The Far Side: Gary Larson's Hilarious Animal Comics

Gary Larson was truly a force in the world of comics! He’s best known for The Far Side, which ran in newspapers and publications from 1979 to 1995. His artwork captured so many things that made audiences laugh.

The Far Side's Animals

Fans loved Larson's work! But he went a step beyond giving viewers something fun, funny and witty! This special artist really had some unique and interesting commentary! What's special about The Far Side is it really re-imagines how humans view and connect with animals!

A Naturalist's Vision

Far Side, November 26, 1981, a bear is shot while peacefully drinking at a pond and then stuff in a scary pose Image

Larson, the artist who created The Far Side, had such a deep connection with wildlife and had some thoughts about it!

Larson wanted everyone to see animals with the appreciation that they deserved, by putting wildlife in their best light.
Larson often shows animals plotting against humans, but with a sense of humor, which could come across as heartwarming.

To say he loved animals isn’t even fair. There’s a huge passion for their preservation in all of his works. Fans got a chance to understand how Larson thought. He wanted people to change the idea that we are the top dogs! You're not going to see humans acting like heroes, it’s something they do in most comics.

Larson wanted to tell an incredible and really different kind of story, he even depicted the harm humans often cause! To animals. The characters that Larson showed often got the short end of the stick, it's pretty much a consistent trend with those in his works, he's never given the bad guys an upper hand over the animal characters!

The Top 10!

Far Side, August 6, 1982, cows and chickens discusing a scientific formula make animal noises when the farmer enters the barn Image

To showcase some of his top moments and funny takes, we're diving into a rundown of ten awesome, amazing, funny and incredibly relevant panels.

Get ready! We'll show just how Larson, with "The Far Side", transformed what fans think about animals.

The Hunter Vs. The Bear- This powerful, shocking story showcases an awful event, showing a bear, just enjoying a drink out of a fountain, being attacked by a hunter.
Cows and Chickens Talk-Larson was pretty clever, to have these two animal characters doing something extraordinary. It looks like even cows and chickens could have more than just a basic life! It takes viewers to an unusual perspective!
Bear Gets Loose - There are all kinds of stories with a circus setting and those wild bears but Larson has this hilarious twist on a classic scene. This showcases those crazy, daring, and powerful animals.
Elephant Revenges Himself - One of the most heart-warming revenge stories for anyone! Larson brought this one to life! He showed an elephant getting shot and its desire to seek justice, and it took more than 35 years to happen! That means the memory lasts a long time!
Dogs Turning On Their Owner - The most memorable moments about our amazing canine companions and Larson knew how to make this scene super compelling and make fans ponder their lives.
Hunter Goes To Jail- Those who love to go hunting. Might want to re-think their game if "The Far Side" made any kind of impact. Larson really emphasized that when you go out hunting and find a creature living in your own house! You might find yourself in an unflattering light and might even get put behind bars.
Deer Fights The Hunter- In The Far Side, Larson didn't shy away from those serious themes of hunting and how a whole power dynamic was out of whack. He even went a step further and imagined the event that a deer had enough and took on a "Hunter" in the coolest possible, though absurd way. They battled it out! The comic brought a humorous light and the hunter took things a little more seriously!
Chickens Rise Up- Get ready to take on those wild, hilarious moments and even a pun as "The Far Side" brought to life, chickens who got tired of human behavior and their ultimate, evil plan for world domination.
The Hunter Doesn't Notice- "The Far Side" often took its viewers into worlds where animals were living normal lives, even more than humans! When you put together these characters and moments it's easy to find this as funny. For the fans of duck hunting it's an especially funny, but intense take on this sport, to get a chance to be one of the "bad guys" and those duck hunters might get surprised! If only a duck can find peace at home. The hunter always makes his entrance with an amazing moment!
Ostriches And Humans - An important thought. You see the beauty of "The Far Side" and that there's much more to our wild and beautiful, interesting animals, a truly awesome, touching and remarkable, reminder for everyone! You won't ever be able to see animals with the same innocent eyes. After "The Far Side," that is!

As much as "The Far Side" gives fans something to laugh about and chuckle. There are other interesting facts! Like this comic collection that has more than 4,000 pages of comic fun for every fan to read, Gary Larson took it a step further by even having over 1,100 never-seen-before pages.

A really interesting look at a unique talent with an artist and writer with so much to say.

There are more comics with special themes for all to enjoy, so if you haven't checked out "The Far Side" yet, now is the time.

The Far Side: Gary Larson's Hilarious Animal Comics

The Far Side's Animals

A Naturalist's Vision

The Top 10!

Related Articles