Many classicFar Sidecomics have the effect of leaving readers wanting to know what happened next, but because of the discrete, rather than continuous, nature of Gary Larson’s infamous cartoon, there were no stories that extended beyond a single panel. Though the author did produce the occasionalpseudo-”sequel” to his own work,The Far Side’sbiggest open-ended questions were left to readers to puzzle over in perpetuity.
Given itsmostly single-panel format,The Far Sidewas all about capturing moments; often, these were the precise moment before or after something shocking or unexpected happened. While many of Larson’s cartoons left it obvious what had happened, or what was about to, there are many notable examples whereFar Sidepunchlines left readers with more questions than answers.
That is precisely what makes the cartoons collected here memorable;The Far Sidewas full of loose-ends, and “abandoned, but not finished” comics, giving Gary Larson’s work a sense of chaotic charm.
10The Far Side’s “Baby Or The Egg” Question Will Keep Readers Wondering
First Published: Jun 25, 2025
Widely considered a candidate forThe Far Side’sfunniest chicken comic, the lack of caption here is pivotal to creating a joke that elicits all manner of questions from readers. The joke is easy enough to grasp:a chicken is carrying off a human baby in the exact same way the farmer’s wife has taken its eggs. Yet what remains unsaid, and unshown, such as what the chicken’s plan is beyond this bold statement, and how the fowl and the farmer’s wife are going to defuse this standoff, are all equally amusing ideas that it is left to the reader to supply.
This is part of what elevates this comic to such high regard. Especially in relation toother captionlessFar Sidecomics, the punchline here is communicated clearly without any added context, yet at the same time it leaves the reader wanting more. While they might not get more of this story, at least moreFar Sidewill scratch that itch.
9This Far Side Crime Is Anything But A Black-And-White Mystery
First Published: August 02, 2025
ThisFar Sidecomic is a literal mystery, in the sense that the joke is an unanswered “whodunnit?” Here, Gary Larson masterfully envisions the complications inherent in investigating a penguin-cide among the black-and-white flightless bird population of the Antarctic. “He’s dead alright, beaked in the back,” one penguin says,surrounded by dozens, if not hundreds, of indentical-looking suspects, which is why he concludes, “and you know this won’t be easy to solve.”
It is the kind ofperfectFar Sidejokethat is simple, even obvious, yet still communicates volumes; often, the more obvious of a punchline Larson identified, the more it actually worked in his favor, as the incredulity manyFar Sidereaders feel when first encountering a comic like this is a key aspect of what gets them hooked.
8The Far Side Explores The Fun Side Of Home Surgery
First Published: June 29, 2025
The premise of this joke makes this a certifiedFar Side"My God!" cartoon; it is baseline disturbing to considera man performing surgery on his wife, as she sits in the armchair in their living room, a hammer and screwdriver on the floor at their feet, with their pet cat observing from nearby.
That said, Gary Larson manages to extract silliness from a potentially gruesome scenario, as he reads from the “Time-Life Book of Home Surgery” mid-operation, while shouting at his wife/patient, “dang it Lois, would you knock off all that squirmin' around business,” implying that she is not even under any kind of anesthetic. The caption “volume 5 in a series,” while it might leave more to be desired for some readers, will certainly spark the imaginations of others, as they imagine what the earlier volumes contain.
7This Far Side Wild West Cartoon Leaves Readers Wondering Who Drew First
First Published: July 22, 2025
In this iconicFar Sidecowboy cartoon, a fully fleshed-out gunslinger stands in the middle of an Old West town at high noon,ready to square off against a stick-figure desperado, who stands just off-panel, his body-type only given away by the shadow cast in front of him, giving hilarious context to the caption, which reads simply, “okay, Slim.”
The Far Side Complete Collection
This is a classicFar Sideexample of Gary Larson’s way with words, as simple as it might be, along with his ability to use perspective as cornerstone of his visual humor. If anything, the human cowboy has the advantage, simply given the extra dimension he has on his opponent in the impending gunfight, but ultimately,Far Sidefans are left to decide who they think came out on top.
6This Far Side Comic Makes The Reader Work To Figure It Out
First Published: June 16, 2025
ThisFar Sidecomic is a classic in the “What the?” catagory. When people call Gary Larson’s humor “esoteric,” meaning difficult to decipher, this is exactly the kind of cartoon they are referring to. ThisFar Sidejoke is a literal brain-teaser, in the sense that it makes the reader figure out what is funny about it for themselves, something that not everyone will necessarily achieve.
