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The Far Side Gallery Anthologies #1
The Far Side Gallery
1984 FarWorks, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
The Far Side Gallery is an anthology of Gary Larson's The Far Side comic strips, which were printed from 1982–1984.
The Far Side and the Larson signature are registered trademarks of FarWorks, Inc.
The Far Side Gallery is an anthology of Gary Larson's The Far Side comic strips, which were printed from 1982–1984.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
56 people are currently reading
5624 people want to read
About the author
Gary Larson
145 books713 followersGary Larson was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. His parents were Vern, a car salesman, and Doris, a secretary. He attended Curtis High School before attending Washington State University and graduated in 1972 with a degree in communications. In 1987, Larson married Toni Carmichael, an archaeologist.
Larson credits his older brother Dan for his "paranoid" sense of humor. Dan would pull countless pranks on Gary, taking advantage of his phobia of monsters under the bed by, for example, waiting in the closet for the right moment to pounce out at Gary. Dan is also credited with giving Gary his love of science. They caught animals in Puget Sound and placed them in terrariums in the basement; even making a small desert ecosystem, which their parents apparently did not mind. His adept use of snakes in his cartoons stems from his long-standing interest in herpetology.
Since retiring from the Far Side, Larson has occasionally done some cartooning work, such as magazine illustrations and promotional artwork for Far Side merchandise.
In 1998, Larson published his first post-Far Side book, There's a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm's Story, an illustrated story with the unmistakable Far Side mindset.
Larson credits his older brother Dan for his "paranoid" sense of humor. Dan would pull countless pranks on Gary, taking advantage of his phobia of monsters under the bed by, for example, waiting in the closet for the right moment to pounce out at Gary. Dan is also credited with giving Gary his love of science. They caught animals in Puget Sound and placed them in terrariums in the basement; even making a small desert ecosystem, which their parents apparently did not mind. His adept use of snakes in his cartoons stems from his long-standing interest in herpetology.
Since retiring from the Far Side, Larson has occasionally done some cartooning work, such as magazine illustrations and promotional artwork for Far Side merchandise.
In 1998, Larson published his first post-Far Side book, There's a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm's Story, an illustrated story with the unmistakable Far Side mindset.
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October 11, 2015
Gary Larson, the American cartoonist and his internationally syndicated cartoon series ‘The Far Side’ – syndicated in more than 1900 newspapers – are both legendary in the annals of newspaper cartoon arena. Collected into more than twenty books, Larson’s works, which got translated into seventeen languages, has sold about forty-five million copies worldwide. With a distinctive style of illustration and creatively loaded with surrealistic humor, his single-panel cartoon strips evoke laughter by inspecting the world through fresh perspective and finding inspiration from social and natural events and scenarios.
“The Far Side Gallery” is the first volume of a compilation of his comic strips, which were published from 1982 to 1984. Within these cartoon panels the reader can witness and enjoy portrayals of curious family scenes, social events, time warps into pre-historic worlds, human & animal relationships, observations of nature, clever role-reversals – where roles of ‘humans and animals’ or ‘humans and monsters’ are switched – with each panel evoking laughter by provoking the thought process.
Gary Larson & Far Side
Gary Larson was born in Washington in 1950 and started cartooning during the mid 70s. He evolved into a serious cartoonist when in 1980 some of his panels were accepted by “San Francisco Chronicle” and it was the birth of “The Far Side” series. Larson attributes the “morbid sense of humor” that his cartoon panels carry to his own family and the pranks that he and his older brother played while growing up. He continued with the series ended till his retirement in 1995.
The Far Side cartoons are composed on single comic panels – in some cases split in to stamp sized small windows – and makes use of ink strokes for illustrations. Text is presented either as footer captions or as speech bubbles and is often presented in a manner to fuse effortlessly with the illustration. The characters are often illustrated with a distorted, caricature feel and with a fine portrayal of expressions.
One of the recurring themes within these panels are situations which are made out of ‘role-reversals’ between animals, monsters and human beings or scenes in which the artist compare the behavioral attributes of animals to that of humans.
