Gary Larson’s 10 Greatest ‘Far Side’ Comics, Ranked
The article assesses how to measure greatness in Gary Larson's 'The Far Side' comic strip, arguing it should be judged by the effectiveness and cleverness of individual jokes rather than cultural impact or philosophical depth. Larson's strategy was to create the funniest possible joke each day, trusting audiences to enjoy humour ranging from obvious visual overkill to subtle, layered comedy.
Examples of his greatest work include: – Comics that require reader engagement, where you must identify which specific element contains the punchline – Fourth wall-breaking panels that deconstruct the comic art form itself, featuring characters drawn deliberately crude for effect – Visual gags relying on extreme overkill, such as an unsolved bowling pin murder mystery surrounded by hundreds of pins – Clever subversions of classic stories, reimagining scenarios like Pinocchio's motivation to become real – Parodies of newspaper activity panels, mocking "hidden image" puzzles by scattering obviously misplaced appliances through a forest
- The Far Side's greatness measured by joke cleverness rather than cultural impact
- Larson combined obvious visual gags with subtle subversions and fourth wall breaks
- His comics trusted audiences to appreciate both broad and complex humour
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Gary Larson created The Far Side, a single-panel comic strip that ran from 1980 to 1995 and became one of the most widely syndicated comic strips of its era. The strip was known for its surreal, imaginative humour that often subverted expectations and played with the conventions of the comic form itself.
Larson's approach was to prioritise the quality and cleverness of individual jokes rather than develop recurring characters or ongoing storylines. His daily comics ranged from straightforward visual gags to subtler, layered humour that required active engagement from readers to fully appreciate the joke.
The Far Side has endured in popular culture through book collections and reprints, with fans and critics continuing to debate and discuss which strips best represent Larson's unique comedic vision. This reflects the lasting appeal of his cartooning, which valued innovation and audience participation over formula or consistency.