The Far Sideoften leans into the absurd and satirical, but its spine-tingling comics tap into a deeper well of unease. With a surreal mix of morbid humor, uncanny monstrosities, and a touch of existential dread, Gary Larson has created dozens of single-panel scenarios that disturb as much as they amuse. These comics defy traditional horror, instead drawing laughs from the eerie and terrifying.

Gary Larson has often noted thatThe Far Sidewas always meant to inspire reactions from his readers, not just make them laugh. Sometimes Larson touches on very real-world issues and topical threats, while other times he warns of the unseen dangers of modern society. And, in addition to his usual assortment of chuckle-worthy comics, Larson loved to tap into elements of horror, as the cartoonist is frequently known for his dark sense of humor. However,these particularFar Sidecomics will truly make your spine tingle.

A dog and a monster look at each other at night.

10My Usual Barking Frenzy

First Published: 1991

Dogs really are man’s best friend, that is until a monstrously vile creature lurks in through your window in the middle of the night. In this spine-chilling comic, a lone pup wanders through his home as he crosses a terrifying monster breaking into the house. The dog, now dead in his tracks, is caught in fear as he thinks“Maybe I’ll just pass on my usual barking frenzy.”

This comic, which is cast in dark shades of blue, purple, and black, carries an ominous tone that isn’t often found in otherFar Sidecomics.

Two campers don’t realize there is a massive monster in the woods.

While Gary Larson loved to incorporate elements of horror in his comics, this gnarled creature ranks among the most terrifying monsters Larson has ever drawn.This comic, which is cast in dark shades of blue, purple, and black, carries an ominous tone that isn’t often found inotherFar Sidecomics. Unfortunately for this family, their not-so-loyal pooch isn’t sticking around to warn them of the otherworldly dangers ahead.

9The Crickets Have Finally Stopped

First Published: August 09, 2025

Here, a couple is enjoying a pleasant night out camping while complaining about the chorus of crickets that seem to have plagued their campsite. Fortunately for the campers, the crickets have just ceased their songs, but, unfortunately,a gargantuan sasquatch-like monster lingers in the treeline, curling its ferociously large claws. Meanwhile, the unsuspecting couple rejoice in their newfound silence as even the crickets have gone silent in fear at the presence of this towering beast.

Humankind has always feared darkness and the unseen bends of the woods. In our early history, the threats of wild animals, dark spirits, and shadowy monsters overtook our primitive imaginations. However, over time,those fears have changed and were passed down, leaving traces of our deathly fear of the dark and the unseen horrors that may lurk within the forest. Luckily, we grow up to learn that monsters and forest-dwelling spirits are just tales and fables, at least most of the time.

A dentist threatens to shove a tennis ball in his patient’s mouth.

8Now Open Wider, Mr. Stevens

First Published: June 18, 2025

Taking a turn away from true monstrosities,thisFar Sidecomictells a tale of the true horrors of dentistry.In this panel, a man is caught in the middle of oral surgery as his mouth is being held open by forceps and stuffed with an assortment of tubes. Nearby, the dentist threatens the patient, promising to cram a tennis ball into his mouth, just to see if it would fit.

Admittedly, the experience of lying down while a relative stranger shoves pointed tools and their fingers in your mouth sounds spine-chilling out of context. Dentistry has birthed a slew of modern fears that have shaken even those who don’t possess a genuine phobia of the experience. While the dentist featured in this comic hasn’t actually hurt his patient,the threat of force is enough to shake someone to their core, even if he may be joking. That said, hopefully, none of our dentists are as ominously threatening as this particular dental surgeon fromThe Far Side.

A clown is angry in a gun store.

7Laugh At Me, Will They?

First Published: July 23, 2025

Following the brutal and murderous rampage of John Wayne Gacy in the 1970s, circus clowns’ reputations took a harsh dip as popular culture began to liken the comedic entertainers to the concept of a killer. Now,coulrophobia is one of the world’s most prominent irrational fears, sparking horror in the hearts of any who view the once-laughable jesters. However, aside from Gacy, there’s no clown more unsettling thanthisFar Sideharlequin.

Here, an angrily fuming clown is at a gun store, looking over a collection of handguns to purchase. His seething rage is only made more terrifying as the clown thinks“Laugh at me, will they?”While not everyone shares a deathly phobia of clowns, it’s safe to say that there is something inherently intimidating about knowing thatbehind the makeup and silly outfits could lie a rageful beastready for revenge.

The shepherd Mary eats some of her little lamb

6Mary Ate Her Little Lamb

First Published: July 12, 2025

The Far Sidefrequently uses fairy talesand schoolyard songs as the basis for some of its best punchlines.However, this particularFar Sidefable takes a serious deviation from the original rhyme it’s based on. In this comic, Mary, from the children’s song “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” is all grown up and out of school. Unfortunately, her little lambs didn’t last as long as Mary and are now served alongside corn, baked potatoes, and bread.

