1994 was the last year ofThe Far Side, concluding a fourteen-year run in publication that astounded and confounded readers, providing countless laughs and provoking endless iterations of the question, “What the?” As was the cause throughout the cartoon’s run,the final year ofFar Sidecartoons was as full of wonderfully strange moments as ever.
Creator Gary Larson retired at the start of 1995, afterone finalWizard of Ozreference on New Year’s Day. Though the artist had been saying for over a decade that he would one day"pull the plug" onThe Far Side, the end was still a disappointing surprise to legions of fans, one that left readers with many unanswered questions.
It is fair to say that Larson went out at the top of his game;The Far Sidewas evolving in 1994, but what it might have become is a matter thatGary Larson devotees can only speculate about.
12The Far Side Chewed Up & Spit Out Countless Characters During Its Run
First Published: June 17, 2025
The Far Sidewas a rough place to exist –the cartoon’s cast of characterswere as likely to fall victim to tragedy as hilarious fits of irony, simple wordplay could lead to death or disfigurement, and perhaps worst of all, its characters could at times be incredibly judgmental.
Case in point, this cartoon, in whichtwo anthropomorphized pens at a barlook askance at “a chewed-up No. 2 pencil” as he walks in the door, a goofy smile and googly eyes on his face. Larson leaves it to the reader to ponder the class distinctions between fountain pens and used pencils, but the cartoon reflects just enough of a familiar human scenario that readers can situate themselves in the humor of the panel, though many instead will find themselves asking “What the?”
11Sometimes Even Obvious Far Side Jokes Might Confuse Readers At First
First Published: August 23, 2025
“Strawbrothers” has gained a reputation as one of Gary Larson’s strangest late-eraFar Sidecartoons, largely because its punchline is slyly left for the reader to infer. Once more, Larson brings inanimate objects to life, as three scarecrows are depicted in a field,as two of them seemingly pressure the third into swapping straw, at which point, they will “all be strawbrothers.”
A play on the “blood brothers” ritual, even readers familiar with the concept often find themselves flummoxed, at first, by this punchline.Far Sidecomics often reveal themselves to readers upon closer examination, butLarson’s goal was to evoke an immediate reaction, and so it is important to catalog when confusion precedes clarity in engaging with individualFar Sidepanels.
10When A Far Side’s Joke Is Too Obvious, Readers Might Find Themselves Asking “What The?”
First Published: June 21, 2025
SomeFar Sidecomics cause a “What the?” reactionbecause they’re unexpectedly complex, or unrepentantly confusing, but even the simplestFar Sidejoke could throw readers for a loop. That is the case with this cartoon, caption “basic field trips,” in which a bus full ofcows,Far Side’smost reliable characters,take a tour through various fallow meadows, with their guide explaining that “next spring, this will all be green and lush.”
From the firstFar Sidecartoon to the last, one reliable type of “What the?” response was: “What the? Why is this funny?” There isn’t much more to “get” about this comic than its surface level premise,making it similar to the infamous “Cow Tools” panel, with the humor of the cartoon not necessarily leaping off the page at readers.
9Classic Far Side Wordplay Is Rendered In Strange, Hilarious Form
First Published: June 01, 2025
“He’s got a good head on his shoulders,” the foreman at a factorytells a new employee about his coworker, Mueller, who has a second head growing out of his right shoulder, “but best not to mention it.“This panel is an example ofThe Far Side’spenchant for absurdist literalizations, as here,Gary Larson takes a familiar idiomand depicts it at face value, to great comedic effect.
12 Far Side Comics From 1992 That Make Readers Go “What the?” (Including One Of Gary Larson’s Most Obscure Jokes)
By 1992, The Far Side’s reputation for obscure humor was well established, and Gary Larson continued to expertly deliver inexplicable punchlines.
ForFar Sidereaders, an immediate “What the?” reaction didn’t preclude laughter, as the details of this panel – particularly the eyes of Mueller, and his second head, in contrast to the ocular opacity of the other characters,a classic Gary Larson trick– will certainly strike readers as funny, while the very idea of it will be met with incredulity.
