Summary
- Far Side comics portray dogs in outrageous scenarios that reveal humorous insights into their behavior.
- Gary Larson’s panels often blend anthropomorphism and humor to provide a unique perspective on canines.
- Through dark humor and exaggerated situations, Larson captures the essence of man’s best friend in a comical light.
With the recent revelation that Gary Larson’s “Talking Dogs” comic is scientifically accurate, fans of the long-running strip can’t help but look back on some of Far Side‘s other great canine panels. With their lovable demeanor and puzzling behavior, dogs were always one of the comic genius’ favorite subjects to goof on.
Whether they were plotting against the mailman or trying to get the house cat, Far Side‘s resident pooches never failed to get readers laughing. Though Larson penned dozens of panels about man’s best friend, only the very best have readers barking with laughter to this day.
10 Funniest Far Side Comics Starring Apes
The Far Side’s absurd world depicted a thriving animal kingdom, with apes & gorillas of all sizes appearing in many of Gary Larson’s funniest strips.
15 Even A Puppy Can’t Disrespect The Boss Like That
First Published: February 13, 1980
This Far Side panel also stands out as an oblique movie reference, something Gary Larson loved to do throughout the comic’s historic run. “He bit the godfather,” the caption reads, as a trio of mafiosos stand on a bridge watching a dog – weighed down with cement shoes – plummet toward the surface of a river.
Not only is this an example of a dark Far Side installment where one character is totally doomed, it also brazenly pokes fun at the popular conception the mafia, who remained at powerful force at the time of the comic’s publication.
14 Hopefully This Sled Racer Has Pet Insurance
First Published: March 27, 1980
In this panel, Gary Larson skillfully remixes a common problem for car owners, by depicting it as an issue for a sled-dog driver. “Egads…another flat!” the man on the sled cries out, as all the air has gone out of one of his dogs.
What makes this panel especially brilliant are the contrasting looks on the other dog’s faces, with the leader of the pack looking entirely indifferent, while the others stare at their deflated comrade in evident horror. The human on the sled, meanwhile, cries out in indignation familiar to any driver whose tires need to be replaced.
13 Somebody Should Tail This Customer Around The Store
First Published: May 14, 1980
“Keep your eye on that guy…” one butcher says to another in this strip, leaning on the deli counter and gesturing to a suspicious character in the foreground of the frame. “He hasn’t said or bought a thing for over an hour.“
This is one of Gary Larson’s signature multilayered jokes. The “guy” is in fact a dog, meaning he can’t say anything. However, the suspicion the speaker treats him with is warranted, as the dog – wearing a trenchcoat, and hunched over in suspect posture – is certainly there to pilfer some unsanctioned meats.
12 Rubbing His Nose In It Afterward Won’t Help
The front lawn was often a scene that Larson returned to again and again, and in the panel, he shows off his artistic ability to draw the reader’s eye across the page.
Dogs aren’t always the most graceful animals, and their destructive behavior has spelled doom for many pieces of furniture over the years. The “Blow Up the House” panel shows off Larson’s signature skill for exaggeration and makes it very clear what some people think about dogs in the house.
The front lawn was often a scene that Larson returned to again and again, and in the panel, he shows off his artistic ability to draw the reader’s eye across the page. The visual of a dog standing over a dynamite plunger is funny enough as it is, but the reaction of the dog’s owner is what really puts it over the top.
11 This Dog Isn’t Going To Like What’s On The Test
First Published: May 25, 1985
Larson’s impact on comedy can’t be overstated, but some of his darkest Far Side panels show that his humor was a bit blacker than his contemporaries. Featuring two dogs talking, the “Tutored” panel is a thinker that ends with a sidesplitting punchline that says a lot about the trusting nature of dogs.
Always looking on the bright side of life, the poor dog who’s about to be snipped seems to think he’s in for something good. Like a classic case of pride coming before the fall, the comic’s true humor comes from the fact that the dog in the car is bragging to his friend without realizing the dark twist of fate he is about to endure.
10 This Whole Court Is Out Of Order
First Published: September 28, 1985
One of the oldest cartoon setups is the never-ending struggle between cats and dogs, and Larson used that premise to the fullest in Far Side. Set in a courtroom, the “Cat Killer?” comic is one that gets funnier the longer the reader takes to analyze it.
Not only is the lawyer’s impassioned plea hilarious, but it is made doubly so by the fact that he is preaching to a crowd exclusively composed of cats. As if that wasn’t a perfect joke on its own, Larson really puts punctuation on the panel by including the goofiest-looking dog he could conjure up as the supposed perpetrator. The funniest Far Side comics have only gotten funnier, and the “Cat Killer” panel is no exception.
9 Not All Dogs Go To Heaven
First Published: June 8, 1986
Larson wasn’t afraid to show the darker side of man’s best friend, and he often tapped into the canine’s deepest darkest fears.
Though dogs are heavenly creatures, Larson wasn’t afraid to show the darker side of man’s best friend, and he often tapped into the canine’s deepest darkest fears. “Dog Hell” combined two of Larson’s favorite muses in the form of the underworld and dogs, and he presents the reader with a unique vision of the bad half of the afterlife.
