The Far Sidefollows a simple formula: asGary Larson put it, “drawing + words = cartoon.“Yet often, Larson intentionally broke from this form byomitting a caption from hisFar Sidecomicsentirely.These captionless panels depended on their illustration’s ability to convey the joke from premise to punchline, resulting in varying degrees of success over the years.
Broadly speaking, Larson’s captionless comics can be divided into four categories: there arethoseFar Sidecomics where a caption would be superfluous, and possibly even make the joke less funny; there are theFar Sidecartoons that don’t need a caption to get their joke across, but could perhaps use one to elevate the humor of the panel; finally, someFar Sidecomics leave readers wanting more.
And of course, there are thoseFar Sidecomics that could use a caption, because without one, theyleave the reader asking “What the?”
10An Early Far Side “One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others” Comic
First Published: July 14, 2025
The reasonThe Far Sidestood out among the crowd of syndicated newspaper comics from its earliest days was because it routinely featured characters who stood out themselves; Gary Larson loved to depict oddballs and outcasts, but also moments of strange, and often silly, incongruity. That is the case with thisearlyFar Sidecow comic, which featuresthree cows lined up at a trough, two of them munching hay, while the one in the middle blows a bubble with bubble gum.
The joke here comes through clearly enough, and the cow on the right side-eyeing the bubble-blower is an amusing subtle detail, but manyFar Sidefans would agree this is a panel that could be even funnier with even a short-but-sweet line of Larsonian dialogue to add another layer to it.
9Cows Make A Break For It In This Far Side Comic That Focuses On The Visual
First Published: July 28, 2025
In anotherearlyFar Sidecow cartoon,a pair of bovines are depicted making their way to freedom on a moon-lit night, bypassing the farm’s barbed-wire fence by burrowing underneath it, using cow-bells on their heads.
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It is an amusing joke, and it makes sense why Gary Larson might have chosen to let the visual here speak for itself; the cartoon might evoke an initial"What the?” reaction from someFar Sidereaders, but again, it isn’t unfair to think that it feels there is something missing here as a result of the lack of caption. More than many captionlessFar Sidepanels, this one might give off the sense of being half a joke, with that vital “words” half of the formula missing in the completion of this cartoon.
8For Creator Gary Larson, The Far Side Was Both A Marathon And A Sprint
First Published: June 09, 2025
ThisFar Sidecartoon relies on the reader’s recognition of itsWizard of Ozreference to “get” its humor,as the heroic journey of Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow through the dark, ominous forest is intruded upon, and interrupted by, a marathon running down the road in their direction.
It is a simple, lightheartedFar Sidegag, one that is clear enough, but once more would arguably be even funnier with the right caption. It is worth noting that, Gary Larson has noted in essays fromThe Complete Far Side, he operated on a tight production schedule withThe Far Side, which clashed with his own natural tendency toward extensive revision, meaning some of his cartoons had to go “out the door” to his editor in an imperfect form. Whether this is an example of such or not, it is still valuable context for why someFar Sidecartoons can feel less “done” than others.
7Gary Larson’s “Sequel” To One Of His Earliest Comics Could Use More Context
First Published: July 04, 2025
This cartoon is actually a follow-up to, or re-do of, one ofGary Larson’s early pre-Far Sidecomics; it features a stampede of wild bulls, or bison, running through a canyon, withthe cowboy hat hanging in the air above them, and the coffee pot stuck on one of the frontrunner’s hooves, it is clear that they just trampled a cowboy.
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While this represents an amusing continuation of Larson’s earlier cartoon, which had the cowboy in the foreground, with the stampede coming at him from the background, for most readers it comes across as one of Larson’s more subtle punchlines. It is not necessarily confusing, but a caption’s wry or satirical commentary on what just happened potentially could have made this panel more engaging for readers.
6This Far Side Comic Is A Hoot, But Its Joke Can Be Easy To Miss
First Published: July 02, 2025
This is another subtleFar Sidejoke, which certainly stands well enough on its own, but when paired with a caption, may have gone from amusing to laugh-out-loud funny. As it stands, the panel breaks fromThe Far Side’ssingle image tendencyto depict a sequence of three moments: in the first, two owls sit next to each other on a branch; in the second, one owl taps the other on the shoulder;in the final moment, the second owl spins its head around 180-degrees in response to the tap on the shoulder.