This can be seen in the two panels which I pick up for inspection: In one panel we can witness a mortally scared horse coming out of a movie theater after watching a show of “God Father” and his companion saying “Get a hold of yourself… It was only a movie, for crying out loud”. In another panel we see two scared monsters under a bed making this comment “I’ve got it again, Larry… an eerie feeling like there’s something on top of the bed. ”
The art within the panels of ‘The far side’
The art and the text perfectly combines within these panels to create the perfect rendering of the yarn it narrates and the way in which the artist adds layers of meaning and details through some effortless & frugal pen strokes is truly amazing. The detailing in the art is very deep as the artist gives special care to even the microscopic aspects of the scene, which he depicts.
These cartoon panels travels between the realms of ‘the real & the unreal’ and evokes humor even from the portrayal of macabre. Larson’s eye for seeing the world through an unsullied perspective and coming up with illustrations that mock some of our forbidden views, while drenching the panels with dark humor is hugely refreshing to receive. The way in which he paints anthropomorphic creatures in his illustrations for representing his visions never feels exaggerated and connects quiet easily with the viewer.
Larson’s background in biology can be seen as a motivation behind the recurring illustrations of plant and animal life within these cartoon panes for conveying his views. He creates a warped montage staging animals, plants, insects and even monsters to generate strange but incredibly funny comic panels.
Some of the cartoon panels from Larson were controversial as they represented some of the concepts that were often thought of as taboos, but they had a cult following. This anthology, which brings his comic strips initially published as three smaller collections – The Far Side, Beyond the Far Side & In Search of the Far Side – can inspire and delight art & cartoon lovers. These cartoon strips are definite monuments in the pop culture scene. It is no wonder that, with his homage to natural history through his illustrations, which feature animal behaviors and studies on the evolution and extinction, a selection of his works were exhibited at Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History.
A side note on the lack of his works in public domain & lack of images within this review
Larson considered his works too personal and important to him and this is one reason why his cartoon panels cannot be found in the public domain.
He asked the Internet users to refrain from compiling and posting his works online, in a public letter. [a full copy can be read here]
To draft a review on a compilation volume of comic strips in a convincing manner without the aid of a few samples of scanned images is a difficult task. But when the artist himself feels – whatever may be the motive – disdain in placing his works on public domain, I am respecting his views by refraining from using scanned comic panels of his works within this review.
“The Far Side Gallery” is the first volume of a compilation of his comic strips, which were published from 1982 to 1984. Within these cartoon panels the reader can witness and enjoy portrayals of curious family scenes, social events, time warps into pre-historic worlds, human & animal relationships, observations of nature, clever role-reversals – where roles of ‘humans and animals’ or ‘humans and monsters’ are switched – with each panel evoking laughter by provoking the thought process.
Gary Larson & Far Side
Gary Larson was born in Washington in 1950 and started cartooning during the mid 70s. He evolved into a serious cartoonist when in 1980 some of his panels were accepted by “San Francisco Chronicle” and it was the birth of “The Far Side” series. Larson attributes the “morbid sense of humor” that his cartoon panels carry to his own family and the pranks that he and his older brother played while growing up. He continued with the series ended till his retirement in 1995.
The Far Side cartoons are composed on single comic panels – in some cases split in to stamp sized small windows – and makes use of ink strokes for illustrations. Text is presented either as footer captions or as speech bubbles and is often presented in a manner to fuse effortlessly with the illustration. The characters are often illustrated with a distorted, caricature feel and with a fine portrayal of expressions.
One of the recurring themes within these panels are situations which are made out of ‘role-reversals’ between animals, monsters and human beings or scenes in which the artist compare the behavioral attributes of animals to that of humans.
