Gary Larson’s The Far Side never shied away from dark humor. Ever since its debut in 1980, the comic strip consistently featured people, who were often unsuspecting, in mortal peril. Sometimes, they were stranded on an island with no hope of escape, and sometimes, they were facing the end of the world, but either way, they were totally doomed.
Black comedy can be difficult to pull off, but Larson straddled the line between darkness and hilarity with ease. Things get bleak for residents of The Far Side, but even the darkest strips from the comic’s first year are consistently hilarious. That balance between grim and gut-bustingly funny helped propel The Far Side to success in 1980 and is part of why people are still laughing at it today.
10 The Far Side Proves Fishing Can Be Dangerous
Original Publication Date: Nov. 26, 1980
In the world of The Far Side, water is frequently deadly. Not only are there tons of Far Side comics about people lost at sea, but as this strip proves, even ordinary activities, like fishing, can put a person in danger. Nothing has happened to the people in this comic yet, but sea creatures like this one probably aren’t too happy about getting snagged by a fishing hook.
The first images of a giant squid in its habitat weren’t taken until 2004, so in 1980, when this comic was published, a massive squid like this was practically a mythological creature. Are these Far Side residents lucky for discovering a creature this rare or unlucky for what’s about to happen next? One thing’s for sure: they should have stayed on land.
9 These Far Side Residents Should Be Afraid of the Dark
Original Publication Date: Nov. 3, 1980
Being trapped in an elevator without power is bad enough, but for this group, the worst is yet to come. This Far Side comic takes place in a pitch-black elevator, and while only eyeballs and teeth are visible, it’s clear that at least one of the figures trapped there isn’t human. Something with three eyes and sharp teeth is in there with them, and it looks angry.
Like many of Gary Larson’s best comics, this strip manages to tell a story in a single panel. Did the monster cause the power outage when it entered the elevator, or was the creature’s true form revealed when the lights went out? There are a lot of questions left unanswered, but either way, this monster’s probably not planning to deliver a friendly introduction.
8 The Crocodiles Are Getting Hungry in The Far Side
Original Publication Date: Oct. 2, 1980
Feeding animals at the zoo is usually a bad idea, but as this Far Side comic proves, some creatures will go looking for food elsewhere if they’re hungry enough. This unfortunate gentleman just wanted a picture of some crocodiles, but it looks like he’s become their next meal instead. There’s a «Do Not Feed the Animals» sign in plain sight, but since crocodiles can’t read, it’s probably not doing much good.
You’re embarrassing me, Warren.
Getting eaten at the zoo is a pretty gruesome fate, but Gary Larson makes the situation funny by not taking it too seriously. Even though a man is being devoured, his companion is scolding him for being embarrassing. This guy is probably done for, but next time, the zookeepers should remember that to some predators, humans are food.
7 The Little Engine Could, But That Doesn’t Mean It Should
Original Publication Date: Aug. 30, 1980
The classic children’s story The Little Engine That Could has been around for more than a century. It was originally published way back in 1906, and since then, it’s been reprinted and republished many times. While most people have heard the tale of the determined train before, they probably haven’t seen the story play out like this.
Pop culture references were rare in The Far Side, but Gary Larson proves he’s a master of referential comedy with this darkly comedic comic. The little engine is huffing and puffing its way across the train tracks like usual, but it’s on a collision course with a tied-up woman. Hopefully, the train will get out of this without too much trauma.
6 Even Mail Can Be Dangerous in The Far Side
Original Publication Date: Jan. 17, 1980
Normally, sending someone a letter is one of the safest things that you can do, but in a place like The Far Side, anything can put someone in peril, even a mailbox. It’s hard to say exactly what’s lurking inside this mailbox, but based on the large pile of bones beneath it, it’s safe to say that whatever’s hiding in there isn’t friendly.
