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Do you have pets? Have you interacted with animals in nature? Then you probably have laughed at more than a few cartoons designed by Gary Larson in The Far Side. Larson's comic strip series has all the elements necessary to create original, hilarious comic strips every single time. And Larson proved over the years that he never worried too much about pushing the boundaries to make his comics stand out.
True fans of the series know that Larson loved recurring themes. He didn't have any named recurring characters or identifiable storylines, so recurring themes are about the closest readers see to any sense of familiarity in the comic strips. Many of the funniest comic strips in the entire series revolve around humans' weird and wacky interactions with animals. More often than not, Larson would humanize animals in his comic strips, making these interactions even stranger.
Professor Jenkins Meets His Untimely Demise
This Chicken Isn't Messing Around
Gary Larson has always been considered one of the most talented cartoonists of this century, making The Far Side one of the most popular comic strip series ever. While Larson is known for incorporating many different aspects into his comic strips, he is best known for being able to tell a story using only one panel and no recurring characters.
In this panel, Larson paints a true, fully fleshed-out story for the reader. Based on the duck's commentary, it's clear that the duck and Professor Jenkins have some previous, contentious relationship. The reader's imagination immediately fills in the missing details, giving fans a role in the story that makes them feel more connected to the comics.
These Vultures Can Smell Death
The Poor Old Men Are Nearing Their End
All animals have a place in The Far Side universe. Over the years, creator Gary Larson found a way to incorporate all kinds of creatures and make their place in the series make sense. Even with simpler jokes like this, Larson finds spectacular avenues to have animals do creepy and hilarious things in his strips.
This comic strip mainly plays into the light-hearted dark humor that The Far Side is so well known for.While some of Larson's comics can get extremely dark, more often than not, he incorporates some elements that balance the dark and light of his jokes.
All The Animals Taunt Adam And Eve
Hopefully They Don't Choose The Snake
Larson is well-known for skillfully weaving religious jokes into his comics so that some might not even get the reference. However, when targeting a story as recognizable as Adam and Eve, most fans quickly get the joke and find true amusement.
In this particular comic, Larson incorporates many of the most popular animals he uses. Cows and snakes appear numerous throughout Larson's comic strips, potentially inspired by his love and borderline obsession with science. Larson uses familiar themes to engage readers with his otherwise chaotic comic strip series.
Cows Now Get Milked By Robots
These Heifers Aren't Feeling Too Good About This
For some fans, cows getting milked in a comic strip is already odd enough. However, for the readers who don't mind it, Larson takes it a step further to ensure that everyone is made to be adequately uncomfortable. Rather than doing it himself, this farmer seems to be preparing to milk the cows with a robot: the Milk-O-Man.
Cows and farm animals make up many of the funniest comic strips in The Far Side series. By making these animals anthropomorphic, Larson can give them an inner dialogue that matches what real animals must think and feel at any moment. His ability to get inside the head of a non-verbal animal is a testament to his perspective as a cartoonist.
This Poor Cat Has Dependency Issues
Nothing Is Stranger Than A Cat In Therapy
Cats have always been a common staple in The Far Side series. Here, Larson makes a hilarious joke, weaving together the cat's notorious independence with the concept of therapy sessions. By making a cat struggle with domestication, Larson has cat owners all over the planet clutching their sides.
Despite our love for cats, some cat owners would say they aren't quite sure if their cats love them back or not. Of course, there are plenty of exceptionally affectionate cats out there. However, by piggybacking on the stereotypes surrounding our feline friends, Larson can craft a perfectly executed and simple joke.
These Chickens Run Even With Their Heads Cut Off
The Morbid Reality Of This Panel Is Hilarious
Most of Larson's depictions of animals and humans interacting involve fantastical exaggerations that could never occur under regular circumstances. However, in this comic strip, Larson's choice to display what chickens must be thinking right before the end of their lives is both morbid and hilarious for readers.
The Far Side has never strayed away from making dark jokes, especially surrounding issues like death, regardless of the subject matter. Larson's refusal to shy away from these darker jokes has made his comic strip series one of the most influential comics of all time.
This Man's Pet Squid Smells Fear
Hopefully The Man's Friend Can Contain Himself
This particular panel may be one of Larson's most absurd comics ever made. His joke about squids smelling fear is strongly reminiscent of the explanation many dog owners give when people meet their pets for the first time.
Making fun of common, everyday occurrences in the most ridiculous of ways is part of what makes The Far Side so unique. Larson has this distinct ability to point out some of the funniest things fans do as humans, making readers laugh at and question their behavior in a light-hearted and fun rather than defensive way.
This Wolf Needs Psychiatric Help
Larson Makes A Rare Pop Culture Reference
In The Far Side series, fans are likelier to see historical references than pop culture references. However, in this panel, Larson makes a nice diversion from his usual content and actually references a wildly popular children's tale: Little Red Riding Hood.
Of course, Larson would never do this in typical fashion. Rather than featuring Little Red Riding Hood herself, he features the villain in her story. The wolf clearly needs psychiatric help, and for good reason. Larson's ability to twist pop culture and make it into something relatable and hilarious is one of the many reasons fans love his comics so much.
This Little Girl Sure Loves Her Snakes
This Is One Of The Weirdest Comic Strips Ever
This is potentially the weirdest comic strip Larson has ever created, second to the notoriously disliked Cow Tools comic. The little girl in this comic strip, in significant contrast to most people, seems to truly adore and even admire one of the scariest animals on the planet: snakes.
Larson's love for environmentalism is a reason for this comic. He often used his comic strips to make "scary" animals seem less threatening to the average comic strip reader. His efforts towards making the world a safer place for animals applied to all animals, not just the domesticated pets and already loved creatures of this world.
Fifi Was A Chicken In Disguise All Along
This Family Is Horrified By The Truth
Of all the human-animal interactions in The Far Side, this might be one of the most terrifying and strange. This chicken, presumably meant to be eaten for dinner, hides inside the family dog. To fans' disgust, this chicken directly implies that the food on the dinner table might be the family pup rather than a typically eaten meal.
Humans and animals often have strange and obscure interactions in The Far Side comic strips, but none are quite as alarming as this. The idea of this happening in real life is certainly jarring to many fans, making it one of the series's darkest comic strips ever released.