This can be seen in the two panels which I pick up for inspection: In one panel we can witness a mortally scared horse coming out of a movie theater after watching a show of “God Father” and his companion saying “Get a hold of yourself… It was only a movie, for crying out loud”. In another panel we see two scared monsters under a bed making this comment “I’ve got it again, Larry… an eerie feeling like there’s something on top of the bed. ”
The art within the panels of ‘The far side’
The art and the text perfectly combines within these panels to create the perfect rendering of the yarn it narrates and the way in which the artist adds layers of meaning and details through some effortless & frugal pen strokes is truly amazing. The detailing in the art is very deep as the artist gives special care to even the microscopic aspects of the scene, which he depicts.
These cartoon panels travels between the realms of ‘the real & the unreal’ and evokes humor even from the portrayal of macabre. Larson’s eye for seeing the world through an unsullied perspective and coming up with illustrations that mock some of our forbidden views, while drenching the panels with dark humor is hugely refreshing to receive. The way in which he paints anthropomorphic creatures in his illustrations for representing his visions never feels exaggerated and connects quiet easily with the viewer.
Larson’s background in biology can be seen as a motivation behind the recurring illustrations of plant and animal life within these cartoon panes for conveying his views. He creates a warped montage staging animals, plants, insects and even monsters to generate strange but incredibly funny comic panels.
Some of the cartoon panels from Larson were controversial as they represented some of the concepts that were often thought of as taboos, but they had a cult following. This anthology, which brings his comic strips initially published as three smaller collections – The Far Side, Beyond the Far Side & In Search of the Far Side – can inspire and delight art & cartoon lovers. These cartoon strips are definite monuments in the pop culture scene. It is no wonder that, with his homage to natural history through his illustrations, which feature animal behaviors and studies on the evolution and extinction, a selection of his works were exhibited at Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History.
A side note on the lack of his works in public domain & lack of images within this review
Larson considered his works too personal and important to him and this is one reason why his cartoon panels cannot be found in the public domain.
“So, in a nutshell (probably an unfortunate choice of words for me), I only ask that this respect be returned, and the way for anyone to do that is to please, please refrain from putting The Far Side out on the Internet. These cartoons are my "children," of sorts, and like a parent, I'm concerned about where they go at night without telling me. And, seeing them at someone's web site is like getting the call at 2:00 a.m. that goes, "Uh, Dad, you're not going to like this much, but guess where I am."
He asked the Internet users to refrain from compiling and posting his works online, in a public letter. [a full copy can be read here]
To draft a review on a compilation volume of comic strips in a convincing manner without the aid of a few samples of scanned images is a difficult task. But when the artist himself feels – whatever may be the motive – disdain in placing his works on public domain, I am respecting his views by refraining from using scanned comic panels of his works within this review.
December 22, 2016
There is nothing quite like Gary Larson's The Far Side. I class it up there with Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbes as the funniest commentaries on 20th C american life. Absurd truths abound and it is hard to stifle a laugh or a guffaw at Larson's wit and fantastic ideas. Another one to help forget the horrifying headlines of today's depressing world.
October 11, 2018
Enjoy the warped one-shot comics of Gary Larson, whose Far Side is a darkly humorous take on 1950s - 60s pop culture tropes - Larson describes it in hi foreword as "Theodore Cleaver Meets the Thing." Some of you probably won't find it amusing at all; others won't be able to stop laughing. I'm in the latter camp.
Check this out if you like Calvin & Hobbes - the format and subject matter are different, but the two comics are alike in their intelligence and idiosyncratic approach.
Check this out if you like Calvin & Hobbes - the format and subject matter are different, but the two comics are alike in their intelligence and idiosyncratic approach.
January 27, 2023
Laughed. Laughed. Laughed.
Love. Love. Love.
Love. Love. Love.
