The Far Side
- Summary:
- Written and drawn by Gary Larson, The Far Side is a comic strip series that ran from December 1979 to January 1995. A worldwide hit, The Far Side explores life’s surreal side and uses a mix of humans and anthropomorphic animals. As of 2020, Gary Larson decided to pick his pencil back up again and has started The Far Side up, circulating the comics on his official website.
- Writer:
- Gary Larson
- Colorist:
- Gary Larson
Syndicated newspaper comic strip The Far Side was always known for its bold humor, but a lot of that humor was based in some of the corniest jokes imaginable. That’s not to say there wasn’t some art to the silliness; it can take some real intellect to tell a great “brick joke,” but cartoonist Gary Larson’s sheer gall in this brand of humor can sometimes stretch credulity.
Nevertheless, corny jokes are an important staple of comedy, from dad jokes to sitcom humor, and so Screen Rant is counting down the funniest Far Side comics with intentionally corny punchlines. Don’t be too dismayed by the lameness of the jokes. That might actually be the point.
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10 “This is Our Hour!”
April 16, 1985
A roving band of neighborhood dogs appear to have finally found their purpose, as, in the background, a mailman-induced apocalypse rages throughout their fair city. A parody of the old tried-and-true monster movie method, the joke relies upon an idea of a scene from an imagined movie where the various dogs of a community would bravely band together to take down this existential threat to their society’s existence, a symbol of their common and hated foe: the average post carrier. This is ultimately among the most corny ideas in the history of narrative fiction. Aside from the laughably absurd spectacle of the giant, rampaging mailman, the ironically rousing speech of the lead dog, no doubt the protagonist of this narrative, grants this particular cartoon an unforgettably ludicrous payoff.
9 Karate Class
December 4, 1991
In a similar vein, this panel also features a monster movie aesthetic involving an equally peculiar threat (if not more so) of invading aliens, and perhaps a more human response to the issue. As if devised by a benevolent creator, one small American town’s community of karate enthusiasts is about to receive the call to heroism, and against an enemy they are uniquely equipped to handle. The quiet drama of the moment, brimming with a sense of confident anticipation thanks to a spot-on narration, seals this particular comic as one of the best corny Far Sides.
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8 Ace Ladder Co.
July 2, 1982
The trick that makes the “Ace Ladder Company” cartoon such an amazingly corny piece is the concept that, if there ever were a dangerous fire and a person were high above the ground, the one place that would be ideal to be situated in would be a ladder company. Simply put, with the aid of said ladders, hopefully disaster could be averted in the event the stairways were rendered unusable. As it turns out, Larson envisions this exact eventuality, yet, for whatever reason, those placed in said predicament are seemingly oblivious to their immediate proximity to and possession of the instrument of their salvation. Though this fortuitous circumstance has yet to dawn upon them, the fact that one of them seems to be on the verge of this revelation just in the nick of time is a stroke of classic “brick joke” corniness.
7 “Give Me Six!”
September 25, 1980
In what may be one of the silliest Far Side comics, an alien meets his friend, Zoran, on the street by happenstance and, in lieu of the usual five-finger hand slap, instead requests six. Given that this particular species of alien has hands with six digits instead of five, this would of course be the norm for them. Ergo, the humor comes with its juxtaposition to the usual “high five” greeting customary among friends. That is literally all there is to the joke. It is a tacit statement that belies nigh-overwhelming corniness.
6 Loretta’s Dilemma
August 19, 1986
When faced with as horrifying a monster as one might find deep in unexplored jungles, it would be the hope that one’s partner might rise to the occasion of handling such an interloper. Unfortunately for Loretta, her unnamed companion seems to be falling short of the standard “Knight in Shining Armor” etiquette, and is unlikely to exhibit more apropos behavior in the face of this giant fly. The explorer’s hapless exclamation on the current stage of his probably-soon-to-fail attempt to confront the menace, which gives readers the sneaking suspicion he is treating the monster as one might treat a pesky housefly, is simply an amazing demonstration of understatement, and a hysterically funny punchline.
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5 “Adios, Amoebas”
February 16,1987
Even the single-celled organisms must have their children’s entertainment, and, in a blatant display of hackneyed comedy, Larson imagines a cowboy host of an amoeba show uttering his time-tested farewell catchphrase. This particular strip is among the corniest in The Far Side canon for the clear and obvious reason that the phrase being referenced is “adios, amigos,” and the Spanish word for “friends,” “amigos,” sounds very similar to the word “amoeba.” How amoebas have a concept of a historical period of settlement during a westward expansion, who can say? It’s most likely just an excuse to put an amoeba in a cowboy hat.
4 This Old Man Came Rolling Home
November 30, 1987
A reference to the old nursery rhyme, “This Old Man,” an old woman calls out the famous line from the song, and is greeted by the sight of her husband tumbling down a hill at her beck and call. Perhaps the recitation of the lyric summoning her wayward spouse home for dinner is some kind of magical ability on her part. The joke takes on dumb humor of an amazing magnitude due to the simplicity of the payoff. After all, what young tyke didn’t laugh at the sheer silliness of picturing an old man rolling down a hill when they first learned the rhyme?
3 Unfinished Business
February 22, 1990
This story involves George Sullivan, a dedicated public servant who doesn’t just lie down on the job when it needs doing. Even the most efficient operator has to take some time to tie up some loose ends now and again, and, on Columbus Day, 1979 (a federal holiday), George makes the fateful decision to come in to work to take care of some “unfinished business.” That business: most likely some kind of boilerplate government form work. For some, more adventurous sorts, “unfinished business” is a euphemism for revenge. For George, it is likely something he would rather not put off until tomorrow.
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2 Santa Arrives in the New World
March 29, 1993
Sometimes a Far Side comes along that is simply the dumbest joke that anyone has ever made, and “Santa Arrives in the New World” may be the finest example of this kind of humor. Note, the publication date is three months past Christmas, so there is no excuse for the complete lack of sense this joke makes. No, in fact, Santa would have always known about the New World because he visits all the world’s families to bring them gifts on Christmas. The draw here for Larson would be the chance to have Santa say, “Land ho ho ho,” which is a frighteningly obvious joke.
1 Midvale School for the Gifted
November 24, 1986
In this infamous Far Side, a young student at a presumably prestigious school finds himself at odds with a door. The door, clearly designated as being only operable by pulling the handle, poses an obstacle of much consternation to the supposedly advanced student. Though a common foible of the modern age, for who hasn’t at one time or another committed a similar faux pas, the sight gag of the boy leaning against the door with all his might in vain, completely ignoring the sign that would provide him some much-needed guidance, makes this the best Far Side with an intentionally corny punchline in the series.
