12 Far Side Comics From 1982 That Make Readers Go "What The?"

Summary

• Gary Larson’s
  Far Side
  aimed to evoke “What-the?” reactions just as often as it sought to make readers laugh, resulting in its penchant for bizarre, inscrutable, and at times shocking comics.
• Readers often found themselves perplexed by
  Far Side
  panels, with Gary Larson’s unique brand of humor laving them scratching their heads, or laughing in befuddled surprise.
• Larson’s deliberate weirdness and darkness in his
  Far Side
  comics were designed to provoke immediate reactions, which he considered the most important thing as an artist.

According to creator Gary Larson, The Far Side was designed to do more than just make readers laugh – it was meant to test what he called their “What-the?” reflex, a driving artistic ethos that resulted in some of the strangest, most inscrutable installments in the legendary fifteen-year run of the syndicated comic strip.

During its time in publication, Far Side readers were just as likely to open their morning papers to the comic section and find a laugh-out-loud Far Side panel as they were one that confused, and even shocked them, or alternatively, one that left them thoroughly puzzled.

Larson was not shy about admitting that some of his most obtuse punchlines were as mystifying to him as they were to readers, but in each case, he believed that they would still get a reaction out of his audience – even if it left them asking “What-the?” and begging to know “Why?”

12 The Far Side’s “Absurdity” Came From Twisting The Familiar

First Published: January 25, 1982

The humor of The Far Side is often called “surreal,” “absurd,” and “downright bizarre,” and on any given day, it could be all of these things and more. Just as often, however, the comic provided a warped reflection of the familiar, as if reality had been filtered through the idiosyncratic mind of Gary Larson.

This is a great example, as one of The Far Side’s many men in trench coats tries to sell “hoofed animals“– depicted standing in the shadows of an alleyway, looking concerned – to a passerby on the street. While the real-life phenomenon Larson is representing is evident, the confluence of elements the artist has brought together here will have most readers asking “What-the?” before any guffaw or chuckle.

11 The Far Side’s “Darkness” Resulted From Gary Larson’s Refusal To Hold Back

First Published: February 15, 1982

With The Far Side, writer/artist Gary Larson was no stranger to criticism, something that he resolutely refused to let impact or alter his sensibilities. Instead, in addition to the “What-the?” reflex, Larson also produced panels that specifically targeted another reflex; these cartoons were expressly intended to make the reader exclaim “My god!”

This comic is a great example of both: a line of ants carry a nonplussed-looking infant toward their ant hill, clearly viewing it as food, only to be admonished that it won’t fit through the opening of their colony.The comic raises many equally unsettling and perplexing questions, which, by design, will have readers asking for – perhaps even demanding – answers, which are not likely to be forthcoming.

10 The Far Side’s “Weirdness” Was A Calculated Effort

First Published: March 15, 1982

Among the many memorable recurring elements that proliferated The Far Side during its run was Gary Larson’s regular inclusion of monsters. There was good reason for this – like all of Larson’s regular motifs, monsters represented exactly the kind of intrusion on reality that Gary Larson excelled at depicting.

This cartoon makes that literal, as two men sitting at a bar are interrupted by a horrifying monster – with multiple, angry-looking eyes, a pincer mouth, and razor-sharp claws –bursting through the wall. Though seemingly called forth by one of the men opening the wrong kind of beer, once again, this strip asks far more questions than it answers. While the panel, and The Far Side in general, undoubtedly qualify as “weird,” that weirdness always served a deliberate purpose, even if the purpose was not always overtly comedic.

9 Gary Larson’s “Punchlines” Weren’t Always A Laughing Matter

First Published: April 3, 1982

The Far Side frequently featured clowns, who naturally appeared in some of the strip’s goofiest entries. This is an example of a more subtle use of a clown character; while the joke of the panel will become evident upon closer examination, initially readers’ attention is drawn to the contrast between the conventionally-attired characters occupying most of the frame, and the solitary clown sitting in their midst, looking sly pleased with himself.

It is important to note that Gary Larson’s “What-the?” Far Side panels were not always entirely inscrutable – often the humor registered after a few moments, or after more detailed scrutiny. That said, Larson professed that the initial reaction to his work was the one that he prioritized, and for most, the first reaction to this comic will be “What-the?”

First Published: May 26, 1982

Throughout The Far Side, Gary Larson exhibited a keen ability to capture a single moment, frequently leaving readers to ponder questions such as “how did these characters get here?” and “what happens next?” Here, two men who are apparently spying on someone – with one depicted using a telescope, while the other has a pair of binoculars hanging from his belt – are in fact under surveillance themselves, as one sticks his face in front of a camera, and appears on a family’s big screen TV as they gather to watch him.

The scenario of this Far Side panel will leave as many readers scratching their heads as chuckling. The details of the cartoon are inexplicable – deliberately eschewing many the traditional “who” “what” and “why” of storytelling in a way that Gary Larson realized the comic medium was uniquely suited for.

