Every comic Gary Larson, creator ofThe Far Side, ever produced was in some way, shape, or form, a reflection of his mind on the page – but this is more obvious with some cartoons, such as the classic “Out of Order” panel first published in 1988, than it is with others. In retrospect, the cartoon encapsulates exactly how Larson felt about his career at the time of its publication.
Being able to recognize the artist’s mind at work inFar Sidecomics is essential, and “Out of Order” offers a perfect reason to contemplateGary Larson’s creative processin more detail – especially in the context of the entirety of his career.
The comic is perhaps one of Larson’s most straightforward jokes, requiring little effort on the reader’s part to decipher – yet it ispotent in the way that it symbolizes the creative chaos necessary to give rise toThe Far Side, while also hinting at Larson’s own perspective on his mind.
“Out Of Order”: The Cartoon & Why It Is A Great Metaphor For Far Side Creator Gary Larson’s Creativity, Explained
As It Appears InThe Complete Far Side Volume Two, Released In 2003
On the surface, there is little mystery toThe Far Side’s"Out of Order" cartoons. The panel depicts a jumble of thestrip’s most memorable recurring elements–including but not limited to: clowns, cows, crocodiles, dinosaurs, Frankenstein’s monster, prehistoric humans, and snakes – smashed together, up against a glass partition, with a handwritten sign saying “OUT OF ORDER” taped to the front. The panel has no caption, with the eponymous sign serving in its place, making the intent of the comic clear enough.
The impression is that they are all contained in some kind of broken vending machine – and Gary Larson is that vending machine. From early on in his career,Larson suffered from professional burnout; though the quality of his creative output didn’t suffer, this did result in the artist taking a series of extended breaks from producing newFar Sidematerial. The longest of these began in November 1988, and continued until the start of 1990; in other words, “Out of Order,” which was published in June of ‘88, represents Larson’s embodiment of his burnt-out feeling.
The Earlier Version Of “Out Of Order” Was Actually Even More Cramped & Chaotic
First Published: June 16, 2025
In the 2003 compendiumThe Complete Far Side, Gary Larson included an updated version of the “Out of Order” cartoon. The second version is fully colorized and has wider dimensions, in effect giving its characters more “room to breathe” – in the process, making it easier for readers to identify different characters from among the tangle of human and non-human bodies. TheCompleteversion is precisely that, a more “complete” execution of the comic’s premise, but the original version outdoes it in one quality, which is that it makes it even more clearly arepresentation of Gary Larson’s mind.
EveryFar Sidecomic grew out of something that Gary Larson thought about…but as time went on, the flip side of this was that every observation, and every passing thought, became work.
The black-and-white print version makes it even more clear thatthe characters have jammed on their way out – that is, they were clogging up Larson’s thought process.EveryFar Sidecomic grew out of something thatGary Larson thought about, or observed in the world, but as time went on, the flip side of this was that every observation, and every passing thought, became work. In a way, the artist seemingly found himself in a constant state of alert, always looking for the next idea. Sometimes, that in itself could get in the way of the ideas actually flowing.
Before it Became Too Much Of A Nightmare
While it takes a finely attuned reader to recognize it in many ofThe Far Side’spanels, the comic was a deeply personal artistic project, which explains his body of work’s many idiosyncracies – they were part of Gary Larson making art that was unequivocally true to himself.The Far Sidewas one individual’s strange and singular vision, butthe trade-off for how much of himself Larson invested in each comic was that it ultimately had a far shorter run than other legends of the medium,such as Jim Davis’GarfieldandCharles Schulz’Peanuts.
It can be said thatThe Far Sideexposed an appetite for absurd and unexpected humor in America readers…which was not being catered to, at least not for wide audiences, at the time.
The Far Sideran for only fifteen years, but in that time it was remarkably successful, especially considering thatLarson’s sense of humorcould certainly be described as niche. It can be said thatThe Far Sideexposed an appetite for absurd and unexpected humor in America readers – especially during its early years at the start of the 1980s – which was not being catered to, at least not for wide audiences, at the time. Again, that success came at the price of shortening Gary Larson’s career.
Larson knew long before he retired that he wouldn’t have the career longevity of a Davis, or a Schulz, but he also didn’t want that. It is possible that this allowed him to go “all in” on every comic in a way that his contemporaries couldn’t afford to; Gary Larson rarely held anything back, and that is one of the defining aspects of his comedic style. Gary Larson’s mind was always teeming with ideas, and when it was time to work onThe Far Side, he gave it everything he had.
The Downside Of Prolific Creativity
More than anything, it was the pressure of public notoriety, and the pace of his production schedule, that ledGary Larson to retire in 1995. When it came to the latter, part of the problem was certainly the need to always be “on” creatively;The Far Sidewas an outlet for Larson, but it was also a career, and that meant rather than giving him a chance to engage with certain ideas and topics through his art, he was required to.
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Gary Larson’s legendary cartoon The Far Side took multiple jabs at banjo players, but how did the artist really feel about the instrument?
As often asThe Far Sidemade silly jokes about dogs acting human, or any number of innocuous subjects, it also found humor in things likeLarson’s fear of nuclear war, his perspective on death, and even in some cases, seemingly intrusive or unwanted thoughts. This made Larson’s mind, and the world ofThe Far Side, which were really one and the same, no easy place to exist.Readers had a daily window into what Gary Larson was thinking, thanks toThe Far Side, but he had to be in his head every moment of every day.
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.
