The Far Sidewas famous for its often laconic punchlines, as artistGary Larson developed a reputation as a man of few words, yet there were always exceptions to that rule; especially in the later years of the comic’s publication, Larson’s cartoons became more verbose, and his jokes more elaborate.
According to Larson,manyFar Sidepanels started as short stories, which he then concentrated down to a single moment, in a solitary panel. It can be surmised that thispart of his creative processbecame increasingly frequent over time, judging from how Larson’s humor became more involved;the scenarios he cooked up more detailed, with more and more of them extending beyond the limits of the comic.
These comics not only stretch readers' understanding ofThe Far Side’shumor, but also raise questions about the pros and cons of the comic medium’s limitations.
First Published: June 03, 2025
In the later years ofThe Far Side, Gary Larson grew increasingly comfortable writing dialogue; as such, the use of longer captions, and more speech bubbles in the illustrations themselves, became increasingly standard for the comic.
In this panel, readers will recognize a classicFar Sideset up: a homeowner explaining something to their house guest. Here, a woman tells her friendhow her husband was turned into a fly, explaining that he confronted the mad scientist next door and paid the price for it.“Well, you know George,” she says, over coffee, subtly blaming her husband for not involving the police in his dispute with the scientist, in one ofThe Far Side’smany unforgettable warped “slice of life” moments.
9The Far Side’s Note To Werewolf Hunters: Don’t Trust Store-Bought Silver Bullets
First Published: June 11, 2025
Some ofGary Larson’s most ambitiousFar Sidejokesleft readers with more questions than answers, while others managed to tell a whole story themselves, but still hinted at a much larger context. This panel is an example of the latter; its ambition is also clear from the complexity of the illustration, relative to mostFar Sidepanels, as it involved an extended caption, dialogue within the frame, and an image-within-the-image, all situated around an action scene.
In the comic, a man manages to fire off a few rounds from his pistol at the werewolf that has bust through his door,“moments before he was ripped to shreds,” as he realizes that the man who sold him the silver bullets is his werewolf killer.The character’s purchase of silver bullets suggests he was prepared for a werewolf attack, but in a hilariously macabre twist, picked the wrong gun shop.
8The Far Side’s Note To Farmers: Don’t Fall For A Chicken In A Red Dress
First Published: August 23, 2025
ThisFar Sidecomic is unforgettableprecisely because it willleave readers asking “What the?”, not quite able to shake the feeling there’s more to the joke they’re missing. The comic features the exploits of “Madame D’Gizarde,” who the captioninforms readers “used deceit, drugs, and her beguiling charms to become the bane of chicken farmers everywhere,” as a chicken in a dress broadcasts illicitly from a passed out farmer’s house, after drugging his wine.
The Far Side’s “Chicken Of Depression” Comic (And How It Shows Off Gary Larson’s Technique Of Taking Things Too Literally On Purpose)
Despite the Far Side’s reputation for sowing confusion, Gary Larson’s humor was often overly literal, as his “Chicken of Depression” comic shows.
ThisFar Sidejoke is certainly bizarre, but the most surreal thing about it may in fact be how detailed this scene is, while leaving its punchline to be pieced together by the puzzled audience, in what amounts to one ofGary Larson’s strangest chicken comics– which is saying something.
7The Far Side’s Note To Paddle-Slingers: Be Careful What You Wish For
First Published: August 11, 2025
One of Gary Larson’s favorite comedic techniques involved setting his comic in the moment after something has happened – here, a tense game of ping-pong inThe Far Side’ssilly version of the Old Westends with the town’s resident paddle-slinger magnanimously accepting defeat at the hands of a young rival, but leaving his opponent with an ominous warning.
“Now every punk packin' a paddle and tryin' to make a name for himself will come lookin' for you,“the older cowboy declares, in a hilarious subversion of the gunslinger trope, before adding a hilarious “welcome to hell kid” for emphasis. Given the way this cartoon envelops the reader, however,Far Sidefans can’t help but wonder about the history of the old paddle-slinger, and the future of his replacement.
6The Far Side’s Note To Loudmouthed Lepidopterologists: Play It Cool & Keep Quiet
First Published: July 03, 2025
Far Sidefans remember the comic for its most stark panels, but busy cartoons like this one – bustling with characters and dense with theFar Sideequivalent of plot – were just as important tothe DNA of Gary Larson’s work. Here, the caption works as narration to inform readers what happened in the aftermath of the cartoon’s illustration, which depicts a butterfly collector boasting to a room full of colleagues, and presumably rivals, that he’s found “the Holy Grail of butterflies.”
