The Far Side it showed all kinds of animals and different forms of human life, including subcultures, of which geeks were included. Just like the rest of the human protagonists, the geeks of The Far Side are not always shown in the best light. However, there are several comic strips that put geeks on display and prove that they are cool. Giving geeks the support they have long deserved, The Far Side Make sure to give your cool geeks some awesome jokes to go along with it.
Although Gary Larson tended to make fun of everyone, he had a special place in his heart for the geeks he managed to show coming out on top, being cool. Whether it’s nerdy scientists who have managed to create some of the most important theories in science or nerdy accountants who are proud of who they are and displaying it for all to see, These Far Side comics prove that it’s cool to be a geek.
10
“The first rubber band is tested”
1983
One of many Far Side comic book that has a unique take on history, this comic covers the invention of the rubber band. Just three days later, the rubber band is tested in a way everyone has done before, as unpleasant as it is: throwing a rubber band at someone. While it’s definitely not the intended purpose of the ingenious invention, it’s still a way to use a rubber band. Comic book geeks may be annoying to each other with their rubber bands dangling, but they created a brilliant invention that is still widely used today, and because of that, they will always be cool. Typically in the media, geeks are shown being persecuted. Interestingly, in this case, one geek is picking on another, but everyone is having fun with their fellow inventor.
9
“Jimmy Meets Mr. Ed”
January 25, 1990
Showing a young geek working on his model airplane, he uses glue that has a very special font that happens to be the titular horse from the TV show Mr.. This geek is able to know the iconic horse Mr. Ed… like glue, but the question still remains, which is really cool. The comic tells about the fact that in ancient times glue was made from horses. It’s actually a pretty dark comic, especially for animal lovers. Likewise, people who love horses would probably hate this comic. Without considering, The Far Side has always been incredibly adept at infusing pop culture references with dark or surreal humor, both of which are present in this equestrian-geek hybrid comic. Larson has shown horses on The Far Side before, but usually in their usual form and not as a sticker.
8
“Lab Peer Pressure”
January 2, 1984
Everyone has experienced peer pressure at some point in their lives, even into adulthood. Apparently peer pressure even affects scientists, well, at least in The Far Side. A group of scientists, who err on the geek side of the strip, pressure their colleagues to drink the mixture they created that altered their faces. Peer pressure to smoke is bad enough, but this is a whole other level. While the geek protagonist’s actions aren’t great, it’s cool that the strip’s scientists can come up with innovations so eccentric that they make his face look like a Cubist or Dali painting. These scientists will make a fortune when Halloween arrives or when they want to sell their formula to some very dedicated Picasso or Dali fans. Not everyone can say they made an invention that completely changes the shape of the human face, but these geeky characters can.
7
“Kangaroo Nerds”
May 9, 1987
Kangaroos are incredible animals. They have spring-loaded hind legs, which give them the characteristic ability to jump and kick any predator or threat with immense force. The Far Side makes kangaroos even more special by making them geeky. In addition to being the largest marsupials on Earth, kangaroos in comic books also get pocket protectors for their pouches, making them victorious against any predator that tries to attack their pouches. Pocket protectors are used to protect shirts from stains or tears caused by writing materials that would normally be kept in pockets. These geeky kangaroos can use their pocket protectors for many uses, such as ensuring that their pens don’t stain their bags and also keeping them safe from any threat that hits the bag.
6
“Nerd… Damn”
Anyone would expect those who have a really intense interest in aliens to be determined to avoid abduction by aliens. Fortunately for a specific subset of people, the aliens aren’t interested in them at all, so they almost escape abduction. In The Far Side comic book, a group of aliens go fishing for humans and when they realize they caught a nerd, they prepare to send him back, without being interested in the geek. Coming out on top, geeks avoid alien abduction where others wouldn’t in this nonsense War of the World-comics. Gary Larson gives his own take on the human occurrence of going fishing and sending unwanted fish back into the water. Why geeks would be unwanted, even by distant aliens, is anyone’s guess, because geeks are great, a fact that even Gary Larson acknowledges.
5
“Your Little Big Bang Theory”
The Big Bang Theory, in addition to being a very successful comedy, is one of the main theories about how the Earth and the universe as a whole were made. The theory is widely accepted by many today, but it wasn’t always this way, something Gary Larson acknowledges in his own book. Far Side way, of course. Using two snobbish scientists to belittle the Big Bang theory of one of their fellow scientists, the strip shows that the two gossipy scientists are actually the ones in the lowest position. The main scientist, who developed the theory, emerges victorious, presenting one of the best-known theories of the creation of the universe. We can only imagine how much the two scientists felt like they had egg on their faces when they were proven wrong and their so-called little theory became gigantic.
4
“Big Bob”
February 25, 1982
Children considered geeks can sometimes have difficulty finding friends, resulting in the creation of imaginary friends. However, in The Far SideImaginary friends are not always imaginary after all. When a nerdy little boy’s father doesn’t believe his son’s imaginary friend is real, the not-so-imaginary friend takes matters into his own hands and gets a little aggressive, forcibly removing the father’s tie. To make matters worse for the father, Big Bob is actually pretty big, capable of doing some damage if he really wants to. As a result, the little geek and his invisible friend turn out to be just as cool as they have some raw power on their side. If the boy in the comic has been teased before, he won’t be after Big Bob comes to his rescue.
3
“Hopeful Parents”
Many parents may get irritated with their children for engaging in hobbies that they don’t consider super productive, like video games. Parents can dream, however, of these Far Side parents fantasizing that their video game-obsessed child will be able to land a high-paying job with great benefits as a Nintendo expert as an adult in the future. Interestingly, those who have a lot of experience with Nintendo products are more likely to land jobs at the mega-company in several of its different roles. As a result, the geeky kid in this strip is having all the fun of being a kid while also having the opportunity to work on video games as an adult. Living dreams is always a cool thing, and that Far Side The article seeks a rare display of optimistic humor rather than the often still beloved cynical humor.
2
“Who’s the mastermind behind this outfit?”
September 7, 1982
There have been countless films about making money through intricate, well-thought-out crimes. The Far Side shows his version of money through ill-gotten gains, showing criminals getting caught. Using some hilarious wordplay, Gary Larson turns the criminal operation’s brains into literal brains, as the mastermind has a gigantic skull to contain his massive brain. Given the appearance of the other members of the criminal syndicate, they don’t seem very bright, making the group’s puppet master even clearer, if it wasn’t already incredibly obvious. Although the crime isn’t legal, this comic’s big geek is in complete command of the situation, with piles of cash in front of him as proof. However, he ends up getting caught anyway, so maybe he’s not as smart as he seems.
1
“Punk Accountants”
May 21, 1990
Punk is an incredibly interesting and cool subculture that peaked in the 70s and 80s, but has had several resurgences since then. Most wouldn’t assume that accountants, who are generally considered straight-laced and a bit square, would like punk. In contrast, The Far Side shows us some really cool, punk-loving, loyal geeks. Instead of typical earrings in their piercings, however, they have some unique accountant-related attire, such as calculators hanging from their earlobes, as well as pencils and pens on their noses. Punk will always be cool, so these punk counters can do no wrong, even if they are decked out in materials used to calculate numbers. Then again, nothing is cooler than someone being true to themselves, which these two individuals from The Far Side they definitely are.