "How Nature says, 'Do not touch'," this Far Side depicts, from top-left to bottom-right: a rattlesnake, a pufferfish, a cat with its back up, and its claws popped, and as a delightful swerve, a man with a shoe on his head, wearing an inflatable innertube around his waist, and holding a bazooka.
The Far Side's "Out of Order" Comic (Both Versions) Is the Perfect Illustration Of Gary Larson's Chaotic Creative Mind
Gary Larson's "Out of Order" comic, published in 1988, perfectly illustrated of how the business of creating The Far Side wore him down over time.
The joy of this Far Side joke is the steady build-up and then the abrupt and rapid escalation from realism to ridiculousness in a single caricature. The first three images are of very real defense mechanisms that wild animals have evolved, while the fourth showcases a person who is acting – there's no better way to put it – unhinged. This jump from the expected to the unexpected might make some readers ask "What the?" but it is this exactly same quality that will evoke laughter from another section of the audience.
2 Of All The Far Side's Depictions Of Heaven, This One Is Low Key The Most Heartbreaking
First Published: January 4, 1985
"Wish I'd brought a magazine," a man sporting wings and a halo says, sitting on a puffy white cloud, fringed with gold, having evidently earned his way into heaven – only to find it to be an incredibly lonely, boring place. Why this person is the sole denizen of the afterlife, or at least this section of it, is left up to the reader to speculation upon, but most Far Side fans would agree that there is more than a hint of theological tragedy lurking in the subtext of this Gary Larson afterlife joke.
That is, Larson seems to be subtly suggesting that few people actually reach heaven – whether because its standards are too rigid, or because most people on earth miserably fail to lead appropriately pious enough lives to make it in. Further, the character's expression of desire for "a magazine," or anything to occupy himself, seems to elaborate on Billy Joel's "rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints" line, suggesting that the saints are, in fact, crying out of extreme boredom.
1 The Far Side's Warped View Of Culture & Media Embodied In One Bizarre Comic
First Published: January 1, 1985
In this deliriously funny Far Side cartoon, a repairman points at a television set, upended on its side, and tries to explain to the "Schueler" family that this is not how it is supposed to go – except his explanation is likely to be all for naught, as the family, including their dog, are all depicted with their heads craned aggressively so that their heads appear at an angle.
It is the kind of strange punchline that could only manifest as part of Gary Larson's ongoing Far Side project, but it is worth noting for the way that it encapsulates the author's view of the world. That is, like the Schuelers, Larson looked at everything – from movies, which he frequently lampooned – from an unusual angle, at least by most people's standards. In the end, this was what made The Far Side successful, and has resulted in generations of readers becoming obsessed with the comic, even decades after it ended its run.
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