March 26, 2023
This is a nice collection of cartoons which first appeared in the syndicated newspaper strip from 1982- '84. At his best Larson embraces a sarcastic irony and absurdity that shows truth from a funny and unexpected viewpoint. A lady is sitting with a book on a bench in an idyllic park beneath a tree beside a baby stroller that has two birds perched on the rim looking down at the baby within. "It's still hungry... and I've been stuffing worms into it all day" one bird is saying to the other. A gentleman in a top hat and coat is cradling a man stretched on the ground beside a pistol who's clutching his chest, having just been shot in a duel by the man in the background holding a smoking pistol. He's telling the official "I...could...have...sworn...you...said...eleven steps." Two polar bears are peering into an igloo on an ice flow after having chewed through the top. "Oh hey! I just love these things!... Crunchy on the outside and a chewy center!" It's a book with hundreds of such bizarre and macabre chuckles, reminiscent of Gahan Wilson or Charles Addams.
September 26, 2018
Funny as the Far Side always is, with a good dose of sarcasm and irony in the mix. From the many collections they have produced this one is the first and my favorite, sure to bring a smile on the days things are not going to well in lab (plenty of jokes with scientists in them makes this book feel somehow relatable, even if the troubles afflicting those cartoon scientists have nothing to do with anything I do).
If you have seen the Far Side on your newspaper or catch a glimpse of their humor on teh internet, you know what this is all about.
If you have seen the Far Side on your newspaper or catch a glimpse of their humor on teh internet, you know what this is all about.
June 23, 2010
5.0 stars. Without a doubt, the funniest (and most clever) cartoon series ever put on paper. Gary Larson is a comic genius.
July 22, 2020
Two manly cowboys have been captured by the dreadful Sioux, buried up to their necks in sand and left to die in the boiling heat of the Arizona desert.
These two fierce men may be sharing a terrible fate, but love for each other they share not. They are old enemies, see?
So, as the sun goes down, Ol' Jed, buried to the West, casts a shadow over Nilly Billy, his die hard archenemy.
"Nice and cool, here in the shade, niiiiice and cool" nags Nilly Billy, not missing a chance to get at his foe.
These two fierce men may be sharing a terrible fate, but love for each other they share not. They are old enemies, see?
So, as the sun goes down, Ol' Jed, buried to the West, casts a shadow over Nilly Billy, his die hard archenemy.
"Nice and cool, here in the shade, niiiiice and cool" nags Nilly Billy, not missing a chance to get at his foe.
February 25, 2014
Introduction:
After reading “The Far Side Gallery 3,” I was dying to check out more of Gary Larson’s “Far Side Gallery” series and I stumbled upon a collection of Gary Larson’s “Far Side Gallery” series in “The Far Side Gallery” (man, I am talking about the “Far Side Gallery” so much in this review)! Anyway, this collection of “Far Side Gallery” stories is just as memorable and hilarious as the “Far Side Gallery 3!”
What is this story about?
Basically, this “Far Side Gallery” collection contains comic strips from “The Far Side,” “Beyond the Far Side,” and “In Search of the Far Side” and the comic strips all contain hilarious situations that involve various animals and human beings.
What I loved about this story:
Gary Larson’s writing: Gary Larson’s writing is as usual hilarious and witty to read as the various characters in these comic strips are always making sarcastic comments about the situations they are thrown into. As usual, Gary Larson managed to make some of the puns such as “Hat Hunters” and “Water Buffaloes” come to life in a literal sense and I just rolled over laughing when I read these strips! Some of my favorite comic strips in this collection are:
“Big Bob says he’s getting tired of you saying he doesn’t really exist.” (When the boy’s imaginary friend grabs the boy’s father roughly by the shirt).
“We’ve made it, Warren! ...The moon!” (When two astronauts landed on the moon, but one of the astronauts accidentally hit the other astronaut’s helmet, cracking it).
The real reason dinosaurs became extinct (Showing the dinosaurs smoking cigarettes).
“For twelve perfect years I was a car-chaser. Pontiacs, Fords, Chryslers…I took them all on…and yesterday my stupid owner backs over me in the driveway.” (A dog tells another dog in heaven how his owner killed him with a car).
Gary Larson’s artwork: Gary Larson’s artwork as usual is hilarious to look at as the characters have exaggerated bodies such as their bodies being larger than their heads. I also loved how hilarious the artwork becomes during the collection’s most hilarious moments such as the artwork of the astronaut smashing another astronaut’s helmet after pronouncing that they are on the moon at last.
