Creator Gary Larson's fascination with science was foundational to some of his most highly-regarded jokes from the duration of his career.
Arguably, The Far Side as a whole was experimental, in the sense that Gary Larson's work – both his illustrations and his captions – evolved on the page through successive rounds of revision, as the artist played around with his images and punchlines to find the funniest alignment of details.
At the same time, infamous "Cow Tools" .
10 With The Far Side, Gary Larson Pioneered A "Fly On The Wall" Style Of Humor
First Published: March 10, 1983
This classic Far Side comic features a scientist who has turned himself into a fly in his basement laboratory; the illustration depicts him hilariously tilting his head as his wife stands at the top of the stairs, hands-on-hips, incredulously asking "what? You're still a fly?" when she comes down to tell him "lunch is ready."
In addition to being an iconic example of a science experiment gone awry, this Far Side comic also embodies Gary Larson's observational style of comedy; his comics were often "slice-of-life" peeks into the domestic lives of his characters, except they inhabited an often surreal, and frequently silly world, equally full of wonders and horrors – with "Lawrence" and his wife here being caught somewhere in between the two.
9 The Far Side Wasn't Afraid To Spoof The Art Of Psychology
First Published: November 27, 1986
The 1980s was the decade in which psychology, specifically talk therapy, truly became ubiquitous in American culture, after becoming increasingly popular over the preceding several decades. Gary Larson made some memorable jokes about therapists, with this one standing out from the rest for the way it takes the idea of experimental psychology to the extreme – literally, with "Professor Gallagher" hanging his patient out of a high-rise window in a confined metal box full of snakes, as exposure therapy to "heights, snakes, and the dark" all in one.
With this gag, which presages the premiere of the infamous reality show Fear Factor by a full fifteen years, Larson smartly evokes the same comedic use of psychologists as many iconic '80s film comedies – playing into the skepticism about the practice that came in response to its rise in prominence.
8 The Far Side's Scientists Were All About "Can We?" Not "Should We?"
First Published: February 23, 1988
This seemingly lighthearted Far Side cartoon features a pair of scientists hanging a rhino upside down from the ceiling of their laboratory, as part of an experiment "testing whether or not rhinos land on their feet" – an attribute popularly attributed to cats, not these great beasts of the African wilderness.
Of course, readers familiar with Gary Larson's naturalist leanings can read deeper into this cartoon, which despite its surface-level whimsical nature does depict the abuse of an unwitting animal in laboratory conditions. By making it an especially frivolous experiment, Larson possibly provides commentary on the inherent absurdity of animal experimentation; though Larson himself generally disavows such subtextual readings of The Far Side, fans can still extract a relevant social critique from comics like this.
7 Far Side Fans Agree: Gary Larson's Brain Should Be Studied
First Published: March 18, 1988
In this amusing Far Side scientist cartoon, a disembodied head hooked up to machines in a laboratory cries out, "Oh my God, Professor Higgins! Where's my body? What have you done with my body?" – prompting the scientist to give the head a stiff smack, to which it responds "thanks...I needed that."
This comic delightfully straddles the line between light and dark humor – it is unknown how the man's head was severed, or why it is being kept alive sans body, but the implication that the head doesn't understand what is happening to it will strike some readers as at least mildly upsetting. At the same time, there is a deliberate buddy comedy-esque vibe to the characters' exchange here, especially the way the head responds after Professor Higgins smacks some sense into it.
6 The Far Side Put Human – And Animal – Behavior Under The Microscope For Amusement
First Published: September 22, 1988
This Far Side alien cartoon should strike astute fans as being evocative of Gary Larson's creative ethos as a whole; coupled with his out-of-this-world imagination, Larson's ability to look at humanity from an outside, or "alien" perspective allowed him to hilariously scrutinize Earthlings, both human and otherwise.
Here, an alien researcher chastises his colleague for "mix[ing] incompatible species in the earth terrarium" – as he points to the glass container on the shelf where a bear is mauling a hunter to death. What makes this Far Side especially funny is the visible frustration with which Larson draws the extraterrestrial on the left, and contrast with the "uh-oh" look of "Zorak," as they both presumably realize they'll have to go back to Earth to procure more specimens.
