These Far Side cartoons turn thirty-five this month, meaning there is no better time for a retrospective look at what made Gary Larson’s humor such a cultural powerhouse during the peak years of his career. These are The Far Side’s hit cartoons from July 1990, which kicked off a particularly memorable summer for the cartoon.

1990 was the start of the third and final “act” of Larson’s career, and by the summer of that year, he was firing on all cylinders again, after having taken a fourteen-month hiatus from cartooning.

The final stretch of his career produced countless classic Far Side comics, and this batch stands out among the best from his first year back.

10

“Great Master, Indeed”: Da Vinci’s Dog Doesn’t Have Patience For Timeless Art, He’s Hungry Now

First Published: July 4, 1990

“One of the Great Masters, indeed,” Leonardo da Vinci’s hungry dog thinks, making a pun on his owner’s status as one of the leading figures in art history. This is a classic Far Side dog joke, while also showcasing Gary Larson’s high-level wordplay. Of course, it adds to the humor that readers can relate to both characters, in certain ways.

That is, few readers would begrudge a pet dog its dinner, yet da Vinci’s canine’s impatience is made amusing by the fact that his “master” is in the middle of painting a literal masterpiece, the Mona Lisa. This is a smart use of detail by Larson, resulting in a classic Far Side cartoon.

9

“Navy Ants!” Gary Larson’s Eye For Wordplay Was Sharper Than Ever In 1990

First Published: July 12, 1990

“Now what,” a woman says to her husband, when she catches sight of something approaching, as they float on the ocean in an inflatable raft, a frequent Far Side set-up. Quickly, she identifies the problem: “Navy ants!” It is a gloriously silly punchline, one in which the linguistic humor is adeptly aided by the visual component of the comic.

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The Far Side’s final years, contained some of Gary Larson’s best work, but this year often gets overlooked among his pantheon of greatest panels.

Taking a cue from his fondness for Vikings, Gary Larson depicts the “navy ants” as raiders in longboats, prepared to board the raft and wreak havoc. Even if they don’t pop the precarious-looking inner tube, they will make life unbearable for these shipwreck survivors, a bleak implication of an otherwise hilarious Far Side cartoon.

8

“Not On Toto Anymore”: Fleas Wind Up On The Far Side Of The Dog In This Strange “Wizard Of Oz” Joke

First Published: July 17, 1990​​​​​​​

The Far Side made more Wizard of Oz references than most fans realize, and this is one of Gary Larson’s more “out there” takes on the iconic film. “I’ve got a feeling we’re not on Toto anymore,’ one flea says to another, as they walk across the back of an unfamiliar dog, watched by scary looking bugs hiding behind hairs.

This is another example of Gary Larson’s extensive use of wordplay; this time, he remixes a familiar phrase, the iconic Wizard of Oz “not in Kansas anymore” quote from the perspective of fleas, something few other creators would do, thus arriving at a punchline that no one else would even consider to make.

7

“Raindrops! Raindrops!” The Far Side Frequently Exposed The Dark Side Of Clowns

First Published: July 18, 1990

This is another all-time great Far Side “lost at sea” joke, showing that the trope was on Gary Larson’s mind in the summer of 1990. (Though to be fair, it was never very far from his mind.) This also stands out as a particularly funny Far Side clown joke, which were also proliferate throughout the comic’s run.

Here, a clown torments his fellow survivor as they sit in a cramped life raft, spritzing the man’s head with water from his lapel flower when the guy isn’t looking, causing him to freak out, shouting “raindrops! Raindrops!” Just as The Far Side trafficked in dark humor, this joke highlights the nefarious side to clowning around.

First Published: July 19, 1990​​​​​​​

Gary Larson indulged in some classic metahumor over the years; it’s easy to picture him working on The Far Side in his office at night, looking for something to riff on, something to make fun of, and having recently made jokes about Armageddon, and cows, and cowboys, and desert islands, and so on, deciding to turn his humorous gaze upon himself and his own work.

