Gary Larson's Far Side Cartoons
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If anyone can consistently make me laugh, its Gary Larson, through his Far Side cartoons. Published in syndicated newspapers for fourteen years, until 1995, Larson's "The Far Side" is still found on greeting cards, calendars and in books. His wry, insightful sense of humor appeals to many. A great number of people were disappointed when Larson decided to retire from regular publishing, although his work lives on. Larson enjoys a huge fan base of people who love his jokes.
Larson was born in Tacoma, Washington, just south of Seattle, in 1950. Not surprisingly, he had a love of science growing up, which is reflected in many of his cartoons which poke fun at scientists and other educated people. He claims that his older brother "tormented" him, which gave him a unique paranoia. Larson says that the paranoia creeps into his work - especially his drawings of monsters.
It didn't take Larson long to get his funny cartoons published. After only a couple of submissions, he had a gig in The Seattle Times, starting in 1979. The original cartoon was published under the title "Nature's Way." Eventually, Larson pitched the cartoon to a San Francisco newspaper, which promoted it for syndication as "The Far Side." And the rest is history...
The usual butts of his jokes range from scientists, cows, dinosaurs, dogs, chickens, deer, devils, to ... well...regular people. Larson's cartoons are never outwardly political or religious. The biggest controversy he ever stirred up was in relation to a cartoon that he published that referenced the "tramp" Jane Goodall, in a chimpanzee cartoon. Jane Goodall herself found the cartoon funny and was not offended, although her organization had originally demanded a retraction and apology from Larson.
Larson's observations are primarily aimed at the silliness and stupidity of the human race. And with regard to that topic, you can't help but laugh!
The expressions of Larson's characters are priceless. He captures the annoyed look of a housewife, the terrified look of passengers on a plane (see above), and the goofy look of a simpleton, all with a few pen strokes. Larson's humorous observations of the mundane details of everyday life, from laundry to childcare, make you laugh out loud because they are so accurate! Its amazing to think that this guy never had art lessons.
Larson has an uncanny ability to take a "what if," outlandish scenario and transform it into a straight-faced offering of life as it would be with talking dogs, walking cows, hunting deer, and aliens. He sometimes positions "regular people" in these unlikely contexts, and then tops it off with an off-hand observation in the caption. Larson doesn't rely on puns or other tactics for his jokes. What makes his cartoons so effective is the idea that you are viewing a snapshot of these silly situations.
There is simply not enough room in a single Hub to showcase all of the best works of Gary Larson. Many of his cartoons are very well-known, such as what you say to a dog, and what a dog hears, and the real reason dinosaurs became extinct (smoking). Others are new treasures that you may discover in his books, or by searching the internet. My personal favorite way to enjoy Larson's work is with a day-by-day calendar. I get one each year, which allows me the opportunity for a fresh joke each day.
There is much more Gary Larson available on the website below, or search through some of the books referenced on this site! Don't laugh too hard!
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HUGE LOT!!! FAR SIDE BOOKS More+ Cartoon Humor Larson
Current Bid: $7.99
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THE FAR SIDE 10TH ANNIVERSARY ~ GARY LARSON CARTOONS
Current Bid: $9.99
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THE FAR SIDE GALLERY 5, GARY LARSON CLASSIC CARTOONS
Current Bid: $5.65
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vintage 84 THE FAR SIDE cartoon chicken ranch shirt SM
Current Bid: $4.50
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The Far Side GALLERY 3 Gary Larson Cartoons *AS NEW*
Current Bid: $6.78
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Bride of the Far Side by Gary Larson (1985) Cartoon
Current Bid: $1.50
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Medical Cartoon-a-Day 2009 Page Per Day Calendar
Price: $12.95
List Price: $15.95 |
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Dilbert 2009 Mini Wall Calendar
Price: $9.95
List Price: $12.95 |
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The Far Side ® Gallery
Price: $2.95
List Price: $16.99 |
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Dilbert 2009 Wall Calendar
Price: $13.95
List Price: $15.95 |
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The Curse of Madame "C" (A Far Side Collection)
Price: $0.70
List Price: $12.95 |
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Megan Fox 2009 Poster Size Wall Calendar
Price: $15.95
List Price: $17.95 |
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Comments
LOL - Patty, there are so many great ones. One of my favorites is the huge eye in the side view mirror and the script that says "objects may be closer than they appear"
Steph, this hub is absolutely awesome! Loved learning more about Larson (he never fails to make me laugh, either!) and also loved seeing some of my fave "Far Side" comics again.
I love that Santa one LOL...
Thank you so much, C.M.!! I found some great ones, too, that I hadn't seen before (the deer in the headlights - LOL). What a terrific guy - I was so disappointed when he stopped publishing.
Wow, these are just super, as are all his cartoons. I especially appreciate knowing more about Mr. Larson. Always enjoyed the cartoons but really didn't know much about the man. It is a shame he quit publishing.