What made me feel uncomfortable about this story:
For anyone who feels uncomfortable about dealing with the concept of heaven and hell, there are a couple comic strips in this collection that deals with heaven and hell, although it is not as frequent as it was in the “Far Side Gallery 3.”
Final Thoughts:
Overall, “The Far Side Gallery” is a fantastic collection of Gary Larson’s best work in the “Far Side Gallery” series and anyone who is a huge fan of Gary Larson’s work in the “Far Side” series will easily enjoy this collection!
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
December 25, 2018
Back in my University Days
25 December 2018 - Adelaide
I remember reading these back when I was much younger and at university. In fact this, and Calvin and Hobbes, and in fact a bunch of comic strips, were really popular among us, though I’d probably say that I found that the Far Side comics were the best. Okay, while I have been commenting on a lot of super hero comics, these comics, or should I say cartoons, sort of fall into the category of what I call ‘newspaper comics’ in that they basically appear in the comic sections of your local newspapers – the Phantom certainly seems to be a popular one.
However, the Far Side, and I must admit that having come back to them something like twenty years after I first read them, I would probably have to say that they are, well, somewhat silly. Hey, that doesn’t necessarily mean that silly is bad, rather it is just different. Then again, sometimes it is the absolute absurdity of these cartoons that actuallty make them rather fun, or at least they used to do so.
I guess I have probably grown out of them now, or maybe I just simply view them as, well, so 1990s. Things have change so much since I read these comics, and in particular, what I find amusing has changed as well. I guess in a way, Facebook, and the internet as a whole, has opened up a whole new world of jokes, and comedy, that back in the 90s (and even the 80s) was really only limited to the luck of the selected few. Then again, I suspect that not many of the internet comedians these days really make all that money, though I guess, once again, only the really lucky artists have ever made decent money.
What I will do is share something more recent that I found rather amusing:
25 December 2018 - Adelaide
I remember reading these back when I was much younger and at university. In fact this, and Calvin and Hobbes, and in fact a bunch of comic strips, were really popular among us, though I’d probably say that I found that the Far Side comics were the best. Okay, while I have been commenting on a lot of super hero comics, these comics, or should I say cartoons, sort of fall into the category of what I call ‘newspaper comics’ in that they basically appear in the comic sections of your local newspapers – the Phantom certainly seems to be a popular one.
However, the Far Side, and I must admit that having come back to them something like twenty years after I first read them, I would probably have to say that they are, well, somewhat silly. Hey, that doesn’t necessarily mean that silly is bad, rather it is just different. Then again, sometimes it is the absolute absurdity of these cartoons that actuallty make them rather fun, or at least they used to do so.
I guess I have probably grown out of them now, or maybe I just simply view them as, well, so 1990s. Things have change so much since I read these comics, and in particular, what I find amusing has changed as well. I guess in a way, Facebook, and the internet as a whole, has opened up a whole new world of jokes, and comedy, that back in the 90s (and even the 80s) was really only limited to the luck of the selected few. Then again, I suspect that not many of the internet comedians these days really make all that money, though I guess, once again, only the really lucky artists have ever made decent money.
What I will do is share something more recent that I found rather amusing:
October 15, 2011
Wonderful. I grew up on these cartoons. My friend and I once made a tape (now lost to the ages, or taped over, same difference) of a fictional radio show where we verablly acted out these vignettes and reported on them like they were real news. God bless Gary Larson, wherever he is...
December 3, 2021
Me encanta el humor de Gary Larson. Lo descubrí hace muchos años gracias a un magnífico profesor de inglés que me prestó "The Far Side", y me reí de lo lindo con su lectura.
El inconveniente es que es imprescindible saber inglés para disfrutarlo. No he encontrado ninguna de sus obras traducida al español, lo cual me parece lógico, porque buena parte de sus chistes perderían toda su gracia con la traducción, y otros son directamente intraducibles.