The result? Cartoons like this one, in which Gary Larson offers a “drawing lesson,” of sorts, in which he walks readers through the steps of creating a character from the bones up, while adding pithy commentary such as “American cartoons are generally not as healthy as foreign ones” and advice on keeping characters’ brains small to ensure “zany situations.”

5

“Just A Big, Stupid Grin”: The Far Side’s Version Of A Nature Documentary Is Predictably Absurd

First Published: July 20, 1990

The caption of this cartoon, “how rhinos are incited to charge,” could be mistaken for a footnote in a National Geographic magazine, and that is the point, because it humorously contrasts with the silly answer to “how” that this Far Side provides: they get egged on by a tiny bird sitting between their ears.

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The Far Side was defined by its anthropomorphic animals, and birds of all kinds were among Gary Larson’s favorite characters to sub in for humans.

“I can’t tell for sure, but he might even be making a face,” the bird tells the rhino, after assuring it that the human interloper has “no gun…just a big, stupid grin.” This cartoon deserves more credit as a great example of The Far Side’s constant “man vs. nature” beef, given how funny its depiction of the animal side of the equation is.

4

“Nerd-Sniffing Dogs”: The Far Side’s Cops Get Involved In Finding The Odd-Man-Out At The Party

First Published:​​​​​​​ July 24, 1990

Parties were a perennial Far Side setting, and this memorable panel portrays one being broken up by the cops…or at least, being interrupted, as officers lead in “nerd-sniffing dogs,” which beeline straight for one guy, “to Rodney’s horror.” This hilarious gag evokes the feeling of trying to fit in, and failing through no fault of your own.

There is a delicate mix of absurdity and relatability to this cartoon, which is ultimately what makes it stick with readers. This was Gary Larson’s gift as a humorist, to be able to pull off that tightrope act so consistently, and often so spectacularly, as this Far Side cartoon exhibits.

First Published: July 27, 1990

Captioned “irresponsible mountain goats,” this Far Side comic features a herd of goats navigating a razor-thin cliff face as they make their way up a mountain, when one finishes snacking on a banana and carelessly tosses the peel over its shoulder, right into the path of the goats behind it.

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This Far Side gag blends slapstick comedy and perilous action in a way that will strike most readers as highly amusing. This comic also showcases the fact that Gary Larson’s absurd sense of humor was often best embodied by the simplest premises, which he could illustrate into memorable visual punchlines.

2

“Always So Dang Warm’: The Far Side Flips A Familiar Domestic Trope To Hilarious Results

First Published: July 30, 1990​​​​​​​

The Far Side featured plenty of penguins over the years, and this summer ’90 example is a great example of Gary Larson’s use of animal characters to poke fun at human behavior, often by flipping it on its head. Or in this case, its feet, as Larson lampoons the common occurrence of a person complaining about their spouse’s cold feet touching them in bed.

In this case, Larson makes the couple a pair of penguins, with their bed situated on a free-floating patch of ice in the arctic, and instead of cold feet, the penguin comments to its partner that “your feet are always so dang warm.” It is another Far Side joke that should be praised for its simplicity, while still highlighting the comic’s strange, unique humor.

1

“Ain’t That Your Horse?”: The Far Side Depicts The Perfect Horse/Rider Pair

First Published: July 31, 1990​​​​​​​

In this bizarre Far Side cowboy comic, a cowboy with an unusually wide stance is asked “ain’t that your horse the kid is messin’ with,” causing him to look over his shoulder at the young boy who is trying to pet his steed, which has an unusually-large backside. This is highly silly, but it also highlights Gary Larson’s artistic talent.

This Far Side joke relies on the composition of the cartoon; readers’ eyes are immediately drawn to the wide-legged cowboy, while his turned-head directs readers to look at the horse next, before the caption finally brings it all together. Overall, it is a perfectly constructed Far Side joke, emphasizing Gary Larson’s keen eye for details.

Writer

Gary Larson

Colorist

Gary Larson