The Far Side has earned plenty of praise over the years thanks to Gary Larson's clever sense of humor, but not every comic he's created is particularly witty. Sometimes the dumbest cartoons are the funniest ones, and The Far Side has its fair share of intentionally dumb jokes that are a far cry from being considered highbrow.

Sometimes the dumbest cartoons are the funniest ones, and The Far Side has its fair share of intentionally dumb jokes that are a far cry from being considered highbrow.

Many Far Side comics are known to stump readers due to their confusing punchlines that promote critical thought. While these are entertaining in their own way, it can also be fun to turn your brain off and have an easy laugh. These 10 Far Side comics are full of slapstick comedy and dumb visual gags that can give anyone a chuckle, proving that Gary Larson's work could be hilarious without getting dark or contemplative.

10 I Scream, You Scream, The Far Side's Scientists All Scream for Ice Cream

First Published: June 16th, 1982

This first cartoon depicts a group of scientists, which would lead most to assume that they'd be a smart bunch. However, despite their looks, it quickly becomes apparent that these geniuses have priorities apart from their intellectual pursuits. As soon as an ice cream truck drives by outside the window, these scientists all drop everything and excitedly run off to buy a scoop.

The idea of scientists caring more about ice cream than their experiments and research is as funny as it is dumb, since it's such a ridiculous image. Regardless, it's hard not to understand why they're reacting this way. Everyone would react this childishly upon seeing an ice cream truck, emphasizing how even the smartest among us can be goofy in The Far Side.

9 The Far Side Gives Animals Ridiculous Makeovers (What Is a Longcow?)

First Published: June 15th, 1994

The Far Side doesn't shy away from putting fun twists on animals, as exemplified by Gary Larson's obsession with pitting them against humans to subvert natural dynamics, but this comic pushes that concept to such an extreme that it can't be taken seriously. The caption explains that "Farmer Hansen and his tall chickens enjoyed immense popularity - until Farmer Sutton got himself a longcow". If these names aren't dumb enough, the drawings of the tall chickens and the longcow are downright ridiculous.

Much of Larson's commentary on animals tackles the notion of predators and prey, or portrays them in human settings to parody our society. This comic, though, offers no clear takeaway and exists simply to confound the reader - to great success, it seems.

8 The Far Side Proves Squirrels Need to Hype Themselves Up, Just Like Us

First Published: August 10th, 1993

As stated above, Gary Larson has a penchant for featuring animals that exhibit human-like behavior in his Far Side work, and this cartoon presents that through these squirrels - in the silliest way possible, of course. A group of squirrels huddles together on a tree branch and hypes each other up for the day ahead. To accomplish this, they repeatedly chant, "Nuts! Nuts! Get 'em!"

In many cases, people will deliver motivational speeches when they need to inspire themselves and those around them. These squirrels, however, choose not to be verbose and instead keep their repetitive exclamations as straightforward as possible. They want to get nuts, and that's what they encourage each other to do. As The Far Side demonstrates, a joke doesn't need to be deep to land.

7 These Far Side Detectives Aren't the Brightest in the Business

First Published: September 7th, 1982

In The Far Side, detectives appear frequently alongside police officers to solve various mysteries, though this one may be the most inane example of this recurring gag. Here, a detective and a cop break into a home to bust a criminal operation. Once inside, the detective tells them all to freeze and asks, "Who's the brains of this outfit?"

Three of the four men have funny-looking faces that don't scream "genius, while the fourth clearly has a comically large brain that suggests he's the mastermind. The answer to the detective's question is painfully obvious, yet he still feels the need to ask for some reason. This man may be smart, but the comic itself definitely isn't, and that contributes to its charm.

6 This Far Side Dumbs Down the Trojan Horse in the Funniest Way

First Published: October 25th, 1985

The Trojan Horse was used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to be welcomed into Troy, after which they emerged from the wooden horse and ambushed their enemies. Gary Larson tends to reference historical events like this in The Far Side, and this comic offers an unexpected take on the Trojan Horse that is far less sophisticated.

