Summary

• As he explained to ABC in a 20/20 interview from 1987, Gary Larson was cautious about over-commercializing The Far Side; while he did license his art to be used for a variety of products during the height of its popularity, Larson never wanted his work to become "mainstream."
• Larson valued the integrity of his comic, drawing the line at licensing things like Far Side dolls, and opting whenever he had the chance to use his merchandise to benefit charity, instead of making a pure profit.
• The Far Side has continued to endure in readers' memories, even decades after it ceased daily publication; even to this day, fans appreciate Larson's creative integrity, ensuring the continued popularity of The Far Side.

Gary Larson, creator of The Far Side, was uneasy at the commercialization of his art – and while he did capitalize on the comic's popularity, there were limits to the kind of merchandise he was willing to license Far Side imagery for. In particular, it seemed Larson could not abide by the creation and sale of Far Side dolls.

In an interview with ABC's 20/20, Larson shared his feelings about the success of his absurdist comic strip, for better or worse. The Far Side is ed as much for its idiosyncratic – to the point, at times, of being downright bizarre – humor as it is its unique visual style.

It was the distinct look and feel of his strip that merchandisers sought to appropriate for a variety of licensed products, as Larson's work became increasingly popular. At the time, the artist expressed reticence at allowing his art to be overcommercialized.

Gary Larson's 20/20 interview aired on January 8, 1987. This was just a week past the seven-year anniversary of when The Far Side first began appearing in syndication in newspaper comic sections. Larson's strip would continue for another seven years, through the end of 1994, meaning this interview represents essentially the mid-point of the strip's run, and the beginning of its peak in popularity.

Gary Larson Didn't Want The Far Side To Become Too "Mainstream"

It Was About More Than Money

Gary Larson seemed to consider there to be a core audience engaging with his comic, within the general readership, a group he believed wouldn't want his work to become overly proliferate through merchandising.

While a syndicated newspaper comic is inherently a commercial product in a way, the popularity of cartoons like Gary Larson's Far Side, Bill Watterson famously turned down lucrative deals to license his characters. Larson fell firmly in the middle, as he was willing to sell Far Side products – up to a certain extent.

In a way, The Far Side was counterculture art, being disseminated into the culture as a product of its medium: the funny pages of daily newspapers across the country. Despite its edginess, its frequent inscrutability, and at times, its The Far Side resonated with readers. However, Gary Larson seemed to consider there to be a core audience engaging with his comic, within the general readership, a group he believed wouldn't want his work to become overly proliferate through merchandising.

I wouldn't want the readers who are really following this to suddenly get the sense that it's becoming real mainstream...that it's all for the dollar. It's getting to be these where the comic pages are becoming mostly little advertising vehicles for other things, that are where the real money is. And...I think it sucks.

"I think [The Far Side] should be humor," Larson said, rather than a product.

Far Side Mugs, Shirts, & Calendars Were Okay – But Gary Larson Said "No Dolls"

He Tread Carefully When It Came To Licenscing

Though he made the natural decision to profit from his work, resulting in a great deal of Far Side merch over the years, [Gary] Larson nevertheless remained protective of what, how, and why, his art extended beyond the page.

In 1987, just some of the Far Side merchandise cited by 20/20 in their segment on Gary Larson included Far Side greeting cards, Far Side mugs, and Far Side calendars. Curiously, the journalist narrating the video notes that Larson had "drawn the line at Far Side dolls." While many fans of the comic would gladly pay money to have one of Larson's cows, aliens, or even humans in doll-form, this limit to the extent of his willingness to license his work highlights Larson's hesitation to let his creations get entirely out of his control.

To an extent, once a property has been licensed, it belongs to its creator less and less – even if they still own the rights to it, and financially profit from the licensing. Instead, it becomes a cultural product, reflecting in some way or another its original intent and themes, but increasingly detached from them over time. Gary Larson was cognizant of this at the height of The Far Side's popularity. Though he made the natural decision to profit from his work, resulting in a great deal of Far Side merch over the years, Larson nevertheless remained protective of what, how, and why, his art extended beyond the page.

Gary Larson Was Okay With Far Side Products When They Benefited Charity

A Good Cause Is Better Than Pure Profit

Larson's caution about fully turning his art into a self-perpetuating stream of merchandising revenue is irable from a creative standpoint, though even more laudable is his desire to effect positive change beyond just his own financial gain.

Throughout the nearly five thousand daily s Gary Larson produced during the original run of The Far Side, the artist proved himself time and again to be a naturalist, someone who was deeply concerned with humanity's abuse of the environment, and the other species inhabiting Earth. This was even evident in the 1987 20/20 interview, when Larson was asked whether he preferred animals to humans. Larson, grinning, itted that he did. At times, even after he ceased daily publication of Far Side strips, he attempted to steer the creation of merchandise based on his works toward some positive purpose.

A notable example of this were the Far Side calendars Larson sanctioned in order to raise funds for Conservation International, as detailed in a 2006 USA Today article. Over a decade after his retirement as a cartoonist, consumers still clamored for licensed Far Side products – something that is likely even more true nearly twenty years later than it was then. Larson's caution about fully turning his art into a self-perpetuating stream of merchandising revenue is irable from a creative standpoint, though even more laudable is his desire to effect positive change beyond just his own financial gain.

Though consumers missed out on Far Side dolls, thanks to Larson's creative integrity, his original comics – and the multitude of merch that has been produced as a result – remain enduringly popular. This is seemingly despite Gary Larson's refusal to commodify his work to the extent that he could have, though in a way it might even be because of it. By retiring early, and not over-licensing Far Side products, Larson ensured that the mystique of his comic has stayed the same even all these years later.

Source: ABC 20/20 Interview with Gary Larson (January 8, 1987); USA Today (November 22, 2006)