Tengo que reconocer que no pillo todos sus chistes, a causa del idioma o de referencias culturales que se me escapan. Pero yo diría que pillo aproximadamente el 80% y, de los que pillo, la mayoría me provocan como mínimo una sonrisa, y no pocos de ellos una buena carcajada. De sobra para que merezca la pena, y mucho, leerlo.
Con muy poco texto, a veces una frase corta, a veces incluso sin texto, Larson es capaz de lograr viñetas absolutamente geniales e hilarantes. Muy recomendable.
El inconveniente es que es imprescindible saber inglés para disfrutarlo. No he encontrado ninguna de sus obras traducida al español, lo cual me parece lógico, porque buena parte de sus chistes perderían toda su gracia con la traducción, y otros son directamente intraducibles.
Tengo que reconocer que no pillo todos sus chistes, a causa del idioma o de referencias culturales que se me escapan. Pero yo diría que pillo aproximadamente el 80% y, de los que pillo, la mayoría me provocan como mínimo una sonrisa, y no pocos de ellos una buena carcajada. De sobra para que merezca la pena, y mucho, leerlo.
Con muy poco texto, a veces una frase corta, a veces incluso sin texto, Larson es capaz de lograr viñetas absolutamente geniales e hilarantes. Muy recomendable.
November 24, 2009
The odd and twisted world of Gary Larson, I miss his work. These stay on my shelves along with Charles Schultz work. These are two comics creators who's work stands up well to rereading. Schultz for humor and wisdom, Larson for humor and....that odd perspective on life he gives us.
I have a couple of other cartoon books in my library, they tend to make me laugh and lighten my mood at times, but I think Larson and Schultz will be around as long as there is thought and introspection along with humor (and that is dying as I write this, but there are still a few).
I have a couple of other cartoon books in my library, they tend to make me laugh and lighten my mood at times, but I think Larson and Schultz will be around as long as there is thought and introspection along with humor (and that is dying as I write this, but there are still a few).
September 10, 2020
I've always enjoyed Gary Larson's absurdly astute wit. Laughter is indeed the best medicine.
March 23, 2013
I can't believe I am writing a review for this; it's sort like being handed an essay assignment titled "What Does Funny Mean to Me?" I suspect the king of the dark and biological cartoon, Gary Larson, has been under-reviewed because his work, which was prodigious and searingly funny until the well ran dry rather suddenly, was primarily done in the 1980's and 90's. Whatever.
My first Larson cartoon reached me by mail. My BFF back home in the Pacific Northwest sent it to me with a card at Christmas when I was living in the Midwestern USA. It had the illustration of two polar bears in a sort of conversational position over the top of an igloo. One of them, who had taken a bite from the top of the igloo, told the other that he just loved these things...crunchy, but with a chewy center.
Horror and hilarity were so wonderfully mingled! I had given birth to 3 children in four years, and was staying home all day. I hadn't had a good laugh that wasn't baby talk in a long time. I smacked it on the front of the refrigerator and snickered every day for a week.
I hope the cartoonist got filthy, stinking rich, and I hope he invested wisely.
My first Larson cartoon reached me by mail. My BFF back home in the Pacific Northwest sent it to me with a card at Christmas when I was living in the Midwestern USA. It had the illustration of two polar bears in a sort of conversational position over the top of an igloo. One of them, who had taken a bite from the top of the igloo, told the other that he just loved these things...crunchy, but with a chewy center.
Horror and hilarity were so wonderfully mingled! I had given birth to 3 children in four years, and was staying home all day. I hadn't had a good laugh that wasn't baby talk in a long time. I smacked it on the front of the refrigerator and snickered every day for a week.
I hope the cartoonist got filthy, stinking rich, and I hope he invested wisely.
December 2, 2015
A collection volume of Larson's classic (almost exclusively) one-frame comic cartoons. Unmistakable style and often both clever and funny. Many of these did not age too well though (or it's just that I've seen them too many times) and it's not a book or books I ever re-read nowadays.
