No one likes to make a fool of themselves, but Gary Larson’s iconic strip speaks to multiple facets of the human condition, whether it’s hating one’s job to rebelling against authority and even the embarrassment of social follies.

Despite its wonderfully absurd nature, 10 Far Side comics that make light of awkward situations.

10 A Very Specialized Breed

Publication Date: November 2, 1990

Far Side Specialized Breed

There’s nothing worse than being stuck in a public bathroom only to realize that there is absolutely no toilet paper available in it. While that’s an absolute nightmare in real life, The Far Side manages to find some humor in the situation. When a man finds himself in this scenario, he calls for assistance, only for a ‘very specialized breed of dog’ to hear his cries (a dog which carries a roll of toilet paper around its neck). While most can’t rely on a dog to get them out of this jam, the hound’s a lifesaver in The Far Side.

9 Vinnie's Mutating

Publication Date: January 26, 1988

Far Side, January 26, 1988, a single-celled organism starts to mutate at a party

No one ever wants to be singled out for doing something embarrassing at a social function. Larson takes that anxiety and finds humor in it by anthropomorphizing genes by having a party. Unfortunately, Vinnie has begun to mutate, giving him several sets of extra arms and completely distorting his shape. While this seems like it would be a terrifying event, The Far Side plays it off more like a faux pas. Still, it does make a point that embarrassing moments that we think are awful in the moment actually aren’t as bad as people make them out to be.

8 Do Not Feed the Animals

Publication Date: October 2, 1980

Far Side Do Not Feed the Animals

As much as people care for their loved ones, the sad truth is that sometimes the people closest to someone can also cause embarrassment. In true Far Side fashion, Larson takes this idea to a demented extreme and has a couple at a zoo where a man is being devoured by an alligator. However, the woman is more concerned that her husband is violating the nearby sign asking no one to feed the animals. It’s a wonderfully twisted way of showcasing the toxic energy of some couples who are more concerned with appearances than anything else.

7 Chameleon Faux Pas

Publication Date: March 30, 1987

Far Side, March 30, 1987, depicting a 'chameleon faux pas'

It’s hard to keep up with every social rule, especially when it comes to proper party etiquette. Nature and animal lover puts his unique spin on violations of the social contract in this Far Side strip set at a party exclusive for chameleons. However, the strip points out that it’s a major fashion no-no for a chameleon to show up at a party the same color as the host. It’s ridiculous that chameleons would care if they were the same hue as another chameleon, but maybe it’s just as odd for humans to care about our fashion choices as well.

6 Mistletoe

Publication Date: December 24, 1981

Far Side, December 24, 1981, a hunchbacked man arrives at an Xmas party

The holidays are full of tradition, but is there anyone more antiquated or uncomfortable as mistletoe (at least, as far as strangers are concerned)? This Far Side strip shows just how uncomfortable that kind of yuletide staple is when a man arrives at a party and greets a woman, only for him to notice the mistletoe above them. By the looks of the woman’s body language, she is not keen on continuing that tradition this year. It’s incredibly awkward, yes, but The Far Side manages to make a funny argument about leaving this tradition in the past.

5 Nerds of the Old West

Publication Date: April 23, 1990

Far Side, 'nerds of the Old West' comic, cowboy trailing toilet paper from outhouse

Few things in life are as cringy as walking out of a bathroom and not noticing toilet paper is stuck to one’s shoe. This Far Side strip returns to the Old West where a man has just left an outhouse and is walking back, only he’s failed to realize that the tissue is attached to the spurs of his boot. It’s hard to imagine that a rough and tough cowboy could ever be caught in such an embarrassing scenario, but as the caption points out, there were nerds, even in the Old West (or at least, in The Far Side).

4 The Awkward Age

Publication Date: March 6, 1990

Awkward Age Far Side

Truly, there is nothing more awkward than the ‘awkward’ stage of life. While those unfortunate years are a strictly human experience, Larson combines his love of skewering the human experience with anthropology. Rather than the Jurassic or the Paleolithic Age, this Far Side gag showcases the ‘Awkward Age’, where everyone, man or dinosaur is lanky, uncoordinated, and plain just not having a good time. No one loves the most uncomfortable years of their life, but the Far Side manages to take this painful experience and get a good few laughs by having T-rexes experience the same thing.

3 Exercise Fail

Publication Date: July 7, 1982

A man is knocked out after hitting his tried while trying a chin-up bar.

They say one has to be able to laugh at themselves before they can laugh at others. Thankfully, Larson proved he was capable of laughing at himself by creating a Far Side strip that’s based on an embarrassing situation of his own. This simple gag shows the aftermath of a man injuring himself while attempting to work on a chin-up bar. Larson didn’t often draw from his own experiences when creating the offbeat world of The Far Side, but it’s cool that he was able to take such an awkward moment and give readers a laugh.

2 Wolverine Display

Publication Date: May 27, 1994

Far Side, May 27, 1994, a man at a party opens a cage full of wolverines

Nothing’s worse at a soirée than when the mood is completely killed by someone committing a major party foul. But as The Far Side does, a normally embarrassing scenario becomes an absurd horror show. In this case, a party is going on and everything is good, but a man named Morty decides to completely kill the mood (as well as his fellow guests) by opening the door to a wolverine display. Only in The Far Side could someone ruin a party not by making things awkward, but by initiating a massacre with live, feral animals.

1 'Research' with Jane Goodall

Publication Date: August 26, 1987

Far Side, August 26, 1987, a gorilla wife calls Jane Goodall a 'tramp'

It doesn’t get more awkward than when a partner confronts another when it comes to infidelity. But Larson manages to even make cheating on one’s partner funny with his unique stylings. In this strip, an ape is being groomed by his mate, only to discover a blonde hair in his fur, causing her to cast judgments about the ‘research’ he’s been doing with Jane Goodall. In real life, two partners talking about cheating is incredibly uncomfortable. But swapping them out with apes and a notable primatologist is what makes The Far Side the comedic treasure that it is.