10 Far Side Comics That Are Absurd Masterpieces

The Far Side is frequently cited as absurd, and these cartoons live up to that reputation. The Far Side’s humor was always strange, and idiosyncratic, but it was often less absurdist, or surreal, as people tend to think. That said, creator Gary Larson was totally comfortable treading into truly unreal territory when it suited him.

The panels below offer a few different angles on The Far Side’s more absurd vein of humor. There are cartoons that are gleefully absurd, and ones that seem more ridiculous if readers don’t get the reference Larson was making. There are some that make a warped kind of “sense” and others that are fully, unapologetically out of touch with reality.

Gary Larson liked to describe his job as “testing readers’ reflexes.” His most absurd Far Side jokes are the best example of that. Do these jokes get an automatic laugh out of you? Or do they leave you wondering, “what the heck was that guy thinking?”

10

“We Forgot The Cattle!”: These Far Side Rustlers Had ONE Job

First Published: November 15, 1982

“Wait just a dang minute here,” a Far Side cowboy says as his caravan makes its way across the prairie. Far too late, he realizes they left something important back at home: “We forgot the cattle!” This is a great, early example of one key subtype of Larsonian absurdism: the absurdity of the impossible.

Readers can’t tell for sure whether the folks here are a mile from their point of departure, or 100; either way, it doesn’t matter, because the punchline is the characters’ absurd degree of forgetfulness. It’s also an example of Larsonian hyperbole. Everyone has forgotten something important when leaving home, at one point or another, and The Far Side finds a context in which to take that from relatable to ridiculous.

9

The Far Side’s Most Absurd Jokes Were Made To Leave Readers Speechless

First Published: November 10, 1983

Some of The Far Side’s greatest cartoons were wordless. Case in point, this all-time classic. This prehistoric Far Side punchline gets a laugh via its absurd imagery alone. In the panel, a caveman with a primitive mallet and chisel has done something highly improbable: carved a modern toaster out of stone.

Hilariously, this includes a completely useless power chord, even though electricity is thousands upon thousands of years from being harnessed by humanity. That makes the caveman’s creation as impractical as it is unlikely. It’s a non-sequitur, but Far Side fans who know about Gary Larson’s obsession with early human innovation can at least start to at least understand the ballpark in which this joke came from out of left field.

8

“The Ketchup Bees”: The Far Side’s Absurdism Trends Toward Surreal

First Published: August 16, 1984

Here’s an iconic example of a Far Side comic that is absurd from the jump. The premise of the joke and the punchline are one and the same: “Wouldn’t it be weird if bees made ketchup instead of honey?” The answer: “Yeah, totally, that would be absurd.” Another way to put it is that sometimes absurdity was a byproduct of The Far Side’s humor, but with “The Ketchup Bees,” it’s the whole point.

The Far Side was always home to cartoonish breaks from reality; these could be silly, or scary, or like this panel, surreal. “The Ketchup Bees” is one of those litmus test Far Side comics, the kind that tests the limits of readers’ love of, or patience for, Gary Larson’s style of humor.

7

What’s Keeping The Far Side’s Absurd “Buck & Cut” Barber Shop In Business?

First Published: February 2, 1985

There are levels to the absurdity of this Far Side cartoon. First, there’s an absurdly terrible idea for a business: a barber shop where the chairs are all coin-operated kids’ horse rides, the kind that used to be ubiquitous outside of grocery stores. Then, there’s the absurdity of why anyone would go into “Shultz Bros. Buck & Cut,” hop in the saddle of one of the horses, and let the Shultz’ give them a haircut.

A customer with a hackjob cut and a bandage on his chin is depicted angrily side-eyeing the brothers as he leaves, on the left side of this Far Side panel. The final absurd, unanswerable question this Far Side cartoon leaves readers with: “how does this place stay in business?”