August 9, 2016
Sometimes cynical, sometimes satirical, sometimes nonsensical, sometimes scathingly critical, sometimes wittingly observational, sometimes reflective, sometimes nostalgic, sometimes farcical .
Always delightful.
Always delightful.
July 21, 2018
Read, possibly in 1984.
January 28, 2012
It's a pleasure to revisit early Far Side strips and see how much Larson's sense of humor has soaked into pop culture. I don't remember the early '80s very well, but I'm guessing it was somewhat novel for a cartoonist to skew scenes of everyday life, both to create a completely bizarre alternate universe and to point out how profoundly strange and unsettling the real world was. Nowadays, it seems like most people—or most entertainers, at least—have just accepted that the world really is as odd as Larson always said it was, so some of his stuff now reads as the first iteration of a type of joke that has been made hundreds of times since: Rapunzel has an afro! Mathematicians cheer each other on like champion athletes! Here are some boomerangs having a domestic dispute!
But there's so much else in The Far Side that isn't dated at all, so many surreal little nuggets of wonderfulness, even some genuinely scary strips. Oh, yes, Larson was fond of dabbling in creeping horror, and very good at it. The expression on the face of a sentient tree in one panel is meant to be frightening, which it is. But the occasional creepy atmosphere never intrudes much on the fun. Mainly there's just the glee of just turning one more page to find out how much more hilarious weirdness one man can pack into a one-panel comic strip. Before you know it, you've read every single one, and now you're not sure if you should put a hand in your mailbox again for fear of being eaten. Is that a person ringing your doorbell, or a cow?
Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed buffaloes bite.
But there's so much else in The Far Side that isn't dated at all, so many surreal little nuggets of wonderfulness, even some genuinely scary strips. Oh, yes, Larson was fond of dabbling in creeping horror, and very good at it. The expression on the face of a sentient tree in one panel is meant to be frightening, which it is. But the occasional creepy atmosphere never intrudes much on the fun. Mainly there's just the glee of just turning one more page to find out how much more hilarious weirdness one man can pack into a one-panel comic strip. Before you know it, you've read every single one, and now you're not sure if you should put a hand in your mailbox again for fear of being eaten. Is that a person ringing your doorbell, or a cow?
Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed buffaloes bite.
December 31, 2018
Sometimes strange, sometimes sarcastic, usually smirk-inducing with scenarios ranging from human-animal role reversals, scenes of human everyday life as performed by animals/aliens, visual jokes based on puns, and dark humor about impending doom. I remember several of these from my childhood - one of my favorites is two devils in hell worriedly watching a worker with a wheelbarrow walk by, whistling (whew, unintended alliteration), with one of them observing, "I just don't think we're reaching that guy."
I remember not getting a decent amount of these as a child: now that I'm older (and a teacher), I realize how the reader often has to think to get the humor - either observing each panel for subtle clues to get the joke, or picking up on a cultural reference. I think these give good examples for teaching irony, making inferences, and idioms. /teachertalk ^^'
Some of these references are a bit dated, but a good amount of the jokes hold up and still feel clever, or at least thought-provoking.
I remember not getting a decent amount of these as a child: now that I'm older (and a teacher), I realize how the reader often has to think to get the humor - either observing each panel for subtle clues to get the joke, or picking up on a cultural reference. I think these give good examples for teaching irony, making inferences, and idioms. /teachertalk ^^'
Some of these references are a bit dated, but a good amount of the jokes hold up and still feel clever, or at least thought-provoking.
July 22, 2011
I wish I could post my favorite Far Side from the book... I don't want to risk violating a batrillion copyright laws though.
Honest Abe at a podium reading:
"and so, the bartender says, Hey! That's not a duck!" (Wait for laughter)
Four score and seven years ago,..."
I think of that cartoon all the time. Sometimes I'll just randomly say, "Wait for laughter..." thinking about it.
