Few comics do meta humor and surrealism better than The Far Side. Gary Larson’s bizarre and critically-acclaimed strip excelled in delighting readers for years with its unconventional and unexpected gags. But when The Far Side wasn’t making readers everywhere laugh, its offbeat twists and turns were making them ponder grander things about the universe.
Those who dive into The Far Side quickly get used to Larson’s particular brand of humor. But even after one adjusts to the out-of-left-field punchlines and over-the-top scenarios, the comic can hit readers with set-ups that will leave them pondering about grander things, such as the nature of reality or their place in the universe. Whether it’s because of the comic giving readers a new perspective on Earth or a meta joke that makes one re-think their life. Read on to discover 10 Far Side strips that make people laugh and think deeper about the nature of the world.
10
Didn’t Ask to Be Drawn
Publication Date: April 1, 1986
Who hasn’t had a fight with their parents where they say something they wind up regretting? Larson parodies a classic parent/child fight with the rebellious son, busting out a variation of a classic line: “I didn’t ask to be drawn!”. It’s definitely funny, but the meta-awareness factor takes this strip to another level. A cartoon character aware of their own existence, much like how average people are? Is everything that people experience just the result of an extradimensional force guiding us in the way Larson guides his Far Side characters? Best to not think about that too deeply.
9
Déjà Vu
Publication Date: November 20, 1982
Déjà vu is a funny thing, isn’t it? That creeping feeling of knowing that something is familiar, even if one can’t put their finger on it. Here, Larson goes the extra mile with that phenomenon by having a man encounter something incredibly out-of-the-ordinary: a large cartoon with amalgamated body parts. Despite how alien the creature looks, the man is getting the feeling he’s seen it before. Déjà vu can be a bit unsettling when one isn’t prepared for it, and when one gets it in a scenario like this, one can only imagine why such a feeling would come up.
8
They’re Through
Publication Date: November 19, 1980
Larson wasn’t afraid to poke fun at the idea that humanity was going to be responsible for its demise. And in this strip, The Far Side doesn’t hold back, showcasing that civilization has completely collapsed in the wake of nuclear war. Yet, bugs have continued to survive and are prepared to go about their lives now that humans are done. Funny, but definitely disconcerting. Sure, there’s a small comfort in knowing life will go on in the wake of humanity destroying itself, but seeing it play out so straight in a Far Side strip is enough to give anyone pause.
7
How Flowers See Themselves
Publication Date: July 9, 1984
Gary Larson loves nature and would frequently use it as the setting and, occasionally, the subject of The Far Side. Here, Larson takes a break from his usual one-panel structure to show off two panels, one demonstrating how people see flowers (with nothing special about them). The second panel shows how flowers see themselves, each with a unique face and personality. It’s a cute strip, and it really makes one contemplate the uniqueness of everything. It’s easy to lump things together, but the truth is, the world everyone lives in is way more unique than people comprehend.
6
The Far Side Spy Center
Publication Date: October 8, 1991
The Far Side sure loved to poke occasional fun at its rivals. Here, readers get a look at The Far Side’s ‘spy center’, which shows several stock characters from the strip keeping an eye on the competition, such as Garfield and Charlie Brown (who’s threatening to put poor Snoopy to sleep). It’s got that usual dark humor The Far Side is known for, but it’s also a haunting reminder. After all, in the 21st century, can anyone be 100% certain that they’re not being observed by some party for some unknown, or possibly even nefarious purpose?
5
Cartoon Anatomy
Publication Date: July 19, 1990
The Far Side often treats its characters as more ‘real’ than most other comic strips. Nothing showcases that better than this lesson on how to draw by Gary Larson. But rather than constructing his characters from shapes and lines, The Far Side’s band of misfits are designed from the inside out, from skeleton to skin. Hilarious, but it really makes one think about the characters we perceive as fictional. Are they just as real as people are? And if they are, then what does that make people in the ‘real world’? A real puzzler the more one thinks about it.
4
Hanging Houseplant
Publication Date: April 16, 1980
Larson loved anthropomorphizing everything from animals to everyday objects. Here, The Far Side mastermind takes the concept of ‘hanging plants’ to is most extreme and has a common household plant commit suicide via a noose while the plant’s owner explains the situation to the authorities. Despite being literally gallows’ humor, one must ask how this kind of situation could even occur. Is this normal in The Far Side? Or are readers the crazy ones for not feeling empathy for the plant? The Far Side has a strange way of broadening its readers’ perspectives on the world around them.
3
The Truth About the Earth
Publication Date: October 4, 1980
Forget about the flat Earth or the hollow Earth arguments for a second, because The Far Side is about to blow every conspiracy-peddling person’s mind. This strip shows a pair of astronauts out in space when they discover the truth about the world: it’s actually a giant balloon on a string (something the astronauts vow to take to their graves). It’s funny, sure, but it makes one wonder. Are there discoveries that explorers and others have made that would completely upend everything humans know and hold dear? It’s hard not to wonder what real-life astronauts have actually seen in space.
2
Mr. Pembrose
Publication Date: April 30, 1988
There’s no shame in talking to a therapist, but this Far Side strip will definitely have some people second-guessing themselves. Here, a doctor is speaking with a patient of his, telling ‘Mr. Pembrose’ that he needs to let go of his anger. The problem is, there is no Pembrose, just the doctor talking to an empty couch. Is he just talking to himself in the third person? Or does he actually perceive another person there with him? Everyone trusts that the people around them are real, but when that illusion is shattered like it is here, things get weird.
1
“This is a Cartoon!”
Publication Date: April 2, 1990
Larson often delighted readers with its meta humor, and few strips pull it off as well as this one. A man is approached by his boss, and he begins thinking up a bunch of insults, only to be called out by his boss since, as a cartoon, his thoughts can be read. It’s a great meta gag, but it’s almost primed to make readers start guessing about their own reality. After all, if this boss could read his employee’s thoughts, who’s to say other thoughts can’t be read? Sounds crazy, sure, but crazy’s just another day in The Far Side.
- Writer
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Gary Larson
- Colorist
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Gary Larson
