8 Far Side Aliens You’ll Never Forget

Aliens were a staple of The Far Side from its humble beginning right up through the very end. Gary Larson had a particular vision when it came to his extraterrestrial characters, and over the years, he populated The Far Side galaxy with an eclectic mix of monsters sporting tentacles for appendages, eyes on stalks sprouting from their heads , and polka dots covering their bodies.

The humor of The Far Side was always out of this world, even at its most Earthbound, which made aliens a natural fit for Larson's humor. The artist's "outsider" perspective found a natural outlet in characters from beyond the solar system who could look at Earth, and its people, through unfamiliar eyes.

Larson's aliens shared a number of recurring trains, but at the same time each one tended to be just distinct enough to stand out. Later on, as readers will discover, Larson even hinted that the different aliens of The Far Side coexisted, and that they didn't necessarily get along. And of course, The Far Side's aliens routinely showed exactly what they thought of humanity, which tended to amount to "not much at all."

Earth, A Tourist Trap On The Far Side Of The Universe

First Published: November 15, 1980

In this early Far Side panel, Gary Larson lampoons tourists by asking "what if aliens came down and treated Earth like a cosmic tourist trap?" In the cartoon, one alien drapes a scarecrow's arm over its shoulder while another snaps a picture, with their flying saucer parked in the background.

The aliens here look like living potatoes, with thin legs that end in suction cup feet, and a single eye in the center of their head. This was the baseline extraterrestrial design that continued to evolve into all kinds of subspecies and offshoots over the next fifteen years of The Far Side.

Earth, A Small Blue Dot The Far Side's Giant Aliens Treat Like A Playground

First Published: October 26, 1982

This is one of The Far Side's funniest, darkest alien jokes. The aliens' ridiculous design is a key part of the humor. Their bodies are similar to the aliens in the previous comic, except these two are heavier set. And instead of one large eye, they have three small eyes. And they have large red lips. Plus, antennae on their heads.

Oh, and they're huge. The joke is that the one on the left is an adolescent, and it has captured two adolescent humans in a jar the same way those kids might catch fireflies, or some other insect. "This time punch some holes in the lid,'" the parental alien on the right says, implying a terrible fate for some previous human specimens.

Earthlings, Easy Targets For Cruel Intergalactic Pranks

First Published: December 13, 1984

This Far Side comic is wordless, though it does cheat ever-so-slightly, if you count onomatopoeia. In this case: "Zzz!" That is, the sound an alien laser gun would make as it fried an unfortunate human, if these aliens were actually invaders, rather than just practical jokers.

These Far Side aliens have light purple skin, with dark purple spots. Their heads culminate in two eyeballs on stalks, a recurring physiological feature on many of The Far Side's creatures from outer space. In this case, for the sake of the bit, they also have big mouths with rows of perfect teeth, so that they can laugh at the targets of their prank.

Alien Vacations Have The Same Problems As Human Trips

First Published: May 1, 1986

The "vacation slide-show" was a classic recurring Far Side set-up. Here, Larson applies it to a group of aliens, taking a familiar trope and putting an out of this world spin on it. Every family has a near-perfect vacation photo ruined by someone blinking. That's what happens to these Far Side aliens, whose predominant feature are their massive eyes.

Again, Gary Larson envisions extraterrestrials with an eyestalk, except this time with an improbably oversized eyeball. Of course, that's for the sake of the bit. This time, their mouths are just below the stalks, on their upper torsos. Again, the aliens have spots, akin to leopards.

The Far Side Confirms Earth Has The Worst Drivers

First Published: September 7, 1986

This is an intersection of two of Gary Larson's comedic obsessions: airplanes and aliens. The Far Side made some unforgettable airplane jokes, including this one, which is also in the running for The Far Side's most memorable alien design. In the cartoon, a flying saucer and a fighter jet fall out of the sky after a midair collision, as their respective pilots look at each other in disbelief.

Presumably, the human is the more shocked of the two, having to not only deal with the loss of his aircraft, but process the sight of a green alien with white spots, with tentacles in place of legs, claws for hands, a mouth full of jagged teeth, and half a dozen eyeballs in a cluster in the center of its face. It's certainly among the most inhuman and jarring aliens Larson ever created for The Far Side.

The Far Side Confirms The Rest Of The Universe Thinks Earth Is Garbage

First Published: June 12, 1988

Another extra-sized Far Side comic, and another example of a Far Side that needed no words ot be hilarious. Here, Gary Larson merges several different extraterrestrial traits we've observed in previous panels. Purple skin, with spots. And it's not just the panel here that is extra big, it's the alien too, which is gigantic compared to the tiny Moon lander it spears like a piece of trash.

Add a long, elephantine snout to that for good measure, and the result is one of The Far Side's most recognizable aliens. And it's a joke that speaks volumes about exactly how Larson perceives humanity's status in the universe. Together, those things put it solidly in contention for a slot on the "best Far Side comics ever" longlist.

Some Far Side Aliens Are More Equal Than Others

First Published: September 22, 1988

Once again, this Far Side joke remixes elements Gary Larson had played with previously. Giant aliens who treat humans like insects. Aliens with eyestalks. In this case, buck teeth that give the one alien on the right a goofy expression. What's really notable, if you're looking closely, is that these aliens actually have other types of Far Side aliens as specimens on the shelves behind them.

Yes, while the punchline is that a human hunter is being mauled by a bear in one terrarium, readers can also spot a recognizable Far Side alien with two eyestalks in a jar, as well as one with four eyestalks. It's a subtle nod to the variation of aliens in The Far Side universe, one hardcore fans of Larson's work will love.

This Far Side'Alien Shoots First, But It's A Justified Vaporization

First Published: June 22, 1993

This Far Side alien is similar to many that came before, but it does boast some unique qualities. It has an eyestalk, but its eye seems to be more insectoid than Gary Larson usually drew them. Its amorphous body ends in a mess of tentacles, and it noticeably boasts a bunch of "orifices" all over its torso, which it is extremely rude, and dangerous, to stick one's head in.

Especially to yell "jimmie crack-corn!" It's this intergalactic faux pas that gets one Far Side cowboy completely vaporized by the alien visitor, prompting other patrons in the saloon who witnessed the showdown to take the extraterrestrial's side. "Twarn't the alien's fault," one of them tells the law before the situation escalates further.

It's a Far Side joke readers won't soon forget, one that is made all the more memorable because of its unique alien character. Gary Larson clearly had as much fun drawing aliens as any of his other creative obsessions and recurring characters, making these Far Side cartoons an extra special part of his career in retrospect.