While today’s media is obsessed with superheroes, Gary LarsonThe Far Sidewas published back when only a couple of superpowered crime-fighters were household names. Larson only created a handful of superhero-focused comics inFar Side’s run, but there are even more Larson strips that we think areparticularlyfunny if you’re already familiar with Superman, Thor, the X-Men and even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Here are the eight funniestFar Sidecomics that every superhero fan needs to see, building up to the one A-list superhero who got adirectparody in Gary Larson’s work.
8Thor’s Screwdriver
Larson Shares Marvel’s Interest in the Norse God of Thunder
Debuting in 1962’sJourney into Mystery #83, Thor is Marvel’s God of Thunder, and a founding member of the Avengers. Played by Chris Hemsworth in the MCU, Marvel’s Thor has a lot of similarities to his mythological inspiration, including the enchanted hammer Mjolnir. In both the original Norse mythology and Marvel Comics, Thor’s hammer is an unusual weapon - while it was designed for battle with a long handle, Loki caused an accident during its creation, leading to a short handle. This theoretically made Mjolnir less effective as a weapon, but Thor’s immense strength easily made up the gap.
Larson’sFar Sideimagines that Thor’s hammer is just part of a larger set of tools, showing the Thunder God posing beside his collection with apparent pride. The calendar on the wall adds to the amusingly everyday presentation of the mighty god, while the pose is weirdly reminiscent ofLarson’s iconic ‘Cow Tools’ comic- another strip where an unusual character is inexplicably proud of their tools.
Marvel’s Thor was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby. Reports differ on who had the initial idea, butJack Kirby’s prior history creating comics about Thormakes his version sound most credible.
7Clown Execution
The Joker Would Fit in With Far Side’s Evil Clowns
Joker may have been menacing Gotham City since 1940, but neither Batman nor Commissioner Gordon’s police department have managed to get rid of the ‘Clown Prince of Crime.’ In the world ofThe Far Side, people are apparently far more willing to execute their criminal clowns, though that doesn’t mean they feeltotallyokay about it. Like the Joker,Larson’s clowns tend to be menacing figuresdespite their wide grins and custard pies, andthere are plenty ofFar Sidecomics where clowns cause genuine havoc.
Larson’s clowns attack people on the street, get involved with organized crime, and even mess with nuclear weaponry. In fact, the Joker may need to watch out for his reputation as ‘the’ criminal clown.
Joker was created by Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson and Bill Finger, and has appeared inmultiple movies and TV shows, depicted by luminaries including Jack Nicholson, Cesar Romero and Heath Ledger. Despite his popularity today, Joker began to appear less and less over the ’60s, leading to a decade in which he received only a handful of appearances. Thankfully, the ’70s brought about a resurgence for the character.
10 Funniest Far Side Comics Starring Giant Monsters
Here are the 10 best Far Side comics starring gigantic monsters - from big names like King Kong, Godzilla and Mothra to giant animals and humans.
6Turtle Soup!
Far Side Reveals the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Final Fate
Whether the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles count as superheroes or not is down to you, but they wear masks, are the product of stray radiation, and got their start in comics, so they tick alotof the right boxes. Sadly, it’s how they met theirendthat concerns Gary Larson, with this comic hinting that the four brothers have been turned into delicious soup - though sadly with their weapons and masks still posing a major choking hazard.
This comic showcases how -despite only using a single panel- Gary Larson often makes his readers work for the punchline, with various details combining to explain what’s happening in this comic, from the tiny sword and mask to the board stating that today’s special is turtle soup.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswas created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, whose original comic parodied gritty series like Marvel’s Daredevil.TMNTincludes a lot of Daredevil references, with Splinter being a nod to Matt Murdock’s mentor Stick, and the Foot Clan ninjas standing in for the Hand. Indeed, the comics strongly imply that theradioactive ooze that created the turtlesis the same one that struck Matt Murdock in the face, giving him his Daredevil powers.
5Black Widow
Far Side Celebrates the Namesake of Marvel’s Super-Spy
Marvel’s black widow is named for the deadly arachnid which famously (sometimes) cannibalize their mates. Larson plays on this fact as a spider newspaper’s personal section is made up entirely of black widow spiders who have consumed their mates and now need new partners. Larson is a huge fan of the insect world, andFar Sidehas a lot of spider comics.
