10 Funniest Far Side Comics That Prove Gary Larson's Humor Has Aged Like Fine Wine

It's rare that a month passes without an iconic Far Side comic hitting a milestone, but as Gary Larson's November 1984 strips turn 40, it's shocking how many classics were published in the same month. With hilarious visits to Hell and the Serengeti, and (of course) a great cow comic, Larson knocked it out of the park, despite being only four years into the strip's 14-year run.

Here are the 10 funniest Far Side comics that just turned 40, as of November 2024 - let us know your favorites in the comments, and which of Larson's recurring themes is done best here.

10 Any Luck?

Far Side's November 10, 1984 Comic

In this strip, a spider casually checks on a fisherman's progress, making readers aware that both human and arachnid are essentially engaged in the same activity. Larson's Far Side often adopts the perspective of animals to offer a different angle on human behavior. That perhaps explains why so many of Larson's comics about fishing also feature death - after all, that's the way the fish would see it. Enjoy more of Gary Larson's fishing comics by opening the image gallery below:

Larson's love of nature is a major feature of The Far Side, which he originally pitched under the title Nature's Way. While that title would definitely have made sense for a lot of comics on this list, the 'Far Side' title is ultimately more descriptive of the surreal humor Larson brings not just to animals, but aliens, scientists, robots and conquistadors.

9 Remember Me?

Far Side's November 24, 1984 Comic

In another strip taking the animal's perspective, an elephant tracks down the poacher who targeted it years ago. Elephants famously 'never forget,' and it's pure Larson to turn that into a violent grudge. In The Prehistory of The Far Side, Larson notes that conservatism is the only 'political' message that made its way into The Far Side, even though some readers took his jokes as Larson not taking the subject seriously. Larson actually put his money where his pen was, raising money for conservationist charities with his work.

8 Vending Machine

Far Side's November 2, 1984 Comic

In contrast to the 'how animals see humans' theme, Larson also loves the gag of introducing common human behaviors into the wild. In this case, lions who are feeling too lazy to hunt for their food can get it from a vending machine, which is comically small given the animals which it's implied are stored inside.

7 Get My Shotgun

Far Side's November 7, 1984 Comic

One of Gary Larson's greatest talents as a humorist is seeing connections no-one else would spot. In this case, he takes the idea of aliens abducting farmlife (more usually cows) and merges it with the concept of a farmer protecting their chickens from a nocturnal intruder (more usually a fox.) Far Side's humans may have to contend with a lot of bizarre situations, but they never let it get them down, with this farmer believing he's going to be able to down an alien ship with a shotgun.

Chickens are a major recurring theme in The Far Side, with Larson often focusing on how grim their lot in life actually is, as monotonous lives end with being killed and eaten. It's absolutely the luck of a Far Side chicken to be part of an alien abduction.

6 The Greatest Expressions

Far Side's November 13, 1984 Comic

Another animal-centric gag that Far Side loves is explaining animal behavior in weird ways. In this case, the image of a leopard leaping and roaring at its prey is revealed not just to be a predatory gesture, but something they do because they find the freaked-out reactions of their prey too funny to resist. Of course, Larson's adventurers rarely enjoy long lives, so it may be this was the easiest way the leopards' victim could have gone.

5 Aerobics in Hell

Far Side's November 17, 1984 Comic

As iconic as this Far Side comic is, it's actually an unusual depiction of Hell in Gary Larson's comic: one where Hell's denizens are actually suffering. More often, it's the Damned who are winning, with graffiti and illicit food orders getting under Satan's skin.

Hell is the setting for a strip that Larson felt the need to apologize for - in the comic showing 'Hell's Video Store,' Larson depicts Ishtar as the only movie available to rent. Larson hadn't seen Ishtar at the time, admitting that he ultimately found it totally unobjectionable, and that "my cartoon was way off the mark." Even when Larson is trying to make his Hell seem bad, he can't quite manage it.

4 I'm Not Content

Far Side's November 28, 1984 Comic

In this surreal strip, one half of a cow couple grandly declares that she's no longer content in their relationship. The gag evokes the high melodrama of shows like Dallas or Dynasty, but this time with bovine protagonists. Cows are the iconic stars of The Far Side, with Larson using them for some of his silliest and most inventive comics.

Gary Larson loved depicting cows for how they combined tragedy and comedy, making it extra funny to place them in bizarre or even morbid scenarios.

3 Be Cool, Man!

Far Side's November 23, 1984 Comic

In Larson's world of anthropomorphized animals who retain their normal instincts, dogs can both ride bicycles and feel compelled to chase them down the street. Larson highlights this hilarious overlap, as the rider-dog tries to talk down his pursuer.

2 King Kong

Far Side's November 6, 1984 Comic

This strip recreates the iconic King Kong moment where the gigantic ape falls from the Empire State Building, revealing the unseen victim of the tragedy. It's an incredibly clear, simple gag that hinges on Kong's unintended victim being wildly unlucky to die from this once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, in The Complete Far Side, Larson shares a letter from a group of Shell employees who resolutely don't understand the gag, reading:

We don't feel that it can be as simple as "the gorilla fell on the dog's master, so what is the dog going to do now?" We are assuming that the gorilla is King Kong, but why is he lying down?

The next time you read a Far Side comic and think the joke would have worked without a caption, spare a thought for Larson's readers who just can't figure out the gag without a little extra help.

King Kong and Godzilla appear throughout The Far Side, with Larson finding a range of different jokes involving the gigantic movie monsters - most often built around the destructive effect they have on the world around them.

1 Organized Crime Informant

Far Side's November 21, 1984 Comic

In our favorite Far Side comic that just turned 40, an informant spilling the mob's secrets is accidentally exposed live on TV by a careless janitor. Organized crime appears throughout The Far Side, but usually it's shown to be ineffective and ultimately harmless.

However, one darker comic shows the potential fate of this informant now that his identity has been exposed - being 'mimed' to death in a genuinely messed-up punishment.

Those are the 10 funniest Far Side comics from November 2024 that just turned 40 - let us know your favorites in the comments below, and stay tuned to Screen Rant for more coverage of Gary Larson's genius comics.