Gary Larson, creator of The Far Sidehad a self-proclaimed and self-imposed rule not to explain even his strangest drawings – a rule to which he rarely made exceptions, as when he felt the need, years after retiring from the cartoon, to offer a correction on a panel he described as “almost universally misunderstood.”
In The Complete Far Side, Volume TwoLarson attached a brief explanation to his cartoon “Dangling Cat”, which suffered as much as any other Far Side cartoon of its creator’s penchant for obtuse, hard-to-decipher comedies.
In other words, the panel’s joke was more than unclear – it was easily misinterpreted; Considering that the author agreed to elucidate the comic, “Dangling Cat” should be ranked alongside the more infamous “Cow Tools” and “High Tide/Low Tide” as one of the The Far Side more confusing plots.
The Far Side Cartoon “Hanging Cat,” Explained (Why Is It So Confusing?)
First published: January 16, 1987
At first glance, “Dangling Cat” doesn’t seem particularly difficult to understand. On the panel, a man in pajamas opens the living room window curtains at sunrise, revealing a cat tied up and hanging upside down outside the house – to which the man remarks: “Emma…that dog won’t go after the new cat.” Different readers will have different immediate reactions to this Far Side cartoon, but most will agree that it’s not exactly one of Gary Larson’s most obvious and fun jokes.
Instead, it’s the kind of Far Side cartoon that needs to be examined a little more closely. Most readers would probably agree that the illustration, combined with the caption, seems to suggest that the man in the pajamas tied up the cat and left it to the dog – but, according to Gary Larson, this interpretation is wrong. If that’s the case, then this is without a doubt one of the most perplexing Far Side comic books, as it apparently disengaged the vast majority of its readers, not only confusing them, but actively obfuscating their arrival at the correct conclusion.
Gary Larson’s explanation of the truth behind “Dangling Cat” (is your answer satisfactory?)
Did the dog really do this?
In The Complete Far Side, Volume TwoGary Larson offered this note about the 1987 “Dangling Cat” cartoon:
To Whom It May Concern: Throughout this book, I have tried to stick to my own rule of not attaching explanations or excuses to any particular drawings. Once I started this, I realized it might never end. But here, I need to “make my case” regarding a cartoon that was almost universally misunderstood upon its initial publication. (And this especially aroused my most feared enemy, the Cat People.) So, let’s be clear, it was the dog – in a mafia gesture – who did this to the cat. The humans here are innocent. This time.
Larson’s comment here is intended to absolve this Far Side panel of its “darkness”, but in a way, his explanation is actually what makes the comic truly confusing. While his revelation that it was the dog who tied the cat may be in line with the panel illustration, it apparently conflicts with the caption: “the dog doesn’t go after the new cat”, which certainly seems to imply the responsibility of man, not dogs.
If the author’s explanation is taken at face value, this is perhaps the most glaring case in which The Far Side fails to communicate its mood to the reader.
Of course, Larson could have intended a different meaning behind “going to”, but nevertheless, if the author’s explanation is taken at face value, this is perhaps the most glaring case in which The Far Side fails to communicate its mood to the reader. Instead of providing context for the image, the caption led readers to misinterpret its mood. However, interestingly, although there are some cases where Gary Larson changed comic book subtitles to The complete other sidehe chose to leave “Dangling Cat” as it was originally published.
Why Gary Larson Was Against Interpreting His Own Humor for the Good of Readers
Readers need to work to understand the other side
As Gary Larson stated in his note to The Far Side cartoon “Dangling Cat”, if he started breaking jokes from his comics, “this may never end.” Furthermore, it would demystify his work, which has largely become a cultural phenomenon due to his propensity for ambiguity and his penchant for the inscrutable. Learning how to become a more astute man Far Side the reader is an essential part of being a fan of Larson’s work; Over time, it becomes easier to understand even his strangest jokes — although “Dangling Cat” forces fans to reevaluate how much they really know.
Entertainment, in a way, can be divided into two categories: that which is practiced passively and that which is practiced actively. The Far Side it demands active engagement, in a way more akin to art cinema than blockbuster films; Larson’s work is layered and novelistic, and reveals more and more of itself upon repeated inspection. However, as many of its nuances come into focus for readers over time, The Far Side contains endless mysteries – if you are Labrynthian, there will always be plenty of dead ends and false passages to get stuck in.
It’s possible that Gary Larson was messing with readers with his “hanging cat” explanation.
Misleading “clarification” would be a mark on Far Side creator
Of course, it should be noted that it’s possible that Gary Larson was making a tongue-in-cheek joke with his “Hanging Cat” explanation, offering a false clarification about the comics simply for fun. Although this doesn’t seem like it, fans of The Far Side it would be remiss to leave this out entirely. The complete other side is full of Larson’s humorous comments, both subtle and obvious, and while his explanation can only be taken at face value until readers are told otherwise, being a joke would certainly explain its own inconsistencies.
Either way, “Dangling Cat” might not seem like a standout Far Side cartoon at first – certainly not one of Gary Larson’s most controversial jokes, even if it upset some”Cat People“, nor is it entirely hilarious or stylistically distinctive – but Larson’s explanation, true or false, gives it a greater degree of mystique. What was a seemingly simple, if obtuse, panel, becomes more worthy of attention in the context of the author’s explanations. Consequently, this Far Side cartoon will continue to give rise to ongoing scrutiny even if no further elaboration comes from its creator.
Source: The Complete Far Side, Volume Two