A guard sees what appears to be a giant wiener dog sitting at the gate, and he cries out, "Open the gate! It's a big wiener dog!" In reality, soldiers' feet are visible beneath the dog's fake body, hinting at its true nature as a trap. The gullibility of this soldier is astounding, and it's even more astounding that infiltrating enemy territory as a wiener dog succeeds.

5 In The Far Side, Dogs Appreciate Their Own Version of Fine Cinema

First Published: March 4th, 1988

Dogs are adorable, and these dogs are no exception, even if there isn't much going on inside their heads. This Far Side comic employs multiple s to tell a simple story of dogs watching a film. According to the caption, the movie these dogs are seated for is called Man Throwing Sticks, and they turn their heads back and forth while watching the titular man throw the stick in question.

There isn't much to explain here: dogs love catching sticks, and these particular dogs are utterly captivated by watching a stick get tossed on the big screen. Gary Larson's work can be difficult to understand when he wants to be, but he can also produce comics as simplistic as this one, and that versatility is irable.

4 The Far Side Suggests Pilots Fly Airplanes In More Ways Than One

First Published: October 15th, 1983

Pilots have an important job in both the real world and The Far Side, with hundreds of lives resting in their hands every day, though this specific pilot doesn't seem bothered by that. Instead, he carelessly lifts his hands from the plane's controls mid-flight and spreads them out to play "airplane" like a child would.

Pretending to be an airplane rather than actually flying the airplane he's piloting could result in devastating casualties for the engers onboard, but this comic doesn't seem interested in exploring the grounded ramifications that this act would have. Although The Far Side tends to incorporate dark elements, this cartoon glosses over the consequences of this pilot's silly behavior, neglecting to address the concerns of more pragmatic readers.

3 The Far Side's Characters Fall For the Oldest Trick in the Book

First Published: March 17th, 1987

The Far Side is full of characters pulling pranks on each other and enacting elaborate revenge schemes, but this particular joke is an especially immature one that only the most gullible people would fall for. Two guards are standing watch atop a gate, and one suddenly exclaims, "Genghis Khan! It's Genghis Khan!" The other guard whips around in shock, expecting to see Ghenghis Khan approaching, but his friend then says, "Made you look."

Gary Larson's work has a penchant for playing with classic jokes and giving them a Far Side twist, though this one doesn't do much to put a clever spin on the "made you look" prank. It's presented at face value and left at that, ending on a laughably dumb note.

2 In The Far Side, Even Elephants Aren't Immune to Slapstick Humor

First Published: September 12th, 1983

The Far Side isn't above using slapstick comedy to elicit laughter from the reader, and this single- comic proves that fact with a visual gag that's been done to death in cartoons. Even without a caption, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's unfolding here. An elephant lies on the ground with an annoyed look on his face, and the discarded banana peel at his feet appears to be the culprit behind his shame,

Tripping on a banana peel is an iconic bit that's been portrayed on both page and screen countless times over the years. It may not be the most innovative joke, but it never ceases to be amusing - no matter how many times it gets executed, in The Far Side and beyond.

1 Gary Larson Didn't Bother Explaining His Dumbest Far Side Comic

First Published: April 30th, 1993

The final Far Side comic on this list is so dumb that even Gary Larson himself couldn't bring himself to explain it. The art features four ducks quacking among themselves, before one cries out, "Chicken!" They all lower their heads while a chicken flies by, then resume their quacking. Rather than featuring a caption, the following is written to accompany this illustration:

"And so," the interviewer asked. "Do y ou ever have trouble coming up with ideas?"

"Well, sometimes," the cartoonist replied.

Instead of walking readers through his joke, Larson's caption its that he's run out of ideas, implying that he's fully aware of how absurd this comic is. The joke is hilariously simple: it's a play on how humans say "duck" when they dodge things, with ducks saying "chicken" instead. Dumb concepts can work when their goofiness is embraced, and no comic understands this better than The Far Side.