The Far Sidefrequentlyfound humor in science, technology, and medicine – the practical result of which was a number of hilarious cartoons featuring unusual, and at times outrageous, experiments, which often yielded unpredictable results.Creator Gary Larson’s fascination with sciencewas foundational to some of his most highly-regarded jokes from the duration of his career.
Arguably,The Far Sideas a whole was experimental, in the sense that Gary Larson’s work – both his illustrations and his captions – evolved on the page through successive rounds of revision, as the artist played around with his images and punchlines to find the funniest alignment of details.
At the same time,The Far Sidehas a simple, yet elegant formula, making it surprisingly easy to break down and analyze – even in the case of some of Larson’s most seemingly mystifying cartoons, such as theinfamous “Cow Tools” panel.
10With The Far Side, Gary Larson Pioneered A “Fly On The Wall” Style Of Humor
First Published: June 21, 2025
This classicFar Sidecomic features a scientist who has turned himself into a fly in his basement laboratory;the illustration depicts him hilariously tilting his head as his wife stands at the top of the stairs, hands-on-hips, incredulously asking “what? You’re still a fly?” when she comes down to tell him “lunch is ready.”
In addition to being an iconic example of a science experiment gone awry, thisFar Sidecomic also embodies GaryLarson’s observational style of comedy; his comics were often “slice-of-life” peeks into the domestic lives of his characters, except they inhabited an often surreal, and frequently silly world, equally full of wonders and horrors – with “Lawrence” and his wife here being caught somewhere in between the two.
9The Far Side Wasn’t Afraid To Spoof The Art Of Psychology
First Published: June 13, 2025
The 1980s was the decade in which psychology, specifically talk therapy, truly became ubiquitous in American culture, after becoming increasingly popular over the preceding several decades.Gary Larson made some memorable jokes about therapists, with this one standing out from the rest for the way it takes the idea of experimental psychology to the extreme – literally,with “Professor Gallagher” hanging his patient out of a high-rise window in a confined metal box full of snakes, as exposure therapy to “heights, snakes, and the dark” all in one.
The Far Side’s “Cumulative Attack Of the Willies” Comic Reveals How Asking “What If?” Was Essential To Gary Larson’s Humor
Far Side’s “Cumulative Attack of the Willies” cartoon perfectly illustrates how asking “What if?” was foundational to Gary Larson’s writing process.
With this gag, which presages the premiere of the infamous reality showFear Factorby a full fifteen years, Larson smartly evokes the same comedic use of psychologists as many iconic ’80s film comedies – playing into the skepticism about the practice that came in response to its rise in prominence.
8The Far Side’s Scientists Were All About “Can We?” Not “Should We?”
First Published: July 08, 2025
This seemingly lightheartedFar Sidecartoonfeaturesa pair of scientists hanging a rhino upside down from the ceiling of their laboratory, as part of an experiment “testing whether or not rhinos land on their feet”– an attribute popularly attributed to cats, not these great beasts of the African wilderness.
Of course, readers familiar withGary Larson’s naturalist leaningscan read deeper into this cartoon, which despite its surface-level whimsical nature does depict the abuse of an unwitting animal in laboratory conditions. By making it an especially frivolous experiment, Larson possibly provides commentary on the inherent absurdity of animal experimentation; though Larson himself generally disavows such subtextual readings ofThe Far Side, fans can still extract a relevant social critique from comics like this.
7Far Side Fans Agree: Gary Larson’s Brain Should Be Studied
First Published: July 11, 2025
In thisamusingFar Sidescientist cartoon, adisembodied head hooked up to machines in a laboratory cries out, “Oh my God, Professor Higgins! Where’s my body? What have you done with my body?” – prompting the scientist to give the head a stiff smack, to which it responds “thanks…I needed that.”
The Far Side Complete Collection
This comic delightfully straddles the line between light and dark humor – it is unknown how the man’s head was severed, or why it is being kept alive sans body, but the implication that the head doesn’t understand what is happening to it will strike some readers as at least mildly upsetting. At the same time, there is a deliberate buddy comedy-esque vibe to the characters' exchange here, especially the way the head responds after Professor Higgins smacks some sense into it.
6The Far Side Put Human – And Animal – Behavior Under The Microscope For Amusement
First Published: July 05, 2025
ThisFar Sidealien cartoonshould strike astute fans as being evocative of Gary Larson’s creative ethos as a whole; coupled with his out-of-this-world imagination, Larson’s ability to look at humanity from an outside, or “alien” perspective allowed him to hilariously scrutinize Earthlings, both human and otherwise.
