One of the funniest and most beloved cartoons of all time is Far Side, a series by creator and author Gary Larson. Gary wasn’t afraid of making fun of animals, or even people, as a matter of fact probably mostly people because the way he drew his animals was really symbolic of the idiocy of people. The major difference is that he wasn’t mean spirited in his cartoons, he just portrayed irony, in a simplistic way that could tell and reveal an entire story behind one or two lines. And no cartoon series was funnier. Far Side ran in 1900 publications for some 15 years. Here are a few of the funnier cartoons, again, any and all credit goes directly to Gary Larson, and if you have a chance, buy one of his books and check out this amazing work.
The far side created by Gray Larson was a single panel cartoon that ran daily in newspapers from 1980 to 1995. In those 15 years, the far side went from at first drawing. Some controversy because of some believing, it was insensitive to becoming one of the funniest and most beloved cartoons of its time and certainly it was one of my all-time favourites yes it’s true. Gray Larson wasn’t afraid of making fun of animals or even people as a matter of fact probably mostly people because the way he drew his animals was really symbolic of the idiocy of people. The major difference is that he wasn’t mean-spirited in his cartoons. He just portrayed irony in a simplistic way that could tell and reveal an entire story behind one or two lines originally.
Gray Larson was both a musician playing jazz guitar and a banjo and an environmentalist and he graduated college with a degree in communications. But while working in a music store, he took a few days off and during that time he decided to try cartooning. In 1976 he drew six cartoons and submitted them to a seattle-based magazine and then to another local seattle newspaper and then in 1979 Gray larson submitted his work to the seattle times. He decided that he could increase his income from cartooning by selling his strip to another newspaper. The san-Francisco chronicle and to his surprise the chronicle baltha strip and then promoted it for syndication renaming it. The far side its first appearance in the chronicle was on January first 1980. Gray Larson said his family has quote a morbid sense of humor and that he was also very much influenced by the paranoid sense of humour of his older brother Dan, who used to play pranks on Gray and perhaps that’s why his cartoons are so well received. There is a hint of irony a little queasiness once in a while a little irreverence but he hits the point time and again and in a very witty and humorous way for instance. You’ve heard the cliché, if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around does it still make a sound. One of Gray’s repeating themes is how animals behave when there’s no human around to watch or to judge them and it is funny because they often act as humans do when no one else is around to watch them. So eventually his cartoons were syndicated worldwide in some 1900 publications and then published in many collections including calendars on t-shirts films other merchandise and in book format for instance he published a short illustrated New York Times bestseller. There’s a hair in my dirt a worms story in 1998.
Gray larson was awarded the newspaper panel cartoon award by the national cartoonist society in 1985 and again in 1988 the Rueben award in 1990 and again in 1994 and he has been recognized for various individual strips by the national cartoonist society. Numerous times throughout his career perhaps one of the greatest recognitions that could be best owed upon a person is that on march 15 1989. A newly discovered insect species was named after Larsen by the committee of evolutionary biology at the university of Chicago. The strigophylus Gray larson is a Laos found only on owls and Larson wrote quote, I consider this an extreme honor and the insect actually appeared in his 10th anniversary book the pre-history of the far side. Similarly, in Ecuadorian rain forest butterfly was named after him and he was able to coin the term phagomizer, a feature of the stegosaurus dinosaur, which was used in one of his compilations quote. Now this is called the thagomizer after the late thag Simmons so here are a few of Gray’s best far side cartoons enjoy it’s time. We face reality my friends, we’re not exactly rocket scientists.
Welcome to heaven here’s your harp, welcome to hell here’s your accordion come on dad shoot the apple shoot the apple unknown to most historians william tell had an older and less fortunate. Son named warren vampires, the vampires are everywhere listen to me everyone must beware vampires and of course when you look in the mirror you see no one else because they’re all vampires.
One of the nicest evenings, I’ve ever spent at the Wilson’s and then you had to go and do that on the rug car and then the cows act normal and the car passes and they stand up and start talking again.
Now balance it until, I say don’t move easy easy don’t move easy easy and the dog says this is item going to kill him. Notice all the computations theoretical scribblings and lab equipment norm yes curiosity kill these cats.
You know we’re just not reaching that guy oh some holy man the dude’s got it all backwards
A boneless chicken wrench wait cancel that, i guess it says health say. What’s a mountain goat doing way up here in a cloud bank. The real reason dinosaurs became extinct actually remember when this one came out, I bought one of his collections at the time. I thought this was a very good cartoon well heaven knows what it is or where It came from just get rid of it but save that cheese first. I think we’re ready for the male100 freestyle although. I think most of these athletes will choose the dog panel carton falls for the old rubber scalpel gag proving doctors can’t have fun hahaha. Guess what after we go to the drug store in the post office.
I’m going to the vets to get tutored come on come on it’s either one or the other and of course the doors say damned if you do damned if you don’t hot enough for you nerds in hell okay one more time and it’s off to bed for both of you hey bob think there are any bears in this old cave. I don’t know jim, let’s take a look, why science teachers should not be given playground duty, why dogs stick their heads out of car windows man these people stink and a glass bottom tour boat upside down at the bottom of a lake with the fish watching the people insides to honor Gray there is now an onlinesitethefarside.com which offers a deep dive into Gray’s off beat sense of humor with a random selection of cartoons Gary in all sincerity you brought so many of us joy and good humor along with some deep thoughts and in that regard you were and remain one of the world’s best cartoon.
SOME PICTURES FROM THE FAR SIDE GALLERY
