Gary Larson's single-panel comic strip, The Far Side, ran from 1980 to 1995, offering a unique brand of non-sequitur and surreal humor that primarily targeted adults. Unlike many contemporary comic strips, The Far Side did not feature recurring characters, instead introducing new scenarios and personalities in each panel to deliver a single joke. While dinosaurs and cavemen were frequent subjects, cows became a particularly recurring and fruitful theme for Larson.
Larson himself stated that he found the word "cow" funny and that cows held a certain tragicomic quality. Over its 15-year run, The Far Side produced 4,337 comics, with cows appearing frequently. These strips often depicted cows engaging in human-like activities or exhibiting cunning behavior behind human backs, particularly those of farmers.
A Familiar Gag
From October 16, 1981, "A big realization" presents a straightforward gag where a cow contemplates its diet of grass, a joke accessible to a wide audience.
Subtle Humor and Role Reversal
The comic from July 8, 1982, titled "No one wants to hear that," offers a more subtle joke, playing on outdated social norms. It humorously reverses the idea of a person being sent to the barn, implying a barn that smells like a house.
The Infamous "Cow Tools"
Perhaps one of the most famous Far Side strips, "Cow tools," published on October 28, 1982, generated significant confusion among readers. The panel depicted a cow with crudely made instruments, and the caption "Cow tools" led many to believe the joke was deeply intellectual or scientific. Larson later clarified in a press release that the humor was simply the idea that cows would be inept at tool-making.
More Cow Shenanigans
A strip from July 29, 1987, "Cow gossip," continues the theme of role reversal, humorously comparing a bad-smelling house to a barn. Another humorous sight gag, "For indoor cows" (September 25, 1986), features a woman proudly displaying a plastic cow in a bubble, with the humor derived from the sheer absurdity and the unspoken reaction of another observer.
Unexpected Crossovers and Darker Tones
Larson frequently combined his interests, as seen in the February 16, 1983, comic that merges cows and dinosaurs. This strip is noteworthy as Larson is also credited with coining the term "thagomizer" for the tail spikes of a Stegosaurus in a May 27, 1982 comic, a term that became official paleontological nomenclature.
Other strips showcased cows exhibiting unexpected behaviors, such as the January 6, 1984, comic where cows stand upright when cars are not looking, highlighting the strip's format versatility. The January 22, 1983, comic "A valuable lesson" offers a critique on human intelligence, while the May 13, 1983, strip "Proper line etiquette" delves into darker, more satirical humor, a contrast to more wholesome comics.
Finally, the February 12, 1986, comic "Really sneaky cows" is cited as a prime example of Larson's ability to blend dark humor with silliness, potentially standing as his funniest cow-themed strip.
