Gary Larson The Far Side is known for his surreal situations and witty dialogue, but some of his best jokes come from thoughts, not words. In comic art, creators often use speech bubbles to show speech bubbles and thought bubbles - or thought balloons - to show what a character is thinking. Larson was no stranger to the latter, often basing his jokes on hilarious thoughts that only the reader could see.
Here are the 15 funniest Far Side comics that use thought bubbles, starring inventive cavemen, disobedient dogs, bored angels and... Popeye?! Don't forget to vote in our end-of-article poll and find out which strip other readers chose as number 1.
15
There's a bee in the car
Larson loves adding a bizarre detail to mundane situations
In this track, a driver notices that there is a bee in her car and tries not to worry. It's a boring, everyday situation, except that Larson turns the bee into a human-sized intruder. It's a scary (but funny) image that showcases Larson's ability to use a single panel for his jokespositioning the strip so that there are two “spaces” in play – the front and rear of the car’s interior.
14
Balance until I say
Far Side Knows What Our Pets Are Really Thinking
There's something hilarious about a character who almost to reach the limit, and Larson uses the dog's thought bubble to show his frustration without interrupting the owner's condescending instructions. For readers who want to see the dog actually fight back, another Larson comic shows exactly what that would look like:
13
Early Checkers
The caveman's inventions are one of Far Side's best recurring jokes
Far Side often depicts cavemen inventing modern tools, usually with some major first-draft problems - for example, trying to invent vehicles by strapping a caveman to the outside of the wheel. In this case, the first draft of checkers only has two squares, making the game incredibly simple and impossible to play. Larson emphasizes the ridiculous situation by making his caveman character think hard about your next move.
Larson cavemen have existed since Far Sidefirst month of distribution, although the creator admits in Prehistory on the other side what he feels it's some kind of cartoonist's crime to show them living alongside dinosaursstating:
I always thought I committed some heresy by making cartoons (like the ones above) that mixed dinosaurs with primitive people. I think there should be cartoon confessionals where we can go and say things like, "Dad, I sinned - I drew dinosaurs and hominids together in the same cartoon.
12
Executor Students
Far Side was never afraid of its dark side
In this comic, a brave replacement finally gets the chance to take over after the star falters... it's a shame his "big chance" involves cutting off someone's head. Larson adds extra hilarity to this strip by creating a nonchalant backstage area where the understudy is waiting behind a curtain for his chance. The image of an executioner failing because his ax handle randomly broke in two is a fun additional visual.
11
Paradise
Far Side is no stranger to the afterlife
Heaven and Hell appear frequently in The Far Sidealthough both are rather pale imitations of the originals. Larson's Devil fights to maintain order in Hell, where the damned are free to scribble graffiti and order pizza. Meanwhile, the vibration in the sky is nothing to write home about, with this comic's angelic protagonist wishing he'd brought his own entertainment. It's a particularly funny joke because their solution is so understated - it's unlikely a magazine would do much to alleviate the eternal boredom.
10
Colonel Sanders
“Uh-Oh” is one of Far Side’s favorite phrases
Gary Larson didn't parody real people often, but when he did, he looked for icons that would still be recognizable decades later. In that case, Larson mocks KFC founder Colonel Sandersimagining him arriving at the pearly gates only to realize that his fast food empire has made him a powerful enemy. Larson's thought bubble offers unobtrusive insight "Uh-oh" - something that many Far Side characters had reason to think.
9
God makes the snake
Larson had a tactic to avoid hateful messages
Remaining in heaven, this comic shows God enjoying the fact that he has finally managed to create an animal that doesn't require much effort. Larson often created Far Side comics starring God, despite knowing he could easily attract hate mail with the controversial comic.
In Prehistory on the other side, Larson explains that his comic strip starring God on a gameshow inspired him to adopt two firm rules To avoid irritating readers:
First, I made God look like I think most of us are sure he looks. Second, I made sure he was actually winning. Even if Norman only had ten points, it would mean that he hit God's bell at least once, and someone would be furious.
8
My old music teacher
Far Side creates a very specific nightmare
In this strip, Larson conjures up an unlikely nightmare when a busker attracts a listener who is not only critical but turns out to be his former music teacher. Many people wouldn't much like to meet up with their former teachers in later life, especially if it comes with cruel but undeniably expert criticism of their abilities.