What makes this particular comic even more ominous is thatMary intentionally closed the blinds before chowing down on her lamb, hiding herself away from the potentially peering eyes of her neighbors. Mary hasn’t just betrayed her lambs, she knows what she’s doing would garner judgment from her peers and her flock. The elderly shepherd isn’t hiding herself away in shame, she’s hiding her betrayal so that she may one day enjoy another of her little lambs for dinner.

An ice cream man melts in his truck.

5Ice Cream Men Are Made Of Ice Cream Too

First Published: August 01, 2025

Like something out of a modern Junji Ito comic, thisFar Sidepanel takes body horror to a new level for the series. Here, an ice cream man, who is presumably made of literal ice cream, begins to dissolve and meltas he desperately calls out to his dispatcher for aid.As the glaring sun continues to liquefy his transformed body, the ice cream man can only helplessly watch his physical form separate and ooze in real-time.

While the play on words is certainly funny,thisFar Sidecomicis honestly more horrific than it is hilarious.The panicked look in the man’s drooping eyes casts a spine-tingling shadow of horror over the comic panel, morphing this humorous piece into something truly terrifying. Maybe next time, the ice cream company will invest in a better air conditioner for their literal ice cream men.

People sit on a couch looking at a picture of the same couch while someone approaches with a knife.

4It’s My Couch! My Couch!

First Published: June 30, 2025

The Far Sideisn’t afraid to threaten its comedic cast of characterswith the looming threat of death and murder. While Gary Larson would never actually show these gruesome acts in his comics, the threat is more than enough to make his readers' spine tingle with a twinge of fear. This comic especially features one ofThe Far Side’s most chilling scenes that Gary Larson has ever drawn.

In this comic, a group of guests are looking up at their host’s newest painting labeled“It’s My Couch! My Couch! Don’t They Understand?”which features a similar-looking couple sitting in the host’s grand red couch as the picturesque host nears by with a knife in hand.Meanwhile, from behind the real couch, a shadow resembling the host holding a knife looms from the other room.What’s more ominous aboutthisFar Sidecomicis the guests’ odd indifference to the gruesome nature of the painting and the threat that nears by.

A boy hinds under his covers from monsters, with a snorkel in his mouth.

3The Monster Snorkel

First Published: June 22, 2025

AnotherFar Sidecomic that features a gaggle of terrifying monsters, this panel sees a young boy hidden underneath his blankets as two horrifying beasts linger over the boy’s bed.“The monster snorkel: Allows your children to breathe comfortably without exposing vulnerable parts to an attack,”the caption reads as the boy gasps air through a snorkel from underneath his thin layer of blanketed protection. Unfortunately, the promise of this particular product doesn’t seem to be as effective as advertised.

While monsters and evil creatures don’t plague the real world as they often doinThe Far Side,we have all experienced that same fear as a child of monsters hiding beneath the bed or in our closets.Gary Larson’s success comes from his ability to make his work relatable and this comic is no different. Horror lies in the heart of the unknown and the moment the lights go out and darkness overcomes one’s bedroom, any number of monstrosities could leap out and attack; at least, that’s what our imagination thinks.

Two castaways are stuck on an island with Amelia Earhart’s skeleton

2Help! Amelia Earhart

First Published: June 29, 2025

In this dark comic strip, a couple have recently washed up on a minuscule island after their ship capsized at sea. Unfortunately for them,their island is also inhabited by the long-dead skeleton of Amelia Earhart, the famous pioneer of aviation and the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Considering that in the real world Earhart’s body has never been recovered, it’s not promising that this stranded couple’s fate will be any different.

Admittedly, we could have chosen any one ofThe Far Side’s many comicsthat feature a stranded island. Gary Larson has frequently used these tiny, solitudinous islands in his comics as a means to deliver dark punchlines, making the concept a staple of the series. However, the sight of a skeleton holding a “Help!” sign isan especially ominous image that does not forebode wellfor this stranded cast of characters.

A scientist has turned himself into a fly while his wife says dinner is ready.

1You’re Still A Fly?

First Published: July 29, 2025

Gary Larson is well-knownfor his love of science and pop-culture references. In this final comic strip, based on the 1958 science-fiction horror filmThe Fly,a mad scientist is caught in the middle of his basement-dwelling experimentation when his wife barges in and says“Lunch is ready, Nathan, and… what? You’re still a fly?”However, as creepy as Nathan’s appearance is, his wife isn’t overcome by fear but is instead blasé about the fact of her husband’s transformation, taking the opportunity to chastise him for his actions.

What makes this comic truly spine-tingling hinges on the incongruent reaction of the wife, who seems to havenormalized this type of Cronenburgian behavior of horror.In this comic’s twisted reality, the grotesque has become the norm. While the wife should be caught in a fit of fear, she simply looks down unapprovingly. Likely, this type of monstrosity seems to be an everyday occurrence for this unbothered couple fromThe Far Side.