While this mailbox is an obvious death trap, the woman mailing a letter doesn’t seem to have noticed anything. How many people does this creature have to kill before the locals catch on? It’s not even trying to conceal the evidence of its crimes, so sooner or later, it’s going to have to move on to a new hiding spot. Maybe it can hide inside an animatronic dummy, Five Nights at Freddy‘s style.
5 In The Far Side, What Comes Up Must Go Down
Original Publication Date: Jan. 23, 1980
Normally, seeing a bird up close would be a highlight of a hot air balloon ride. Unfortunately, in this dark Far Side comic, the bird is about to send two people plummeting to their deaths. The bird looks like it’s about to start pecking at the balloon, and its beak looks sharp enough to make a pretty big hole. Mountains are visible in the distance, so this pair is pretty high up, and they’re about to come crashing down.
Most of the time, people in Far Side comics don’t realize they’re doomed, but in this comic, the characters can see exactly what’s coming. It looks like they’re trying to get the bird to stop, but it doesn’t seem to notice or care. Maybe they could have saved themselves if they’d brought along some birdseed.
4 Don’t Try Shallow Diving, Even If You're Not in the Far Side
Original Publication Date: Mar. 17, 1980
Shallow diving, where people try to dive into the shallowest water imaginable, is one of the most extreme sports of all time. It’s a risky activity under any circumstances, and as this Far Side comic proves, it doesn’t take much for things to go wrong. This daredevil was about to attempt a dive into a bucket, but thanks to a well-meaning cleaning lady, he’s on a collision course with the ground.
Diving into a bucket this tiny seems like it was a bad idea to begin with, so whatever happens next probably isn’t the cleaning crew’s fault. Both the diver and the audience seem to have realized that something went wrong, so now all they can do is wait for the comic’s grim conclusion. Fortunately, Gary Larson has left the aftermath of the jump to the reader’s imagination.
3 In The Far Side, Food Delivers Itself
Original Publication Date: Feb. 1, 1980
Food delivery services can make life much easier, especially when the food delivers itself. This Far Side mountain climber might think he’s getting closer to the summit, but in reality, he’s taking himself right to a pair of hungry bears. Worst of all, the bears probably aren’t going to bother to leave him a tip, even though he’s giving them excellent service.
Gary Larson has always loved jokes about talking animals, and this strip makes it easy to see why. A person being eaten by bears is undeniably horrible, but when the animals are cracking jokes about it, it’s hard not to laugh. This might be one of the darkest Far Side comics of all time, but at least the bears are getting a happy ending.
2 Surrealism Meets Black Comedy in The Far Side
Original Publication Date: Apr. 23, 1980
People like to say that puns are the lowest form of humor, but they probably haven’t read this Far Side strip. In this comic, Gary Larson depicts a school of scissorfish as a group of living scissors, and the result is hysterical. The idea of scissors swimming through the sea is already pretty funny, and Larson takes things to a new level by showing them about to cut a diver’s line.
The diver might be able to swim back to the surface, but since he’ll have to get through an army of scissors, it probably won’t go well. The Far Side is famous for its absurd humor, but this comic proves that Larson can handle comedy in all its forms. It’s got pun, visual gags, surrealism, and shows someone in mortal danger. How many comics can do all that in a single panel?
1 These Far Side Characters Are About to Row Their Boat Too Far
Original Publication Date: Mar. 11, 1980
«Row, Row, Row Your Boat» is a classic nursery rhyme and round that people have been singing along to since the 1800s. The tune shows up constantly in pop culture and has appeared in everything from Star Trek V to the second Power Rangers movie. It’s a song that most people have sung before, but The Far Side manages to make it feel new by steering it into hilariously dark waters.
Gary Larson doesn’t pull any punches here. Not only does this Far Side comic show a boat full of singing people about to plunge down a waterfall, but most of the people in the boat appear to be children. Some readers might think he took the joke too far, but The Far Side‘s willingness to make anyone and everything a punchline is part of the reason that comics from 1980 still hold up today.
