Underrated and Confusing Far Side Comics That Still Baffle Readers Decades Later

During its '80s and early '90s heyday, The Far Sideoften left readers utterly mystified, and not just because its jokes could be confusing, but because even when the punchline landed, people were left shaking their heads, rolling their eyes, and wondering "What the...", all of which were reactions Gary Larson was totally fine with.

Decades later, these cartoons still evoke the same feelings in fans and critics of The Far Side alike, making them as important to revisit as Larson’s most outrageous and controversial cartoons.

The sly humor of these panels isn’t for everybody, but understanding it better is essential to figuring what made The Far Side tick.

"It's Another Snake": Gary Larson Throws Shade At The Outdated Practice Of Slide Show Parties

First Published: June 27, 1987

Gathering friends to look at a slide show of vacation photos might seem archaic now, but for Gary Larson, it was a staple of American culture, one that The Far Side frequently made fun of. Here, Larson delivers a classic "standing in front of the projector" visual gag, except with snakes as characters.

"Well...I guess it's another snake," the host says, mistaking its own silhouette for the next photograph on display. It is certainly amusing, but it can be argued there is a muted quality to this Far Side punchline, which is evident across many of Gary Larson's less highly revered cartoons.

"Animal Horoscopes": The Far Side Gets Hilariously Specific When It Comes To This Gator's Fate

First Published: July 18, 1987

In this underrated Far Side alligator cartoon, one of the reptilian beasts reads its friend's horoscope in the newspaper, telling "Chuck" to expect "hard times ahead," before specifically saying its mating prospects look bleak, and finally that "poachers figure big in your future," as the concerned croc's eyes widen with fear.

This Far Side joke deserves greater appreciation because of the way the joke escalates through dialogue; the "animal horoscope" starts off vague, the same way a human's might, but then becomes hilariously specific as it goes on. It might not be laugh-out-loud funny, but it is a testament to Gary Larson's expert construction of his comics.

"Horse Styles Of The 1950s": A Rare Far Side Joke That Leaves Readers Wanting More

First Published: September 4, 1987

This Far Side horse joke will raise eyebrows, not because its meaning is difficult to decipher, but because its punchline feels as close to "phoned in" as Gary Larson ever got. Captioned "horse styles of the '50s," it depicts two horses in a pasture with fins attached to their backs, evoking a throwback automobile aesthetic.

The joke is certainly ridiculous, but it isn’t outrageous by any means. Instead, there is a placid feeling to this panel that might limit how strongly readers react to it, which in turn impacts its memorability, in comparison to, say, The Far Side’s cartoons that make readers shout “My God!”

"All The Negatives": The Far Side's Low-Key Laugh-Out-Loud Funny Joke About Zebra Blackmail

First Published: September 15, 1987

"How do I know these are all the negatives?" a zebra in a trench coat says to another in this Far Side cartoon; evidently, the first zebra is blackmailing the second. The joke, of course, is that the black-and-white animals, in photo negative form, have their color schemes inverted. It is one of Gary Larson's gags it can be argued is too smart for its own good.

That is to say, the punchline seems obvious once broken down, but the first time a reader encounters this Far Side cartoon "in the wild," the punchline might not leap out at them. Confusion was a two-way street when it came to The Far Side, often resulting from reader misinterpretation as much as Gary Larson's obscurist tendencies.

"Never Cry Cow": An Example Of How The Far Side's References Are Growing Increasingly Outdated

First Published: December 4, 1987

Captioned "scenes from Never Cry Cow," this curious Far Side comic features a nude human frolicking through a cow pasture, as the bovine inhabitants look on, seemingly as confused as this cartoon tends to make readers. It is an example of a Far Side reference that would have been easily recognizable in the 1980s, but has become increasingly obscure over time.

In this case, it is a callback to the 1983 film Never Cry Wolf. By swapping in cows for carnivorous wolves here, Larson totally transmutes the meaning of the joke. Even if one does catch the reference at play here, the most likely response to this Far Side cartoon is an emphatic eye-roll.

"Make An 'O' With Your Lips": Are The Far Side's Dogs Really That Bored, Or Was Gary Larson?

First Published: January 27, 1988

"Can you make an 'O' with your lips?" one dog asks another, as a cohort of curious canines gathers in the yard and tests the limits of their snouts' dexterity. It is the kind of niche Far Side "insight" that, for most people, if we're being honest, would be the product of extreme boredom.

Meaning, Gary Larson spent his nights sitting at his desk coming up with cartoons, and his ability to pull ridiculous and strange concepts out of thin air was seemingly unparalleled. Still, Larson's "out there" sense of humor often went underappreciated, and even occasionally maligned, because for many people, Far Side punchlines like this one are too frivolous.

"Early Kazoo Bands": This Far Side Look At Musical Innovation Is A Bit Of A Stretch

First Published: February 2, 1988

Lampooning prehistoric human innovations was a favorite pastime of The Far Side, but here, Gary Larson went out on more of a limb than usual, by depicting "early kazoo bands" as using some kind of ancient salamanders as their instruments. The visual absurdity of the joke is what stands the best chance of making readers laugh, while the premise is purely ridiculous.

Again, it is worth noting that readers' reactions to Far Side cartoons like this one involve more than just "getting" the joke. Immediately, readers' instinct is usually to start reaching for why the joke is funny. Here, that's a more difficult question to pin down than in some of Larson's other jokes, but that ultimately adds to its bizarre mystique.

"The Reign Of Terror Had Ended": One Of Gary Larson's Most Absurdly Elaborate Cowboy Cartoons

First Published: April 14, 1988

Gary Larson needed little prompting to come up with absurd Far Side twists on Wild West tropes, but of the countless cowboy cartoons he produced, this is a sterling example of the kind that left readers thoroughly curious as to how, exactly, he conjured to mind such an equally elaborate and absurd scenario.

Here, a Wanted poster featuring the visage of a chicken provides context for the "action," in which a bounty hunter character rides into town with the fugitive fowl slung over the back of his horse, dead, with the inhabitants of the two relieved that the chicken's unspecified "reign of terror had ended."

"In The Primordial Soup": Gary Larson Goes Out On A Limb To Try To Humanize Single-Celled Organisms

First Published: June 21, 1988

Captioned "life in the primordial soup," this is low-key one of Gary Larson's wildest swings, but whether it is successful is largely in the eye of the beholder. The Far Side was known to anthropomorphize just about anything, from animals to amoebas, but here, Larson attempts to envision the earliest forms of life on Earth.

"Something's out there," a ghost-like simple organism says, looking out its living room window, "and it's got a backbone and a complete digestive system!" This joke has the delirious tenor commonly associated with The Far Side, but Larson's high-brow reference once again mitigates the reaction from the audience, turning comedy into confusion.

"The Plankton Lobby": The Far Side's Whales Have A Target On Their Backs In This Absurd Cartoon

First Published: August 6, 1988

Captioned "the plankton lobby," this Far Side panel features a group of these tiny ocean creatures who have rallied together to picket the very existence of their primary predator, whales, carrying signs that read "Make Whales Extinct" and "Waste the Whales," because they are tired of being eaten en masse by the giant seafaring mammals.

Some readers will find Gary Larson's blend of political action and plankton anxieties hilarious, surely, but many more will narrow their eyes at this Far Side whale cartoon, or do a double-take trying to parse what makes the punchline funny. Once more, this comes down to a matter of taste, highlighting how many Far Side cartoons failed to reach a widespread level of appeal.