Summary

• Gary Larson's confusing and weird humor in The Far Side attracted as many readers as it repulsed during the strip's time in publication; in retrospect, it also reflected a larger trend in American humor.
• Larson's unorthodox approach to cartooning resulted in a loyal following for his unique brand of comedy – but it also resulted in him inheriting the self-appointed title of "The Great Conf."
• Though The Far Side was more than just confusing, that may be its greatest legacy, as it is the first thing many people think of when they reflect on Gary Larson's humor.

Over the course of fifteen years in publication, The Far Side became famous, or perhaps infamous, for its routinely inscrutable humor – to the point where years after his retirement, creator Gary Larson still laid claim to the title of "The Great Conf." Though his punchlines could unambiguously laugh-out-loud funny, it was the confusing Far Side cartoons that have stuck with readers the most.

According to Larson, the answer to how his weirdest comics found their way into newspapers across the country was straightforward enough: he set a precedent by being weird early and often. As a creator, Gary Larson had the privilege of having to deal with relatively few editorial intrusions, and very limited interactions with his audience.

Consequently, once he was established in the publishing industry, he just kept doing what he did best – drawing and writing he was ready to retire.

The Complete Far Side does more than just collect every Far Side comic published during the strip's fifteen-year tenure in publication; it contains the most in-depth autobiographical of his career and creative process than Gary Larson has ever produced. For that, it is essential reading for any fan of his work. His play description of himself as "The Great Conf" is contained in Volume Two of The Complete Far Side.

Gary Larson On Why More Of His Weirdest Cartoons Weren't Rejected Throughout His Career

The Far Side Made Him "The Great Conf"

Words like "weird" and "confusing" only begin to capture the whole scope of The Far Side; Gary Larson's humor was strange in many different ways, with any single capable of operating on multiple levels of absurdity and abstrusity.

Years after the end of The Far Side, Gary Larson wrote in The Complete Far Side about the predominant quality of his work, at least as it is ed in posterity. That is, confusion. As Larson stated:

Even now, years after my retirement, I'm reminded of my reputation as The Great Conf.

While poking fun at himself, the tongue-in-cheek grandiosity of this title aptly compacts the chief response to The Far Side, the one he heard most from fans and critics alike: that his cartoons were regularly weird to the point of obscurity, or alternatively, obscure to the point of weirdness.

It is important to note that words like "weird" and "confusing" only begin to capture the whole scope of The Far Side; Gary Larson's humor was strange in many different ways, with any single capable of operating on multiple levels of absurdity and abstrusity. Certainly, some Far Side cartoons are considered "confusing" because Gary Larson's "failed experiments," those jokes he thought would get across to readers, but ultimately didn't work.

As the author explained in The Complete Far Side Volume Two, the fact that he wasn't beholden to either his readers' reactions, or editorial oversight, were the simple reasons his humor could be so off-the-wall. Larson wrote:

So how does a confusing cartoon even come into being? It's easy. Since I'm "audience free," I just go where my mind takes me. Then my editor sees it, says to himself, "Oh, well – I've seen him do stranger things," and off it goes to your local newspaper, where you finally see it and go "Huh?" Meanwhile, I'm back home having cereal.

In other words, Gary Larson's style of comedy – as perplexing as it could be at times – found a receptive audience in papers nationwide; once his "reputation as The Great Conf" was established in the minds of his editor and newspaper publishers, Larson had an essentially uninhibited pipeline to the American consciousness.

Gary Larson's Humor Felt Like He Was Getting Away With Something

How Did This Get In The Newspaper?

For many readers who enjoyed The Far Side during the strip's time in publication, the feeling that it was subversive, or "edgy," was almost certainly an attraction.

Naturally, given the avant-garde nature of his weirdness, Gary Larson's humor was at times divisive; newspapers regularly received letters complaining about The Far Side, demanding it no longer be carried in the funny pages. These letters invariably circled back to some variation on the same question, asking how a publication in good taste could subject its readers to what they considered to be objectionable content. However, this question can, in a way, be flipped on its head, in order to describe one of the virtues that made The Far Side successful.

That is, for many readers who enjoyed The Far Side during the strip's time in publication, the feeling that it was subversive, or "edgy," was almost certainly an attraction. It's not hard to imagine an office worker in 1982 being the only one at their job who appreciates The Far Side, perhaps silently smiling to themselves in the break room upon overhearing another coworker talking about the cartoon, saying something like "the so-called artist must be sick." Truth be told, these early fans were likely as mystified by how Larson's work made it into the paper as his detractors.

In this way, there was a hint of rebellion to being a Far Side fan in the early 1980s, not unlike what drew people to the nascent punk scenes taking root in cities and towns across America in the same era. Just like the record producers who saw the value in this new, grittier form of rock 'n' roll, the editors and publishers who put The Far Side in papers recognized the public's appetite for something they hadn't seen before. Something raw, and unpolished, but possessing an obviously exciting energy and perspective.

The Far Side's Weirdness Was Part Of A Larger Trend In American Humor

Increasingly Absurd

In effect, Gary Larson had an outsider sense of humor during The Far Side's run in publication, but now his brand of comedy is essentially mainstream.

The Far Side is also a notable example of American humor's shift in a more absurdist direction. This can actually be described as a shift back, as early film comedies were dominated by the slapstick and screwball genres, which if not absurdist, are undoubtedly built on a foundation of ridiculousness. While a vein of strange humor always ran through American culture, this once more became more overt in the 1970s and '80s – with The Far Side first appearing in newspapers as a product of that trend, and subsequently helping to push it forward well into the mid-1990s.

From there, weirdness in American humor is perhaps best exhibited by popular sitcoms' tendency toward increasing absurdity as they progress over a long run. Think of examples such as Seinfeld, and, to a more muted degree, Friends, and to a greater degree, the later series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which started out as a coarse satire and grew – or some might say evolved – into utter insanity as it continued. In a more contemporary comparison, internet humor quickly became weird, but in the past several years has approached near-singularity levels of absurdity.

In the latter case, the parallels with – and influence of – Gary Larson had an outsider sense of humor during The Far Side's run in publication, but now his brand of comedy is essentially mainstream.

For Better Or Worse, Confusion Is Gary Larson's Legacy

Far Side Readers Have Only One Question: "What-the?"

Whatever readers about The Far Side, they it. Gary Larson's humor may have frequently been obscure, but his work has not lapsed into obscurity.

To whatever extent it was a forerunner of contemporary absurdist humor, The Far Side is more generally associated with being "confusing" – the distinction that even absurdist humor relies on its punchline, however "out there" or nonsensical, to be evident to the reader. This was not always the case with Gary Larson's work, and therefore, "confusion" is the most memorable feeling many readers associate with The Far Side. According to Gary Larson, however, making his audience ask "What-the?" or exclaim "My God!" was just as valuable to him as evoking laughter.

That is to say, whatever readers about The Far Side, they it. Gary Larson's humor may have frequently been obscure, but his work has not lapsed into obscurity. The opposite, in fact – it continues to be discovered by new readers in the strip's second life on the internet. Though Larson might be more comfortable with his work standing out on the margins, rather than being one of many strange things online, the natural link between The Far Side and internet humor has ensured that the comic will be analyzed, over-analyzed, and appreciated in perpetuity.

Source: The Complete Far Side Volume Two