The Far Side, created by Gary Larson, is famed for its surreal humor and clever dialogues. However, many of its most memorable gags stem from the characters’ thoughts rather than their spoken words. In comic art, artists typically utilize speech balloons for dialogue and thought bubbles to relay a character’s internal monologue. Larson adeptly employed this technique, crafting jokes that cleverly rely on readers perceiving a character’s thoughts that aren’t overtly expressed.
15
There’s a Bee in the Car
Larson’s Unique Twist on Everyday Scenarios
This comic features a protagonist who discovers a bee in her vehicle, portrayed as a human-sized menace. While the situation is mundane, Larson’s artistic choice transforms it into a humorous yet unsettling encounter, showcasing his talent for maximizing a single panel’s potential by creating two distinct spaces within the car’s interior.
14
Balance It Until I Say
The True Thoughts of Our Pets
In this strip, the humor arises from a character on the brink of frustration—captured perfectly through the dog’s thought bubble that reveals its irritation with the owner’s condescending instructions. For readers craving a portrayal of a pet retaliating against its owner, another strip humorously juxtaposes that concept.
13
Early Checkers
A Humorously Flawed Perspective on Caveman Innovations
Larson frequently humorously depicts cavemen attempting to create modern inventions, often unveiling their absurd shortcomings. In this instance, early checkers consists of only two squares, presenting an impossibility that emphasizes the ludicrous nature of the situation, as the caveman deep in thought grapples with his nonexistent strategy.
These cavemen have been pivotal since the initial syndication of The Far Side. Larson confesses in The Prehistory of The Far Side that he feels guilty about depicting these characters alongside dinosaurs, acknowledging:
I’ve always felt that I’ve committed some heresy by doing cartoons (like the ones above) that mixed dinosaurs with primitive people. I think there should be cartoon confessionals where we could go and say things like, “Father, I have sinned – I have drawn dinosaurs and hominids together in the same cartoon.”
12
Executioner Understudies
Embracing the Dark Humor in The Far Side
This comic presents an understudy eagerly anticipating their moment to shine, albeit in a grim context involving beheading. The humor is accentuated by the depiction of an indifferent backstage area where the understudy waits patiently, along with the comedic mishap of the executioner’s axe handle snapping.
11
Heaven
Exploring the Afterlife in Larson’s Style
Concepts of Heaven and Hell recur throughout The Far Side, albeit in a distinctive Larson-esque fashion. His interpretation of the devil grappling with chaos in Hell allows for humorous depictions of the damned creating graffiti and ordering pizza. In contrast, Heaven is humorously portrayed as a rather dreary place, as depicted in this particular comic where the angel laments about the lack of entertainment, rendering the situation absurdly relatable.
10
Colonel Sanders
Unexpected Humor in Recognizable Icons
While Larson rarely parodied real people, he made exceptions for iconic figures still prevalent in popular culture. This comic features a humorous take on Colonel Sanders, visualizing his arrival at Heaven only to find that his fast-food legacy may have created enemies. The understated thought balloon reading “Uh-oh”reflects the humor found in many Far Side comics.
9
God Makes the Snake
Navigating Controversy in Comic Form
This comic presents a playful dynamic of God reveling in creating an effortless creature—the snake. Larson frequently incorporated God into his strips, fully aware of the potential backlash from expressing controversial concepts.
8
My Old Music Teacher
A Fearful Reunion with Authority Figures
Larson conjures an unlikely nightmare, where a busker performs only to be confronted by his former music teacher. The anxiety tied to rekindling connections with past authoritative figures resonates with many, especially given the critical commentary that often follows such encounters.
7
Mine… All Mine
Personalizing the Everyday Misfortunes
Many car owners can relate to the suspicion that neighborhood birds harbor a vendetta against their clean vehicles. In Larson’s universe, however, this is unmistakably the truth as illustrated by the bird’s thought bubble, exuding malevolent satisfaction at the impending act of destruction.
6
Popeye on the Dating Scene
Satirical Takes on Beloved Characters
Larson famously critiqued beloved cartoons, and in this instance, he parodies Popeye. While the character’s strength is primarily sourced from spinach, Larson humorously suggests that this obsession might create social faux pas, as illustrated by a date horrified by his spinach-laden teeth.
5
Always Wake Up Before You Land
The Perils of Everyday Experiences
Drawing on the universally relatable sensation of falling while napping, Larson illustrates a world where this common experience becomes hazardous. In The Far Side, failure to wake up in time transforms into a literal and comedic threat to existence. He often employs thought bubbles to present a character’s dreams and fantasies, effectively creating additional layers to his single-panel comics.
4
CATS
Celebrating a Classic Far Side Moment
This beloved strip mirrors the classic rivalry captured in cartoons like Tom and Jerry. Larson adds an amusing twist by portraying the canine antagonist as rather dim-witted, creating a humorous setup where the dog believes its ploy to trap the family cat will be successful.
The Far Side depicted the same absurd violence between cats and dogs; however, Larson noted in The Prehistory of The Far Side that any implication of suffering could lead to backlash. Fortunately, “CAT FUD” provoked significantly less controversy than his “Tethercat” comic did.
Many fans criticized “Tethercat,” prompting Larson to express concerns about negative feedback potentially jeopardizing his career as well as the syndication of The Far Side. He reflected on this dynamic in The Prehistory of The Far Side, stating:
What I think I’ve figured out is, in animation, a cat might be flattened by a steamroller or get blown up by dynamite, but a few seconds later we see him back in business – chasing something or being chased until he’s “killed”again. There’s never a suggestion that the cat’s suffering is anything but transitory. In a single-panel cartoon, however, no resolution is possible. The dogs play “tethercat”forever. You put the cartoon down, come back to it a few hours later, and, yep – those dogs are still playing ‘tethercat.’
3
A Great Way to Meet Women
Unconventional Pets in Larson’s Universe
In this strip, Larson offers a glimpse into the bizarre antics of his characters, showcasing a crocodile owner whose pet seems to undermine his dating efforts. Although the character’s thought bubble indicates optimism, it becomes painfully ironic when the crocodile consumes his date’s dog. This humor reflects Larson’s rebellious quirkiness as illustrated in The Prehistory of The Far Side, where he states, “most of the civilized world – I’m convinced – hates little rat-sized dogs named ‘Fifi.’”
2
My Usual Barking Frenzy
The Fusion of Humor and Horror
In this eerie strip, a dedicated dog investigates a shadowy nocturnal figure, only to stumble upon something terrifying. The genuine creepiness of the monster combined with the dog’s understated thought bubble heightens the humor through the pet’s self-serving decision not to bark.
1
The Big, Dumb Geek
A Meta Approach in The Far Side
Our top pick is a brilliantly meta comic where a worker finds himself in a unique predicament—his boss can read his thoughts. Larson’s knack for creating self-aware humor allows characters to recognize their existence within a comic strip, often exploiting or suffering from the eccentricities of their two-dimensional reality.
These 15 iconic comics from The Far Side build upon the comedic potential of thought bubbles—feel free to share your favorite in the poll below and mention any other memorable strips we might have overlooked in the comments!
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