7
Mine... All mine
Far Side makes an everyday occurrence feel personal
Many car owners who have found their vehicles splattered with guano can't help but suspect that the neighborhood birds are wanting it for them. In the world of The Far SideThat's absolutely the case, with this bird's thought bubble showing that he's seizing the opportunity to rain hell.
6
Popeye on the dating scene
Far Side pokes fun at the iconic comic and cartoon
Larson has never been shy about taking aim at iconic designs like Peanut and Garfieldand in this case it parodies EC Segar Popeye. The character gains inhuman strength after eating spinach, often doing so in exaggerated ways, such as squeezing the can so hard that the entire contents fly into his mouth. Larson imagines that this type of gesture would have dire consequences for Popeye's love life, as his companion notices leftover spinach in his teeth.
5
Always wake up before landing
Even a nap is dangerous in the world on the other side
Larson cleverly targets a common experience, with the body's hypnotic reflex causing many people to dream of falling, only to wake up before they hit the ground. In the world of Far SideThis isn't just a natural phenomenon, it's a safety rule, as the force of the landing in your imagination will be enough to crush you in real life.
Far Side The famous use of single-panel comics in almost all of his entries, however, Larson had a number of clever ways to game this system, here using the character's thought bubble as an extra panel to show events inside his mind. In this case, the thought bubble shows a dream, but Larson also laughed when showing his characters' fantasies, as shown below:
4
CAT FUD
This iconic entrance to the other side deserves love
In this famous comic strip, Larson recreates the animal rivalry seen in classic cartoons like Tom and Jerrybut it makes everything even more hilarious by diminishing the characters' intelligence. In the strip, a stupid dog has set a trap for the house cat, hoping that his eternal rival is about to fall into the trap.
While Far Side depicted the same kind of violence between dogs and cats as other classic cartoons, notes Larson in Prehistory of the Far Side that any sign of suffering on the part of animals guaranteed a certain amount of hateful messages. Fortunately, 'CAT FUD' didn't cause anything close to the uproar of its comic strip 'Tethercat'.
Many fans hated 'Tethercat', leading Larson to fear that the complaints could harm his career and cause newspapers to take down The Far Side. Reflecting on PrehistoryLarson notes that the comedic medium may be to blame for the extreme feedback, writing:
What I think I discovered is that in animation a cat might be crushed by a steamroller or blown up by dynamite, but a few seconds later we see it back to business - chasing something or being chased until it is "killed" again. There is never a suggestion that the cat's suffering is anything but transitory. In a single-panel cartoon, however, no resolution is possible. Dogs play “tethercat” forever. You put down the cartoon, come back a few hours later and, yes - those dogs are still playing 'tethercat'.
3
A great way to meet women
Weird Pets Are a Food Staple
In this track, Far Side Readers get a rare glimpse into the bizarre behavior occurring in Larson's world, as an alligator owner purchased the animal to help his dating prospects. Unfortunately, even though his thought bubble shows that everything is going according to plan so far, he's unlikely to be able to salvage a situation where his pet has just eaten his future boyfriend's dog. This comic shows Larson's secret belief - shared in Prehistory of the Far Side - that "most of the civilized world - I am convinced - hates little rat-sized dogs called 'Fifi'."
2
My usual barking frenzy
Larson creates a genuinely scary look
In this graphic novel, a loyal family dog goes to investigate a nighttime intruder, only to discover a horror that makes him think twice about attracting attention. Larson makes the monster genuinely scary, with the dog's understated reaction making his smart (if selfish) decision all the funnier.
1
The big stupid geek
Far Side Breaks the Fourth Wall
In our pick for number 1 Far Side comic book that uses a thought bubble, a worker faces the difficulty of living in a cartoon world when he discovers that his boss can literally read his thoughts. Larson wasn't afraid to break the fourth wall The Far Sidewith many jokes where characters realize they are in a comic book, taking advantage of or breaking the unique rules of living in a 2D world.
These are the 15 funniest Far Side comics with thought bubbles - Let us know your pick for #1 in the poll belowand share what you think we missed in the comments.