TheseFar Sidecomics areguaranteed to live rent-free in readers' heads, their distinct art and surrealist humor making an impression that isn’t easy to shake.Creator Gary Larson carved out an imposing cultural legacy over the course ofThe Far Side’sfifteen years in publication, and these panels exhibit the sense of humor that sunk its hooks into the popular consciousness over forty years ago and never let go.
Broadly speaking, there are two ways that aFar Sidecomic can be gauged as “successful.” The first is the immediate reaction it evokes from a reader; this was, at least,Gary Larson’s stated goal for his work, to elicit a quick, strong response. The other measure of success forFar Sidecartoons is much it sticks in the reader’s mind, to the point where they will laugh just by recalling it.
There were many different ways Larson could achieve anunforgettableFar Sidejoke, and this list presents a look at some of the best.
10These Far Side Bandits Won’t Be Hard To Pick Out Of A Line-Up
First Published: June 14, 2025
ThisFar Sidecomic amusingly features a bank robber that has “gone soft” just before it is time to carry out the heist, with the gag being that the crew of thieves are a bunch of bananas.“Obviously, we’re all a little yellow,” the leader of the gang says to “Ramone,” calling him out for having the jitters at the pivotal moment,in a punchline that heaps an obvious pun on top of delightfully surreal imagery, particularly the way the ends of the bananas are illustrated poking out the bottoms of their trench coats.
The humor ofThe Far Sidewas routinely “bananas,” and while this might not beGary Larson’s most outrageous joke, it is just enough of a curveball to pleasantly surprise readers, which can make even the averageFar Sidecartoon memorable.
9Far Side Reinforces The “Wives Are Smarter Than Their Husbands” Stereotype In The Wildest Way
First Published: June 12, 2025
In this memorable example of aFar Sidecomic where humans act like animals, a monster appears at a couple’s door, and the dumbfounded husband is “immediately devoured,” whilethe wife is able to survive the encounter by “remain[ing] motionless” and blending into her environment, just “like the peppered moth and the arctic hare.”
What makes thisFar Sidecartoon stand out is the way its punchline requires the caption and illustration to effortlessly work together. Often, the caption contained aFar Sidecomic’s punchline, and it does include one of sorts here, with the the terse explanation of the fate of “Harold,” but the true humor lies in the way the wife’s obsessive dedication to a single pattern, purple with blue flowers, ultimately saves her life.
8The Far Side’s Wordplay Game Was Otherworldly
First Published: August 10, 2025
Gary Larson is credited as a “master” of wordplay, and there is no doubt that his skills with linguistic humor were all-but-unmatched, especially in the comic medium. Puns and other plays on words served a valuable comedic purpose forThe Far Side, and they serve both functions in terms of determining a “successful"Far Sidecartoon; that is these panels were effective at getting the immediate reaction Larson sought, while also providing many of his most memorable jokes.
Here, Larson coins the word “poultrygeist,” and this portmanteau alone is likely to stick in readers' minds, sink down into their subconscious minds, and float back up later at some unexpected moment to haunt them. Add to that a deliriously silly illustration ofchickens being flung out of their coop by some unseen ethereal force, while the farmers look on with concern from their window, and this amounts to an underratedFar Sideclassic.
7A Timely Far Side Comic Reminds Readers To Choose Their Gifts Wisely
First Published: August 02, 2025
In this hilariousmulti-panelFar Sidecomic, Gary Larson depicts an absurd sequence of"baby toys and gifts to avoid this Christmas,” starting with the “collapsible piano,” then moving through “Mr. Rosy Cheeks Centrifuge” and the towering “Hi Mom Height Chair,” before culminating in the “Brahma Buddy,“an actual bull in a pen that the baby is placed on top of.
Larson had a comedic knack for taking a punchline from 0 to 10 in just the space of a single panel, but here, he notably starts with the dial cranked to eleven and, impressively, manages to get more ridiculous with each passing idea. Notably, some readers disagreed withThe Far Side’sjokes where babies were put in harm’s way, and this feels like it might have been the author’s subtle response, reminding everyone that the point of these jokes was to be as far from serious as possible.
