Summary
At its best,The Far Sidecaptures things readers know and love, and proceeds to twist those things on their head, making incredibly funny comics as a result – as exhibited by theseFar Sidecomics set at the beach. Repeatedly throughout the years,Gary Larson managed to make a calm and tranquil location like the beach into a chaotic and totallyFar Sideplace.
While comics strips likePeanutseffectively used the beach as a settingfor some classic jokes,The Far Side’soceanside cartoons are something else altogether, negating the wholesome relatable quality of Charlie Brown and the gang’s summer antics in favor of silly wordplay and surrealist scenarios.
While some may be put off by the thought of sharks trying to lure people into the water to eat them or a snakes only beach, one cannot deny that the beach bound comic strips ofThe Far Sideare endlessly side splitting and, of course, very weird.
Gary Larson’s Final Words On His Career Are Bizarre, Touching, & Perfect For The Far Side
In his final essay from “The Complete Far Side,” Gary Larson went on a tangent which delightfully encapsulated the heart of his long-running comic.
10Gary Larson Depicts A Classic Shark Misdirect
First Published In 1984
After the hysteria thatthe classic 1975 movieJawsspurred around shark attacks and sharks in general, people have gotten much more careful and alert when they go to the beach. Consequently, it’s a lot harder for sharks to get their, ahem, protein, in, causing them to resort to more creative methods of getting humans into the water. One such shark,who resides inThe Far Side,concocts a simple yet effective strategy to drive beach goers into the ocean, yelling “Bear!” and scaring the humans into the water.
Based on the comic, the shark’s plan is very effective, with the beachgoers running and screaming into the water rather than away. Letting fear take over, the beachgoers' sense of reason and logic seemingly flies out of the window because bears do not typically reside on beaches.
9That’s Not How You’re Supposed To Catch A Frisbee
First Published In 1980
Dogs love to play frisbee with their owners, catching it deftly with their mouth. While it may be typical for humans to play frisbee, what is less common, however, is to see a human play frisbee with their mouth. Frisbee, being the iconic beach sport that it is, gets aFar Sidemakeover in a 1980 comic thatfeatures an annoyed frisbee thrower finding his disc lodged in the mouth of a fellow vacationer, prompting him to ask for it back.
If someone saw another human being catch a frisbee with their mouth, it seems more likely that they would run away from the person rather than run to, to get back the frisbee, but reality does take anunorthodox turn inThe Far Side. The guy should really think twice about asking for his frisbee back; does he really want a frisbee with a stranger’s slobber encasing it?
8The Evolution Of Baseball, Far Side Style
First Published In 1982
It is said in evolutionary theory that millions and millions of years ago, some types of fish-like creatures grew legs as an evolutionary adaption that would help increase the chances of success and, most importantly, survival.Gary Larson paints a picture of these prehistoric aquatic creatures,but their reasons for coming up on land have less to do with survival and more to do with a classic sports pasttime: baseball.
When some aquatic creatures with fin-leg looking appendages see that their baseball that they were playing a game with (as noticed by the bat they have with them) has landed on the sand, the two fish dare to venture out and use their fin-legs in a great moment of evolution – wellaccording toThe Far Side, at least.
7Gary Larson Depicts A Classic Migration Mix-Up
Published In 1993
It’s a fact of life that birds migrate to climates and environments that will suit them for the time being. As a result, it is very important that the birds migrate to the right places.The Far Siderecognizes thisimportance and, of course, skewers it in typicalFar Side fashion. When a flock of seagulls at a coastal setting are getting ready to take off for the cold, icy tundra of Antarctica,one Hawaiian-shirt-outfitted seagull stands out like a sore thumb, just as the head seagull suggests that anyone not going to Anatractica should speak up now.
One does not need to be an expert in Ornithology to see that one bird in the lineup had no plan that involved Antarctica. The bird wearing the Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses better speak up, or forever hold their peace, because they’ll be in for a rude awakening when the cold air hits them in Antarctica if not.
The Far Side Complete Collection
Fans of the far side can’t pass up this master collection of Gary Larson’s finest work. Originally published in hardcover in 2003, this paperback set comes complete with a newly designed slipcase that will look great on any shelf. The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever published, which amounts to over 4,000, plus more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book and even some made after Larson retired.
6This Far Side Chicken Needs To Fidn Some Shade Before It Roasts
First Published In 1992
A buzzword for healthy and clean eating for omnivores includes free-range meat,especially in regard to chicken. While free-range chicken is said to be good for humans, it is a scheme for jailbreak for the chicken itself. When a chicken has been made free-range,he takes off and escapes to the beach–what chicken wouldn’t?–avoiding becoming someone’s dinner and instead lives it up with sand and sun.