Thanks, Jungle Talk. I'm such a fan, that I almost remember the day as if it was yesterday! Shame, isn't it? What a talent - both drawing and imagination.
Been a Larson fan for sometime now, great hub.
Great Hub! Gary Larson is a genius! I really miss The Far Side.
I am such a fan of Gary Larson and I haven't read his stuff in a long time. Thanks for making me laugh...I'm gonna check that website out now. =)
I still pull out my Far Side books from time to time. I laugh no matter How many times I read them!
Thanks everyone - I love the encouragement! So happy to write about a topic that I love so much. Glad you enjoyed the comics and Hub. Steph
I have always enjoyed the far side although amazingly (showing my ignorance now so forgive me!) I thought he was an australian! just goes to show how popular he is with everyone - I particularly liked the christmas box inthe laundry bag and the knickers in the christmas bag - oh s....!
just look at the cartoons, funny. not so on the dinosaur joke though.
Hillarious!
This is awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Larson rules. I used to use Far Side cartoons in papers I would write while in college, but they gave me a diploma anyway.
LOL - too funny Peter!
I love Larson's work, I bought the complete far side, two massive tomes I still haven't worked my way through!
Love the Hub. I too am a huge fan of Larson. When I feel down I go to my local Bartells and read his cards and laugh until tears run down my face. What a brilliant mind.
Thanks for your excellent work.
Lightheart
I use to look forward to going to work in the mornings, just so I could see that day's Gary Larson page of the calendar. Thanks for article.
Great hub....Do you remember the one where a panhandler on the sidewalk is asking for a spare armadillo, and a man in a suit is walking by with an armadillo under each arm, and thinking "What do I do, What do I do?"
Larson is the King of thinking outside the box.......
Great job!
LOL - that's a funny one Roderic. I have one on my bulletin board right now (above my computer) that has a big rodent driving his car, with a wife sitting next to him (in pearls and glasses of course), and he's yelling at the four kids in the back, saying "Hey, I told you kids to knock it off back there! Or so help me I'll just take this car and drive it off the first cliff I come to." The caption: Lemmings on Vacation.
Thanks for bringing back memories of the Farside. I really miss that comic strip. There have been a lot of imitators since but none as funny.
After years in corporate America, I cried the first time I saw the one with the dog who has something better to do sitting at the end of the conference room table. I could not believe he published that one.
Hello,
Larson is an example of how genius can be exhibited by any means. Hey, they are just cartoons. Or are they?
Garry Nelson
I gotta admit I loved the farside stuff. I laughed at so many of these. I remember the one showed what a dog heard when you callled talked and called to it and then a cat. The cat's had a blank box above it. Good Job Steph
Excellasys - so funny about the cat! His humor is priceless. Garry, Quotations and John - thanks for reading and commenting!
I love the dinosaur/extinction one! I remember that from when I was younger.
Larson is about the only cartoonist I was ever just really crazy about. His work keeps you rolling and is not controversial in most cases like so many others. There are some today that just border on plain tacky lol. Great hub!
Bonnie
If a picture paints a thousand words, then a cartoon may say even more about the way we are. The captions often seem to limit what they say. I recall being involved in a contest 'once upon a time' where the reader was asked to supply the punchline. It'snot as easy as it looks. great hub. Cheers
I have to confess to being a larson lover myself, thanks for the giggle!
I once heard an interview with Gary Larson on National Public Radio. He talked about how his first cartoon that generated massive attention was perhaps his strangest. It depicted a cow standing in front of a table, and on the table was an array of misshapen globs of mud and sticks. The caption: "Cow tools."
Larson received so many letters nationwide from people wanting to know what the cartoon meant. At first he was bewildered, thinking he had done something wrong. But it ended up being great publicity. He gained a larger nationwide audience, eager for his next idea.
A fun article!
You provided a laugh for me today! Love Far Side! Love the one with the boy pushing on the door to the school. Big sign on the door says Pull. Caption:
MIDVALE SCHOOL FOR THE GIFTED
Got curious about Far Side and went poking around on the net and found this:
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:I'm walking a fine line here. On the one hand, I confess to finding it quite flattering that some of my fans have created web sites displaying and / or distributing my work on the Internet. And, on the other, I'm struggling to find the words that convincingly but sensitively persuade these Far Side enthusiasts to "cease and desist" before they have to read these words from some lawyer. What impact this unauthorized use has had (and is having) in tangible terms is, naturally, of great concern to my publishers and therefore to me -- but it's not the focus of this letter. My effort here is to try and speak to the intangible impact, the emotional cost to me, personally, of seeing my work collected, digitized, and offered up in cyberspace beyond my control. Years ago I was having lunch one day with the cartoonist Richard Guindon, and the subject came up how neither one of us ever solicited or accepted ideas from others. But, until Richard summed it up quite neatly, I never really understood my own aversions to doing this: "It's like having someone else write in your diary," he said. And how true that statement rang with me. In effect, we drew cartoons that we hoped would be entertaining or, at the very least, not boring; but regardless, they would always come from an intensely personal, and therefore original perspective. To attempt to be "funny" is a very scary, risk-laden proposition. (Ask any stand-up comic who has ever "bombed "on stage.) But if there was ever an axiom to follow in this business, it would be this: be honest to yourself and -- most important -- respect your audience. So, in a nutshell (probably an unfortunate choice of words for me), I only ask that this respect be returned, and the way for anyone to do that is to please, please refrain from putting The Far Side out on the Internet. These cartoons are my "children," of sorts, and like a parent, I'm concerned about where they go at night without telling me. And, seeing them at someone's web site is like getting the call at 2:00 a.m. that goes, "Uh, Dad, you're not going to like this much, but guess where I am. " I hope my explanation helps you to understand the importance this has for me, personally, and why I'm making this request. Please send my "kids" home. I'll be eternally grateful.