The true humor of thisFar Sidecartoon relies on the reinterpretation of a classic lighthearted prank, using owl physiology. That said, this is a “premise is also the punchline” variety ofFar Sidecomic, and while funny, an equally funny caption to match would have made this cartoon 2x as satisfying.
5This Far Side Caveman Comic Could Use A Caption For Emphasis
First Published: August 07, 2025
Here, Gary Larson returns to one of favorite subjects, the invention of the wheel, as one ofThe Far Side’subiquitous prehistoric charactersstands outside his cave and chisels the finishing touches into his large stone wheel, only to be upstaged by his neighbors busting out of their cave and joyriding around in a convertible.
The Far Side Complete Collection
The blur of the car full of Neanderthals in the background of the frame, and the tire tracks trailing them back to their cave, combined with the way the caveman in the foreground stares wistfully off at them in the distance, definitely convey Larson’s joke here, but once more, thisFar Sidecartoon could be taken from good to great with a solid caption, perhaps one capturing the sense of defeat on behalf of its focal character.
4One Of The Far Side’s Most Inexplicable Comics; Can You Figure It Out?
First Published: July 29, 2025
At times,Gary Larson’s humor was intentionally obscure, while in other instances,The Far Side’sconfusing comics were the result of miscommunication, or misunderstanding, between creator and reader. What makes this one of Gary Larson’s most difficult-to-decipher illustrations is that it is hard to even tell, in this case, whether this is an example the former or the latter.
The imagedepicts a man and woman, and their dog, having a picnic at night, under a looming full moon, and though they are drawn as little more than silhouettes, it is clear the attention of both human characters has been caught by something strange in the sky, as what look like antenna sticking out from a cloud floating by. It is difficult to make out what is happening in thisFar Sidecartoon, and even harder to extract some evident humor from it, making this an underrated contender for Gary Larson’s most confusing comic.
3Another Far Side Prehistory Joke That Could Use More Elaboration
First Published: July 06, 2025
In thisFar Sidecaveperson cartoon,a pair of loincloth-wearing prehistoric characters stand in the midst of an iced-over landscape, looking down at an automobile, a red truck, frozen beneath a thick sheet of ice.
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This is an amusing visual, but it is another example of a Gary Larson comic where the humor does not entirely translate between author and reader. Certainly, some fans will be able to pick up on the inferred punchline here more than others, but many more will be left scratching their heads, with only a vague sense of what the joke is actually about, something that could have been alleviated by the use of a caption with thisFar Sidepanel.
2This Far Side Comic Leaves Fans With Some Burning Questions, In A Good Way
First Published: June 11, 2025
It’s safe to say that thishellishFar Sidecomicis hilarious even without a caption, as it depictsa trio of horned, pitchfork-wielding devils sitting in their office cracking up as they read notes from the underworld’s “suggestion box,“as flames lick the office door, the silhouettes of the damned visible among them.
Yet to the extent readers can wish for more when it comes to aFar Sidecartoon, many would say that a caption revealing the suggestion that the demons are laughing at could elevate this joke even further; to be fair, though, there is also the contigent of readers who would say that it is unneccessary, even if they might want it, because this panel does everything right to deliver a classic captionlessFar Sidepunchline.
1The Far Side’s Most Controversial Location Is The Setting For This Classic Captionless Gag
First Published: June 23, 2025
WhenGary Larson retired at the end of 1994, he adhered to the old show business adage of “always leave them wanting more,” and this shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone, because so many of hisFar Sidejokes over the years embodied the same quality.
Take for example thisFar Sidedungeon cartoon;despite being his most infamous setting, Larson routinely returnedto this locale right up until the end ofThe Far Side’srun. Here, a group of forlorn prisoners arearranged mid-torture, tied to “the Rack” or hanging from the walls, including one upside down, all while the hooded dungeon master reads a book entitled “Inner Torture.“Far Sidefans will be left questioning whether he is seeking more diabolical ways to break his subjects, or perhaps less likely, if this torturer is trying to get to the root of his own internal anguish, brought on by his nightmarish occupation.
