Animals and humans are two very frequent sources of subjects in The Far Sidewith comics combining humans and animals also being a major focus of the comics. The Far Side I always liked showing an alternative version of things, with human and animal relationships being just one area where this was applied. Nothing is exactly as it seems in The Far SideSo why would the relationship between humans and animals be any different?
From homicidal poodles that will make dog owners question their dog’s feelings for them, to animals one would never think of as pets, to showcasing human-animal relationships in The Far Side It was never boring or routine. In fact, the presentation of human and animal relations in The Far Side seemed to produce more questions than answers.
10
“Through the hoop, Bob!”
October 6, 1981
The bond between a child and their pet is something special. Although turtles are not always considered easy pets to bond with. They’re not super cuddly and they’re not known for doing much, but that won’t deter the only protagonist of a game. Far Side comics. A boy trained his turtle, briefly called Bob, to jump through hoops of fire. Not only is Bob ready for this, but he seems very determined and ready for it, just like Bob’s owner. Who would have thought that people could get so close and attached to turtles and even teach them crazy tricks? However, this is the case between Bob and his owner, leading the reader to question the affectionate relationship that can grow between turtles and humans.
9
“Look who was loose all night”
When a couple arrives home after a night on the town, they see their house in disarray and their belongings destroyed. The culprit, they discover, is their pet bird, which has been running loose around the house the entire time. A bird of such small size certainly managed to cause a lot of damage, adding some legitimacy to the adage of not judging a book by its cover and powerful things come in small packages. The house in ruins because of the bird on the loose has pet owners wondering what their pets do when they’re away from home, putting human-animal relationships in a whole new light. Needing extensive repairs to their now damaged belongings, the couple will be sure to never leave their destructive bird with its cage unlocked when out and about from now on.
8
“The treats will end”
February 21, 1994
Dogs are usually considered human beings’ best friends. The Far Side rejects this and will instead make all dog owners rethink their relationships with their canine companions. When three poodles plot to kill their owner, they realize that their pampering will end when their owner’s life ends. The Far Side was known for his surreal humor with dark undertones, this comic being a perfect example. The murder of an innocent woman, as far as readers can see, is obviously very macabre, but the fact that it is poodles discussing the matter makes it all the more eccentric, lessening the seriousness of the strip. Although poodles miss their treats, this is evidently less important than getting rid of their owner for good. Why dogs want their owner to die is never revealed, but how it is The Far Sidethe reasons are likely to be absurd, much like the dogs’ plan.
7
“No, I’m not your puppy Fifi”
1990
The Far Side brings to life a strip that will make the biggest bird fan switch to vegetarianism. When a family is eating what they think is a chicken dinner, it is horribly revealed that what they thought was their dog, Fifi, is actually the chicken they were going to cook disguised as a puppy. Worse still, what happened to Fifi is clear as can be seen by the horrified and repulsive look on the family’s faces as they sink their teeth into poor, deceased Fifi. The comic makes chickens a creature to be feared, very different from how people typically think of feathered creatures, which are generally dumb, docile birds. Furthermore, the chicken in the comic is an evil genius, and the reputation of dumb chickens is being questioned.
6
“Ssssss”
1983
When a couple is driving across the plains to see wild animals, unbeknownst to them, their tires are being slashed. As a result, they are in considerable danger and their days may be numbered due to the calculated actions of the wild animals around them. As noted in this Far Side comic book, animals are much sneakier and more cunning than humans give them credit for, which will undoubtedly make humans look the other way at any predator, even if they’re in a car, even more than usual. The fact that two animals are in front of the coupe to serve as a distraction for the couple to take photos while a lone animal leans back to puncture the tire and get stuck in prey requires a lot of premeditated thought and planning.
5
“I wish she would hurry up and catch that guy”
April 18, 1986
Anyone who has ever owned a fish knows the sad truth that fish generally tend not to live very long. This is a big problem when other fish live in the same aquarium as the deceased, which is still trapped in the same aquarium. The Far Side makes it clear that an owner leaving a dead companion in the same aquarium is not cool and is in fact extremely scary for the live fish that remain. The owner may not realize the great commotion of dead fish remaining in the aquarium, but this comic will help those to rethink the human-animal relationship in relation to what live fish would prefer in that situation.. In other words, owners should remove dead fish from the aquarium, especially when there are still other live fish around!
4
“Let’s see you roll around a few times”
April 6, 1984
Some pet owners love watching their furry companions do tricks like shaking hands or rolling over. It turns out that dogs would like their owners to do some tricks, specifically rolling over too. It goes against all assumptions that pets would like to see their owners do some tricks, making everyone question the human-animal relationship. How does this Far Side The strip illustrates, when a dog, who is from an alien race, is going to be taken back home in a UFO, he first wants to see the human owner who he made roll over to him. The owner seems too shocked by the sight of alien dogs to even comprehend rolling over to this ET pup, but the dog would still like to see it happen before leaving Earth.
3
“Did anyone remember to feed the giraffe tonight?”
April 9, 1986
Giraffes aren’t typically pets, at least not in the real world. In The Far Sidehowever, all bets are off and pets can be any animal under the sun. Giraffes are gentle and human-friendly animals, but having one as a pet is more or less uncharted territory, bringing some new changes to the giraffe-human relationship. The people in the comic must be high up because the giraffe’s face is visible in the window and it doesn’t look like the long-necked animal is stretching its head downwards. Regardless, the giraffe is much like any pet to comic book folk. Arguing over whether someone remembered to feed the giraffe that night is a typical conversation for any pet owner. This pet is very unique.
2
“The new neighbors also brought you a friend”
June 28, 1982
Notorious for being quite aggressive animals, rhinos would make a nightmare pet. However, this is not so in The Far Sidewhere rhinos are basically similar to a sweet dog. The rhino even wags its tail like a dog. In the comic, a woman and her beloved pet rhino, King, see that their new neighbors also have a pet rhino. King seems ready to make a new friend with his new neighbor. Given that the favorite pets in comics are very unexpected, to say the least, this completely reshapes what most think about human and animal relationships, especially when it comes to animals that are typically violent and aggressive. Given that the neighbors share a love for the same type of pet, they are all sure to get along very well, with King and his rhino companion certainly doing the same.
1
“Of course, I let him drive from time to time”
July 20, 1988
Dogs can do a lot for humans, emotionally and even physically, like picking up the newspaper or being service animals. Apparently driving can also be added to the list, as shown in this Far Side comic book, making readers question the relationships between humans and animals. When a man and his dog are pulled over by a police officer for letting his dog drive, the guy reasons that everything is fine since the dog never gets off the leash. The off-leash driving dog is the least of the problems the police officer has in this situation. Still, the man in the car has no problem with his pup driving. To be fair, the dog seems to have a natural talent behind the wheel. That’s it The Far Side After all, perhaps the dog is an experienced driver who has better road skills than his human.