“One a clear day, Eugene rose and looked around him, and regrettably, saw who he was,” the caption states, suggesting that the character, drawn in a deliberately goofy-looking manner by Larson, has had a debilitating moment of self-awareness, realizing that he is, in fact, a geek, or dork, or whatever. However, there is a larger gap between Larson’s indended meaning and what readers will supply for themselves, with the side effect of creating aFar Sidecartoon fans wish there was a follow-up to.
5This Classic Far Side Worm Detective Cartoon Leaves Out Half The Story
First Published: June 14, 2025
In anotherclassicFar Sidedetective comic, a worm has been tragically cut in half in its own living room, but unfortunately,by worm-cop logic, missing 50% of the victim “just isn’t enough for [them] to go on,” as a fedora-wearing investigator informs the victim’s wife that, “find the other half of your husband, and then we’ve got a case.”
It is a ludicrous extrapolation of what a worm homicide investigation might look like, and that is precisely what makes it such an underratedFar Sidegem. Gary Larson fully immerses readers in the world of anthropomorphic worms here, but that doesn’t mean their logic has to entirely make sense to an outside, human observer, leading to this hilarious punchline.
First Published: Jul 27, 2025
OfThe Far Side’scountless pop culture references, from the ubiquitous to the obscure,Gary Larson’sStar Trekjokesare among the most fondly remembered, and this panel is representative of the strange and unusual twists he managed tothrow at “the crew of the starship Enterprise,” who “encounter the floating head of Zsa Zsa Gabor” in space in this cartoon.
“Get those defense shields up!“Captain Kirk barks at his bridge crew as Zsa Zsa’s heavily made-up face fills their viewscreen; while this will certainly get a laugh out ofTrekfans, and Gabor-lovers alike, it will also cause them to wish that they could find out what the next moment in this unexpected, hilarious merging of pop culture worlds would be lie.
3Society Breaks Down In This Far Side Cartoon, But The Aftermath Is Left Out
First Published: July 18, 2025
Once more, the joke in thisFar Sidecartoon is evident, and while there isn’t intended to be a “moment after” thein media resnature of the gag here certainly implies subsequent action, and consequences, all of which readers can speculate about endlessly, should they be so inclined.
Captioned, “the dam bursts,' the panel featuresa torch-and-pitchfork-wielding mob bursting through the front door of the “Institute for the Study of MigraineHeadaches,” and heading next door, to the unfortunately adjacent “Floyd’s School for Marching Bands,“with the migraine-sufferers having collectively reached their limit with the sounds of amateur brass and drum players practicing their instruments. It is a great joke, resulting in a classicFar Sidepanel poking fun at musicians, one fans certainly wish there was some sort of sequel to.
2The Far Side Kills Off A Children’s Pop Culture Icon In This Hilarious “Whodunnit”
First Published: June 22, 2025
Once again, a murder is at the heart of thisFar Sidepanel,with the only clue being that the victim was killed with “big bird shot,” which makes sense, given that the deceased is Big Bird. The “shock value” of the cartoon, naturally, is the death of an iconic children’s character, and it is fair to say most readers would like the mystery to be solved.
The true humor of the comic, meanwhile, comes from the dismayed reactions of Big Bird’s neighbors gathering in the hall, and also the lifeless look in the Sesame Street character’s eyes. By design, there is no answer to this open-ended question, yet quizzically, it is this lack of resolution that makes it linger in readers' minds.
First Published: Jul 06, 2025
“It’s a delicate situation sir,” one member of the bomb squad quietly tells a superior,as his colleague works on trying to diffuse a giant missile, “sophisticated firing system, hair trigger mechanisms, and Bob’s wife just left him last night,“making it hilariously clear that his fellow explosives expert’s head is not in the game on this day, with potentially catastrophic results.
This is a stand-out example of the kind ofFar Sidecartoon that begs the question of what is going to happen in the moments after this cartoon: is Bob going to overcome his personal issues and be a hero, or are all of these bystanders going to go up in a ball of fire because Bob wasn’t paying enough attention? The uncertainty is part of the hilarity, leavingFar Sidefans curious and asking for more in the best possible way.
