The humans of Gary Larson's Far Side do everything in the weirdest way possible, and it turns out parenting is no exception. Larson loves to mess around with the theme of idyllic childhood, leading to some parenting decisions that may make readers laugh, but should never be recreated in the real world.

Here are the 13 funniest comics about parenting from The Far Side's 14-year original run. Be sure to vote in our end-of-article poll for your favorite of Larson's parenting comics.

13 Your Kids and Bruno

These Kids Get Off Easy Compared to Far Side's Other Animals vs Children Strips

In this strip, two kids mercilessly tease their mom's friend's dog, with the canine fantasizing about burying them alive. As dangerous as it is for the kids' mom to let them bug a strange animal, even the dog's revenge fantasy sees them get off lightly, as Larson was no stranger to depicting various animals snacking on kids.

One of the biggest themes of Larson's work is how humans shouldn't mess with the natural world, and in this case, that's undeniably good advice.

12 "I See You"

Far Side Knows Proud Parents Aren't Always a Blessing

Larson loves a historical gag, and here a hangman in the Old West is interrupted at work by his overly ive mom. This is one of Far Side's cuter comics - and one of the few with a likable protagonist - although it's a comment on Larson's morbid humor that despite that, it still features an execution in progress.

11 "I Know You Miss the Wainwrights..."

Far Side Loves the 'Weird Neighbors' Joke

In this strip, little Bobby learns the absolute wrong lesson, as his father encourages him to embrace the fact that wolves have eaten the neighbors and that - if their own family turns out to be too weak and stupid - the animals will probably eat them too. It's Larson's take on a father/son nature talk about the need for predators in the circle of life, but taken to a chilling extreme. Of course, in the world of The Far Side, it's possible Bobby really does need to be prepared for some alarming neighbors.

Larson often has nice suburban families forced to deal with weird and wild neighbors, introducing one wild new detail into mundane life. In a 1987 interview with 20/20, Larson itted that his own childhood was shaped by growing up during the Cold War, ing, "sitting in my seventh-grade English class thinking that the world was going to end." It makes sense in this context that Larson enjoys dropping notes of danger into otherwise blissful family life.

10 Old Tire

Larson Puts a Dark Twist on the Idyllic American Childhood

While many people may pine for the halcyon days of childhood, swinging on a tire swing over the nearest lake, Larson turns the image into every parent's worst nightmare as a wayward shark eats poor Billy alive. In a cynical twist, while one of Billy's playmates is off to tell his mom about his untimely demise, the other decides to find a new tire so they can get back to their fun.

9 Grizzly

Far Side's Animals Are Better Parents Than Its Humans

This is a rare example of good parenting in the world of The Far Side, so of course it comes from an animal (though we still wouldn't advise mauling anyone who happens to stand between you and your child.) Larson plays on the violent response of an animal protecting its young, but set in an urban environment to make it even more understandable that Conroy made this fatal mistake. Another piece of evidence that Gary Larson likes animals a lot more than humans.

8 What Are You Gonna Tell Your Dad?

Far Side Knows Kids Have Always Been Kids

As in his many caveman comics, Larson takes a modern problem and sets it in a time period that makes it bizarre. In this case, Chuck has taken his dad's ride out for some fun with friends, only to wrap it around a tree. Of course, that would usually describe a car, not the now-accordion-like horse that it's unlikely has any chance of surviving the experience.

7 Witch Babysitter

This Far Side Comic Got Larson in Hot Water

As he relates in The Prehistory of The Far Side, this strip earned Larson some hate mail on publication. Writing and drawing The Far Side eventually taught Larson that some percentage of readers would always hate any suggestion of violence towards kids or animals, though in this case he says that despite the reaction, the witch gag remains "one of my personal favorites."

Larson cites the double nature of the gag as the reason he still loves it - not only did the parents hire a notoriously child-hungry witch as a babysitter, but their reaction suggests they could have lived with her behavior if she hadn't been so impolite as to eat both of their children.

6 "Here Comes Mom!"

Even Animals Can Be Jerks in the World of Far Side

Kids pranking their parents is part of growing up, but Larson makes the mundane feel weird by setting it in the animal kingdom. In this comic, a fawn fakes being shot and mounted as a hunter's trophy to scare its mom, despite there being no earthly reason any hunter would choose to mount a deer then leave it in the forest. Again, Larson draws attention to how hard animals have it - human kids may pull off playful pranks, but deer are far more used to matters of life and death.

5 Michelangelo's Father

Even the Ultimate Renaissance Man Can't Escape Parental Critique

This Far Side gag deals with the trials of adult kids who still have to soak up their parents' criticism, even when they're the renowned painter of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo's dad moaning about how much harder it was to paint "back in my day" is a cute image, and Larson keeps the iconic painter off-, allowing the reader to imagine his exasperated reaction.

4 Satan's Mom

Far Side's Hell Tortures the Devil More Than His Charges

In the world of The Far Side, even Satan has a mom. This joke plays with the disconnect between kids and their parents when it comes to priorities, as Satan is focused on torturing the damned and his mom is more concerned with being a good host. Most people will be able to their parent refusing to understand some game or project and wading in, eliciting a pang of sympathy as Satan suffers the same loving imposition. Ultimately, it's a losing battle, as Far Side's Hell already seems to go harder on its devils than its inhabitants.