Over the years, the comics of The Far Side have covered pretty much every subject imaginable, from aliens to insects and everything in between. Naturally, Gary Larson has had quite a bit of fun portraying the supernatural, with dozens of comics focused on ghosts and haunted houses. The concept is ideal for creepy dark humor, which is something Larson excels at.
These comics are full of haunting horrors and terrified ghosts, which may make for an odd mixture, but it’s the sort of thing that fans of The Far Side are familiar with. The absurdist humor works well, telling different tales with unique punchlines.
10 Everyone Wants to Know How Bob's Doing
First Published: March 23, 1981
«Hey, Bob! So how’s death been treating you?»
Learning the nuances of life after death must be challenging. Perhaps that is why this group of ghosts has gathered–to celebrate their continued existence and to check in on their newest spectral member, Bob. Okay, there really isn’t any way for readers to know that Bob is newly dead, but at least one ghost is very interested in getting an update on how this ghost is doing.
Party banter can always be a bit awkward, so there are always fallback questions. It’s likely that this is the start of small talk for ghosts, but it’s still nice to know that somebody is checking in on Bob. Here’s hoping that, however long he’s been dead, things are going well for him.
9 This Spooky Trope Just Doesn't Work
First Published: December 29, 1986
«Carl, maybe you should just leave your flashlight off. We’re trying to scare these kids, not crack ’em up.»
There are a few staples in horror and comedies about horrors. One such staple is that, at some point in the night, somebody will pick up a flashlight and hold it under their chin. Why? Well, supposedly it makes them look spooky, but often it just makes them look downright silly. Apparently, nobody ever bothered to tell Carl how he looked when doing this trick.
This comic portrays two kids sneaking into a haunted house, and little do they know what is hiding right around the corner. Two skeletal-looking ghosts are preparing to create quite the scare, though Carl is stubbornly bringing along his flashlight. To be fair, their faces are fairly ghastly, so the trick might actually work for these two.
8 The Troubles of Ghostly Courtship
First Published: August 21, 1981
«Sure, I like her … but she doesn’t even know I exist.»
Everyone knows how hard it is to approach a romantic interest. It’s ten hundred times harder when that person is blissfully unaware of the person interested in them. It’s a classic romantic comedy trope, and apparently, it’s a common problem for ghosts, too. That’s not terribly surprising when it’s a tale of a ghost falling in love with a living person, but that’s not how this story unfolds.
This comic is all about one lovestruck ghost, who openly admits to liking another ghost. Her makeup is fantastic, so it’s hard to blame him there. Unfortunately, the object of his affection has no idea he exists, and that’s going to make courting her a bit more challenging. He’ll have to collect some courage and actually approach her.
7 These Ghosts Keep Bumping Into Everything!
First Published: March 6, 1986
«Clumsy ghosts»
Comedy sketches have made it pretty clear what sort of damage a clumsy person can cause, especially in an older house. However, imagine how much more terrifying it would be if the clumsy person in question were invisible. That’s the tale Larson imagines here, as one incredibly clumsy ghost wanders around a haunted house.
Is it possible that The Far Side is onto something here? What if all Poltergeists are actually clumsy ghosts? Maybe they’re not actually trying to toss things around the room, but helpfully redecorate, to disastrous results? While that doesn’t seem all too likely, it is entertaining to think about. However, the maid and cat portrayed in this comic are probably not inclined to agree with that statement.
6 The Cat Scared the Ghosts
First Published: June 23, 1980
«Thank God! … It was only a cat!»
Every cat owner has likely experienced bolting up in the middle of the night to a terrifying sound, only to learn it was their cat doing nightly zoomies. With time, most cat owners even get desensitized to these nocturnal noises, and it becomes a bit of a running joke. Well, Larson didn’t make a joke about that, but he did take the foundation and flip it on its head.
This comic portrays two ghosts who have been spooked by a cat! The reversal is quite funny. The cat in question has, naturally, flipped a flower pot off the dresser, because that’s what cats do. It’s good to know that even ghosts can get spooked by strange sounds in the night.
