The Far Sidewas published in newspapers, and its success stemmed from the fact that it made turning to the funny pages an unexpected adventure for readers, an experience that is replicated in some of Gary Larson’s cartoons. Over the years, Larson turned the ordinary act of reading the paper into something over-the-top.
Larson’s newspaper punchlines exhibit the “Americana” and “slice-of-life” qualities ofThe Far Side, with the expected surreal and ridiculous twists that the cartoon’s humor constantly threw at audiences.
Newspapers might not be the institution they once were, but theseFar Sidepanels have held up remarkably well in the decades since their publication.
10"This Thing In The Paper": The Far Side Takes An Everyday Occurrence And Makes It Out Of This World
First Published: June 16, 2025
“Did you see this thing in the paper?” It’s a question that used to be common in households across the globe, the equivalent of asking someone today if an eye-catching headline showed up in their newsfeed. In thisFar Sidepanel, though, “thing” becomes literal, as a man turns the page in his morning newspaper to find an alien creature between the pages.
As much as anyFar Sidecartoon, this one is exemplary ofGary Larson’s ability to convert figurative language into literal scenariosin the most ridiculous way possible. Adding to the humor, in another one of Larson’s trademark moves, is the casual way in which his character reacts to something outrageous and unexpected.
9"Did He Respond?" Reading The Morning Paper Takes A Tragic Turn In This Far Side Panel
First Published: June 07, 2025
In this incrediblydarkFar Sidecartoon, a woman is cuffed and questioned by detectives for murdering her husband with a shotgun blast. In fact, she blew a hole straight through the newspaper he refused to stop reading, even when she threatened him with the business end of a loaded weapon.
Here, Gary Larson takes the idea of a domestic dispute to its extreme, in a panel that epitomizesThe Far Side’sbrand of “shock” humor. As far as a punchline goes, the officer’s obtuse question of “did he respond?” adds a jarring note of gallows humor to an otherwise bleak scenario.
8"Ghost Newspapers": The Far Side Hilariously Shouts Out Its Competitors On The Funny Pages
First Published: August 10, 2025
Captioned “ghost newspapers,” thisFar Sidecartoon gives readers a glimpse of the spooky equivalent of the funny pages, which features comic strips such as"Deathnuts," in lieu ofPeanuts,“Doonsburied,” as opposed toDoonesbury, “Ricky the Roadkilled Squirrel,” “Marmadead,” and, in a typically Larsonian self-referential touch, “The Other Side,” instead ofThe Far Side.
This is perhaps one of Gary Larson’s most underrated jokes. The obvious surface-level bit, that all the panels feature invisible characters, is certainly amusing, but it is the references to other comics, which take a closer look to fully grasp, that really elevate this into an all-time greatFar Sidepanel.
First Published: Jul 02, 2025
Captioned “hopeful parents,” thisFar Sidecartoon features a Mom and Dad watching their young son play video games, while they both wistfully imagine the “Help Wanted"section of a newspaper from the far-flung year of 2005, when he would be an adult, which is full of employers seeking skilled video game players.
The joke is amusing, but the truly funny thing about this comic, in retrospect, is that it wasn’t far off. Today, many people monetize playing video games, and while that wasn’t quite the case in ‘05, two decades later this holds up as one ofGary Larson’s most unexpectedly prescientFar Sidepunchlines.
6"Couch Cobra”: The Far Side Reminds Readers To Look Up From The Newspaper Once And Awhile
First Published: July 27, 2025
In thisFar Sidecartoon, a man absentmindedly strolls into his living room, nose buried in the day’s newspaper. It seems he’s headed for the comfort of his couch, not realizing that a “deadly couch cobra,” the exact same coloration as his furniture, is “coiled and alert” on the cushions, suggesting disaster is about to strike in the moments following this panel.
This is a great example ofThe Far Side’sabsurd mash-up of nature and civilization. The newspaper isn’t the gag itself here, but rather serves a critical role in service of a larger punchline. In fact, this was the most common use of the paper inThe Far Side, and this is one of the funniest incarnations of the technique.
5"You’re So Morbid": The Far Side Pokes Fun At People Who Turn Straight To The Obituaries
First Published: June 12, 2025
“You’re so morbid,” a skunk wife says to her husband, as he scans the “Roadkills” page of “The Small Mammal Mirror,” which has headlines such as “Possum Crushed, Not Faking,” and “Rabbit Pancaked on I-90.” Also among the dead is another skunk, though whether it is one the characters know goes unstated.
“The paper comes, and that’s the first section you always head for,” the wife complains, in a hilarious reflection of some newspaper readers' habit of checking the obituaries before the big news of the day. As silly as thisFar Sidepanel is, it is also surprisingly relatable, especially for older readers.
4"The Squirrel Sentinel": The Far Side Envisions The Squirrel Equivalent Of Hitting The Jackpot
First Published: June 23, 2025
In thiscaptionlessFar Sidepanel, a squirrel sits in its den and reads a story in the “The Squirrel Sentinel” about a lucky lottery winner, who is hilariously depicted in a photo in the paper standing next to a giant acorn, the wild rodent equivalent of a human winner’s oversized, ceremonial check.
This is the kind ofFar Sidepunchline that creeps up on readers; it might just seem amusing at first, but think about it more, and it becomes laugh-out-loud ridiculous. It is a Gary Larson joke that will stick in readers' minds, even if it is not as ostentatious or outrageous as some other memorableFar Sidecartoons.
3"The Hell Tribune": The Far Side’s Newspaper Parodies Rank Among Its Smartest Jokes
First Published: June 03, 2025
In thisFar Sidetrip to hell, a devil reads “The Hell Tribune,” in another panel that perfectly shows off Gary Larson’s ability to come up with parody headlines. Here, they include “Angel Spy Captured in South Tunnel, Heaven Denies Involvement,” “Man Caught With Squirtgun,” and “Will We Freeze Over? New Evidence.”
It might not seem like it at first glance, but panels like this represent some of Gary Larson’s smartest humor. His ability to capture the essence of the experience of reading a newspaper while filtering it through a particular lens, in this case the depths of perdition, is a testament to the cleverness at the heart ofThe Far Side.
2"Comics Reportedly Getting Smaller': The Far Side Responds To Changes In The Publishing Industry
First Published: June 06, 2025
Here, two oversizedFar Sidecharacters are cramped in the confines of the cartoon’s panel, which is explained by the headline on the back page of the newspaper they’re reading: “Comics Reportedly Getting Smaller.” This lightlymeta-Far Sidejokereferences the real downsizing of the funny pages in late ’80s papers, which was done by publishers as a cost-cutting measure.
Larson lightly pokes fun at this here, drawing his characters larger than he normally would, as though they cannot fit within the new reduced measurements of his panels. It is a tongue-in-cheek joke in whichThe Far Sideacknowledges the issue, while also seeming to state that it won’t be a concern for the cartoon itself.
1"Spider Personals": The Far Side Reveals The Perils Of Looking For Love As An Arachnid
First Published: Jun 03, 2025
Spiders wereFar Sideregulars, and in this classic cartoon, an arachnid turns to the “Personals” section of the paper looking for love, only to find that all the ads have been placed by black widows, proving that it is hard to find a mate that isn’t going to be fatal.
The joke is taken to an absurd level by the sheer number of ads, covering every available inch of page space. Like many of the best cartoons collected here, it perfectly uses the over-the-shoulder POV, allowing the reader to read along with the character, briefly immersing them in the uproarious world ofThe Far Side.
