15 hilarious front page comics featuring airplanes

with The front sideGary Larson regularly takes readers for a ride – whether by automobile, train, or – as collected on this list – airplanes. Planes often reached equal heights of hilarity and disaster when they appeared in For side comicsHow pilots and passengers turn routine air travel into anything but.

Many of the best For side Cartoons captured moments where chaos reigned, and few settings are more consistently effective for this than an airplane, whether it is suffering catastrophic damage, or facing the looming possibility of it.

Not everyone For side Flight was closed, but a panel with a plane in it always connoted an immediate sense of comedic tension, which Gary Larson played in his idiosyncratic way, to get some kind of reaction from his readers.

15

Introducing the “ACME Wingbaby”, the wildest invention of the far side

First published: November 24, 1994

The front side featured its share of ridiculous fake products over the years, but it saved one of its most patently ridiculous inventions for the twilight of its run. The panel introduces readers to the “ACME Wingbaby,” which hangs from the wing of the plane – as a parent uses it to keep his child under controlsaid: “See that little kid over there, Ricky? He wouldn’t stop crying either.“

As often as Gary Larson’s quirky style of humor translates into laughs for his audience, The front side should have left the reader confused, asking “what?” This panel’s “ACME Wingbaby” is a sterling example of this—it’s such a funny joke that it’s likely to blow right past laughter and leave readers begging to know “why?”

14

The Far Side was all about pushing readers’ buttons

First published: September 7, 1992

Readers who have flown will know the anxiety inherent in sitting in the emergency exit row – an experience that this For side Panel takes to a whole new level, by Depicting a passenger moments before he accidentally flips the “wings on/wings off” switch inexplicably located right next to his recliner button.

The “why” of the punchline – as in, “Why would the switch be there?” – is the crux of the joke in this For side Cartoon. As an artist, Gary Larson was primarily interested in getting an immediate reaction from his readers; Whether he achieves that through dark comedy, or peak absurdity, the end result of pushing the readers’ button is always the main goal of The front side.

13

Misunderstandings tend to escalate quickly on the far side

First published: October 17, 1991

The airplane isn’t the focus of the strip, but it turns a good joke into a great one. While Gary Larson largely adhered to a one-panel format with The front sideThis notable exception packs a lot of familiarity For side Tropes in its six-panel sequence. Dogs often served as protagonists for artist Gary Larson, with Lassie in particular being one of the comic’s many pop culture references. Furthermore, the man in the first panel is one of several For side Characters who found themselves trapped in Quicksand.

The inclusion of an airplane in panel four effectively delivers the cartoon’s biggest laugh before it gets to its punchline in the final panel, but in a way that serves to strengthen the impact of the joke’s final note when it arrives. The dog going from hopping over a log, to hopping a plane, is highly effective comedic escalationWhich sets the reader up for a satisfying ending.

12

The far side offers readers a bird’s-eye view of airplane pilots in action

First published: September 4, 1991

Many of The front side Most memorable airplane panels occurred at the front of the plane—specifically the cockpit, where readers often found pilots who inspired less than complete confidence in their ability to get the giant metal contraption from point A to point B.

This comic features two of The front side More capable flyers, by comparison, who try To keep their passengers calm about a mechanical problem with the plane, while being honest with them about the warning light filling the entire cockpit with an ominous red glow. What makes this entry especially funny is how the pilots’ eyes are drawn wide and white with fear, in contrast to the even-cool way that their announcement over the intercom reads in the caption.

11

The pilots of the front side did not always have their priorities straight

First published: August 16, 1991

The front side Was known for finding humor in darkness – this was essential to his success, as much as it also led to Gary Larson receiving his fair share of criticism. Air disasters are objectively terrifying, and represent one of the most powerful phobias for travelers worldwide. For his part, Larson was largely able to transform this fear into comedy by balancing the terrible images of planes, or with a massive hole in it – as is the case here – with an equally large dose of stupidity.

This is the case here, because the windows of the cockpit of a commercial airliner are, for unknown reasons, blown – although In the one moment of the crisis the readers are interested in, one of the pilots is caught complaining that his hat flew off his head.

10

One of Gary Larson’s most groan-inducing jokes

First published: January 7, 1991

If there is any For side Punchline that can be found guilty of being a “dad joke,” it is this. The pilot urgently shouts the difficult conditions of the flight into the radio in a higher perspective from the nose of a plane as it leaves the sky. “My second engine is on fire, my landing gear is jammed, and my useless pilot is frozen!“The pilot yelled frantically – At which point, if they haven’t already, readers will look up and realize that the copilot is a snowman.

The joke is unbelievable, and on purpose, worthy of the eyes, just like the best and worst dad jokes – and it almost has to be, as a kind of built-in relief mechanism, to take the edge off the intense situation. That Gary Larson is depicting. In any case, whether a reader responds with laughter, scorn, incredulity, or some mix, no response was ultimately satisfying to the artist.

9

One of Gary Larson’s most visual prisoner illustrations

First published: February 7, 1988

This panel doesn’t soar to the heights of hilarity reached by some entries on this list, but it warrants inclusion for its unique deviations from the familiar style of The front side. More importantly, it represents one of the most striking visuals crafted by Gary Larson in the comic’s fifteen years of publication.