I've decided to go through all my Far Side Gallery books. ...Larson is clutch. Twisted. But clutch.
Honest Abe at a podium reading:
"and so, the bartender says, Hey! That's not a duck!" (Wait for laughter)
Four score and seven years ago,..."
I think of that cartoon all the time. Sometimes I'll just randomly say, "Wait for laughter..." thinking about it.
I've decided to go through all my Far Side Gallery books. ...Larson is clutch. Twisted. But clutch.
May 7, 2008
I really like Larson's humor. Also. I'm surprised no one mentioned it but.. I found this collection to be very "dark". A lot of the humor I thought was quite morbid. Nothing wrong with that, of course, just a few times I was actually a bit surprised. It's not all light-n-fluffy puns.
June 11, 2019
Everytime I read this book it always makes me laugh. I LOVE Gary Larson. His comic strips are classic. I am so sad that he no longer puts them out. If you are having a bad day pick up a Gary Larson book it will make you feel so much better.
August 9, 2016
When Gary Larson Retired in 1995 I'd wager that zoo personnel and everyone whoever worked at a veterinary clinic went into mourning. If I was King of the World I'd force him out of retirement. His humor always cracks me up.
August 9, 2016
High school: Janice and me sitting at the kitchen table at her house eating cookie dough and laughing so hard at these cartoons we couldn't breathe. (Are they still that funny?)
January 23, 2018
This book was the Best!! I loved reading all the different comics abou different people.
March 7, 2022
You know the deal. Best cartoonist ever, or maybe tied with Calvin and Hobbes guy. Doonesbury pretty good.
August 30, 2021
If you've never seen a Gary Larson cartoon then where have you been?
Reading them 10, 15 years ago, they were laugh out loud. Now, it's more of a mild, wry amusement.
They are slightly surreal, almost timeless bar the no pc ones regarding stereotypes of cowboys, Native Americans, dumb scientists, nagging wives, and stupid husbands. Actually the list of featured stereotypes goes on and on.
Really a significant number wouldn't be published now as they are wide of the mark and would be easily taken out of context. For instance, lynching will never be funny for certain groups because of the connotations of black murder and personal experience or generational hurt. Despite the fact that in one cartoon the thrust of the joke is the busibody wife, who is berating the menfolk for being unprepared.
These cartoons frequently feature animals in compromising and unusual set ups having first anthropomorphised them.
But all that notwithstanding, these cartoons are still entertaining. There's annoying neighbours, odd first dates, vengeful animals, aliens from their perspective and much more.
Read on in the knowledge that you may not find every panel interesting or tasteful but that doesn't mean they shouldn't exist or be cancelled.
Reading them 10, 15 years ago, they were laugh out loud. Now, it's more of a mild, wry amusement.
They are slightly surreal, almost timeless bar the no pc ones regarding stereotypes of cowboys, Native Americans, dumb scientists, nagging wives, and stupid husbands. Actually the list of featured stereotypes goes on and on.
Really a significant number wouldn't be published now as they are wide of the mark and would be easily taken out of context. For instance, lynching will never be funny for certain groups because of the connotations of black murder and personal experience or generational hurt. Despite the fact that in one cartoon the thrust of the joke is the busibody wife, who is berating the menfolk for being unprepared.
These cartoons frequently feature animals in compromising and unusual set ups having first anthropomorphised them.
But all that notwithstanding, these cartoons are still entertaining. There's annoying neighbours, odd first dates, vengeful animals, aliens from their perspective and much more.
Read on in the knowledge that you may not find every panel interesting or tasteful but that doesn't mean they shouldn't exist or be cancelled.
June 9, 2021
Spent the night at a good friends house and this was my companion when I had alone time. It seems that many of the quirkiest and most fun people in my life have been those that have had a far side comic clipped out and posted that really spoke to them. Many of them won't mean much especially when they are all put together like this. I think one at a time in a daily dose in a paper is perfect and some are very poignant. I wouldn't buy these for myself but I could see borrowing them all from a library.
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