Most respectfully,
Gary Larson
You have our most sincere apologies, Gary. Sorry about that whole "kidnapping your kids" thing. It won't happen again.
It was on a site called COMIC MIX.COM. Seems that they had published a cartoon as a tribute and the next thing they knew this showed up.
Hope this doesn't happen to your page! Just thought I'd let you know what I found.
Thanks Ruthie - Hmm.... I just took a look at that site. We'll see what happens, I guess. I believe that this hub is different than that website, however, because it was written not just to showcase the cartoons, but to discuss Mr. Larson's background, his sense of humor and other aspects of The Far Side. All of the cartoons were found on the Internet (fortunately or unfortunately....) so it seems as though the proverbial cow is out of the barn. I'll bet there is a funny Larson cartoon in that one! Nonetheless, one can appreciate Mr. Larson's concerns, most definitely! Thank you for reading my hub and commenting!
You're welcome and thank you for joining my fan club!
My favorite was the two gorillas dancing and the one says to the other "Actually, I said I wanted a mango."
LiamBean - that one is hilarious! So many good ones to choose from. LOL!
Some real classics in this!
These are classics! I have always enjoyed Larson's work, wonder what it would take to get him out of retirement?
Kari Dean
Hi Steph
This is funny!
Just wondered - Are there any copyright issues in doing something like this?
GerryM
how do you post a comment?
You just did! :-)
My favorite, the Devil's secretary on the intercom: There's another salesman here, sir. Shalll I tell him to go to heaven?
LOL, fan! He always did a great job with the Heaven and Hell cartoons.
This was great!! Now where are the Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbs hubpages?!
Hi Ms Chievous, there is a Calvin and Hobbs Hubpage - go up to the top of the comments and you'll see an arrow directing you to it! Bloom County - still need to work on that one! Thanks for the comment!
I like the tips on dog training. As always great work
Mon.
Thanks Mon! That one is hilarious, isn't it!
I remember site postings and notes like that shared by Ruthie from Gary Larson, to websites giving him full credit and praise and showcased or linked his work. It's called free advertising, and fanmail. And I completely stopped reading Larson comics after learning his reactions. I remember reading he sued a site that published a cartoon of his without his permission, even with the proper credit, respect and fanfare.
I'm a writer, and I am hyper about being plagiarized and about the venues in which my work is shown. I understand people can be very strange and possessive about thier work, their "children". But come on. I really think Larson's behavior is sad. Such a shame. It ruined his appeal for me. I never read him anymore because of it.
Right Veronica! This is great PR for him. I am selling books for him and continuing his legacy. This is one of my best trafficked hubs. I am not saying that I drew these cartoons. I am telling people about the man and his work. Thanks for the comment. Steph
I wish someone would pick up my writings and drawings and publicize them on the web in a positive venue...for free. But, sigh, I am not Gary Larson. Although I do understand, sort of, his protecting his children, so to speak.
I was surprised to hear that Larson made his debut only in 1979. It seems as though he has been with me for more years than that.
To that testimony, I offer a teeshirt that I bought for my daughter in her grade school years. It is a Larson cartoon featuring a classroom full of students and a teacher. One student says, simply, *Mr. Osborne, may I be excused? My brain is full.* I don't know how it happened, but this teeshirt I bought for my now grown daughter is in my closet, and I wear it.
Go Gary!
Wonderful hub, Steph, as always. Thank you for bringing back such wonderful memories.
Hey, I love Gary Larson too. Surprised that he's retired so young though. I love the idea of getting humour from dark things and paranoia.
Thanks CJStone, it surprised me too that Larson hung up his hat at the peak of his career. Seems like he probably had a look more material in those "dark places." LOL. Thanks for the comment.
working
Patty Inglish, MS says:
5 months ago
I like the one in which the cat is hang gliding from a kite and a man asks his wife if she gave his striped shirt to the cat. :)