Before Gary Larson's Far Side comic strip became a household name, the series originally had a different name which explains why it became such a success. When Larson started cartooning professionally, he drew a comic called "Nature's Way," which would eventually evolve into Far Side. Larson's ion for nature and wildlife would be instrumental in the success of his comics, as, from the very beginning, his love for the topic was evident.
Gary Larson's Far Side is a series of one- surrealist comics often starring animals that make observations about the world, people, and existence. Larson's comics rallied against the status quo of most strips in newspapers, as the syndicated images didn't feature recurring characters and weren't afraid to get bold and weird. However, before Far Side got its name, Larson's love of nature and wildlife led to the comic having a different name entirely. Before it gained its iconic title, the popular comic strip was known as "Nature's Way." The title ultimately reveals why Larson's comic strip has been such a massive success.
Before Far Side became one of the most popular comic strips ever, Gary Larson published the series under the name "Nature's Way." Larson, who was extremely ionate about biology, wildlife, and nature, channeled his love for the topics in his comics - which have played a key part in his success as a cartoonist. To this day, Far Side features commentary on the world through Larson's unique perspective, with animals often serving as those making the observations. Without his love of wildlife, evident in the original "Nature's Way" name, Far Side would never have become as big as it did. However, when the comic was syndicated across the United States, the name was ultimately changed to Far Side.
Gary Larson Has Some Serious Impressive Scientific Honors
Larson's love for wildlife led to some impressive honors in the field of science. In 1989, Larson had an insect named after him; a chewing louse called the Strigiphilus garylarsoni. Additionally, a rainforest butterfly was named after him, as an Ecuadorian insect was named the Serratoterga larsoni. Lastly, and perhaps most impressively, Larson's Far Side comic naming the spikes on a Stegosaurs' tail "thagomizer" became the official academic term for the dinosaur's feature.
Ultimately, Gary Larson's ion for wildlife and nature played an important role in the success of Far Side. Its original name, "Nature's Way," established the blueprint for what the series could be and was. While the Far Side name is iconic, the original title would have been an equally fitting name for the series to continue to use if it had never changed.
