Sometimes,The Far Sidecan be just as gross as it can be funny. The mind of Gary Larson is utterly brilliant, and many of hisFar Sidecomics make up some of the funniest strips to ever grace the page. That being said, some of Gary Larson’sFar Sidecomics can cross the line into totally gross territory.
Gary Larson has a versatile sense of humor and has injected it intoThe Far Sidein several different ways. Often, these means of comedy have focused on the things that people usually don’t like to talk about or think about. Bodily functions, flatulence, germs, and bugs are just some examples of topics that have been the center ofFar Sidecomics. In his heyday, Larson had no limitations on what he would cover, and the most shocking entries would have readers going “My God!”
10"Have You Made a Wish?"
First Published: August 04, 2025
Talk about an unlucky patient. One moment, he’s being rushed into what seems like routine surgery, surrounded by the best doctors money can buy. The next moment, those same doctors, including one unfortunately named Wellington, aretreating his bones like a wishbone while he’s under anesthesia.For anyone unfamiliar, a wishbone is the forked bone in a bird’s chest, called the furcula, which people traditionally pull apart while making a wish.
The two parties make a wish while pulling opposite ends of the bone, and whoever pulls the longest of the bone has their wish granted.Imagine doing that with the human limb, as these doctors are. The thought of being operated on is a gross enough thought for a lot of people, butthe surreal sight of doctorsplaying games with their insides is grosser.
9"The Donner Party Memorial"
First Published: June 17, 2025
Anyone well-versed in 1800s-era history knows that the Donner Party was a group of migrants who became lost between 1846 and 1847 on their way to California.Their go-to choice for a survival meal was cannibalism.While a few survivors refused to speak on the matter out of shame, others admitted that two of the group’s starved guides, Luis and Salvador, were shot by William Foster and eaten upon their murder. As far as Gary Larson is concerned, the Donner Party ate those two guides like a sandwich, leaving no crumbs to spare.
Obviously, Luis and Salvador couldn’t be given a proper funeral when the bodies lay in the intestines of Mr. Foster and Co. Seems likeLarson is convinced the best way to memorialize them is with a statue of a foot within two bread slices.
8"In Ancient Rome, It Was Tough for the Guys Who Worked in the Vomitoriums to Get Dates"
First Published: August 01, 2025
Yes, vomitorium is a real word and not something that theFar Sidecreator made up. However, it’s not what some readers think it is, as Gary Larson exaggerates a bit about what a vomitorium’s purpose was. In ancient times, vomitoriums were passages designated as an exit for large crowds to leave out of an arena from. The term derives from Latin terminology, vomere, which means to"spew forth,“as the crowds of these theaters would spill out in mass into the street.Vomitoriums have nothing to do with actual vomit.There were no such rooms in Rome made for vomiting.
However, Larson decided he wanted to lean into what some would assume the word to mean,resulting in a disgusting visual. Impressively, the visual is created through the imagination of the reader rather than Larson himself. It’s still one ofhis best jokes about real history.
7"Inside Tours of Acme Fake Vomit, Inc.”
First Published: August 09, 2025
Perhaps Gary Larson just found vomit hilarious. Whether it’s real vomit or fake vomit,The Far Sidehad something to say about it. This is yet another example of Larson’s vomit infatuation, taking a glance at how fake vomit gets sold by the Acme Corporation. The success of fake vomit hitting the market relied on the shoulders of Miss Cranshaw, who would inspect the fake vomit for, presumably, authenticity and its gross factor.“If Miss Cranshaw doesn’t like what she sees, back it goes,“says the tour guide.
Most people don’t care whether vomit looks obviously fake or disturbingly realistic.The sight of it in any form is enough to upset a person’s stomach and kill their appetite.Yet somehow, Miss Cranshaw manages to look at fake vomit every day as part of her job.
6"Dogs That Drink from the Toilet Bowl - Right After This Message”
First Published: July 02, 2025
Everyone loves dogs, but every dog owner will admit they find it gross that canines commonly drink out of the toilet bowls. Any pet owner who has a tendency to kiss their dog in the mouth will probably find the habit especially disgusting, but it is nonetheless a phenomenon among dogs who prefer the temperature of toilet water. To humans, it’s not a newsworthy topic to discuss, but for dogs that don’t drink out of the toilet, it’s an epidemicthat must be reported in the news.
