Summary

• The Far Side humorously tackles dark topics like the end of the world, adding irreverence and wit to strips that would otherwise be a downer.
• From asteroid impacts to alien invasions, Larson's strips explore various causes of the apocalypse, injecting screwball visuals and clever humor into these narratives.
• The Far Side presents unconventional perspectives, with dogs more interested in other dogs than the crumbling world, or aliens reacting to the destruction caused by humans with awe rather than aggression.

While The Far Side frequently embraces the silly things in life, most would probably not consider the apocalypse to fit into that category. However, that doesn't mean that Gary Larson stays away from potentially dark topics, like the end of the world. Because this is The Far Side after all, even the end of the world is treated with the utmost irreverence and a wicked sense of humor as only Larson can.

The strips that have shown Armageddon throughout The Far Side's history are varied, with Larson attributing the possible reasons for the end of the world to nuclear meltdown, alien invasion, or impact from a gigantic asteroid. Regardless of the causes of the end, Larson infuses his screwball visuals and clever wit into strips that would otherwise be a downer.

10 "You're Kidding"

September 8, 1981

The underlying fear of a giant asteroid hitting Earth has inspired a number of apocalypse-driven movies, such as Armageddon and 2021's Don't Look Up. Before those apocalypse-via-asteroid movies, however, came this Far Side strip that features two very unlucky chaps about to get a lot more unlucky. Discussing how they got their injuries by enduring the extremely rare occurrence of getting struck by lightning, an asteroid is coming in hot about to impact them and the Earth in general. While the thought of an asteroid destroying all life on Earth is depressing, Larson manages to make it hilarious, in his trademark dark humor, of course.

9 "Jake Saw Something"

September 13, 1985

While the end of the world may seem like, well, the end of the world to everyone else, dogs are not too concerned. Rather, the canines of the world remain more distracted by their doggie peers, as seen in this strip. Despite explosions and mushroom clouds surrounding a crumbling city, Jake the dog is instead more focused on seeing another of his kind. Dogs being interested in another dog is one thing in the normal world, but when the city is crumbling around them, one could wager the fascination is a little out of hand.

8 "Roy Dooms The Entire Earth"

September 22, 1986

The fact that the fate of the world rests in the hands of one man, literally, is not at all assuring. Since it's The Far Side, of course, the meeting of an alien race who is contemplating world domination and a humble farmer goes horribly wrong. While a handshake can be a friendly gesture in many cultures, the aliens in this strip obviously do not take kindly to being shaken around, even if the intentions are good. Next time, a more gentle greeting should be used to avoid the end of the world from an alien invasion in The Far Side.

7 "We're Alive!"

December 8, 1981

An underground bunker saves two individuals from the end of the world in The Far Side. During the late '50s and early '60s, amid Cold War tensions, underground fallout shelters were marked as one of the only means of protection from the effects of nuclear war. As this strip illustrates, the money this couple spent on their fallout shelter proved to be money well spent as they are the only survivors as far as the eye can see. One can only imagine how many times the man in the strip will utter the words "I told you so" to the shocked Sylvia.

6 "Every Street Corner"

May 7, 1988

Crosswalk signs are something everyone is well acquainted with. However, in The Far Side, crosswalk signs are a bit more sinister. In the reality of The Far Side, these innocuous-looking signs are actually aliens bent on taking over the Earth. The element of surprise is effective here, as no one would ever suspect inanimate crosswalk signs to want to end the world. However, taking the reader by surprise is something Gary Larson does best. After this strip, crosswalk signs will be given a discerning look if the end of the world is to be avoided, in The Far Side at least.

5 "Cockroaches Survive The End Of The World"

January 4, 1984

There's a tried and true saying that only a very select few things will survive the end of the world, one of which is cockroaches. This is a joke about how hard it is to kill creepy, crawly cockroaches, that they would be able to even survive a nuclear apocalypse. Yet, in The Far Side, the durability of cockroaches is no joke, and instead a testament that they do actually survive the world ending. Larson paints both an unsettling yet funny strip that shows only a select few multi-legged survivors celebrating while the rest of the world goes up in flames.

4 "Employ Their Skills"

December 4, 1991

Karate can be a very useful skill set to have, especially as far as self-defense is concerned. When the world is on the brink of being taken over, as seen in this strip, one class of talented karate students have the chance to save their town and the Earth from alien invasion. Made out of wood planks and bricks, these aliens would be the perfect foe for these karate pupils to kick out of the town. As a result, the situation is quite serendipitous for Earthlings. Larson was talented at setting up a scenario that was not only outlandish but incredibly funny, making the end of the world not so scary in this strip.

3 "Can Opener"

December 16, 1986

Any good bomb shelter has a can opener, everyone knows that... except for Harold in this strip. The importance of a can opener during a time of nuclear disaster cannot be overstated; canned non-perishables cannot be opened without them. Therefore, Harold really made their existence in the shelter, which by the looks of it will be a long one, a harder one than it needed to be. There is something both particularly frustrating and funny about being extremely prepared for the apocalypse and managing to forget one of the most essential items. This snafu will not be something easily forgotten by the woman of the strip.

2 "Oooooo!"

October 5, 1982

Gary Larson loved to feature aliens in his comics as well as portray the world ending. This comic combines the best of both of Larson's extraterrestrial and apocalypse interests. A horde of aliens on a distant planet have a front row seat to the mushroom clouds that are so big that they are literally visible from space on Earth's surface. The aliens' reaction is awe, looking at the Earth's end like most people look at a fireworks show. Interestingly, this strip is an exception to most comics that portray an alien invasion as the cause of the end of the world. It instead positions the creatures as mere witnesses to humans destroying the Earth themselves. Poignant, maybe?

1 "Acme Sign Co."

June 19, 1982

The end of the world would obviously put an end to all business, but one, especially as Larson puts it, would bear the brunt: makers of signs that read, "The End of the World is Coming." While the good people at Acme Sign Co. are busy making their "The End is Near" signs, a very unwelcome sight appears in their window. That unwelcome sight just so happens to be the end of the world. While the man in the comic laments that the market is now gone for their business, it's safe to say that all markets are pretty much done for in The Far Side when the inevitably wacky apocalypse arrives.