5 It's Always the People With Titles Who Become Ghosts
First Published: October 1, 1985
«The ghost of Baron Rudolph von Guggenheim, 16th-century nobleman murdered by the Countess Rowena DuBois and her lover (believed to be the Duke of Norwood), falls into Edna’s bean dip.»
Why does it always feel like ghosts are depicted as hailing from the 1800s? For that matter, why do these ghosts often have incredibly long titles, made worse by the circumstances surrounding their deaths? It’s a trope, and admittedly society has had some fun with poking holes in this concept. While a modern-day ghost would be quite terrifying, it’s also pretty funny to try and picture what trope they’d fall under.
This comic from The Far Side pokes fun at the tendency for ghosts to come with long titles and strange means of death. In this case, the ghost is quite old, and he was murdered by his wife’s lover. However, he lost all his dignity when he fell into Edna’s bean dip. Gross.
4 The Ghost Riders are in the Kitchen!
First Published: August 8, 1986
«Henry! Hurry or you’re gonna miss it–ghost riders in the kitchen!»
These days, most people hear the phrase «ghost rider» and think of the Marvel character. However, the term is generic enough to mean many things, including ghostly cowboys. Enter this comical little take from The Far Side, which shows two ghost riders (at least) herding a bunch of cows through one family’s kitchen. An unlikely scenario, but that’s Larson for you.
On the bright side, the wife is taking the whole thing quite well and is calling for her husband to come see it. This must be a common enough occurrence to have lost all the horror, but not common enough for Henry to have seen it. It feels in keeping with a few modern jokes and appearances of ghosts.
3 The Creepiest Ghosts Always Have Chains
First Published: January 18, 1982
«This is just not effective. … We need to get some chains.»
Paranormal fans are well aware that chains and ghosts have a long history. There are lots of theories about why humanity loves to show ghosts weighed down by chains, and it isn’t hard to guess at a few of them. However, Larson posits a different reason for these spectral chains. Perhaps the reason is as simple as chains are spookier. Sometimes the answer doesn’t have to be profound.
In The Far Side, two ghosts can be seen floundering in their tasks. Their latest attempt to scare some humans using two horns didn’t work well, so they’re considering trying a classic. Chains! Chains are a great spooky resource for ghosts, with all the clinking and the implications. Of course, that’s why they’re so often used.
2 The Poultrygeist Strikes Again!
First Published: August 5, 1988
«Aaaaaaaaaaaaa! Earl! … We’ve got a poultrygeist!»
Gary Larson is known for his satirical comics and his puns. It seems that nothing is off limits for this cartoonist, not even ghosts and poltergeists. Sorry, poultrygeists. Yes, that’s right. This comic portrays a chick coop getting harassed by the horrible poultrygeist. The farmer’s wife is absolutely panicking, but realistically, the chickens have this one a lot worse.
How does one get a poultrygeist on their property? Is it the ghost of an angry chicken? No, that doesn’t feel right. What about a farmhand wanting vengeance? That’s more probable, but maybe not likely for smaller farms. Regardless of how this poultrygeist came to be, it’s easy to feel bad for the poor chickens that got caught in the crosshairs.
1 Raising the Dead Is Never Easy
First Published: March 27, 1990
«Oh, I don’t know. Billy’s been having trouble in school, and Sally’s always having some sort of crisis. I tell you, Edith, it’s not easy raising the dead.»
There have been hundreds of comics, books, shows, and the like portraying how challenging it is to raise children. It’s a relatable topic, after all. Everyone was once a child, and many go on to have their own families. The circle of life and all that. It makes for good content. Of course, The Far Side isn’t going to tell that story in the usual way.
It would seem that raising the dead is just as hard as raising a family, if not harder. One exhausted ghostly mother can be seen venting to a friend about her ghost-children’s problems. Yes, that’s right. Larson went for another ghostly pun, and at this point, nobody is all that surprised. Since it’s a solid pun, readers aren’t complaining.
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