6Another Simple Far Side Phrase That Will Stick In Readers' Heads, Like It Or Not
First Published: July 04, 2025
There might not seem like there is a lot going on in thisFar Sidecomic about mafiososout on a nature walk, but that is because its appeal is deceptively simple.The simple caption “boid watching,” with its play on a stereotypical wise guy accent, is the centerpiece here,something that most readers will hear clearly in their own minds,where for many of them, it has the potential to get stuck like the incessant cawing of a cuckoo bird itself.
That is, with this comic, Gary Larson delivered another “ear worm,” one that, if it strikes readers as amusing once, will stand a strong chance of making them laugh in perpetuity. In other words, while some might overlook thisFar Sidejoke at first, there is an unexpectedly strong appeal in its very straightforward punchline.
5The Far Side Roasts Small Talk With This Memorable Panel
First Published: June 29, 2025
Captioned “the art of conversation,“thisFar Sidecomicfeatures a woman lookinga man pinned to the wall like an art piece, hung up by his shirt collar and surrounded by a frame, as he chatters away about how he “reader somewhere thatthe greenhouse effect has been definitely linked to the unseasonably warm conditions…,“prompting the onlooker to think, “Oh my…this is depressing.”
The Far Side Complete Collection
In the background, meanwhile, another “art piece” prattles on about the Vice President. Here, Gary Larson effectively makes a joke that combines the emotional and intellectual stimulation of visiting a museum with the perils of navigating conversations at parties, or with coworkers, or while out on a date.
4The Far Side Brilliantly Depicts A Fashion Icon’s Shameful Secret
First Published: July 05, 2025
It is hard to argue that this isn’ta perfectFar Sidecomic. It is perhaps the pinnacle of Gary Larson’s jokes about real people, as hedepicts"Giorgio Armani at home,” revealing the fashion legend to, in fact, be an absolute slob, living in a dilapidated apartment, with a sink full of unwashed dishes, sitting in a ratty recliner watching a tiny TV while eating a hot dogand splattering mustard and ketchup all over his unglamorous plain white tank top.
On the floor nearby are a discarded banana peel, an open bag of chips, and more detritus, but what truly makes this cartoon genius is the “Monster Truck Expo” poster on the wall behind him, revealing the Armani’s true passions are far more down-and-dirty than his prestigious reputation.
3Another Unforgettable Far Side Riff On A Familiar Phrase
First Published: June 23, 2025
“Don’t touch it, honey…” a mother warns her son, in a phrase that will be immediately relatable to parents and children alike, before the joke takes a hard left turn, as sheadds another familiar line, “it’s just another face in the crowd,” with the illustration showing an disembodied head side-eyeing the boy.
This is a classic example of the deliberate absurdity ofThe Far Side, and once again highlights Gary Larson’s ability to use stock phrases and ideas to help make his cartoons more impactful, and ultimately more memorable. Rather than having to implant an all-new idea in readers' heads, here he takes a phrase they will already recognize and delivers a delightfully twisted interpretation of it.
2Arguably The Far Side’s Darkest Cannibal Cow Comic…Yes There Were More Than One
First Published: Jun 06, 2025
The Far Side’sreputation, in both the short and long-term, has always been tied toGary Larson’s willingness to tackle taboo subjects; this included cannibalism, a dark topic that the author engaged with in several memorable cartoons that substituted cows for humans.
Most famous is the “You’re sick, Jesse,” panel in which a cow is called out for grilling burgers, but this one takes an even darker turn, as a group of cows are depicted gathering in the barn as one,wearing an apron and wielding a knife and fork, tastes beef for the first time and comes to the predictable conclusion that their kind “taste a little like chicken.”
1This Is Low Key The Far Side’s Most Profound Joke
First Published: June 29, 2025
In this late-career cartoon, Gary Larson delivers a joke in which God, or the universe, or some other kind of higher power reaches out to a lowly mortal, only for them to be unable to recognize the message. In the abstract, it is a heavy premise, butthis isThe Far Side, so naturally Larson was able to embody this in a perfectly goofy form.
“Hey, what are you lookin' at? You want trouble buddy, you found it!” the clouds aggressively spell out over a serene-looking lake, as a lone fisherman looks up in confusion, with the caption informing readers that “understanding only German, Fritz was unaware that the clouds were becoming threatening.” ThisFar Sidepanel is impressive given how it takes a potentially weighty premise and uses it as the foundation for a laugh-out-loud punchline.
