6 Unforgettable Far Side Comics Starring Fish

Teach a man to draw a fish, and he’ll produce dozens of unforgettable Far Side cartoons about fish over the course of fifteen years. If that man is Gary Larson, anyway. Larson’s fascination with animals extended to all aspects of life on Earth, including aquatic, and over the years fish humor became a reliable recurring part of Larson’s comedic arsenal.

Below is a curated selection of the most memorable Far Side fish cartoons, featuring carnivorous fish, humanized fish, foolish fish, and lots of goldfish. Each of these panels stands out as exceptional specimens, among the many hilarious Far Sides of their species.

Fish were around from the beginning of The Far Side’s history, but over time, they became a particularly niche bit of recurring humor that Gary Larson could reliably throw out there in a pinch whenever he needed to. Larson’s fish jokes were, by default, hilarious. During The Far Side’s original run, opening up the paper to find one waiting for you was a sign it was going to be a good day. (For the reader, not always for the fish.)

The Far Side “Um Actuallys” The “Bigger Fish” Theory

First Published: June 6, 1980

A visual feast of a Far Side cartoon. As far as the exchange rate between images and words though, this one is worth a thousand, if not more.

It’s a clear case of comedic irony, and also a casual reminder to always watch your back. It is a simple joke with philosophical implications, a reminder that strength and power are only about size up to a certain point.

There’s also something great about the break in the pattern that amounts to this Far Side cartoon’s punchline. A small fish is being eaten by a bigger fish, which is being eaten by a bigger fish. Makes total sense. But then the real biggest threat here is a school, or more like a squad, of smaller, hungrier fish.

“It Worked! It Worked!” (What’s The Next Part Of The Plan?)

First Published: February 28, 1983

A classic Far Side caper. “It worked! It worked,” a pair of goldfish plotters shout from their bowl after successfully ruining their owner’s day. Part of The Far Side’s charm is that it drops readers into the middle of scenes without a lot of necessary context, leaving them to figure it out for themselves.

Which could be as disorienting as, say, coming home from the grocery store, walking through your front door, stepping right into a waiting rope trap, and being hoisted upside down by your ankle.

That’s what happens to the human woman here, for reasons only her pet fish know. Because The Far Side leaves her, and readers, hanging waiting to find out what happens next.

“Don’t Plug That In!” (This Far Side Begs So Many Questions)

First Published: February 23, 1985

The Far Side’s humor was rooted in questions. Usually unanswerable questions. Take this iconic goldfish cartoon, for instance. Some questions this joke begs are: “Why does this goldfish bowl have an electrical outlet?” “Is this the first time Bob ever tried to use the outlet?” “Why does the other fish know water and electricity are a dangerous mix, but Bob doesn’t?”

The absence of explanation is what makes this Far Side comic laugh-out-loud funny. Bob the goldfish is about to do something extremely dumb and dangerous, while the unnamed second fish stands in for the audience, shouting “You fool!”

The Far Side didn’t always give its characters a last-second chance to save themselves, like here, but the last, darkest question this cartoon leaves readers pondering is: “Does Bob listen? Or is it too late?”

The Far Side’s Best Decorator Was A Fish

First Published: December 10, 1987

One of the most memorable Far Side comics ever, without question, just for the sheer audacity of its absurdity. It’s not exactly a “fish out of water” joke, because the fish is technically in water, bath water, but it is definitely a fish out of context.

Like so many of its fellow Far Side animals, this fish is semi-anthropomorphized. It is still a fish, physically, from what readers can tell. (To be fair, only its head and tail are sticking up out of the bubble bath’s waters; it’s possible this is, in fact, a horrifying fish-man with human arms.) But it lives in a house, with a bathroom that has a very particular aesthetic.

That is, human wallpaper. And perhaps, more specifically, Far Side wallpaper. The walls are covered in doodle versions of Gary Larson’s trademark human characters, a brilliant detail that solidifies this as one of his greatest artistic Far Side achievements.

“Sucker Fish At Home”

First Published: September 26, 1988

As the saying goes, “there’s a sucker born every minute.” Given that there are trillions of fish on Earth, it must be at least double for sucker fish. In this Far Side cartoon, Gary Larson checks in on a couple of them, settling into their human-style living room for the evening and talking about what they have done the past few days: get suckered.

And even funnier, this Far Side married couple are mad at each other for getting suckered, even though it is clearly in their nature. The sucker fish wife henpecks her husband for massively overpaying for a toaster, while he irately reminds her that just yesterday she bought a “‘magic’ pen and pencil set.” For $10,000.

Notably, this cartoon is devoid of The Far Side’s usual penchant for mystery. It’s weird, but not confusing. Instead, Gary Larson delivered a complete scene, with a clear set-up, dialogue, and a punchline that lands no matter how many times someone has seen this panel.

“Now We’re Equally Screwed”

First Published: October 19, 1988

The upside: the whole goldfish family “made it out in time” when their bowl inexplicably turns into a roaring inferno. Downside: they’re now out of the water and about to be “equally screwed,” unless someone comes along with another bowl quick.

This Far Side comic has two things going on at once that are equally funny, but in different ways: the absurd action of the fishbowl on fire, and the hilarious underselling of their predicament by the fish father, who is far too calm under the pressure of this situation. He doesn’t sugarcoat it for his wife and kid. This isn’t looking good for them.

This Far Side fish cartoon also stands out because of the interesting artistic choice Gary Larson makes, the painterly flourish of yellow and purple in the background. It is likely he did this so that the action isn’t happening against a completely vanilla white backdrop, but notable that he didn’t fully render the room the fish are in, like in other panels. Which equates to a singular Far Side cartoon that will stick in fans’ minds.

Final Thoughts:

Fish, and in particular, the household goldfish, never quite became Far Side icons on the level of cows, chickens, cats and dogs, or even bears. Yet they were still staples of Gary Larson’s humor. The goldfish proved to be one of Larson’s most reliable go-to recurring characters, the fish bowl one of his most effective settings.

Part of that was a product of necessity. (Which is, after all, called the “mother of invention” for a reason.) The Far Side’s production schedule meant Larson often needed to draw something quick. Fish were easy enough, and to the artist’s idiosyncratic mind, they offered endless angles for humor.

And while that meant a lot of similar Far Side jokes, it also gave Gary Larson reason to occasionally step out of his comfort zone and produce weird masterpieces like “Fish Bathroom” (as seen above) and other jokes that took a chance and dove into the deep end of the absurdity pool.

We want to hear your thoughts, Far Side fans. What was Gary Larson’s greatest fish joke of all time?

Writer

Gary Larson

Colorist

Gary Larson