6

“These Flat Feet Kept Me Out Of The Army”; The Far Side’s Absurd Pop Culture Lens At Its Peak

First Published: January 6, 1988

The Far Side was a “carrier,” so to speak, for analog memes in the pre-internet days. That is, jokes, urban legends, shared cultural touchstones; The Far Side is saturated with these, even if many of the references are increasingly obscure to younger readers. And what made Gary Larson a legend was how he deconstructed, subverted, and mutated these things to get a laugh.

“Flat feet” became a commonly cited cause for deferment during the Vietnam-era draft; in this Far Side cartoon, a man affirms that this was what “kept [him] out of the Army,” except the flat feet he’s referencing are sprouting out of his head. It’s an absurd visual, and it’s actually a joke that has become more absurd as its reference point has receded in history.

5

“Noseguns”; The Far Side’s Most Fatal Fashion Faux Pas

First Published: April 18, 1988

This is another Far Side cartoon that is pure absurdity. The panel depicts, “the tragic proliferation of noseguns,” which appears to be an inexplicable fashion craze, in which people tie pistols to their noses. Based on the caption’s use of the word “tragic,” readers can assume this trend has led to a number of accidental discharges and avoidable deaths.

Sure, readers can delight themselves, or drive themselves up a wall, trying to forensically recreate what Gary Larson might have been thinking in order to cook up this Far Side cartoon. But Larson himself would say that it is best enjoyed as a flash of concentrated ridiculousness, which isn’t meant to be understood or analyzed.

4

“The Bozone Layer”: The Far Side Clowns Around With Science

First Published: March 15, 1990

Clowns were a staple of The Far Side. So were puns and plays on words, which Gary Larson was a master of. And so were jokes about science and scientists. This panel merges all three of those things together with its joke about “the bozone layer.” That is, like the ozone layer, but with Bozos.

Another thing that makes this a practically perfect Far Side comic is that it hops, skips, and jumps along the line between smart and dumb humor. It’s a pun, often dismissed as a low form of humor, which references scientific and pop culture knowledge. And the illustration of a protective wall of clowns in orbit above the planet? Pure absurdity.

3

“The Bagel Beetle”; The Far Side Imagines An Anthropological Oddity

First Published: June 25, 1990

This is one of those Far Side comics that people with an intuitive love of absurd humor will laugh at, but which is likely to leave most readers going, “What the?“ That was how Gary Larson described the reaction he expected, anyway. Here, it’s because of a simple caption paired with an odd image.

The panel depicts a wildlife photographer “studying the African bagel beetle,’ an insect with a fondness for bagels. That is, of course, in comparison to their cousins, the dung beetle. No, it’s not The Far Side’s most laugh-out-loud joke, but it’s one for the fans of Larson’s humor at its most niche.

2

The Far Side’s Packed “Squidheads Anonymous” Suggests A Seriously Absurd Problem

First Published: October 9, 1991

“Hello New Members,” the banner reads “at the monthly meeting of Squidheads Anonymous.” That is, a support group for people who have squids on their heads. Simple, right? Yes, and yet like so many great Far Side comics, it begs so, so many questions. Most of them unanswerable, given the absurd quality of the joke.

At least a dozen people are present at this meeting; at least that’s how many are squeezed into the frame. But despite the “Anonymous” in the group’s name, these people don’t seem to be looking worse for wear, making it unclear if this is an affliction or a lifestyle choice. One thing is for sure though, based on the signage on the wall: “No hats” allowed.

1

Despite The Sign, This Far Side Character Is Caught Red-Handed Giving Birds Noogies

First Published: January 6, 1994​​​​​​​

“Please, do not give the birds dutch rubs,’ the sign at the perimeter of the park says, using an alternate term for “noogie.” The sign is like…right there. Which is why a police officer is especially mystified when he approaches a guy sitting on a bench and flagrantly ignoring the rule.

“Hey…” the cop stammers, caught off guard. All he can get out is “You!” This is an example of The Far Side at its most absurdly silly. It takes The Far Side’s usual subversive attitude, but softens it to a lighthearted level that can get a laugh from any age group, as long as they know what a “dutch rub” is.

What are some other perfectly absurd Far Side cartoons we should cover?

Writer

Gary Larson

Colorist

Gary Larson