As the caption explains, though, “Professor DeWitt” pays for his hubris, as he isquickly “etherized by an unknown assailant” – who readers can presume is one of the other characters in the panel, in an iconicFar Sidemystery moment – “and ‘relieved’ of his trophy.”
5The Far Side’s Note On Unexpected Friendships: They Never Last
First Published: August 13, 2025
In thishilariousFar Sidebear panel, readers discover an ursine crisis of conscience in progress, asa bear, Boomer, who has inexplicably become friends – or perhaps more – with a grub, Doug, must decide whether to protect the insect from other bears, or succumb to the pressure of natureand hand Doug over to be eaten.
The Far Side Complete Collection
Fans of the far side can’t pass up this master collection of Gary Larson’s finest work. Originally published in hardcover in 2003, this paperback set comes complete with a newly designed slipcase that will look great on any shelf. The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever published, which amounts to over 4,000, plus more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book and even some made after Larson retired.
ThisFar Sidejoke is a great example of Gary Larson’s increasingly adventurous humor in the later years of his career; the panel’s action, and its punchline, rely on an ongoing situation that takes place off-panel. WhileThe Far Sidealways contained jokes like this, they grew more common asGary Larson’s career reached its nadir.
4The Far Side’s Note On True Crime: A Strange Foreshadowing Of An Infamous ’90s Case
First Published: June 13, 2025
At first, thisFar Sidejoke might strike readers as a grim reference to the West Memphis Three murder case, but in fact, it predated the controversial ’90s true-crime case by several years. What is the most striking about this panel, though, is the way Gary Larson foreshadowed the media fixation on the case – which can be looked at as one essential pivot point in American audiences' increasing obsession with true-crime media.
Of course, Larson was responding to that trend, not predicting it – which is precisely what makesthis “Chicken Coop Three” cartoon, featuring three canine culprits being led from the scene of “carnage” in a henhouse, so darkly fascinating. In a way, this panel is an indicator of that trend at a critical juncture in its progression, giving thisFar Sidecartoon an unexpectedly potent sociological significance.
3The Far Side Side’s Note On Worker Uprisings: They Never Pan Out
First Published: June 04, 2025
This cartoon is another example ofGary Larson’s technique of capturing a single momentfollowing some unseen action – in this case, a riot at the “ACME Pan Co.“which led to the rioting workers bashing each other in the face with pans.
Befittingthe ACME setting, aFar Sidestaple, in cartoonish, slapstick fashion, the illustration shows the workers being led out of the factory with flattened faces, led by police officers not to ambulances, but a waiting paddywagon. The humor of this panel relies on the absurd imagery, and the detailed caption, which work together to tell a whole story while still engaging the reader’s imagination as a crucial factor in filling out the backstory of the riot.
2The Far Side’s Note On News As Entertainment: A Little Too Predatory
First Published: July 15, 2025
ThisFar Sidecartoon features a simple caption – “Geraldo Rivera of the wild” – but its premise is complex, and leaves fans of the comic with a lot of questions.“Our guests today all share the strange behavior of dressing up like other species and mating out of season…” the animal Geraldo explains, as Gary Larson lampoons the increasingly salacious nature of the news, which at the time was still slowly morphing into entertainment.
10 Hilarious Far Side Comics That Remind Readers the Universe Is Laughing At Us (Definitely Not With Us)
The Far Side treated humanity as a cosmic joke, as Gary Larson’s cartoons reminded readers that the universe was laughing at them, not with them.
Anthropomorphized animals are one ofThe Far Side’smost recognizable features; while Larson always used this technique to poke fun at individual behaviors, and familiar social habits, over the course of his career he became more comfortable using animals as proxies to make tangible social critiques, as is the case here.
1The Far Side Side’s Note To Stampeding Cows: Wait It Out
First Published: August 21, 2025
In thisFar Sidecow cartoon,a cow uses a phone booth to call home, explaining to its mother that “the stampede seems about over,” before tugging at the heartstrings by admitting: “I miss the corral.“With this joke, Gary Larson humorously depicts the phenomenon of getting caught up in a crowd, and only realizing in retrospect that it was a mistake.
Again, Larson sets this joke in the aftermath of the action, instead depicting a quiet moment – one that manages a surprising amount of emotional depth, which makes the most ofThe Far Side’stendency to use cows and other animals as stand-ins for human behavior, rendering this cartoon an all-time classic.
The Far Side
The Far Side is a humorous comic series developed by Gary Larson. The series has been in production since 1979 and features a wide array of comic collections, calendars, art, and other miscellaneous items.