7 The Far Side Regularly Left Readers Begging To Know “Why?”

First Published: June 2, 1982

This Far Side panel is a pure “What-the?” comic in the sense that it will invariably leave readers wondering how Gary Larson came up with the idea. Larson himself said that he didn’t know where his ideas came from; rather, he followed an intuitive creative sense, and trusted his sense of humor. Considering how many outright hilarious jokes came from this process, it is clear that the artist’s faith in himself was largely well-placed.

Still, even at times when a joke was obvious, as in this panel where the words “THIS SIDE UP” are painted in massive letters on Earth’s North Pole, it is clear that Larson’s intent was less to elicit uproarious laughter than to provoke a cautiously bemused chuckle, less at the humor of the Far Side comic than at its very existence in itself.

6 Gary Larson’s Warped “Slice Of Life Moments” Were A Staple Of The Far Side

First Published: July 14, 1982

Once more, the punchline of this Far Side comic lies in its inversion – or perhaps more aptly, subversion – of ideas and situations that readers would readily recognize. Here, a boy and his father stand in front of a pet shop window, as the boy pleads with his father to buy him “the little brown one.”

Were he pointing to a puppy, there might be little to distinguish this Far Side strip from a Norman Rockwell painting. Given that this is a Larson, however, and not a Rockwell, the boy is pointing at a snake instead. Certainly, snakes make beloved pets for many people, but just as many audience members are likely to look at this panel and think “What-the?”

5 Far Side Romances Were Some Of The Comic’s Biggest “What-the?” Moments

First Published: August 24, 1982

For readers acclimated to the quirks of The Far Side, who accepted that they were at the mercy of Gary Larson’s whims and caprices, anthropomorphized animals in unexpected situations became standard. In this panel, that serves as the foundation for an obvious joke, which gives way to a unique “What-the?” moment.

Far Side romances perhaps had a higher-than-average share of “What-the?” moments, but this one stands out; not just because of the illicit nature of a wolf-and-sheep love affair, but because of the wildly different way the characters are portrayed by the comic’s caption. While the wolf “worried excessively” about the societal implications of his love, “Agnes simply ate the flowers“ that had been presented to her. From concept, to execution, every stage of this cartoon will leave readers incredulous – but they will almost certainly have a smile on their face at the same time.

4 Leaving Readers Asking “What-the?” Was An Art Form For Gary Larson

First Published: September 6, 1982

Gary Larson was often self-deprecating about his skills as an illustrator, but his art – from his black-and-white pencil sketches, to panels rendered in fully-detailed color, such as this one – was much stronger than he gave himself credit for.

In some cases, however, Larson played with deliberately “bad” art; this is one example, as two characters are depicted in bed with their facial features askew, which is attributed to “morning face.” This is also another example of The Far Side’s penchant for tweaking the familiar to become something ridiculous – though rather than uproarious laughter, this one is more apt to result in raised eyebrows, in this case likely wondering how the author made the jump from “bed head” and “morning breath” to “morning faces.”

3 Far Side Comics Often Left Readers Wondering “What’s Going On Here?”

First Published: October 2, 1982

Once again, this Far Side panel takes a recognizable social situation and flips it. Here, a man insists on putting out a decoration in front of company – one that appears to be a lamp in the form of a disembodied head.

By design, readers’ attention will be drawn to the lamp, with its head drawn in the familiar style shared by many Far Side characters, but will quickly be left with a host of questions about the scene. Interestingly, Gary Larson noted that some of his Far Side comics originated as short stories before he “adapted” them into comic form; with that in mind, readers who find themselves asking “What-the?” upon viewing this comic might be comforted – if only slightly – to know that there may be more to it, even if it will remain inaccessible to them.

2 Even Gary Larson’s Most “Obvious” Jokes Left Readers Uncertain

First Published: November 8, 1982

The joke in this Far Side panel isn’t esoteric, or inscrutable – far from it, in fact, as a man drawn with an exaggeratedly-large nose points an accusatory finger at his wife and shouts: “Oh! Is that so?…Well you’ve got a big mouth!” The joke being, of course, that she is, in fact, drawn with an exceptionally big mouth.

This is another solid example of a Far Side comic where the “What-the?” rests not in the content of the comic’s humor itself, but in how Gary Larson arrived at the punchline. Larson had a knack for rendering the obvious in an unusual or unexpected way, but it was with panels of that nature, especially, that readers were frequently left confounded by the very existence of the cartoon itself.

1 Gary Larson’s Excelled At Making Readers Ask “What-the?”

First Published: December 9, 1982

This Far Side panel is likely get a solid “What-the?” out of readers because of the way that it completely takes for granted its own premise. The cartoon depicts a miniature-sized man sitting at a bar, working up the nerve to talk to an attractive, regular-sized woman next to him.

However, rather than his size being of concern, his internal monologue has him thinking: “Well here goes…If I just remember to act shy and vulnerable.“ Of course, these are not the predominant traits most barroom flirtations are built on – which in conjunction with the unspoken size disparity between the two, has the function of offering a double-punchline, yet at the same time another one that will have readers perplexed, even as they succumb to laughter.