Casting the dogs as mail carriers and cleaners, the iconic writer conjured up the perfect biblical punishment for the angelic species of pets. Of course, since dogs are beloved by the writer, their hell isn’t too dark, and their fitting punishment is a much lighter sentence than many of his human characters who wind up in the underworld.
8 The Far Side Manages To Make Vandalism Cute
Any time Larson gave dogs the attributes of humans readers were in for a treat, and it was especially funny when their human-like behavior had a typically canine spin on it. Showing the lengths dogs will go to intimidate cats, the “Dog Threats” panel proves that even the toughest dog is still lovable.
The note is a mish-mash of dog gibberish and the satisfied look on the dog’s face as he runs away is a testament to Larson’s subtle artistic skill. If the reader stops to ponder the scene for a moment, they are treated to a particularly humorous mental image of a dog trying to compose a threatening note and only coming away with incomprehensible barking.
7 Gary Larson Provides A Primer On The Moods Of An Irish Setter
The best Gary Larson comics were always simple but effective, and many of his dog-centric
Far Side
panels could get the biggest laughs with the smallest amount of effort.
The best Gary Larson comics were always simple but effective, and many of his dog-centric Far Side panels could get the biggest laughs with the smallest amount of effort. “Moods of an Irish Setter” is Larson’s love letter to the breed of dog, and the use of repetition is comedy gold.
The joke isn’t complicated, and the punchline is old, but the image of seeing the same goofy look on every dog’s face, despite their emotion, is genius. Any reader who has ever interacted with an Irish setter can attest to their unflappable demeanor and the panel is a treat from one dog owner to another.
6 Canine Nervous Systems Can’t Handle That Much Caffeine
Not limiting himself to only one breed of dog to spoof, Larson spread the love around and made comics that appealed to the owners of all kinds of dogs. Using negative space extremely effectively in the panel, readers of the “Nervous Little Dogs” panel eventually find what they’re looking for in the form of a coffee-addicted dachshund.
Attempting to explain the jittery nature of smaller dog breeds, Larson posits that it is a heaping helping of coffee that keeps their energy high. Never one to stray from absurdity, the visual humor of the panel is accentuated by the image of a seemingly helpless little dog working in the kitchen and making itself a cup of java.
5 Gary Larson Explores The Canine/Human Language Barrier
First Published: October 25, 1983
One of the things that made Far Side an iconic comic strip in the ’80s and ’90s was that it found a balance between absurdity and relatability unlike many of its contemporaries. The incredibly humorous dog panel shows an owner berating his pet, and it even clues the reader in on what the dog hears when receiving such a dressing down.
Ever the social prognosticator, Larson’s take on the situation is actually pretty accurate to the way the dog’s brain works, and it makes sense that the only word it would recognize would be its name. Despite its plausibility, the comic doesn’t lose any of its humor because every dog owner has reached an impasse with their canine pal and couldn’t get through to them.
4 This Dog Isn’t Going To Take It Anymore
The motivation of dogs is pretty straightforward, and there is no denying that canines are entirely food-motivated above all else. In “Hey Bucko”, Larson presents a dog that has been pushed too far and has taken drastic measures to get the one thing it wants above all else.
With pistol in paw, the dog goes full Dirty Harry in its pursuit of food and the startling image is exactly what made Larson so unique. The befuddled look on the faces of the human characters makes the panel even funnier, and the message is clear even without the humorous caption that Larson tags onto the panel.
3 The Far Side Reveals What Dogs Are Actually Saying
Even if he had fun with his dog characters and depicted them in a negative light sometimes, it was abundantly clear that Larson had a loving affinity for man’s best friend. Standing as a testament to Larson’s creative genius, the “Dog Translator” panel is the quintessential tale from the Far Side.
After a brilliant scientific breakthrough, Professor Schwartzman’s device is rendered useless by the fact that dogs have nothing of note to say. Highlighting their friendly demeanor, all the dogs in the neighborhood are greeting the scientist with friendly hellos, and the panel is as heartwarming as it is hilarious.
2 Santa Didn’t Do His Research On This House
The Far Side often didn’t need a caption to tell a story, or deliver an effective punchline. In this wordless panel, a Dobermann – notorious for being employed as guard dogs – waits with its snout pointed up the fireplace, as Santa Claus’ foot sticks through the chimney.
The suggestion that Santa is about to finally get his due for years of trespassing, by being attacked by this vigilantly protective canine, is a great example of writer/artist Gary Larson taking a simple, even obvious joke and illustrating it to perfection.
1 Learning An Instrument Makes For Well-Rounded Puppies – But Playtime Is Important Too
As it often did with anthropomorphized animals,
The Far Side
brilliantly renders the human condition in this panel using dogs.
Another great wordless Far Side featuring dogs, here the punchline is less immediate. In the foreground, a group of dogs pull at the arms and legs of the hapless mail carrier. In the background, another dog watches from a window, wishing it was out there with its cohorts gnawing on the delivery person.
The joke comes from the fact that the dog is practicing an instrument. As it often did with anthropomorphized animals, The Far Side brilliantly renders the human condition in this panel using dogs, as the panel takes on the double meaning of representing lonely human kids, stuck inside doing something they don’t want to do while their peers play outside.