5 The Far Side Depicts The Messy Side Of Science In This All-Time Great Comic
First Published: October 30, 1990
This is widely considered one of the most enduring Far Side comics, given how it gets the most out of both sides of the comic's "formula" – delivering a hilariously grotesque image, with a laugh-out-loud punchline to go with it. Here, a lab full of scientists gather around to find one of their colleagues melted into a puddle, dripping all over his work station, with one of them instructing "Weinberg" to try to "make out what the devil he was working on," as Weinberg looks on, the potential danger of his assignment dawning on him.
7 Far Side Comics That Took Things Way, Way Too Far
The Far Side throws an absurd filter on the world, but sometimes that means taking things way too far. Here's the funniest times it's done just that!
Here, Larson depicts "research & development" – as the sign on the wall in the background reveals this laboratory to be – taken to its most dangerous conclusion, while also lampooning lax safety protocols in such settings. Though Gary Larson actually ired scientists, he had a gift for conjuring up what could happen when they weren't at their best.
4 The Far Side Depicts The Cost Of Failure When It Comes To Medical Experiments
First Published: November 23, 1990
In place of scientists, this Far Side comic pokes fun at doctors, depicting an experimental procedure, which the caption identifies as taking place on "Feb. 22, 1952," as "veterinarians attempt the first skunk de-scenting operation," which ultimately ends in disaster, as the vets accidentally "arm the damn thing," sending them scattering for cover around the operating room.
"She's gonna blowwww," one of the surgeons stuck in the blast radius cries, in what is undeniably a great, if ridiculous, Far Side punchline. Here, the idea of experimental surgery serves as the premise, which Gary Larson then takes to absurd heights by depicting such a low-stakes procedure as if it had life-or-death consequences. This embodies the truly "cartoonish" dimension of The Far Side's humor, making it among Larson's most memorable s.
3 Gary Larson Was Out Of His Mind, In The Best Possible Way For An Artist
First Published: March 19, 1991
"Oh, professor," a head in a jar calls out to a scientist working across the laboratory, "did I tell you I had another out-of-head experience last night?"; it is a simple joke, a patented Far Side twist on a familiar pharse, one that practically anyone could come up with – but few people actually would come up with, which was key to Gary Larson's success, and in retrospect, his genius as a creator.
8 Classic Far Side Comics That Were Made For Conspiracy Theorists
These Far Side comics will make readers question everything, proving artist Gary Larson wasn't a stranger to conspiratorial thinking.
To say Larson had a unique way of looking at things is an understatement; The Far Side is the work of a genuinely idiosyncratic mind, which is precisely what makes it so endlessly engaging. Some readers will find Larson's sense of humor totally foreign, while for others, it will "click" right away – but in either case, or for those who find themselves somewhere in between, The Far Side remains strangely compelling, in of making people want to understand the mind of the artist behind the work.
2 This Unforgettable Far Side Joke Features Its Most Successful Scientist – Which Isn't Saying Much
First Published: March 25, 1992
This memorable comic depicts an inventor who has created a helmet that translates canine language for humans to understand – and consequently, a quick stroll through a suburban neighborhood reveals that all the dogs are simply shouting "hey." It is actually a Far Side cartoon commonly lauded for being "scientifically accurate", as research suggests dogs bark, first and foremost, to signify their presence.
Gary Larson often reaped comedy from scientific failure, so this joke stands out because its joke is at the expense of a "successful" experiment. In a way, this also speaks to Larson's own experience as creator, as his humor did not always "translate" to the average reader, leading to The Far Side's reputation for being difficult to understand – even though the majority of Far Side cartoons don't take that much effort on the part of the reader to "get."
1 "An Experiment In Human Psychology": This Ambitious Far Side Gag Is An All-Timer
First Published: March 26, 1993
Once again, The Far Side depicts an over-the-top psychological experiment; in this case, one in which the test subject is led to believe that he is "the dictator of Ithuvania, a small European republic," when in fact he is "Edward Belcher...from Long Island, New York."
"It's time to go home, Eddie," the man in a white lab coat, holding a clipboard, tells the man sitting behind a large, ornate desk, wearing a military uniform with epaulets on his shoulders, in front of a giant portrait of himself, as the latter processes that "the hordes of irers, the military parades" and even "this office" are all fabrications. Ranking among Gary Larson's most ambitious jokes, this stands the test of time as one of The Far Side's most elaborate and outrageous jokes, from premise to execution.
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