Published from 1980-1994, Gary Larson’sThe Far Sideremains one of the most beloved comic strips of all time, packed with gags that still have readers in stitches decades later. Larson’s comics - famous for starring cows, scientists, cavemen, ducks and mobsters - have stood the test of time, but which are the best of the best?
That’s what we’re here to answer, with Screen Rant’s choice of the 15 bestFar Sidecomics of all time, building to our official #1.Be sure to vote in our end-of-article pollto have your say on which of these comics deserves the gold medal, and let us know which strips you think we missed in the comment section.
15Wings Fall Off
Far Side’s Dark Sense of Humor Is Integral to the Franchise
While it may be considered family-friendly humor,The Far Sidehas a dark edgethat means not every character makes it out alive. In this case, an entire plane goes down because Ted flipped the wrong switch. Of course, the hapless passenger can’t getallthe blame, since it’s only in the bizarre world ofThe Far Sidethat plane seats would come with this option in the first place.
Known for its single-panel comics and witty captions,Far Sideoften ‘hides’ the punchline to its gags, forcing the reader to figure out exactly what’s going on. In this case, it’s only once the reader divines the purpose of the red switch that either the image or caption make total sense.Far Sideoften asked a little more of its readers than its newspaper comic contemporaries, earning it dedicated fans… and also a reputation for confusing gags.
14"Think There Are Any Bears?"
Larson’s Love of Nature Is Far Side’s Biggest Running Theme
Gary Larson’s love of nature is apparent throughoutThe Far Side, however he doesn’t let his affection for the natural world soften its edges. In this case, two hunters weren’t just savaged by their intended prey, but turned into a puppet show for its cubs. DedicatedFar Sidefans know that Larson originallypitched the comic under the titleNature’s Way, and this comic fits that title perfectly. This comic deserves to be on the list because of how it combines the goofy and the macabre, nailing the kind of jokes fans can expect from Larson’s work.
10 Hilarious Far Side Comics That Capture Larson’s Love For Dad Jokes
Gary Larson’s Far Side is famously surreal and a little morbid, but the comic also has a serious love for groan-worthy dad jokes.
13What’s-His-Name
Far Side’s Desert Island Gags Are Iconic
The Far Sideis famous forits use of desert islands, stranding characters together and exacerbating any minor annoyances or social issues between them. However, in the funniest desert island gag of the lot, Larson actually uses the confined space in a different way. In this case, it’s hilarious that one castaway has totally missed his wife having an affair in such a small space, while also failing to learn the name of the only other person on the tiny island.
Far Side’s desert island jokes are an iconic part of the series, with modern cartoonists referring to the kind of hyper-stylized, single-palm-tree islands used in these visual gags as"Far Side islands."
12Farmer MacDougal
Larson Is a Genius at Telling Stories in a Single Image
One of Larson’s greatest skills is telling a whole story in a single panel, often allowing the reader to join the dots and discover the punchline for themselves. In this case, Farmer MacDougal’s suspicions aren’t explicitly spelled out, making it even funnier when the reader arrives at the same conclusion. Larson’s decision to set the scene as being framed in MacDougal’s binoculars is a genius touch, adding extra character and mirth to an already great joke.
11A Real Boy
Larson Really Hates Pinocchio
The Far Sideoften took shots at pop culture, and especially iconic TV and movies.Larson had a great eye for the characters and stories that would remain relevant decades later, andoften targeted Disney properties- especiallyPinocchio. Throughout the course ofThe Far Side, Pinocchio is attacked by woodpeckers, gnawed by beavers, and savaged by lions, with poor Jiminy Cricket ending his life in a killing jar.
However, we chose ‘A Real Boy’ as the best of the best because of the grim irony of the joke, with Pinocchio’s sticky fate coming as a result of his own wish to become human. Larson’s art adds to the joke, with the lions' general disinterest nailing the moment rightbeforethe grisly action.
The Far Side Rewrites the World’s Most Famous Joke in These 10 Hilarious Comics: Read
Here are the 10 funniest Far Side comics that just celebrated their fortieth birthday, including Gary Larson’s take on the world’s most famous joke.
10Canine Decoder
Larson’s Silly Comic Is Scientifically Accurate
Larson didn’t skimp on the dog comics inThe Far Side, but he also didn’t pretend the animals had any great intelligence. In this strip, a genius scientist creates a helmet that allows him to understand what dogs are ‘saying,’ only to learn that barking is just the equivalent of yelling"Hey!“Strangely, this claim is basically correct.
