The Far Side it was full of predatory characters; Sometimes artist Gary Larson has depicted Earth’s most dangerous animals in unexpectedly benign but at the same time[…] Larson regularly portrayed animals that don’t get enough credit for being dangerous in moments when they flex their predatory muscles.. In other words, readers never knew exactly what they were going to get The Far Side.
Gary Larson loved exploring the animal kingdom in all its facets and meditating on the complicated relationship between humans and animals, all with his signature sense of humor, which straddled the line between surrealism and sharp observational comedy.
Whether cynical and macabre, or strange and silly, Gary Larson did The Far Side the beloved comic strip that it is today because it is completely uninhibited with its jokes. His depictions of predators and prey did much to help him develop the reputation he has earned over the years.
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Gary Larson portrays the “tragic untold story” of “Dogs And Alcohol”
First published: November 28, 1994
Dogs don’t do anything good when they put alcohol in their system, at least that’s what happens in The Far Side. Drunk on some alcoholic beverages, three dogs decide to break free by recklessly entering the zoo. These intoxicated dogs don’t just try to sneak into a zoo, which is quite dangerous as it isbut they try to enter a cheetah enclosure with a cheetah that is too close.
Wildly underestimating the power of a big cat like a cheetah to utterly devour them, these dogs are acting now and thinking later. Just like with humans, alcohol can cause dogs to make some bad decisions, leading to tragedy in this case. A PSA for dogs everywhere who don’t know how to drink responsibly The Far Side is on full display in this ’90s comic.
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These fishermen on the other side debate the meaning of “a long, steady pull”
First published: December 6, 1982
That Far Side comic strip shows two hapless sailors on a boat, wondering what “a long, steady pull“on the rope means from your diver, although unbeknownst to them, a giant squid traps the diver at the bottom of the sea. You don’t need to be an expert in deep sea diving to realize that the diver has gotten himself into a very complicated situation, something that the two sailors ignore.
Clearly, the diver did not anticipate the threat of a giant squid attacking him, having no contingency plan in place in the event of an aquatic predator emergency, severely underestimating the ocean floor. The diver will have to discover something soon, or the squid will make him a squid. If the diver doesn’t do something soon, the entire boat and its two sailors could sink as well, making underestimating the ocean’s predators a possibly serious mistake.
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On the other hand, wild animals can appear anywhere and anytime
First published: February 16, 1984
When a reptile, whether an alligator or a crocodile, comes to a couple’s window, they want to settle the debate once and for all to see what animal it really is, taking the time to pick up a book that will help them decipher the species. It doesn’t matter that the animal could break the window and kill them both, it is of utmost importance for them to find out what animal it really is.
The Far Side notably a mix of civilization and wilderness; Although it would come as a shock to most homeowners to have a carnivorous reptile appear in their yard, The Far Side the cast of characters handled it matter-of-factly, which tended to be part of the comedy of Gary Larson’s cartoons. This is the case here, as the couple’s indifference is the determining factor in the strip’s humor.
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Far Side’s ‘Samurai Dog’ Cartoon Ramps Up Rivalry Between Canines and Mail Carriers
First published: October 29, 1982
Mail carriers know that dogs tend to bark at them, sometimes even lunge at them. As a result, postal workers may act hesitantly when they see a dog, but they probably won’t be very vigilant. In The Far Sidehowever, postal workers must be prepared for the worst-case scenario when it comes to neighborhood pups.
For example, in this panel, an unassuming mailman walks up to the front door of a house, while a dog with a samurai sword appears around the corner, waiting to jump out and attack. The mailman is unprepared for this canine predator, which – given that dogs tend not to have swords – isn’t all that unreasonable. Regardless, this Far Side The mailman will need to have some top-notch self-defense skills if he wants to get out of the yard unscathed.
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“Buffalo Breath”
First published: April 15, 1986
In this Far Side cartoontwo men walk through the tall grass, guns in their hands, unaware that there is a buffalo standing right behind them, breathing down on them. Not being the smartest men, the two attribute the buffalo’s growl and breath to each other, irritating each other, even though the real culprit is right behind them.
The men deeply underestimated the animals in the environment they find themselves in, with a huge buffalo around them that can attack whenever it wants. The hunters may simply become the hunted in this comic if they don’t wise up soon. An alternative option is that they may become so irritated by each other’s supposed annoying quirks, like buffalo breathing and growling, that they simply turn on each other.
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The Far Side explores “The Origin of Clothes”
First published: February 23, 1984
A human is the predator in this Far Side comics, while Gary Larson theorizes about how humans started wearing clothes; stripping them of their first prey during humanity’s hunter-gatherer days. A caveman spots two antelopes wearing fancy clothes and decides that his friend “Oona” would like the antelope’s dress.
As a result, both antelopes met an unhappy end, but the humans emerged victorious with the invention (or the theft of the invention) of wearing clothes. The antelopes appear not to be on any sort of alert, somewhat at ease with a predatory caveman hiding, ready to pounce, behind a large rock. Even rhinos can wear clothes, as seen in the background of the comic, with only humans seemingly left out of the sartorial cycle.
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“Herring is nothing”
December 3, 1980
A whale informs his dolphin compatriot of his plan to completely ignore the herring food the trainer hands out for them to eat, but instead go after the trainer himself. Placing the “killer” in the killer whale, the main character of this comic is extremely underrated, with the trainer having qualms surrounding the aquatic animal.
Little does the coach know that he won’t just be handing out dinner, he will be the dinner; It’s a bit comically macabre, as it used to be with The Far Sideas Gary Larson shows that even the most seemingly domesticated animals can still have a very wild and dangerous side. Either way, the dolphin doesn’t seem to be much at odds with the whale.
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Gary Larson reveals the tragic (but hilarious) fate of the “Anderson Brothers”
First published: November 2, 1983
There shouldn’t be a warning to avoid throwing baby bears into the air, but in The Far Sidecommon sense goes to sleep. Where there is a bear cub, there is its angry father, as seen in the real world and this Far Side comics. When the Anderson boys are throwing an innocent teddy bear into the air without a care in the world, little do they know that the bear’s father is coming after them and the father is not happy.
The caption makes it clear what happened to the Anderson children, with the sinister adult bear sending the message loud and clear. The children didn’t think twice before playing with the young bear, fatally underestimating one of the most dangerous predators in the forest: the bear.
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The other side often mixed human activities with wild creatures
First published: December 7, 1992
Set against a more domesticated savannah plain where animals roam, hunting is a little different in The Far Side. Two lions are sitting, waiting for the moment when the zebras become completely calm after having drunk, which happens to be served in a bar by a buffalo bartender. Although zebras like to be alert, on the lookout for predators, that doesn’t stop them from drinking.
As a result, they underestimate the intelligence of their predators and the fact that lions know the routines and behaviors of zebras. As it is said in the book of the ancient military general Sun Tzu The Art of War“To defeat your enemy you must know him.” Something that the lions in this case are well aware of, except in this case it is to eat the enemy.
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“I have something for you all”
First published: November 12, 1981
When people feed animals near water, it’s usually just some stale bread or some seeds for the ducks. This is not so in The Far Side, with a woman feeding live rodents to a trio of crocodiles as if they were the gentlest creatures on the planet. Why anyone would want to have a crocodile a foot away is anyone’s guess, but it is The Far Side at the end of the day.
Despite everything, the woman doesn’t seem worried at all, definitely underestimating the danger that these reptilian predators can pose. While these crocodiles are behaving well at the moment, we wonder what happens when the woman runs out of live rodents and the crocodiles are still hungry. Whatever the outcome, it certainly doesn’t look good for the woman who feeds the animals.