The chicken is so happy to be free that he shares his story with anyone who will listen, like the lady on the beach chair next to him. Much like a character fromTheShawshank Redemption, the chicken has made it out of imprisonment and escaped to the tropics, being one lucky duck – or in this case, chicken – and it’s all thanks to being made a free-range bird.
Over the years,The Far Sidedeveloped a fan base among the scientific community; as a result, Gary Larson has not one, not two, but three insects named after him.
5Gary Larson Depicts A Classic Snake Parenting Rule
First Published In 1994
It is commonly accepted that it’s a wise decision to wait 30 minutes before going swimming after eating.When it comes to snakes, however, it is the rule to wait a whole week before swimming,as this little kid snake inThe Far Sidecomes to learn from his scolding serpent parent.While a week may seem a bit excessive, looking at the massive bump in the little snake gives a better understanding of why the snakes need a lot of time to digest before getting into the ocean.
While a beach scene filled with snakes would be nightmare fuel for anyone, especially Indiana Jones, it’s justanother day inThe Far Side’sworld. Renowned for taking the more mundane aspects of life, like waiting before swimming after eating, Gary Larson always managed to position a surreal twist onto his subject content.
4The Far Side’s Sharks Finally Realize Their Biggest Mistake
First Published In 1985
The tell tale sign to signal holidayers to run away from the water are the imposing dorsal fins peeking through the water, communicating that dangerous sharks lurk in the waters. An effective warning for humans, visible dorsal fins are a diaster forthe hungry sharks ofThe Far Side, who have made their presence too clear to the people on the beach.
As seen by the beachgoers running away from the water in hysterics, arms up in the air and all,the sharks have made a huge and careless mistake by having their fins exposed, resulting in a missed opportunity for lunch.While the sharks may have failed to get an easy meal, they have seen their mistake and look sure to never repeat it again, much to the misfortune of any beachgoers to follow.
“What Else Didn’t I Draw?": Gary Larson On The Far Side Comics Left Unproduced By His Retirement
Reflecting on his career several years into retirement, Gary Larson admitted that he fleetingly felt haunted by the Far Side comics he never drew.
3Gary Larson Depicts The Difference Between Fun On Land Vs. At Sea
First Published In 1981
ThisFar Sidebeach panel hilariously depicts two creatures – one a land-dwelling human, the otheraCreature From the Black Lagoon-inspired amphibianhumanoid – crossing paths, each on their way to have some fun in the other’s natural environment.
Gary Larson depicts a surfer going into the water, just as the creature come out, no doubt making the surfer dude think twice about jumping into the waves. What the creature plans on doing with their wagon is anyone’s guess, but it definitely looks like it is going to have a blast doing it. An absurd, andclassicFar Sidescenariothrough and through, the comic strip captures Gary Larson’s love of the surreal.
The 1950 children’s bookMr. Bear Squash-You-All-Flatwas a major inspiration for Gary Larson when craftingThe Far Side.
2Realizing You Forgot Something When You Get To The Beach Is The Worst
First Published In 1993
Kangaroos come built with their own form of a handy storage compartment: their pouches! Hailing from Australia, Kangaroos get access to the prized beaches of the Gold Coast.The Far Sideimagines a crazy scenario where thekangaroos have all lined up for a day at the beach, but one of them somehow manages to forget his pocketbook.
Poor Morty is the odd kangaroo out with all his buddies actively engaged in reading their books, with Morty struck by the realization he has forgotten very apparent. Gary Larson was always one toknow his way around some wordplay, with the illustration only bolstering the joke. The fact that Larson chose to set this comic at the beach when the joke is able to be made in just about any setting makes the comic strip even more funny and off kilter.
1These Young Far Side Crabs Just Want A Change Of Scenery
For many, a vacation at the beach would be a luxury, something to be incredibly grateful for. Although, for the kids in a family of crabs, they are not as appreciative as their father would wish they were of their annual beach trip. As seen inThe Far Side,when the dad tells his kids that they are not going to the mountains, he scolds them for not being more thankful for their beach sojourn.
Crabs are pretty synonymous with the beach, so the reader can relate to the crab father’s outrage and perplexion at the kids wanting a vacation in the mountains.As kooky asThe Far Sidescenariopresented is, many parents can understand where the harried parent crabs in the comic are coming from and have been there themselves, making thisFar Sidecomic funny.
The Far Side
The Far Side is a humorous comic series developed by Gary Larson. The series has been in production since 1979 and features a wide array of comic collections, calendars, art, and other miscellaneous items.
