Gary Larson's beloved comic strip, The Far Side, achieved greatness through its unique brand of humor, characterized by cleverness and sheer comedic effectiveness rather than profound commentary or conventional artistic beauty. The strip's inherent brevity, confined to a few panels, demanded a focus on delivering a sharp, memorable joke.
Unlike strips that relied on recurring characters or deep philosophical musings, The Far Side thrived on standalone gags. Larson often employed a "comedic scavenger hunt" approach, trusting his audience to piece together the punchline. This is exemplified in "Find Peter," where the humor hinges on identifying a specific cubicle among many. Similarly, a comic featuring a giant fly woman uses the artist's glasses as the ultimate reveal, requiring the viewer to actively search for the joke.
Larson also frequently engaged in meta-commentary, deconstructing the very nature of comic strips. One such comic, featuring "sketchy" characters, plays on the term by intentionally rendering its subjects crudely. Another comic satirizes "hidden images" puzzles by presenting a forest with numerous poorly concealed appliances, with the humor amplified by the absurdly high count of 127.
Even simple scenarios were elevated by Larson's wit. The joke involving a murder and a bowling pin is made effective by the incompetence of the investigating officers, who are surrounded by an obvious abundance of the murder weapon. This use of overkill and character ignorance is a recurring theme that highlights the absurdity of situations.
Larson's genius also lay in his ability to put a fresh spin on established concepts. His take on Pinocchio humorously subverts the character's desire to become a real boy by placing him in a situation where that transformation would be undesirable. Another instance of subverting expectations comes from the "Smoking Dinosaurs" comic. While seemingly lowbrow, the idea that dinosaurs went extinct due to smoking is a darkly humorous and remarkably clever concept that encapsulates many of Larson's signature traits.
A Ranking of Larson's Best
10. Find Peter
This comic exemplifies Larson's trust in his audience, presenting a joke that is only fully appreciated once the viewer locates the correct cubicle.
9. A Deconstructionist Masterpiece
A self-referential gag that comments on the nature of drawing and comic art, requiring close attention to detail.
8. The Bowling Pin Mystery
Humor derived from the blatant overkill and the ironic cluelessness of police officers at a crime scene littered with bowling pins.
7. Pinocchio's Dilemma
A clever twist on the classic tale, exploring a scenario where Pinocchio might not want to be a real boy.
6. More Deconstruction: Appliances in the Forest
Mocking hidden image puzzles by showing a forest packed with 127 appliances, a punchline that leans into absurdity.
5. Find the Fly Woman
Another example of the "scavenger hunt" for the punchline, with the joke hidden in plain sight on the artist's glasses.
4. The Window Washer
This comic further develops the "find the punchline" gag, revealing the joke only after a moment of realization about a past event.
3. God and Snakes
Larson tackles existential silliness with a humorous image of God creating snakes with Play-Doh, a concept that trivializes creation in a funny way.
2. The Love Triangle
A joke that plays on the lack of cleverness from its characters, highlighting a simple yet amusing interpersonal dynamic.
1. Smoking Dinosaurs
Often cited as a favorite, this comic combines Larson's love for dinosaurs and morbid humor, suggesting extinction resulted from smoking cigarettes.