8A Unique Far Side Family Is Faced With A Difficult Conversation
First Published: June 04, 2025
Far Sidecartoons were frequently remixes and mash-ups of different elements; Gary Larson might, for example, take a contemporary pop culture reference and mix it with a historical anecdote, or combine a high-brow scientific concept with a low-brow comedic gag. Sometimes, this amounted to a deliberate clash of tones – in this case, the real and the surreal.
In this panel, a young man listens ashis parents explain that “to understand what happened, you have to first understand that back in the ’60s, we were all taking a lot of drugs,” a very real conversation that a teenager in the early 1990s might have with their parents – except in thisFar Sidepanel, the parents are centaurs, conflating actual fantasy with very true-to-life family dynamics.
7One Thing Far Side Readers Can Say For Sure About Gary Larson: He Watched A Lot Of Movies
First Published: August 23, 2025
The Far Sidewas full of movie referencesover the years; some are still immediately obvious to this day, while some have become more obscure over time. That is the case with this panel, in whichtwo astronauts tear at the lunar surface, discovering that it is “only a paper moon,” in what is seemingly a reference to the 1973 film by Peter Bogdonovich.
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.
Once more, this is an example of Gary Larson’s ability to find humor in literalization, as well as histendency to derive punchlines from “What if?” questions– in this case, “what if the moon turned out to actually be paper?” Still, even for readers who get the reference, the fact that this prompted Larson’s illustration will surprise some readers, especially those who are expecting more from it.
6Check Out “The Big Brain” On This Far Side Cheetah Victim
First Published: July 31, 2025
In this grislyFar Sidecartoon, a pair of large predatory cats have killed a human on safari, with one now posing with the body as the other snaps a photograph. “That’s just not impressive, Doris…” the photograph complains,as the killer cat in question pries open the dead human’s mouth, in the same way big game hunters do to their kind – instead, the speaker insists Doris go one step further, and “hold up the big brain!”
The details of thisFar Sidecomicmake it one of Gary Larson’s darkest, at least from 1994, and that in itself will hit readers before it necessarily strikes them as funny, resulting in a “What the?” or even a “My god!” reaction before the macabre comedy of the panel impresses itself upon the reader.
First Published: June 18, 2025
ThisFar Sidecartoon uses deliberately terrible artto strong comedic effect, but the way it contrasts that with the seriousness of the punchline’s premise –workers from the “Plutonium Trucker’s Union” being exposed to the harmful effects of radiation, resulting in all manner of mutations– will give many readers pause before they let a whisper of amusement escape their lips.
The Far Side’s “Out of Order” Comic (Both Versions) Is the Perfect Illustration Of Gary Larson’s Chaotic Creative Mind
Gary Larson’s “Out of Order” comic, published in 1988, perfectly illustrated of how the business of creating The Far Side wore him down over time.
In this way, however, thisFar Sidepanel perfectly exemplifies the way Gary Larson routinely mixed gravity and levity to achieve a dynamic that rarely failed to have an impact on readers, whether that was making them smile, frown, or gasp in surprise. This comic skillfully aims for a blend of all three, grabbing readers with both its image and its caption and refusing to let go.
4The Far Side Was Always The Story Of The Odd Bear Out
First Published: June 25, 2025
AFar Sidetheme was the idea of standing out in a crowd, or being set apart from one’s peers – as isaptly illustrated by Gary Larson using bearsin this cartoon, with apair of black bears on vacation in the Arctic trying not to stand out as “tourists” among the local polar bears by eating regional cuisine the wrong way.
“Don’t eat the flippers, Zeke,” the bear wife admonishes her husband, and while it might perplex some readers at first, considering it in the context of Larson’s perennial status as an artist and cultural outsider makes this a metaphorically potentFar Sidecartoon, once the initial confusion is pushed past.
3Gary Larson Depicts Survival Of The Fittest, Far Side Style
First Published: August 04, 2025
In thisFar Sidecomic, a father and son peer over their fence as wild animals overrun their neighbor’s house, with the dad telling his kid, “I know you miss theWainwrights,they were weak and stupid people…and that’s why we have wolves and other large predators.”
The Far Sidewas frequently dark, but it’s humor was rarely this harsh; while the unexpected bluntness of the father’s words might elicit a jolt of nervous laughter from readers, many will have an initial reaction of dismay at how mercilesslyGary Larson dispatches his human characters here, and the unexpectedly Darwinian philosophy that the dad imparts as if it is matter-of-fact wisdom.