Apparently,it’s even an issue that dogs judge each other for,hence why the toilet drinkers obscure their faces anonymously in the shadows for this news story. It’s one of themore hilarious dog-based punchlinesthat Gary Larson created at the expense of Man’s Best Friend.
5"Hey! You! … Yeah, You! I Ain’t Gonna Tell You Again - Quit Spittin' On Me!”
First Published: June 27, 2025
Spit is one of the most stomach-churning bodily fluids a person can unleash. The human mouth contains billions of bacteria, and expelling even a small amount is incredibly unsanitary. It’s no surprise that spitting at someone is widely considered a serious sign of disrespect. In fact, it is practically an attack. That is why this gentleman appears ready to pick a fight with a fellow subway passenger who keeps spitting in his direction. His reaction would be hard to blame,if not for one detail: the“passenger”is a llama, and spitting is simply what llamas do.
It’s hard to tell if the llama is doing what comes naturally,or if it had a bad day at work (hence its business attire) and wants to take it out on this fine gentleman. Whatever the reason is, it leaves readers curious to know what happens next.
4"Twarn’t the Alien’s Fault, Sheriff …"
First Published: June 19, 2025
Trypophobia plagues some of the best citizens out there. It refers to the fear of holes and orifices. Some people aren’t necessarily afraid of holes as much as they are disgusted at the sight of multiple holes in one place at the same time. Ergo,aFar Sidecomic like this is a nightmare for a trypophobic person. The fear of holes is all the more disgusting, assuming that this hole-ridden alien is as slimy and leaky as most orifices in the human body tend to be.
There’s something repulsive about Ol' Jeb Halloway poking his head in holes that don’t belong to him. Sadly for Jeb, these holes poke back with a pistol that puts a death-dealing hole in Ol' Jeb.Let this be a lesson to never invade an alien’s personal space.ThebestFar Sidecomics with alienshave absurdity and cowboys, so this is a fan-favorite.
3"Okay, Here’s One, Marv…"
First Published: Jul 28, 2025
Gary Larson has drawn some disgusting comics in the past, but often the most revolting ones are those with nauseating implications rather than graphic visuals. In this particular comic, the image alone appears fairly tame, just three men seemingly on their lunch break. However, once the caption is added, an unsettling reality is revealed:one coworker has planted a dead centipede in another’s sandwichand decides to tell him while he’s already eating it. With that context, the reader can’t help but imagine the sickening crunch of a centipede between two buns.
Hopefully, readers aren’t eating while reading, because if so, most would be in need of a vomitorium (by Gary Larson’s definition, at least). It certainly makes fora less-than-ideal time at the officefor this worker.
2"He Gave Me a New Brain!"
“It’s On the Coffee Table As We Speak!”
Surprisingly enough, Gary Larson has a wide array ofFar Sidecomics aboutThe Wizard of Oz. Anyone hoping for comics that are as wholesome as the whimsical motion picture, think again. Usually, Gary Larson would take every opportunity he could to put a dark spin onThe Wizard of Oz, and this is no different. As audiences recall, the Scarecrow wanted a brain from The Wizard, and here, he has one in a box.He’s all too excited whilst raving about his gift to notice his dog is scarfing on the brain.
Beyond this just being a cruel end of the Yellow Brick Road for the Scarecrow,the idea of anyone munching on someone’s cerebral cortex is a hard one to stomach.Larson knows the value of brains, hence why his most hilarious comics feature them; to imagine one tarnished is simultaneously bittersweet and unpleasant.
1"You’re New Here, Aincha, Kid?"
“Not Every Day, But Some Days - That’s Why It’s Hell, Kid.”
Hell was often on Larson’s mind, at least one would assume so, considering how frequentlyhis comics are set in Hell. Interestingly enough,Hell for Larson often parallels a workplace environment,which explains why this comic takes place in Hell’s cafeteria. One of the newest patrons learns the hard way that even though Hell comes with a free meal, that meal sometimes comes with a dead scorpion. Crunching into a bug of any kind is revolting, and the thought alone is an uneasy one to think about without being in need of a puke bucket.
The bug, being a scorpion, transforms the scenario into a deadly thought that’s equally sickening. A bark scorpion (the most common in southwestern states, such as Arizona) can be fatal with a single sting.The Far Sidemakes one imagine what it’d be like to die of disgust, embarrassment, and a scorpion’s sting all at once.