Entomologists loveThe Far Sideas much as Larson loves insects and arachnids, leading toLarson having a species of louse named in his honor -strigiphilus garylarsoni.
Black Widow was introduced to Marvel lore in 1964’sTales of Suspense #52, created by Stan Lee, Don Rico and Don Heck. Natasha Romanoff was originally introduced as a villain before later joining the Avengers.
We Asked You to Vote for Far Side’s Funniest Cat Comic and Every Owner Can Relate to the Top Pick
Every Far Side fan has a different favorite, but we still didn’t expect the vote for Gary Larson’s best cat comic to be so incredibly close.
4The Wolverine Display
You Won’t Believe How This Connects to The Boys
Like Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow, Marvel’s Wolverine is named for his similarities to the ferocious carnivore. Larson’s comic hinges on the bizarre choice for anyone to keep an easily opened enclosure of wolverines in their home, let alone to host a party where anyone can access it.Strangely, Larson’s comic is similar to a pivotal moment in the superhero parodyThe Boys, where President Robert Shaefer is killed by a literal wolverine after inviting a group of children with unusual pets to the White House.
The Boysuses the scene as adeliberate reference to Marvel’s Wolverine, but with the same core joke asThe Far Side- if you’re going to own a pet known around the world for its incredible aggression, it’s a good idea to invest in some heavy-duty locks.
Wolverine was developed as a new enemy for the Hulk, first appearing inThe Incredible Hulk #180, from 1974. Created by Len Wein and John Romita Sr., he later joined the X-Men, becoming a household name.
3Mr. Big Nose
This Far Side Inventor Could Be a Young Tony Stark
In this strip, a precocious student goads their shop teacher, safe in the knowledge that their newly built robot companion will keep them safe from any repercussions. Marvel fans don’t have to look far to find a genius inventor who’s a little too prone to shooting his mouth off, andthisFar Sidestrip is even more fun if you imagine the kid as a young Tony Stark, aka Iron Man.
Iron Man was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby, debuting in 1962’sTales of Suspense #39. Long considered one of Marvel’s less popular heroes, Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as Tony Stark in 2008’sIron Manturned the character into an A-list Avenger.
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2Mutants on the Bounty
X-Men’s Superhumans WouldHateThis Far Side Comic
In Marvel Comics, mutants are an offshoot of humanity whose rare ‘X-gene’ has awoken impressive superpowers, including telepathy, superstrength and the ability to control the weather. That’s notquitewhat Larson means in this gag on the Mutiny on theBounty- a real-life event that’s been commemorated in numerous films. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine Gary Larson’s unfortunate characters ever saving the world from Magneto.
The X-Men were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, debuting in 1963’sThe X-Men #1. Originally, their powers came not from a mutant gene, but rather from the effects of atomic radiation.
1Far Side’s Superman Comics
Larson Was a Big Fan of the Man of Steel
While a lotFar Sidecomics might be extrafunfor superhero fans, the only iconic superhero Larson everdepicted in the comic is Superman, aka the Man of Steel. This is likely due to 1978’sSupermanmovie, starring Christopher Reeve, which released two years prior to the beginning ofFar Side’s syndication.Larson only created a handful of Superman comics, making light of the Man of Steel’s powers, good-guy image, and relationship with Lois Lane. Larson shows Superman falling prey to his old age, using his X-ray vision to cheat at cards, and casually checking a phone box for spare change while changing into costume.
It’s hard to pick Larson’s number one Superman comic, and thankfully we don’t have to - in February 2024,we asked you to vote for the best ofFar Side’s Superman comic, and the image of Clark Kent in a phone booth won with 28% of the vote, with Superman’s moth-like obsession with a lighthouse coming in second with 22%.
The Far Sidemay not have been as obsessed with superheroes as some modern fans would like, but plenty of Larson’s comics are still even funnier for those who love characters including Iron Man, the X-Men, and Larson’s favorite, Superman.
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.