Various studies have concluded that dog barks are intended mostly for communicating with humans, as detailed in this piece fromWired. Wolves bark incredibly rarely, and the habit was bred into today’s dogs by humans, who had practical uses for a simple, commanding sound that could travel long distances - in short, it’s useful to have a hunting and fetching animal that can yell"Hey!”
Of course, that’s not what makes the stripfunny- that credit goes to the many different dog behaviors Larson manages to fit into the strip, as well as the gigantic ‘canine decoder’ helmet, which looks like alotof work for the discovery it actually produced.
9That Big, Dumb Geek
Far Side Loves Breaking the Fourth Wall
In thisFar Sidecomic, an employee falls afoul of a boss because they can read the insults in his thought balloon.The Far Sideoften broke the fourth wall,starring characters who are fully aware they’re in a comic, or playing with some aspect of comic art to hilarious effect. Larson’s love of wordplay is evident in gags like literally ‘sketchy customers’ and cartoon teenagers who protest they didn’t ask to be drawn.
However, we’ve chosen ‘That Big, Dumb Geek’ as the best of the best because of how Larson uses the image and caption to tell his joke, breaking a barrier that most readers weren’t even aware existed. The comic shows how aware Larson is of the ‘process’ of reading aFar Sidecomic, with the image not quite making sense until the caption brings everything together.
13 Funniest Far Side Comics About Parenting That No Parent Should EVER Try to Recreate
The humans of Gary Larson’s The Far Side do everything in the weirdest way possible, and it turns out parenting is no exception.
8The Real Duck
Larson’s Duck Are Recurring Stars
Lots of animals reoccur throughoutThe Far Side, from cows to mosquitoes, but somehowducks get the weirdest and funniest jokes.Larson often depicts ducks as the secret supervillains of the animal world, plotting against humans for no clear reason. In the strip above, Larson borrows a thriller-movie cliché, with a hunter chasing a duck into a Hall of Mirrors, only to be outsmarted by its many reflections.
It’s not unusual for Larson to give animals the upper hand over hunters, but ducks tend to beat humans again and again inThe Far Side, with Larson apparently seeing some hidden malevolence in his anatine antagonists.
7Organized Crime Informant
Gary Larson Loved Mocking the Mob
In this strip, a mob informant risks it all to share what he knows about organized crime, only for his anonymity to be destroyed by a laughably simple mistake. Larson constructs a world founded on childlike simplicity, where flicking on a light switch is all it would take to reveal a confidential informant to the world - however,Far Side’s edge means there are still potentially lethal consequences for this kind of silly mistake.
WhileFar Sidedoesn’t use gangsters as often as cows or ducks, Larson did pen plenty of comics making fun of organized crime, with concepts such as hitmen, legbreakers, and sending someone to ‘sleep with the fishes’ all getting aFar Sidetwist.
Far Side’s mobsters maymostlybe a joke, but one dark comic shows the fate that may be waiting for the confidential informant, as the mob sentence their victims to die by mime.
Far Side’s Most Confusing Comic Just Turned 40 - Can You Get the Joke Without an Explanation?
In a historic moment for the series, Far Side’s most confusing comic of all time just hit the big 4-0 – and we’re NOT talking about ‘Cow Tools.’
6"CAR!"
This Comic Got Far Side Honored by Cheers
Cows are the most famous recurring figures inThe Far Side, with Larson using bovine characters for many of his silliest and most surreal comics, including farmers ‘stacking’ their livestock in gigantic towers, as well as cows eating steak out of pure morbid curiosity.
Asked byThe New York Timeswhy so manyFar Sidecomics star cows, Larson explained that.
I’ve always thought the word cow was funny, and cows are sort of tragic figures. Cows blur the line between tragedy and humor.
We think the ‘car’ comic is the funniest of the bunch, with a simple joke about cows hiding their true nature from humanity in the simplest way possible. The comic also had the rare honor of being celebrated inthe beloved sitcomCheers, with the dim-witted Woody seeming to misunderstand this strip, and bar regulars Cliff and Norm trying to explain it.
Far Sidehas many famous fans, withcelebrities including Steve Martin, Robin Williams and Stephen King penning forewords for its various collections. EvenThe Simpsonspaid tribute to Larson’s comic, starring the creator in season 21, episode 10’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Springfield’ and recreating one of his comics in the background of season 23, episode 6’s ‘The Book Job.’
