The world of Gary Larson's The Far Side is full of bizarre creatures, so it's no surprise that elves, fairies, leprechauns and gnomes feature heavily. Of course, Larson doesn't maintain much of the Fair Folk's mysticism, instead turning them into everyday pests that have to be dealt with practically.

Here are the 10 funniest Far Side comics starring all varieties of fay, faeries and sprites. Be sure to vote in our end-of-article poll for your #1, and find out which comics other readers voted as the best of the best.

10 The Limit on Those Things Is Half a Dozen

The Far Side Loves Hunting Gags

Larson loves a hunting gag (and even has a particular fondness for jokes based on hunting limits.) In this case, a hunter has forged out into the Great Unknown, bagging a clutch of gnomes. As weird as this situation seems, neither hunter nor warden seem surprised by this unusual catch - the only problem is that the hunter has bagged a few too many of the fay folk.

Larson has always had a fondness for animals, and originally pitched Far Side under the title Nature's Way. It's therefore no surprise that Larson takes every opportunity to see things from the animals' perspective, often making hunters look foolish.

Larson has worked to raise money for conservationist causes, working with zoologist Dame Jane Goodall and publishing a special Far Side entry to raise money for Earth Day.

9 Door Ding Gnomes

Far Side Explains an Everyday Irritation

It's a popular idiom to blame minor inconveniences on 'the X fairy,' but Larson makes this idea even funnier by switching the gag to goofy, diminutive gnomes. Larson imagines a world where the dings in your car door aren't due to careless drivers, but rather gnomes who - for some reason - have dedicated their lives to the task. The gleeful looks on the gnomes' faces makes this weird premise immediately laugh-worthy.

8 BEWARE, BILLY!

Of Course Far Side's Tooth Fairy Is Terrifying

Far Side is known for its surreal, sometimes silly humor, but Larson's comic also has an undeniably morbid worldview. In this strip, a visit from the Tooth Fairy turns terrifying, as the supernatural visitor leaves a note warning young Billy that while she only took one tooth this time, she'll be back for the rest with a pair of pliers.

It's possible to read this comic in two ways - either Far Side's tooth fairy is a psychopathic entity, or else Billy's parents are trying to scare him enough that he'll be happy if the tooth fairy never comes back again. Parents invoking fake monsters to scare their kids into better behavior appears multiple times across The Far Side, so the latter is definitely possible.

7 The Nightmare Makers

Larson Draws on a Major Childhood Fear

In a dark conceit worthy of Stephen King (indeed, similar to his villainous Low Men in Yellow Coats, from Hearts in Atlantis), Gary Larson imagines nightmares as being generated by workaday gnomes who seem to see spreading terror as a mundane 9 to 5. In this case, Larson includes one of his own childhood terrors - a bipedal wolf with blank eyes, which appears in a couple of Far Side strips.

Strangely, this terrifying monster didn't come from Larson's own dreams, but those of his brother. One day, Larson's brother recounted a dream in which he was pursued by a wolf with "pure, white eyes... walking on its hind legs, trying to get him" (as described in The Prehistory of The Far Side.) The image was so startling to Larson that while his brother soon forgot about it, he couldn't. Larson describes how:

I was so scared of this and other monsters that I nearly suffocated trying to stay completely under the blankets. Any exposed skin meant certain death. The monster snorkel would have been a wonderful thing in my little world.

6 So! They're Back

There Are Always Signs...

In another example of Larson depicting a totally mundane reaction to a bizarre situation, a farmer realizes that troublesome imps have returned because he spots the coat rack outside their hidey-hole. It's a totally Larson decision to make this 'bizarre vs mundane' gag even funnier by implying that this isn't even the first time the farmer has dealt with these diminutive pests.

5 The Nose Fairy

Far Side Deliberately Takes Things Too Far

In a world where the Tooth Fairy exists, why not have a Nose Fairy who snatches away kids' noses in the night? Disturbingly, both the parents of this household still have their noses, suggesting that either the nose fairy isn't actually a normal occurrence or that in this individual-serving Far Side world, noses grow back in the same way as baby teeth. Given characters know they're being drawn to life in Gary Larson's universe, the latter isn't as unusual as it might seem.

4 Python Escapes Zoo

Larson Loves Taking Shots at Disney

In this strip, Snow White walks home, reading the news of a recently escaped python. Sadly, once she gets inside, she'll realize that same python has swallowed the Seven Dwarves. Larson often references fairy tales and nursery rhymes but has a particular appetite for Disney properties, taking on everything from Bambi to Peter Pan.

The Snow White comic showcases one of Larson's greatest talents - including multiple points of view in the same . Given Far Side rarely strayed beyond a single , Larson quickly became a master at this trick, often using the foreground and background to tell two halves of a story.

3 Car Key Gnomes

Wait... Are Gnomes to Blame for Everything?

In another version of Larson's gag about gnomes causing everyday inconveniences, it's revealed that the reason you can never find your keys is that there's a species of gnome dedicated to hiding them whenever you're not around. Larson's art makes the gag even funnier by showing the gnomes working as a team - one to snatch the keys, and the other to find a new hiding place.

2 He's Got the Red Suit On

Far Side's Santa Really Has This Coming

In this strip, Santa's elves use his signature red suit to make him the target of a rampaging bull. While this may seem like an extreme reaction, Far Side's Santa is a total jerk who deserves everything he gets, especially after threatening his reindeer, standing on household pets, and seemingly murdering Mrs. Claus. Open the image gallery below to enjoy more Far Side comics about Santa Claus.

1 As Far As Leprechauns Go...

Far Side Turns the Ultimate Find into a Disappointment

In this strip, a man succeeds in catching a leprechaun, hoping to gain mystical luck and treasure in the bargain. Sadly, he's managed to find the one member of the supernatural species who has absolutely no luck to lend out, with its many injuries indicating a life full of unfortunate events.

Those are the 10 funniest Far Side comics starring tiny, supernatural beings - to vote in our poll below, and share your thoughts on this selection in our comment section.