Few people love public speaking, and Gary Larson's Larson's comics imagine every worst-case scenario that could afflict anyone speaking in public, and yet somehow with enough humor that they're still a joy to read.
Here are the 10 funniest Far Side comics about public speaking - be sure to vote in our end-of-article poll for your #1, and to find out which of Larson's gags other readers consider the funniest of the bunch.
10 Mind Over Matter
Imagine Humiliating Yourself Before Saying a Single Word
A lot of people are scared of embarrassing themselves while public speaking, but few manage it before they've said a single word. Not only does the author of Mind Over Matter walk straight into a beam, but his mishap shows that the claim in the title is wrong every time - a great mind can do a lot of things, but it can't do much about a solid piece of wood smashing into your face. As ever, Larson draws extra humor from his characters' body language, with the poor writer's glasses flying into the air.
9 National Association of Prevaricators
Imagine Humiliating Yourself Without Stepping on the Stage
Knocking yourself unconscious before a major speech might be humiliating, but at least the writer of Mind Over Matter actually made it to his appointment. Sadly, this speaker to the National Association of Prevaricators - people who avoid stating the truth - didn't even manage that. To be fair, it isn't exactly his fault, as his deceitful audience clearly couldn't resist indulging in their favorite misbehavior.
10 Funniest Far Side Comics That Somehow Make Mailmen Hilarious
Far Side's mailmen encounter a wide range of truly bizarre threats, including voodoo dogs, carnivorous mailboxes and even Hell itself.
8 The Mammals Are Taking Over
Far Side Has a Dinosaur Obsession
Giving anyone bad news is an unpleasant experience, but standing up and doing it for a crowd is a nightmare - especially when the bad news in question is their imminent extinction. Credit goes to this strip's stegosaurus for taking on the grim job of informing its fellow dinos just how bad the situation is. Open the image gallery below for more of Far Side's dinosaur comics.
Larson gets humor from both sides of the dinosaurs' tragic extinction, with various strips imagining them coping with the end and surviving to the modern day and becoming a problem for humans.
7 Science Meets Tabloid TV
Audience Questions Are the Bane of Every Public Speaker
In Gary Larson's world, scientists are the silliest people alive, apparently having their own version of Jerry Springer to resolve (or rather enflame) lab-based disagreements. As if scientist vs scientist conflicts needed any more fuel on the fire, the audience can't help but call out their bad behavior. Open the image below for more Far Side comics where scientists act like big kids.
10 Funniest Far Side Comics That Will Awaken Your Deepest Phobias
Gary Larson's Far Side is known for its morbid sense of humor, including these comics that will awaken a number of popular phobias.
6 This Cartoon's Most Esteemed Scientist-Like Character
Far Side Loves to Get Meta
In this bizarrely metatextual comic, a "scientist-like character" speculates on what's happening beyond their own comic . Most people have been to a boring lecture, but it's a uniquely Far Side experience to go to one that proves the reality you live in is fictional. Open the image gallery below for more of Far Side's most meta comics.
Some of Far Side's best jokes revolve around characters who have worked out they live in a comic, or have at least figured out how to turn that fact to their advantage - from an annoying boss who can read his employees' thought balloons to two cartoon jerks who ruin "one of the funniest cartoons ever."
5 His Recent Autobiography
There's Such a Thing As Being TOO MUCH of an Expert
Gary Larson loves the gag of a character with drastic injuries subtly revealing what caused them. In this case, an experienced zoo keeper has lost an eye, leg and hand to animals in his care, as well as being squashed flat by something like an elephant or rhino using him as a seat. At least he got a respected autobiography out of it, although it's a sure bet that his audience can guess why he quit as soon as he steps on stage.
4 Farmer Bob
The Mortifying Experience of Being Caught Not Listening
It's always embarrassing when a speaker calls out someone who isn't listening, and that's even more the case when the speaker is trying to organize a rebellion. Far Side is known for its funny cows, deriving a lot of humor from bovine characters acting like humans. In this case, it extends to a coordinated attack on "Farmer Bob" - one in which Muriel will be lucky to still play a part.
10 Funniest Far Side Comics That Will Make You Look Differently at Your Pets
The Far Side has more than its share of dangerous animals, and in these comics, they're already inside the house! The best of Gary Larson.
3 An Organized Crime Informant
Far Side Loves to Mock the Mob
Speaking on stage can be stressful, but speaking on national TV includes even more opportunities for embarrassment. Although, in this case, embarrassment is pretty much the best-case scenario, since being tracked down by the mob is also a possibility. Open the image gallery below for more Far Side comics starring the mob.
Larson's mobsters may not be as scary as their real-world counterparts, but it still makes sense that any informant would want to stay on the right side of people who send out 'slapmen' and will sentence you to 'death by mime.'
2 COW
There's No Such Thing as a Stupid Question... Or Is There?
Most lecturers will assure their students there are no stupid questions, but in a lecture where the only point made so far is to show what a cow looks like, that aphorism doesn't exactly hold true. Hopefully, this student has actually been reading ahead and has something worthwhile to ask.
1 Welcome Inferiority Complex Sufferers
Far Side Makes a Waking Nightmare Funny
While most people would say that public speaking is enough of a nightmare, they've never experienced what's going on in this Far Side strip - being called out in front of a full auditorium and having your inferiority complex totally and painfully confirmed. Today, Larson would likely set the same gag at a meeting for those suffering from impostor syndrome.
Those are the 10 funniest Far Side comics about public speaking - don't forget to vote below for your favorite and contribute to the official ranking.
The Far Side
- Writer
- Gary Larson
- Colorist
- Gary Larson
Summary
Written and drawn by Gary Larson, The Far Side is a comic strip series that ran from December 1979 to January 1995. A worldwide hit, The Far Side explores life's surreal side and uses a mix of humans and anthropomorphic animals. As of 2020, Gary Larson decided to pick his pencil back up again and has started The Far Side up, circulating the comics on his official website.