Here, an alien researcherchastises his colleague for “mix[ing] incompatible species in the earth terrarium” – as he points to the glass container on the shelf where a bear is mauling a hunterto death. What makes thisFar Sidepanel especially funny is the visible frustration with which Larson draws the extraterrestrial on the left, and contrast with the “uh-oh” look of “Zorak,” as they both presumably realize they’ll have to go back to Earth to procure more specimens.
5The Far Side Depicts The Messy Side Of Science In This All-Time Great Comic
First Published: July 26, 2025
This is widely considered one of themost enduringFar Sidecomics, given how it gets the most out of both sides of the comic’s “formula” – delivering a hilariously grotesque image, with a laugh-out-loud punchline to go with it. Here, a lab full of scientists gather around tofind one of their colleagues melted into a puddle, dripping all over his work station, with one of them instructing “Weinberg” to try to “make out what the devil he was working on,“as Weinberg looks on, the potential danger of his assignment dawning on him.
7 Far Side Comics That Took Things Way, Way Too Far
The Far Side throws an absurd filter on the world, but sometimes that means taking things way too far. Here’s the funniest times it’s done just that!
Here, Larson depicts “research & development”– as the sign on the wall in the background reveals this laboratory to be – taken to its most dangerous conclusion, while also lampooning lax safety protocols in such settings. Though Gary Larson actually admired scientists, he had a gift for conjuring up what could happen when they weren’t at their best.
4The Far Side Depicts The Cost Of Failure When It Comes To Medical Experiments
First Published: August 08, 2025
In place of scientists, thisFar Sidecomic pokes fun at doctors, depicting an experimental procedure, which the caption identifies as taking place on “Jun 23, 2025,” as"veterinarians attempt the first skunk de-scenting operation,” which ultimately ends in disaster, as the vets accidentally “arm the damn thing,” sending them scattering for cover around the operating room.
“She’s gonna blowwww,” one of the surgeons stuck in the blast radius cries, in what is undeniably a great, if ridiculous,Far Sidepunchline. Here, the idea of experimental surgery serves as the premise, which Gary Larson then takes to absurd heights by depicting such a low-stakes procedure as if it had life-or-death consequences. This embodies the truly “cartoonish” dimension ofThe Far Side’shumor, making it among Larson’s most memorable panels.
3Gary Larson Was Out Of His Mind, In The Best Possible Way For An Artist
First Published: August 09, 2025
“Oh, professor,” a head in a jar calls out to a scientist working across the laboratory, “did I tell you I had another out-of-head experience last night?"; it is a simple joke, apatentedFar Sidetwist on a familiar pharse, one that practically anyone could come up with – but few people actually would come up with, which was key to Gary Larson’s success, and in retrospect, his genius as a creator.
8 Classic Far Side Comics That Were Made For Conspiracy Theorists
These Far Side comics will make readers question everything, proving artist Gary Larson wasn’t a stranger to conspiratorial thinking.
To say Larson had a unique way of looking at things is an understatement;The Far Sideis the work of a genuinely idiosyncratic mind, which is precisely what makes it so endlessly engaging. Some readers will find Larson’s sense of humor totally foreign, while for others, it will “click” right away – but in either case, or for those who find themselves somewhere in between,The Far Sideremains strangely compelling, in terms of making people want to understand the mind of the artist behind the work.
First Published: August 16, 2025
This memorable comic depicts an inventor who hascreated a helmet that translates canine language for humans to understand – and consequently, a quick stroll through a suburban neighborhood reveals that all the dogs are simply shouting “hey.“It is actually aFar Sidecartoon commonly lauded for being “scientifically accurate”, as research suggests dogs bark, first and foremost, to signify their presence.
Gary Larson often reaped comedy from scientific failure, so this joke stands out because its joke is at the expense of a “successful” experiment. In a way, this also speaks to Larson’s own experience as creator, as his humor did not always “translate” to the average reader, leading toThe Far Side’sreputation for being difficult to understand – even though the majority ofFar Sidecartoons don’t take that much effort on the part of the reader to “get.”
1"An Experiment In Human Psychology”: This Ambitious Far Side Gag Is An All-Timer
First Published: June 16, 2025
Once again,The Far Sidedepicts an over-the-top psychological experiment; in this case, one in whichthe test subject is led to believe that he is “the dictator of Ithuvania, a small European republic,” when in fact he is “Edward Belcher…from Long Island, New York.”
“It’s time to go home, Eddie,” the man in a white lab coat, holding a clipboard, tells the man sitting behind a large, ornate desk, wearing a military uniform with epaulets on his shoulders, in front of a giant portrait of himself, as the latter processes that “the hordes of admirers, the military parades” and even “this office” are all fabrications. Ranking amongGary Larson’s most ambitious jokes, this panel stands the test of time as one ofThe Far Side’smost elaborate and outrageous jokes, from premise to execution.
