The world of Gary Larson’sThe Far Sideis full of bizarre creatures, so it’s no surprise that elves, fairies, leprechauns and gnomes feature heavily. Of course, Larson doesn’t maintain much of the Fair Folk’s mysticism, instead turning them into everyday pests that have to be dealt with practically.
Here are the 10 funniestFar Sidecomics starring all varieties of fay, faeries and sprites.Be sure to vote in our end-of-article poll for your #1, and find out which comics other readers voted as the best of the best.
10The Limit on Those Things Is Half a Dozen
The Far Side Loves Hunting Gags
Larson loves a hunting gag (and even has a particular fondness for jokes based on hunting limits.) In this case, a hunter has forged out into the Great Unknown, bagging a clutch of gnomes. As weird as this situation seems, neither hunter nor warden seem surprised by this unusual catch - the only problem is that the hunter has bagged a few too many of the fay folk.
Larson has always had a fondness for animals, and originally pitchedFar Sideunder the titleNature’s Way. It’s therefore no surprise that Larson takes every opportunity to see things from the animals' perspective, often making hunters look foolish.
Larson has worked to raise money for conservationist causes, working withzoologist Dame Jane Goodalland publishing a specialFar Sideentry to raise money for Earth Day.
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9Door Ding Gnomes
Far Side Explains an Everyday Irritation
It’s a popular idiom to blame minor inconveniences on ‘the X fairy,’ but Larson makes this idea even funnier by switching the gag to goofy, diminutive gnomes. Larson imagines a world where the dings in your car door aren’t due to careless drivers, but rather gnomes who - for some reason - have dedicated their lives to the task. The gleeful looks on the gnomes' faces makes this weird premise immediately laugh-worthy.
8BEWARE, BILLY!
Of Course Far Side’s Tooth Fairy Is Terrifying
Far Sideis known for its surreal, sometimes silly humor, butLarson’s comic also has an undeniably morbid worldview. In this strip, a visit from the Tooth Fairy turns terrifying, as the supernatural visitor leaves a note warning young Billy that while she only took one tooththistime, she’ll be back for the rest with a pair of pliers.
It’s possible to read this comic in two ways- eitherFar Side’s tooth fairy is a psychopathic entity, or else Billy’s parents are trying to scare him enough that he’ll be happy if the tooth fairy never comes back again. Parents invoking fake monsters to scare their kids into better behavior appears multiple times acrossThe Far Side, so the latter is definitely possible.
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Here are the 10 best Far Side comics starring gigantic monsters - from big names like King Kong, Godzilla and Mothra to giant animals and humans.
7The Nightmare Makers
Larson Draws on a Major Childhood Fear
In a dark conceitworthy of Stephen King(indeed, similar to his villainous Low Men in Yellow Coats, fromHearts in Atlantis), Gary Larson imagines nightmares as being generated by workaday gnomes who seem to see spreading terror as a mundane 9 to 5. In this case,Larson includes one of his own childhood terrors - a bipedal wolf with blank eyes, which appears in a couple ofFar Sidestrips.
Strangely, this terrifying monster didn’t come from Larson’s own dreams,but those of his brother. One day, Larson’s brother recounted a dream in which he was pursued by a wolf with"pure, white eyes… walking on its hind legs, trying to get him"(as described inThe Prehistory of The Far Side.) The image was so startling to Larson that while his brother soon forgot about it, he couldn’t. Larson describes how:
I was so scared of this and other monsters that I nearly suffocated trying to stay completely under the blankets. Any exposed skin meant certain death. The monster snorkel would have been a wonderful thing in my little world.
6So! They’re Back
There Are Always Signs…
In another example of Larson depicting a totally mundane reaction to a bizarre situation, a farmer realizes that troublesome imps have returned because he spots the coat rack outside their hidey-hole. It’s a totally Larson decision to make this ‘bizarre vs mundane’ gag even funnier by implying that this isn’t even the first time the farmer has dealt with these diminutive pests.
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Gary Larson famously loves nature, and so it’s no surprise that The Far Side has plenty of hilarious comics starring kangaroos.
5The Nose Fairy
Far Side Deliberately Takes Things Too Far
In a world where the Tooth Fairy exists,whynothave a Nose Fairy who snatches away kids' noses in the night?Disturbingly, both the parents of this household still have their noses, suggesting that either the nose fairy isn’t actually a normal occurrence or that in this individual-servingFar Sideworld, noses grow back in the same way as baby teeth. Given characters know they’re being drawn to life in Gary Larson’s universe, the latter isn’t as unusual as it might seem.
4Python Escapes Zoo
Larson Loves Taking Shots at Disney
In this strip, Snow White walks home, reading the news of a recently escaped python. Sadly, once she gets inside, she’ll realize that same python has swallowed the Seven Dwarves.Larson often references fairy tales and nursery rhymesbut has a particular appetite for Disney properties, taking on everything fromBambitoPeter Pan.
TheSnow Whitecomic showcases one of Larson’s greatest talents - including multiple points of view in the same panel. GivenFar Siderarely strayed beyond a single panel, Larson quickly became a master at this trick, often using the foreground and background to tell two halves of a story.
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Every Far Side fan has a different favorite, but we still didn’t expect the vote for Gary Larson’s best cat comic to be so incredibly close.
3Car Key Gnomes
Wait… Are Gnomes to Blame for Everything?
In another version of Larson’s gag about gnomes causing everyday inconveniences, it’s revealed that the reason you may never find your keys is that there’s a species of gnome dedicated to hiding them whenever you’re not around.Larson’s art makes the gag even funnierby showing the gnomes working as a team - one to snatch the keys, and the other to find a new hiding place.
2He’s Got the Red Suit On
Far Side’s Santa Really Has This Coming
In this strip, Santa’s elves use his signature red suit to make him the target of a rampaging bull. While this may seem like an extreme reaction,Far Side’s Santa is a total jerkwho deserves everything he gets, especially after threatening his reindeer, standing on household pets, and seemingly murdering Mrs. Claus.Open the image gallery below to enjoy moreFar Sidecomics about Santa Claus.
1As Far As Leprechauns Go…
Far Side Turns the Ultimate Find into a Disappointment
In this strip, a man succeeds in catching a leprechaun, hoping to gain mystical luck and treasure in the bargain. Sadly, he’s managed to find the one member of the supernatural species who has absolutely no luck to lend out, with its many injuries indicating a life full of unfortunate events.
Those are the 10 funniestFar Sidecomics starring tiny, supernatural beings -remember to vote in our poll below, and share your thoughts on this selection in our comment section.
