The last years of The front side featured some of creator Gary Larson’s funniest, experimental comics; As often as his innovations on the familiar format of the cartoon reached new heights of hilarity, they also mined unexpected depths of inscrutability. However, Larson’s funniest punchlines often remain his most unforgettable, as his legacy as a humorist was most closely associated with the absurd.
as much as the “what-the?“Comics of the early 1990s embody the signature style that made The front side Successfully, they also represent a maturation of Gary Larson’s style. Although behind the scenes he wrestled with his inevitable decision to permanently step away from cartoons, on the page, Larson’s work exhibited a new level of confidence, resulting in even weirder and wilder cartoons than ever before.
In other words, in ’91, The front side was firing on all cylinders, and Over the course of the year, Gary Larson produced some of his most daring and perplexing panels.
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Gary Larson returns to the scene of one of his weirdest jokes (did he get it right this time?)
First published: January 8, 1991
This panel is highly reminiscent of one of the weird ones For side Cartoons from 1990; In fact, the two cartoons were actually published exactly one year apart to the day. Recurring bits and “second attempts” at certain jokes are common The front sideSuggesting that the premise, and the images, of this cartoon nagged at Gary Larson for an entire year, until he finally produced a panel that improved on his first attempt.
wrote, “Fish dungeons“, the comic Features a barnacle-covered tube protruding above the ocean’s surface, with a fishbowl at the end of it, a lost captive fish inside, as a trio of fishing lures bob precariously close to its head. The panel takes the concept of the previous year’s joke and finds a more suitable way to execute it, although it is still more likely to get a “what-the?” response from readers as an immediate laugh.
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The front page explores the origins of pillows (how could this be the best option?)
First published: February 14, 1991
Gary Larson offered many tongue-in-cheek depictions of early human inventions with The front sideBut this is by far one of the strangest. Rather than confusing readers, this panel is most likely to leave them with a sense of incredulity. captain”In the days before feathers” The cartoon shows a prehistoric man sleeping in a cave, using a dead pterodactyl as a pillow..
Certainly, the innovative spirit of mankind’s ancestors, as constantly showcased on The front sideCould have caused the character to find a better alternative – but that’s exactly what makes this panel equal parts awkward and amusing. By far, his funniest detail is the face of the “pillow,” its lifeless eyes still wide with surprise, tongue hanging limply right next to the sleeping Neanderthal’s head.
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Chronologically, this is the first “Impatient Chef” cartoon from the Far Side (what is a “Phillips,” anyway?)
First published: March 20, 1991
The front side featured his share of annoying bosses, and here, Gary Larson transposes the theme onto one of his favorite settings, prehistoric. The panel is reminiscent of Larson’s many cartoons featuring Dr. Frankenstein and Igor. Features an ancient mechanic working on a stone wheel, expressing frustration when his assistant brings the wrong tool. Even for readers familiar with this type of For side Punchline, this is likely to be more interesting than uproarias.
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“No, no, no! That regular rock“the master of”Goz will mend“Complain, Ading,”We need Phillips!” The joke is clear enough, but nevertheless, absurdity saturates the whole For side Cartoon from concept to execution, especially in the expression drawn on the hapless assistant’s face, as he tries to comprehend just what a “Phillips“Is.
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One of the hapless hunters from the front loses the trail (why doesn’t he look under the stall door?)
First published: April 8, 1991
The front side Often lampooned hunters, and this cartoon features one example of the many Gary Larson jokes that involved hunters being outwitted by their prey. Or rather, it is more appropriate to say that this hunter has his goal cornered – but wavers at the last second.
Depicting a hunter, Gus, in a red-and-black checkered coat, carrying a gun, like himBurt through the door of a men’s entrance“Just to come to the conclusion that”The path, apparently, was wrong.” Except for sharp-eyed readers will notice the pair of hooves under one of the bathroom stalls, begging the question of why Gus did not think to check. Just as funny and funny about this panel is how Larson substitutes the sounds of the restroom for those of nature, with seating “The gentle sounds of running water and the rustling of magazines.”
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Gary Larson coined another word (why didn’t this one catch on?)
First published: May 1, 1991
Many For side Cartoons played with words, but in at least a few instances, Gary Larson actually created his own terminology. Famously, he originated the word for a stegosaurus tail, “Thagomizer“, which is informally accepted by the scientific community. Here, he coins another term, although not one that ultimately stuck with scientists in the same way.
In the panel, a grumpy-looking scientist behind the wheel of a car looks over another car in traffic with “That UC over in research“playing with”His new machine microscope“; The caption clarifies for readers that “Yusi“is an abbreviated form of”Young urban scientist.” Everything about it For side Cartoon is funny, from the idea of the “machine microscope‘ to the etymological punchline, but it is the incredibly niche quality of the latter that makes this a firm”what-the?“Comic.
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The far side reveals the secret origin of dachshunds (do the tubes have air holes?)