Missing a caption, this The far side Punchline is a bit subtle. In the smaller panel in the upper-left corner of the frame, a man waiting on a runway to flag the plane for its landing looks down at the ground in dismay, Where a bolt apparently fell out of the air – causing the plane to come apart in the middle. There is a kind of strange beauty in Larson’s depiction of the plane parting; At least, that is, until the reader notices the two damned passengers sitting in front of the now flaming half of the plane.

8

Flying coach in the far side is not always a disaster

First published: January 25, 1987

For a change of pace, this For side Flight is not in flames, and there seems to be no danger. Rather, a smooth flight encounters a flock of ducks – with One of the birds looking over and spotting a member of the flock enjoying a window seat, made faces back to his brothers from the comfort of the commercial airliner.

Rather than a laugh For sideThis is an example of the kind of sly Gary Larson joke that begs the reader to take a closer look, like the middle duck in the panel, it may require a double take to realize where the humor of the painting is.

7

One of the most memorable airplane cartoons in the Far Side

First published: June 3, 1988

Many For side Comics over the years made it clear that Gary Larson was obsessed with elephants, but this one ranks high among the most unforgettable. With this panel, Larson envisions a dark future for the iconic flying elephant Dumbo, reimagining him as a kind of dark, lone crusader against man’s conquest of the skies.

Composition, this is a high level For sideHow Larson’s menacing Dumbo juts into frame in a way that helps readers relate to the shocked reactions of the pilot and copilot, which is by far the funniest visual element of the painting. The two threw their hands up and their heads back, offering almost identical screams of terrorMoments before the elephant attacker presumably burst into tears in the cockpit.

6

Hopefully they both have collision insurance

First published: September 7, 1986

Aliens often invade The front sideWith this being a particularly strange example, like it Depicts a man and an alien pilot, respectively, parachuting away from the scene of a mid-air collision. The pair are shown facing off angrily, as the Earthling’s airplane and the extraterrestrial’s flying saucer both go down in flames.

With expertly framed action, and set against a backdrop of beautifully rendered cumulus clouds, it’s also a great example of the way that airplanes in particular allowed Gary Larson to flex certain creative muscles that other panels didn’t, leading to some of the Most aesthetically. pleasing For side panels he produced during the cartoon’s long run in syndication.

5

Gary Larson reveals the secret of turbulence in this far side plane panel

First published: August 3, 1986

While The front side Airplane comics come in a few different variations, the most common—and generally, funniest—are those featuring pilots. If there’s one underlying premise that drives Gary Larson’s pilot jokes, it’s that people put an incredible amount of faith in airline pilots; This panel features two of them using the faith, by simulating turbulence, to avoid their passengers for their own amusement.

Rank between The far side Best multi-panel comics, as well as one of Gary Larson’s more dialogue-heavy punchlines, this cartoon is particularly notable for managing an impressive feat: making readers feel the dismay of the passengers and the joy of the pilots at the same time .

4

The far side pilot needs to read the plane’s manual

First published: March 19, 1985

While the pilots in the previous panel betray their passengers’ trust by scaring their passengers, this one does it by freaking out – In the process showing a lack of technical awareness about the airplane controls which is frankly even more unnerving.

“The fuel light is on, Frank! We will all die!“The pilot screams before he comes to his senses.”Oh, my mistake, that’s the intercom light“, he concludes, having taken the readers on a journey of an entirely different kind as they ride along the roller coaster of his panic. Although death and destruction were normal parts of For side Punchlines, this is based on teasing the possibility, before giving a sense of relief, to achieve its humor.

3

A short and glorious joy for this far sided amphibian

First published: August 14, 1984

Readers would not necessarily be wrong to suspect that they are missing something when it comes to this panel, but although it is deceptively simple For side Cartoon may be hiding some more nuanced jokes, its surface-level silliness is enough to at least prompt a quizzical smile from the reader.

in the panel, A frog hitched a ride of a lifetime, sticking his tongue to the bottom of an airplane—except the plane had just taken off, and its wheels were seemingly retracted inside.Meaning the poor amphibian thrillseeker is about to meet an ignominious fate. Even if part of the punchline isn’t immediately clear, the image is fantastic enough that it will stick in many readers’ minds.

2

How much longer is that flight, exactly?

First published: April 5, 1984

The front side Airplane comics often featured an outside-looking-in perspective; A bird’s-eye view, so to speak. This is without a doubt one of Gary Larson’s funniest cartoons set in a plane, vi Two pilots both flop to the floor of the cockpit at the same time, with one of them proclaiming the “Irony“Both lost one of their contact lenses”At the same time.”

What drives the humor of this panel home is the way that most of the plane’s passengers are drawn seemingly unaware of this alarming situation – except for one, who essentially stands in for both Larson and the reader, nervously leaning in the aisle and straining to eavesdrop. On the situation at the front.

1

The front-side pilot missed it until he made it

First published: October 15, 1983

Once again, Gary Larson uses the outside perspective to show what’s going on in the cockpit of a plane – and what readers find isn’t exactly reassuring, as The pilot is depicted childishly holding his arms up and swinging them as if he is flying, even though he is actually flying..

Although in truth, a pilot does not always need to have his hands on the wheel during a flight, what Gary Larson is humorously illustrating here is the very real fear that many people have, of the idea that pilots might be messing around. While they have so many peoples’ lives in their hands. Without a caption, Larson effectively captures that uneasiness here, meaning that, as simple as it is, it’s also one of the funniest For side Cartoons with an airplane.