Gary Larson’sThe Far Sideis famous for its unique and absurd takes on animals, often featuring anthropomorphic creatures in surreal situations that land with a comedic punch. While anyone who knows Larson knows he loves cows, dogs, and cats, there’s another recurring animal that shows up just as often in his strips: rats.
There’s nothing as disgusting or anxiety-inducing as finding rat droppings in your house, as it usually signals a rat infestation, something that can spiral out of control quickly. Most people respond by rushing out to buy traps or calling an exterminator. But these 10Far Sidecomics might just give you a new perspective on rats and their lives…or they might confirm that you were absolutely right to buy those traps.
105 Cents Per Rat
A Vending Machine Cats Would Love
While gumball machines are becoming scarcer as time goes on, most of us remember the euphoria of our parents giving us a quarter to get a gumball, candy, or small toy. There was something infinitely exciting about not knowing exactly what you’d get. InThe Far Side,Larson puts a hilarious twist on this childhood memory by swapping the candy for rats, andthe target customer is clearly a cat. Instead of brightly colored sweets, the machine is filled with live rats, ready for feline enjoyment. It’s a dark but clever take that perfectly captures Larson’s signature absurd and morbid sense of humor.
9Sacrifice Via Mouse Trap
The Volcano Trope Gets a Rodent Remix
A common trope in 20th-century films involves ritualistic sacrifices, often with a hero or innocent about to be thrown into a volcano.Larson reimagines this trope in the world of rats, where the sacrifice is made not to a volcano, but to the dreaded mousetrap. In the comic, a rat is dressed in ceremonial garb, surrounded by others chanting as he’s led toward the trap. It hilariously parallels human sacrifice rituals in pop culture while transforming the mousetrap into a feared altar. Larson uses the familiar to create something both disturbing and laugh-out-loud funny in the context of rodent society.
8Rat Poison in the Cereal Cabinet
A Dark Domestic Irony
This is one of Larson’s more iconic rat comics, offering a glimpse into domestic life from a rodent’s perspective. A husband rat reads his newspaper at the breakfast table whilehis wife pulls a box of rat poison from the cereal cabinet.She casually remarks,“You know, it’s really dumb to keep this right next to the cereal… In fact, I don’t even know why we keep this stuff around in the first place.”The absurdity comes from the idea that rats would knowingly store poison in their kitchen. Larson finds humor in the casual coexistence with danger, adding irony to everyday rat-life.
7When Your Cellmate’s a Pack Rat
What NOT to Do When Your a Criminal Pack Rat
We’ve all heard jokes about rats in prison, but Larson takes that concept in a literal and ridiculous direction. In this comic, a rat shares a jail cell with a human and confesses he would have gotten away with his crime if he hadn’t kept the evidence. The reason? He’s a“pack rat,”and throwing things away goes against his nature. It’s a perfect pun brought to life visually, with the rat venting about his instincts backfiring. The humor comes not only from the wordplay but from the image of a human and rat sharing prison lifeas though it’s completely normal.
6These Aren’t the Rats You’re Looking For
Rodent Disguise Tactics at Work
ThisFar Sidecomic suggests ratsare more aware of exterminators than we think. When a pest control man from Al’s Rat Control knocks on the door, he’s met by an odd sight:a group of rats stacked on top of each other, dressed in human clothes.They claim they’ve changed their minds about needing extermination services. It’s a hilarious attempt at survival, with the rats trying their best to pass as a human. The comic is classic Larson: ridiculous and oddly believable in its world. We never find out if their plan works, but the visual alone sells the entire joke.
5When the Cat’s Away, the Mice Will… Study???
Subverting an Old Saying
There’s a well-known saying:“When the cat’s away, the mice will play.”However, Larson flips this idea on its head in this comic. Instead of goofing off, a group of mice are shown quietly studying. One rat, clearly annoyed by the lack of fun, says,“Aw, c’mon you guys—the cat’s away and everyone’s so dead serious.”It’s a literal and subversive take on the old proverb, suggesting that in Larson’s world, rats use their free time for serious pursuits.The joke lands through the unexpected twist, highlighting Larson’s talent for twisting clichés into strange and thoughtful absurdity.
4NOTICE: Banned Items Include Mouse Traps
A TSA Line No Rat Wants to Be In
Anyone who’s flown on a plane knows the hassle of going through airport security, complete with long lines and lists of banned items. In this comic, Larson imagines a rat version of airport security where one rat triggers the scanner while trying to carry a mousetrap. One would assume that, like weapons in the human world, traps are among the banned items in rat airports.The humor comes from seeing this very human experience translated into the rodent world, with the added irony that the banned object is lethal to them. It’s a funny, detailed gag that makes you think twice about what airport stress looks like for rats.
3The Domestic Disputes of Rats
Home Life in a Literal Rat Hole
One of Larson’s signature moves is applying human behavior to animals, and in this comic,he tackles the classic sitcom trope of a nagging wife and lazy husband.The scene features two rats in a cluttered home, with the wife complaining about the mess. The husband, unfazed, responds,“Crimony, it’s supposed to be a rathole!”His logic is flawless. After all, they are rats. The humor lies in the reversal: while humans use"rathole"as a metaphor for messiness, for rats, it’s quite literal. Larson takes a tired domestic stereotype and breathes new life into it through perfect animal placement.
2Nobody Wants to Grow Up to Be a Lab Rat
School Dropout Talk Takes a Rodent Turn
This comic reimagines a familiar human experience: the parental lecture about the importance of staying in school. A rat mother scolds her child, warning him about dropping out and using his father as a cautionary example. The father, visibly deformed and frazzled, is a“career lab rat.”The joke is sharp and funny, flipping the human trope of becoming a“career criminal”into something biologically grim for rodents. It’s a great example of how Larson uses animals to parody serious human conversations, and the result is both darkly humorous and unexpectedly clever. It’s a career path no rat (or human) would ever envy.
1Save the Cheese!
It’s a Hard Knock Life for Rats
This comic follows a commonFar Sidepattern, where a rat’s impending death serves as the punchline. A husband and wife rat return home to find a mousetrap set with cheese. The wife tells him to get rid of the contraption, but to save the cheese. The punchline is implied by trying tosave the cheese, the husband will almost certainly trigger the trap and die. It’s a morbid joke, but a classic Larson setup: a minor misjudgment leading to an obvious and avoidable fate. You can’t help but laugh, even as you feel sorry for the doomed little guy. So, which rat-starringFar Sidecomic was your favorite?
