Gary Larson’s obsession with science was essential to the DNA of The Far Side, and by taking a look at this specific strain of joke, readers can develop better working theories about what makes Larson’s work such a significant part of popular culture.
When it came to jokes about equations themselves, The Far Side “solved” the problem of science being “boring” to some people by making genius-level irreverent observations about the idiosyncratic behavior of scientists and the unintended results of their constant search for life’s greater meaning.
From revealing the hilariously nihilistic “purpose of the universe,” to considering what canines’ greatest scientific achievements might be, The Far Side was categorically at the time of its game with this type of gag, and the cartoons collected here each make why a simple matter of deduction.
9 This Early Far Side Scientist Comic Highlights Gary Larson's Fervor For The Subject
First Published: December 8, 1980
"Go for it, Sidney!" one scientist shouts in this Far Side cartoon, as a group of researchers gather around their colleague, frantically cheering him on as he gets into a flow state while solving a complex formula on a large chalkboard. "You've got it," his peers holler, "good hands! Don't choke," rendering this moment of scientific achievement with the same dramatic energy as the pivotal moment of a sporting event, or perhaps the peak of a band's jam session.
For readers, this was an early signal that the creator of The Far Side was enthusiastic about science, to say the least, and further that he held scientists in high regard, though he would lampoon them plenty throughout the ensuing years. This joke also speaks to the frenzy of inspiration, something Larson was familiar with as an artist; indeed, this is one of the major overlaps between scientific and artistic discovery, and this Far Side cartoon effectively manages to play on that common ground to deliver a lighthearted Larsonian punchline.
8 Is This Dog Seeing Something These Far Side Scientists Are Missing?
First Published: March 23, 1984
This is a noteworthy Far Side comic, one that leaves readers with a lot to ponder, given how it is thought-provoking in the abstract sense, but also leaves readers with concrete questions about what the actual punchline is. In the , two scientists pause their diligent work on a complex equation to appreciate the nearby puppy staring up at the blackboard, with one noting, "dogs are so cute when they try to comprehend quantum mechanics."
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It is possible that this is all there is to the joke, but over the years, many readers have questioned whether there is a deeper layer to this Far Side gag; given the somewhat condescending tone of the scientist's remark, it is worth considering whether the real target of Gary Larson's humor here is the folly of humankind's limited knowledge. That is, readers must wonder whether the canine character actually understands the formula, and thus the nature of reality, better than the scientists actually do themselves.
7 This Punchline Is The Far Side's Scientists At Their Most Lowkey Dark Moment
First Published: September 17, 1984
Life, the universe, and everything all ultimately equate to nothing, at least according to the scientists in this Far Side cartoon, who determine that they have "mathematically expressed the purpose of the universe," as they look over their work on the chalkboard in front of them, which amounts to an incredibly complicated equation, all equaling out to a big '0.'
The Far Side has a reputation for having a dark outlook on life, which Gary Larson expressed, and to a certain extent toned down, through absurdist humor. While to what extent Larson truly felt this way is unknown, it feels appropriately funny that what might be his most legitimately nihilistic joke is not one involving death, or destruction, but rather a pair of scientists, at least one of whom is marveling at "the thrill of scientific discovery," rather than contemplating the greater implications of discovering the meaning(lessness) of existence.
6 Gary Larson Hilariously Interprets The Pinnacle Of Canine Scientific Achievement
First Published: September 11, 1985
This cartoon sublimely merges two Far Side staples: jokes about dogs acting like humans, and jokes about scientists. In a way, this comic can be interpreted as Gary Larson's sly tribute to scientific advancement, which he does by asking, and answering, what a civilization-defining research breakthrough would look like for the world's dog scientists. This turns out to be solving "the Doorknob Principle," which would "change the lives of canines everywhere."
Rather than an equation, this features a diagram of the anatomy of a doorknob, which essentially serves the same function for this punchline, though its laugh-out-loud visual quality is perhaps eclipsed by the other details of this Far Side cartoon, particularly the lone dog researcher looking wistfully out the window at a frolicking cat, embodying what it would truly mean for his species to make this major breakthrough.
5 The Far Side Discovers The Downside Of Working In Theoretical Physics: Bullies
First Published: August 15, 1987
In this noteworthy captionless Far Side comic, a researcher fastidiously working on a formula in the background of the is picked on by his colleagues, who stick a piece of paper to his backside with another complex formula on it, snickering in the foreground as he looks over his shoulder and realizes something is up.
