There’s no doubt that Gary Larson’s particular sense of humor was the secret sauce that madeThe Far Sidethe success it is today. The classic comic is absurd, unconventional, and oftentimes doesn’t make much sense. But it’s Larson’s odd ability to find humor in the most banal or mundane things that gaveThe Far Sideits staying power.
Sure,The Far Sideisn’t everyone’s cup of tea and not every reader is going to get onboard with Larson’s, admittedly, bizarre sense of humor. But those who trulygetThe Far Sideknow that the strips are more than just cows and cavemen doing things that they ordinarily wouldn’t do. Larson could take the most common, everyday annoyances, like being squirted in the eye by fruit or having someone stealing another person’s seat, and turn it into a laugh riot. Read on to see10Far Sidestripsthat show off Gary Larson’s unique sense of humor.
10A Cyclops’ Family’s Breakfast
Publication Date: Jul 12, 2025
One of the best things Gary Larson did was take common, everyday pains in the butt and add in a dose of his trademark absurdity. In thisFar Sidestrip, a family is sitting down for breakfast, only to have the juice from their fruits squirt one another in the eye. A funny scenario, sure, but what really puts it over the top is that the family members are all cyclops, so the juice is effectively blinding them.Leave it toThe Far Sideto merge mythological monsters and common annoyances to create incredibly offbeat humor.
9Question in the Back
Publication Date: June 26, 2025
EveryFar Sidefan knows how much Larson loved using cows in his strips. But unlike other gags, the cow isn’t the joke here. Instead, it’s the subject of a class, where a teacher has put up an example of a cow for his class. It’s pretty obvious what it is, and yet, there’s one member of the class who has a question. Is he asking why the cow only has one spot? Or does he have another question about bovines in general?It’s that absurd simplicity that makesThe Far Sideas engaging as it is.
8Slave to the Waffle Light
Publication Date: June 28, 2025
Some of the bestFar Sidegags weren’t ones that were macabre or outrageously absurd. SometimesLarson just wanted to show off human foibles with his unique sense of humor. Here, a man named Wendall Zurkowitz is making himself a waffle, and he’s at the ready, fork in hand, waiting for the light to go off (as the caption reads, he’s a slave to the waffle light). Why is it so funny to see a man ready to pounce on a waffle when it’s piping hot? It just is, andThe Far Sideknows it.
7Sid Wants to Jump
Publication Date: July 13, 2025
Animal jokes were frequently used inThe Far Sideto comedic effect, even in strips that presented life and death situations. In this instance, a man is on a runaway wagon that is heading straight for a cliff and turns to his companion, Sid, telling him to jump since the man knows Sid is thinking it. The thing is, Sid is a rabbit, so, of course, the rabbit is thinking that, not because of the imminent doom, but because that’s just what rabbits do.Gary Larson’s fondness for the animal kingdom really shines through inFar Sidestrips like these.
6How Poodles Came to North America
Publication Date: August 18, 2025
It seems like the longerThe Far Sidewent on, the more Larson tried to outdo himself with more and more absurd scenarios. For example, this gag reveals how poodles came to North America. Instead of giving readers the actual history of the canines, Larson presents the breed as an invasive species that was accidentally shipped alongside bunches of bananas. It’s a hilarious mix of factors, from treating poodles like exotic spiders or frogs to making it seem like poodles are completely alien from other dog breeds, butit’s cleverness like that that makesThe Far Sideso entertaining.
5Federal Mole Penitentiary
Publication Date: July 16, 2025
As mentioned earlier, Gary Larson loves animals and cracking wise about their habits. To wit,this Far Side strip puts moles in the spotlight in the most hilarious way possible. It takes place at a ‘Federal Mole Penitentiary’ where the warden of the prison and the facility’s guards overlook the prisoners in the yard. The warden wants a close eye kept on them, knowing they’re all thinking the same exact escape plan. It takes a particular kind of mind to come up with the idea of a mole prison, and only a creator like Larson could pull it off well.
4Spare Armadillo?
Publication Date: July 08, 2025
The Far Sideexcels in portraying awkward human interactions, but exaggerating them to an incredibly comedic degree. In this strip, a panhandler is on the street asking people for assistance. But he’s not asking for money or food, he’s asking if anyone can spare an armadillo. And because this isThe Far Side, someone on the same street does have a couple of armadillos, and he’s already trying to think of a way to slip past the panhandler.OnlyThe Far Side’stwisted mind could take a relatable situation like this and turn it into something completely ridiculous.
3Tattletale
Publication Date: July 24, 2025
If Gary Larson knew one thing, it was that people, at their core, can be children. As funny as it is to see animals acting like people, it’s just as hilarious to see adults act like kids. Case in point,thisFar Sidestrip takes place on a slave ship, where one rower has only one concern on his mind: his seat has been stolen. Even funnier, the slave is tattling on the thief as one would complain to a teacher. It’s absolutely outrageous, but that’s exactly the kind of thing fans can’t get enough of withThe Far Side.
2Mr. Warner’s Surgery
Publication Date: July 11, 2025
When it comes to absurd extremes, fewFar Sidecomics go as far as this one. Larson takes everything people fear going wrong with a surgery and has a patient named Mr. Warner suffered through the pain of losing everything except his nose and glasses. The doctor, however, considers the surgery a success and informs the nurse that Warner can have all the ice cream he wants. It’s hard to tell what’s worse, Mr. Warner’s outcome or the doctor’s insane bedside manner. ButLarson bringing the two together makes for one of the funniestFar Sidestrips ever.
1The ‘Later' is Back
Publication Date: July 27, 2025
While it wasn’t a defining trait,The Far Sideoccasionally did meta human and, as this strip shows, it did it well. At first glance, the panel looks like a normal Far Side comic, beginning with a standard caption box that says ‘Later’ while a couple sits in their home. But as the dialogue reveals, they can actually see the ‘Later’ box, and it’s really freaking out the wife that it’s back. Leave it to Gary Larson totake a normal comic caption and turn it into an unexpected punchline forThe Far Side.
