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When thinking of The Far Side and its animal obsessions, what comes to mind? Cows, chickens, sheep? Or the many wonderful dog comic strips Larson created? Larson certainly had a love for nature and the animal kingdom, part of the reason I fell in love with his work as a kid, but there are undeniably more animals he favors in his strips; you would be hard-pressed to find a fan that puts ducks ahead of other animals, which is a ducking shame.
Digging through my copy of The Complete Far Side, I was pleasantly reminded of how many great strips there are about ducks, and enjoyed picking the ten best that prove that Larson enjoyed delivering anatidae antics as much as bovines and canines. These are the best of the best duck comics from The Far Side that will leave you quacking out loud.
Why You Should Trust Me: Gary Larson was a cornerstone of my early years and shaped a love of comedy I still carry decades later. I have amassed a large collection of his work that I revisit and reflect on often, and it's become one of my roles at MovieWeb to curate his work for these lists.
The Undeniable Childhood Joy of Chasing Birds
This one is a triple threat. You've got ducks, dogs, and a dumb human to hit a few of Larson's regular themes. Having the dog be the voice of reason in this strip is undeniably humorous, but the comic also captures the general joy we all felt as kids encountering birds and giving chase (even if we did not mean to and were just excited). Seeing that glee in an adult in this strip is oddly nostalgic, especially with Larson framing the strip in a park, with a bench by the pond and everything; though why is it facing away from the pond?
Little M's Making Their Way Through Life
One of the first things many people draw as children, before moving on to making that S symbol in our teens, is birds in the distance. Why? Because they are easy to throw into any picture as a tiny m in the sky. Ducks facing this ambiguity in the human context are the perfect piece of anthropomorphism that shines through in Larson's best comics. Nerdy fact: a grouping of ducks in the sky in formation is called a skein, and on the water? You best believe that's a paddling.
The Curse of the Duck
While The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy advises never to travel without a towel, in the world of The Far Side, the same could be said about ducks; this is not the only gag where a duck becomes a mandatory accessory. This one gets the nod as the best for the hilarious situation it unfolds, with a duck finding itself on the explorers' heads, as predicted by the Witch Doctor. A fun nerdy aside: the ducks here are pure white, but the Amazon's native duck is the dark, glossy-black Muscovy, with the all-white look only showing up in domesticated farm breeds, so Larson cheerfully drew the wrong duck. It certainly feels like a fantastical adventure through Larson's absurdist lens.
Float, Bob, Sink
Everyone has something they are worried about when it comes to self-image, even if it's as minor as turning into a werewolf on a full moon. For this unfortunate duck, the sensation of sinking is a playful poke at the insecurities we all feel. Yet, what works really well here is that the duck being asked for advice is named Bob, conjuring the image of a bobber on a fishing line and suggesting he has a good rhythm.
Travel Plans Delayed by a Pun
This one is a bit of a groaner, but Larson's wit was just as quick to be indulgently silly in the kind of humor that would fall under being a dad joke. Yet, with many of the dad-joke strips Larson does, he throws in some extras to elevate them. Migration vs. migraine is funny, but the vision of the mallards driving instead of flying is fun, and the little Easter egg in the bumper sticker puts the whole thing over as a ducking classic in his catalog.
Quack Around, Find Out
I adore Far Side comics that have implied backstories and named characters who act under the assumption that the reader knows who they are or how they got to where they are. We know that Professor Jenkins made a lifelong enemy with a duck, and seeing it having the upper hand makes you kind of root for the little one. Yet, how do they know each other, how did the ship sink, and what happened between the two to create a lifelong vendetta? We may never know, but it also does not matter, as it just gives the reader their own absurd scenarios to play around with in their mind.
Three Ducks Walk Into a Bar
Firstly, this one would make a perfect visual for a den, over the wet bar (I wish I had either). The gag here is pretty straightforward: the duck gets shot and goes to the bar to tell friends about it. The punchline is that he may have been scoping out a decoy that would make his wife upset, kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't; the kind of situations Larson plays on well in his Hell comic strips. Simple, effective, and classic Larson.
Duck, Duck, Chicken
This strip is such a lovely meta piece, where you can just imagine Larson chuckling to himself when the question was asked, and his mind instantly strays to this silly gag. Alternatively, you could read it as a literal throwaway comic, with a flying chicken used as the punchline. I like to think it is the former, as the setup here takes its time with the long caption. The chicken's expression is also priceless.
To Swim or to Waddle?
There is a certain way that Larson captures awkwardness among people and the animal kingdom, particularly using the term 'nerd,' that can make the visuals really sell his humor. Here he does not deliver quite a nerdy duck, but rather one you can tell at a glance is an awkward fellow that certainly would stand out among the other ducks. With his big feet and stripes, it feels like he emerged from the water to explain himself rather than being asked why he looks the way he does. Hopefully, his big feet make him a proficient swimmer.
I Would Hire Him
Gary Larson's pop-culture references are always a joy, whether it's a movie reference or poking fun at real-life figures. In this case, Larson got a bit "loony" by envisioning Daffy Duck's resume (the best cartoon duck, by the way) and leaning into the famous cartoon character's loud and eccentric personality. This is also a great example of comedy in excess that Larson seldom played with. You have the first two job experience notes being typical Daffy, followed by a mention of a stint in politics. Being able to take a shotgun shot at point-blank range is the greatest skill ever committed to a resume.
Did you quack out loud? While there are not as many duck comics as there are dog or cow comics, Larson was undeniably obsessed with feathered friends as well. So, let me know in the comments what your favorite duck comic strip from The Far Side is, including which you would add to the list.