First published: June 4, 1991
This is very strange For side Cartoon portrays a “brutal”Weiner dog distribution center,” shows the various stages of production as dachshunds are shoved into long mailing tubes, which then have labels affixed to them, and are taken off to be mailed. Around the world.
this is a “what-the?” Cartoon at its very core, because the premise is the kind of left-field absurdity with which Gary Larson’s humor is most closely associated. Details of the “No side up“Stencil on the pipe, to the look of surprise on one worker’s face as he shoves a dog into his pipe. All in all, it’s the combination of weirdness and specificity that makes this one particularly memorable. For side installment.
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The Far Side doesn’t just break the fourth wall, it studies it (do all of Gary Larson’s characters know they’re cartoons?)
First published: July 2, 1991
in one of The front side Best fourth-wall breaking moments, a woman openly references”This comic“Like her introduce a “Scientist-like character“To deliver a lecture on his scientific work entitled”Beyond the Boundary: Analysis, Statistical Probability, and Speculation of the Existence of Other Cartoons on the Famous Comics Page.”
This is among Gary Larson’s most ambitious jokes, but the unfortunate consequence of this is that the potential has flown over many readers’ heads. Not that the joke is too muddled, but rather as a result of its removal from an academic atmosphere aimed at a specific audience; At the same time, some readers may not relate to why Larson’s revelation of his character’s self-awareness is particularly effective comedy, leaving them with more questions than answers, starting with “what-the?“
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The front page offers a concise history of Civilization’s Discontent (What Did Mitch Do Wrong?)
First published: August 27, 1991
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, Western cultures have had the habit of making a distinction between “civilized” nations and “barbarians.” in this For side panel, Gary Larson draws on real history to provide a punchline that highlights the inherently problematic nature of this categorical divide – by throwing a character named “Mitch” under the bus.
featuring Sketches of a Viking, a Mongol, a Goth, a Visigoth, and a Turk—all cultures that were labeled “barbarians” by other cultures at one point or another—and finally, Mitchthis For side Panel asks a weightier question than Larson might admit, because it suggests that from someone’s perspective, the average modern American is the last generation of the barbarian horde. Thus Larson raises the question of what “barbarism” versus “civilization” ever had to do with understanding the mixing of cultures.
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Gary Larson’s Twisted Take On Talk Radio (Is the hosts advice helpful?)
First published: September 6, 1991
This For side Comic creates a whole world for its readers – but as expected, it’s a strange and surreal place to find yourself. in the cartoon, The owner of a pet snake calls in the “Snake talk” radio show, hosted by what appears to be twin brothers, and devoted entirely to discussing the subject of snakes.
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Here, Larson effectively uses a split-image panel, allowing the reader to be in the studio with the hosts, while also observing the living room of the caller, Larry, as he stands next to his terrarium with a curious expression on his face, saying So maybe he didn’t get the answer he was looking for. The humor of this panel is concentrated in the caller’s eyes, while the reader’s immediate “What-the“Reaction is sure to come from the”Snake talk“Dialogue of hosts, and the overall weirdness of the joke’s premise.
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Gary Larson takes readers to a “Squidheads Anonymous” meeting (how did they all end up here?)
First published: October 9, 1991
According to Gary Larson, several For side Cartoons have detailed backstories, and many readers will follow their initial”what-the?‘ Reaction to this comic with supplemental questions from How many people end up crowded into a monthly”Squidheads Anonymous“Meeting. characteristic of The front side This is an example of a panel that Larson must have known was going to puzzle even the most devoted fans of his work, rather than achieving instant gaffes.
But then again, there’s a lot that’s funny about this comic, upon closer inspection. In particular, the “No hats“Sign on the wall is a great detail that will cause readers to linger on the cartoon; while it may not be more of a punchline, there is a depth to its composition that continues to reward those who spend an extra moment with it. .
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The Far Side reveals the dark truth about Mark Trail (who is he, anyway?)
First published: November 4, 1991
The front side has taken its share of digs at other newspaper cartoons over the years, and this one ranks among the funniest—at least, for readers familiar with the Mark Trail comic strip, which has been in publication since 1946, making it even older than Charles Schulz’ legendary Peanuts.
Here, the fictional wildlife photographer is the subject to a Bureau of Fish and Wildlife raid, when they discovered his prolific “Poaching operation.” For readers unfamiliar with Trail, the reference to the character—and the homage to the older strip’s art style, which looks significantly different from Gary Larson’s usual aesthetic—is a definite “what-the?“And for those who know about Mark TrailThe shocking recontextualization of his relationship to wildlife will strike them as much funnier, but not before the surprise has them similarly asking, “what-the?“
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The front-side character reveals his secret defense mechanism (how effective is it?)
First published: December 23, 1991
That’s funny For side Cartoon is a reversal of Gary Larson’s tried-and-true comic formula; That is, rather than taking animal behavior and situating it in a human context, he transposes animal behavior onto a human subject. The cartoon depicts A man stood against a brick wall at the end of an alley, crouched down and put his arms by his sides, leaned forward and revealed two “Eye spots“On his forehead – As an animal, or insect, can, in order to make itself more imposing to an approaching predator.
For readers who don’t immediately make the connection, the comic may seem rather odd; But even for those who understand the connection Larson makes, it’s still potentially ridiculous, and in most cases, likely to elicit a confused chuckle rather than full-on laughter, making it a pristine example of a For side “what?” funny.