Before memes took over the internet, there was Gary Larson’sThe Far Side, a comic strip that often follows a single-panel format with humor so quirky and relatable that it practically feels like the original blueprint for memes. So what exactly is a meme? And which of Larson’s comics would have gone viral had they debuted in today’s digital age?
According to Google, a meme is“an image, video, piece of text, typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by internet users, often with slight variations.”In simpler terms, a good meme typically responds to something, capturing an emotion, thought, or experience in a humorous or exaggerated way. The best memes become templates, formats where people can tweak the wording to fit different situations, often keeping the same image but swapping out the text to match the desired emotion or scenario. By this definition,many ofThe Far Sidecomics would have made perfect meme templates.Their visual absurdity, paired with their ability to turn the mundane hilarious, is exactly the kind of material that would thrive online today.
10We’ve All Been Railroaded by a Metaphorical The Little Engine That Could
TheFar Side’sUnhinged Take on theLittle Engine That Could
This is undoubtedly one of Larson’s most unhinged andhilariousFar Sidecomics, featuring The Little Engine That Could chugging along a rail track as he chants his character-defining motto of"I think I can,”while racing toward a woman tied to the tracks. The comic blends the classic American folktale with the“damsel tied to the train tracks”trope that appeared in Westerns and early action films. While funny on its own, it also has huge potential as a meme template. Relatable captions could transform it into a modern meme,with the damsel representing the viewer and the Little Engine symbolizing an incoming, unpleasant event or situationthat is about to hit hard.
9Raise Your Hand If You’ve Ever Been a Flute-Playing Elephant
When You Are Unprepared but Still Have to Perform
ThisFar Sidecomic stars an elephantand a piano, but at its core, it captures the universal human feeling of being completely unprepared. In this case, it is a flute-playing elephant who is suddenly expected to play the piano. This panel would make a perfectmeme template to express the struggle of being thrown into situations with no idea where to begin.In a modern meme, the elephant could be labeled“me,”while the piano would represent the overwhelming and unfamiliar task ahead.
8Larson’s Stalker Duck Was the OG“Running Away Balloon”Meme
The Creeping Threat That Always Holds You Back
One of today’s most viral internet memes is the“Running Away Balloon”format. It features a gray character reaching for a yellow balloon while a pink character holds them back.Larson’s stalker duck deliversa similar feeling.The duck lurks ominously, just like the pink character that blocks progress in the meme.For example, in the meme, the gray character might be“me,”the balloon could be“making friends,”and the pink figure might be labeled“social anxiety.”In the same way, the duck could be labeled“social anxiety,”representing the constant obstacle that keeps showing up at the worst possible moment.
7Larson’s Missile Prank Was the Original Dodgeball Meme
The Instant When Everything Blows Up in Your Face
Larson’s“missile prank”comic is full of chaotic energy and meme potential.It shows one rocket scientistputting the final touches on a missile while his coworker sneaks up behind him with a bag of air, ready to pop it. The implication is that the loud noise will startle the first scientist and accidentally set off the missile. This moment is similar to the dodgeball-to-the-face meme,where someone is hit with a consequence they never saw coming.Here, the bag of air is the trigger that leads to disaster, a great metaphor for situations that spiral out of control in an instant.
6“Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don’t”Sums Up Life
When All the Options Are Equally Terrible
This Gary Larson comic is the ultimate representation of no-win situations.It features a man inFar SideHellbeing pushed to choose between two doors, one labeled“Damned If You Do”and the other“Damned If You Don’t.”It is a perfect setup for a meme that reflects being forced to choose between two terrible options.The template fits especially well with modern-day frustrations in social, political, or economic contexts, where every available option feels like a lose-lose.
5Far Side’sGod Creating the World Is Meme Template Gold
The Recipe for Earth Includes Chaos and Humor
Far Side’sversion of Godis a recurring fan-favorite character, often featured in hilarious comic strips. While several of these could work as meme templates, this one stands out. God is shown making the world like a soup, tossing in unusual“ingredients.”Instead of typical spices, he adds things like different skin tones, species, and even“jerks.”This setup has huge meme potential. For example,the Earth could be labeled“Gen Z,”with the ingredients representing funny generational traitslike“anxiety-prone,” “chronically online,”or“uses humor as a coping mechanism.”The potential with thisFar Sidecomic as a meme is nearly unlimited.
4“Didn’t Wash Hands”Needs to Be the New“Red Flag”Meme
When One Behavior Sets Off All the Alarms
ThisFar Sidecomic is a visual gagthat features an invention designed to show whether or not men wash their hands after using the bathroom, something many but not all men are notorious for skipping. The panel shows flashing red lights and a loud alarm. It would make a great meme template,where“didn’t wash hands”could be replaced with any cringey or frowned-upon behavior.For example, you could substitute it with“orders milk for dinner”or“watches crime documentaries to relax,”turning red-flag behaviors into something funny.
3You vs. God in a Trivia Game Is an Accurate Representation of Life Right Now
When the Odds Are So Stacked You Can’t Compete
ThisFar Sidecomic shows a painfully relatable scene: a regular human playing trivia against God, and getting absolutely demolished. God, being all-knowing, has racked up a staggering 1,065 points, while the poor human sits at a depressing zero. As funny as it is, the panel captures something deeply familiar:the feeling of being in a situation where no matter how hard you try, you’re outmatched.As a meme template, it works beautifully. God can be likened to anything overwhelmingly powerful (read: life, capitalism, your workload, etc..) while the human becomes the underdog, just trying to keep up. It’s the perfect visual for those days when effort seems to stand no chance against impossible odds.
2Who Knew Eeyi-Eeyi-Yo Was the Perfect Meme Template
The Perfect Meme for When Life Is Beating You Down
Only Larson’s mind could twist the Old MacDonald nursery rhyme into something this hilariously dark. The comic shows MacDonald being trampled by his own animals, with the caption, “Old MacDonald HAD a farm, eeyi-eeyi-yo,”implying the animals took him out and he no longer owns the farm. It makes for a relatable meme template.MacDonald could represent the viewer, and the animals could represent whatever is beating them down: responsibilities, expectations, burnout. The darkness makes it even funnier, because meme culture often uses humor to cope with the chaos of life.
1Far Side’sNerdy Kid Is, And Will Always Be, a Vibe
When You’re Supposed to Be Gifted but Still Mess Up
This comic features theFar Side’srecurring character,who is commonly referred to as the Nerdy Kid. This is one of Larson’s most hilarious and well-known comics, as it features the Nerdy Kid pushing a door that is labeled“pull.”Adding to the humor is a sign that labels the building he is trying to enter as a school for the“gifted,”making his failure to get through the door all the more hilarious. While we can all relate to trying to open a door the wrong way, it is the Nerdy Kid’s defeated posture that makes this comic a mood and particularly relatable. This image in itself would be an outstanding reaction meme and is the epitome ofFar Sidecomics that would have been viral memes if they had originally been published in today’s digital era.