The nature of the equation taped to the mathematicians' butt is deliberately obscured, and this adds to the overall effect of the punchline, which deliberately withholds context from the audience in order to leave room for readers' imaginations to fill in the blanks left by this Far Side joke. It also intentionally makes the joke more "niche," as the reader is left on the outside when it comes to what makes this funny for these laboratory bullies, causing them to have more of an empathetic connection with the scientist being targeted instead.
4 The Far Side Pokes Fun At The Idea Of A Moral Calculus By Embellishing A Familiar Saying
First Published: September 30, 1987
With The Far Side, Gary Larson made a habit of reinterpreting classic sayings, such as he does with the old adage, "two wrongs don't make a right," in this cartoon. "Everybody knows that," a mathematician hurriedly exclaims to a colleague in this , showing his latest findings, adding: "but look, four wrongs squared, minus two wrongs to the fourth power, divided by this formula, do make a right."
It is a classic Far Side gag, but one that also carries with it the same message as the original saying: that attempting to quantify, or qualify, complex ethical decisions, is an ultimately fruitless enterprise. Larson gives that idea a hilarious form here, offering the opposite conclusion to this perennial "problem," but to the same end, which is to highlight the inherent absurdity of combating wrong with wrong, or believing in "eye for an eye" type systems of justice.
3 The Far Side's Silly Take On Innovation For Its Own Sake
First Published: November 20, 1987
This might not be a laugh-out-loud Far Side joke for many people, if only because the punchline isn't as intuitive as it is in some of the other s examined here; captioned "the Etch A Sketch division at work," the central premise of this gag seems to be that Gary Larson is posing the question of what else could possibly be done to improve on the design of this iconic toy.
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Certainly, this is one of immediate impact on Far Side readers. Still, it represents an interesting twist on The Far Side's formula for scientific formula jokes, while also reminding readers that as seriously as Gary Larson took science, and as much as he might revere scientists, he was still not above making them look dumb to get a laugh.
2 The Far Side's "Alien Zoo" Cartoon Finally Found An Audience As Fascinated By Scientists As Gary Larson Was
First Published: September 14, 1992
In this Far Side extraterrestrial cartoon, a researcher in a white lab coat is "abducted by an alien circus company," and is subsequently, at the crack of a whip, "forced to write calculus equations in center ring." More than just a dark extrapolation of what alien abduction might look like, what makes this Far Side cartoon especially funny is that it seems like Gary Larson finally itting that the only audience who would truly share his interest in scientific equations, and how they're done, would be from another planet.
Larson's premise, funny in its own right, is made outright hilarious by the depiction of the audience of one-eyed aliens peering intently at the performing scientist, "Professor Doyle," while he is illustrated looking in distress out at the audience, while still frantically scribbling a formula on the chalkboard so as not to be lashed any further by the alien circus trainer.
1 This Bonus Far Side Comic Combines Pop Culture And Rigorous Scientific Analysis
First Published: September 14, 1999
Gary Larson retired from cartooning at the start of 1995, but he was coaxed out of retirement on a few special occasions in the following years; notably, in 1999, Larson produced a handful of new Far Side s for a New York Times feature entitled "The Far Side of Science." Included was this deliriously funny Far Side bit, which features a scientist providing a concrete explanation for the lyrics to "Deep in the Heart of Texas," a legendary song about the Lone Star state first penned in 1941.
In a mouthful of a caption for The Far Side, the character notes:
So, in the general relativistic sense, we find that the dynamic friction of the tensor light cone is actually negative, creating a local convergence of photons, which causes the stars at night to be big and bright...especially here, deep in the heart of Texas.
With this punchline, Larson brilliantly uses jargon to intentionaly perplex the reader, which all clicks into place for a huge laugh when they arrive at the climax of the joke, in a that proves just how much fans missed out on when Gary Larson ceased producing The Far Side on a daily basis.
The Far Side
- Writer
- Gary Larson
- Colorist
- Gary Larson
Summary
Written and drawn by Gary Larson, The Far Side is a comic strip series that ran from December 1979 to January 1995. A worldwide hit, The Far Side explores life's surreal side and uses a mix of humans and anthropomorphic animals. As of 2020, Gary Larson decided to pick his pencil back up again and has started The Far Side up, circulating the comics on his official website.
