10 Best The Far Side Comics From the Cartoon's First Year, Ranked

These are the best Far Side cartoons from its launch year, 1980. Artist Gary Larson started hitting the ball out of the park right out of the gate, even if it took a few years for The Far Side to go from local favorite to national phenomenon. These panels represent peak Larson during the formative first year of his career.

There are many classic Far Side panels from 1980, but this list is about the best of the best. These ten cartoons embody everything that would eventually make The Far Side a hit, and Gary Larson a household name.

These comics set precedents, established recurring tropes, broke new ground, and pushed boundaries, setting the stage for The Far Side's long-term success.

10 "Duck Deal Sting Operation"

First Published: June 11, 1980

Let's call this one "Duck Deal Sting Operation." This is the second of at least three Far Side cartoons that played with the idea that, in Gary Larson's warped world, ducks are illegal. Yes, that was a recurring Far Side bit. Here, it's an example of a key Larsonian comedic technique: insert something absurd into an unfunny situation.

There's not much to laugh about when it comes to a drug bust. But a duck bust? Different story. Where this Far Side comic really gets its laugh is the caption. "He's givin' him the duck now!" a vice cop in a trench coat shouts into a walkie-talkie. Of course, readers have to supply their own stereotypical "big city detective" voice themselves.

9 "The Truth Behind The Great Chicago Fire"

First Published: March 13, 1980

Cows are synonymous with The Far Side. A lot of that traces back to 1982's infamous "Cow Tools" panel. Cows were there from the beginning, but it took a little while for them to become the unofficial stars of The Far Side. This is the first of many legendary Far Side cow cartoons: two bovines watching as the Great Chicago Fire roars.

Which is exactly as they planned it. "Agent 6373 has accomplished her mission," one of the bovine characters says to the other. It's a classic bit of Far Side revisionist history, taking the apocryphal story that a cow started the Chicago conflagration and twisting it into an act of interspecies terrorism.

8 "The Former President Could Spin Twenty-Six Times"

First Published: August 17, 1980

"I'm afraid you'll have to do better than that, sir," a caricature of a government official tells the new U.S. President, who is spinning around in his chair behind the executive desk, before informing the president of his predecessor's record. It's a blatant bit of political humor, which is something Gary Larson rarely did this overtly with The Far Side.

It's almost like this panel was Larson showing he could. The Far Side debuted five years after Doonesbury won a Pulitzer Prize for its political cartooning. This Far Side comic was akin to Larson testing the waters of the genre. Ultimately, he decided it wasn't for him. But this early example shows he was very good at it, when the mood struck.

7 "Suspicious Death At The Carousel"

First Published: July 11, 1980

This is an often overlooked early example of The Far Side's detective comics. This was actually one of Gary Larson's favorite bits: a suspicious death has occurred, and The Far Side's trench coat-clad homicide investigators are on the case. Though, more often than not, they hilariously miss clues that are right in front of their faces.

Here, they crowd the foreground of the frame, standing around a victim who has "been trampled." In the background is a carousel, and what makes this Far Side cartoon great are the carousel horses' eyes. Eyes were crucial to The Far Side's comedy; here, the wide eyeballs of the toy horses convey guilt, and fear that they'll be found out soon.

6 "Horning In On His Master's Voice"

First Published: December 26, 1980

There's actually a more famous "sequel" to this Far Side comic. That is, Gary Larson did this deep-cut reference again years later, in an even more obscure way. Both panels are a reference to "His Master's Voice," a late 19th-century advertisement for the gramophone. Here, a rhinoceros literally horns in on the moment, and crushes an unfortunate canine in the process.

In the original, a dog sticks its snout in the gramophone's horn, curious about the disembodied sound coming out of it. Here, Larson depicts a rhino standing on top of the dog, pressing its own horned nose into the horn. This cartoon doesn't get a lot of love, even from hardcore Far Side fans, but it has all the elements of a classic.

5 "A Moment Of Triumph Interrupted By Snack Time"

First Published: August 28, 1980

Let's call this Far Side comic "A Moment Of Triumph Interrupted By Snack Time." It's a masterful example of Gary Larson's signature ability to capture a singular moment. Here, Larson depicts the exact moment an amateur UFOlogist develops his picture of a flying saucer. Which is also the split second before his mom ruins it.

The panel shows the UFOlogist's mom busting into his dark room with milk and cookies, but catches the scene just before the light she lets in hits his still-developing photo. Readers are left to imagine the aftermath for themselves. It's an A+ Far Side joke, executed perfectly by Gary Larson.

4 "Danger: Quicksand"

First Published: August 5, 1980

Here's another iconic Far Side moment. A moment too late for this sign painter, who was doing a great job lettering a "Danger: Quicksand" sign right up until he sunk into the sand, just as he reached the final letter. It's an unforgettable example of Gary Larson's penchant for dark comedic irony.

Quicksand would go on to be a low-key staple of The Far Side over the years, and this was the punchline Larson was always trying to recapture the magic of. It spawned some great offshoots, but this is the progenital Far Side quicksand comic. Overall, it's exemplary of the type of humor that made the comic stand out in 1980.

3 "Dog Driving, Man Vibing"

First Published: August 7, 1980

This is The Far Side at its simplest. Its purest. Its most accessible. It is an all-time great wordless Far Side comic, because it doesn't need any. The illustration says it all. A dog driving a car. A man sticking his head out the window, and his tongue out of his mouth, enjoying the thrill of the drive.

It's silly, yes, and that's this cartoon's comedic strength. It's not going for laugh-out-loud funny; it's just trying to get you to crack a smile. This Far Side cartoon also ranks high because it's a highly memorable image. People who haven't seen it in years will still be able to recall "the one where the dog's driving, and the man is vibing."

2 "Time Of Death"

First Published: May 5, 1980

"Time of Death" stands tall among the funniest Far Side detective comics, and it's also peak Gary Larson for 1980. It's a ridiculous joke that is expertly rendered in cartoon form. The panel takes full advantage of its frame, while the sheer ridiculousness of the punchline can't be confined to the page. It will make readers roar "What the?" with bemused disbelief.

In the comic, the police "have the murder weapon and the motive," but still need to "establish the time of death." The thing is, the victim was clearly a clock collector, and he was shot in a room full of clocks, and all the clocks have been damaged by bullets, causing them to stop at the exact same time.

1 "Cymbal Audition"

First Published: January 16, 1980

Yes, this is the best Far Side cartoon of 1980. And it came in just the third week of the comic's publication, as Gary Larson was just getting warmed up. Which is something the comic's character should have done before coming in cold and completely blowing his "Cymbal Audition" in this legendary Far Side joke.

Here, Larson serves up the perfect synthesis of caption and cartoon. The caption is one simple word: "Next!" The panel's action features a man with one simple task: smash two giant cymbals together. He swings and completely misses. Misses so hard his hat even flies off his head. It's a brilliant bit of physical comedy for a two-dimensional medium.

It's also a dumb joke. The fact that brilliance and dumbness can coexist in a single Far Side cartoon is the true genius of Gary Larson. It's a simple sketch that doesn't rely on a reference, or ask the reader to figure out the joke themselves. It just takes a swing, and unlike its character, this Far Side comic absolutely connects.

What do you think, Far Side fans? What would your top 10 Far Sides for 1980 be? Which must-include panels did we miss? Let us know in the comments!