Summary

• Vikings in The Far Side were depicted as being easily distracted, even in the midst of pillaging.
• The comic strips explored the absurd and inaccurate beliefs about Vikings, mixing humor with surrealism.
• The Far Side strips showed Vikings engaging in unconventional activities, such as stretching before attacking a kingdom.

The Far Side has many favorite subjects that Gary Larson loves to portray, Vikings included. In the past, ducks, aliens, talking animals, and the Wild West have been the subject of choice. However, Vikings were actually heavily featured in The Far Side as well. Some Norse-centered strips were absurd while others were ironic, showing how Larson was mixing things up.

History itself was a beloved topic in The Far Side, with so much to mine for comedy. Using Vikings as a subject, Larson was able to use the image and reputation Vikings have in the public consciousness for his strips. Interestingly, many of the beliefs that are commonly held about Vikings have actually been found to be inaccurate. Regardless, these comic strips are the perfect mix of absurdity and surrealism that makes it impossible not to laugh.

10 "Goldfish, Everyone!"

Published in 1983

Vikings are considered to have possessed many qualities, such as aggressiveness, ruthlessness, and being piratical. However, one word that would not be at the forefront of one's mind to describe Vikings is distractible. Yet, as this strip illustrates, Vikings couldn't help but be distracted from their pillaging, especially when a goldfish is around. The swords and daggers flying through the air, sailing right in the Viking's direction is no match for the goldfish swimming around in the castle moat.

9 "Egg The Houses"

Published in 1992

Egging houses is an activity that bored and troublesome teenagers would engage in. Yet, according to The Far Side, Vikings were no strangers to egging villages before they embraced more destructive means. It's bad enough these Vikings are looting the villages, but they have to add insult to injury by egging the villagers' houses too. Annoying as having one's house egged is, it's highly likely that the villagers preferred this tactic to the truly nasty methods of destruction that Vikings would layer embrace.

8 "Skilled With Pillows"

Published in 1988

Going against Vikings, any prospective opponents should be equipped with the most powerful equipment. However, that is not always the case as this surreal Far Side strip illustrates. The Wimpodites always seem to be the target of attacks, no doubt stemming from their less than threatening appearance. They have the insignia of the gentle daisy as their symbol and use pillows as their weapon of choice. While the Wimpodites may be masters of pillow fighting, they are no match for swords and actual shields, making them the ideal recipients of the Vikings' looting.

7 "Importance Of Stretching"

Published in 1984

Any aerobics and cardio lover will recite the importance of stretching. The necessity of stretching apparently applies as well to Vikings about to attack a kingdom. Who knew? Given the strenuous activity that attacking can be, as all Vikings know, it is a good call to stretch those muscles. No one wants a sprained ankle or torn ligament while trying to overtake a kingdom. Showing the Vikings, usually portrayed as stoic and intimidating, stretching gives an overall silly feeling to the strip and transforms the imagery of what one typically thinks of when the word "Viking" is said.

6 "Smash Something"

Published in 1986

Many characters in The Far Side tend to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Whether it be encountering dangerous aliens or walking into a dicey situation, Larson's characters can never seem to get their timing quite right. The bubble gum-chewing Viking in this strip is another character to add to the list. When he strides in a room with a huge bubble blowing from his mouth, he unwittingly provides the perfect target for his peer who is eager to smash something.

5 "Going In Circles"

Published in 1982

Anyone who has ever rowed a boat before knows that it is incredibly tough work. It requires top-notch upper body strength to not get exhausted from rowing after 90 seconds. The Vikings have learned this the hard way, as the two leaders remark that they feel like they're going in circles, which they are. It's clear from looking at the rowers that one side of the boat has brute strength while the other definitely does not, causing the boat to literally go around in circles. The two head Vikings may be great warriors, but they're not at all good at delegating, with the distribution of the bulky and the not so bulky being all wrong.

4 "New Helmet Design"

Published in 1982

The horned helmet is synonymous with Vikings, so much so that it is hard to separate the two. While recent findings suggest that, historically, Vikings never actually wore horned helmets, it does not extinguish the belief and imagery of the archetypal Viking. The Far Side gives a unique history lesson in showing the evolution of the Vikings' head ware. They apparently went from a duck on the head to the more threatening horned helmet. If the Vikings wanted to look menacing, the helmet design change was a great call.

3 "His Elbows"

Published in 1984

Proper table etiquette dictates that elbows do not belong on the table in some cultures. While Vikings may not be regarded as the most refined, Gary Larson, as this strip shows, would suggest differently. At a Viking feast, one member of the clan finds Hanson's lack of table manners worthy of an announcement and teaching moment. While Vikings may raid villages, it doesn't mean that they don't like to show decorum at dinner.

2 "Plundering Hours"

Published in 1994

Much like how public pools or typical businesses have operating hours, Vikings apparently have an equivalent with "plundering hours." Rather than stick to their rebellious reputation and break the pesky plundering hours, the Vikings in this Far Side comic adhere to the Small Defenseless Village's sign. The talents of Gary Larson are on full display as the reader can almost feel the disappointment of the Vikings coming off the page. The palpable bummed feeling of the clan makes the strip all the more funny due to the absurd situation and making the Vikings way more rule adhering than anyone would guess.

1 "Lid Off The Mayonnaise"

Published in 1981

A bunch of strapping, burly Vikings can do their fair share of damage. Yet, a simple mayonnaise jar is a step outside their abilities. Try as hard as they might, none of the muscular Vikings can manage to get the lid off this one tricky jar. This Far Side illustrates one of Larson's many strengths: irony. He was a master of word play as well as positioning ironic situations out of the unlikeliest situations. Next time, these Vikings should go for the mayo squeeze bottle to avoid another lid debacle.