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'{{Short description|Comic strip by Gary Larson}} {{About|the comic strip||Far side (disambiguation){{!}}Far side}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox comic strip |title=The Far Side |creator=[[Gary Larson]] |image=Wdogart.jpg |caption=''Wiener Dog Art'', one of many ''The Far Side'' collections published in the United States, features an artist stamping a paint-covered [[dachshund]] on a canvas. |current= |status=Active |syndicate={{ubl|[[Chronicle Features]] (1980–1985)|[[Universal Press Syndicate]] (1985–1996)}} |genre=Humor, satire, black comedy, avant-garde |first=December 31, 1979 |website= [https://www.thefarside.com www.thefarside.com] |preceded by=[[Nature's Way (comic strip)|Nature's Way]] }} '''''The Far Side''''' is a single-panel [[comic strip|comic]] created by [[Gary Larson]] and [[print syndication|syndicated]] by [[Chronicle Features]] and then [[Universal Press Syndicate]], which ran from December 31, 1979, to January 1, 1995 (when Larson retired as a cartoonist). Its [[surrealism|surrealistic]] humor is often based on uncomfortable social situations, improbable events, an [[anthropomorphic]] view of the world, logical fallacies, impending bizarre disasters, (often twisted) references to [[proverb]]s, or the search for meaning in life. Larson's frequent use of animals and nature in the comic is popularly attributed to his background in [[biology]]. ''The Far Side'' was ultimately carried by more than 1,900 daily newspapers, translated into 17 languages, and collected into calendars, greeting cards, and 23 compilation books, and reruns are still carried in many newspapers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/products/?isbn=0740721135|title=The Complete Far Side |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |access-date=2008-09-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430210251/http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/products/?isbn=0740721135|archive-date=2008-04-30}}</ref> After a 25-year hiatus, in July 2020 Larson began drawing new ''Far Side'' strips offered through the comic's official website. Larson was recognized for his work on the strip with the [[National Cartoonist Society]] Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award for 1985 and 1988,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuben.org/ncs/archive/divisions/panels.asp|title=NCS Awards—Newspaper Panel|publisher=National Cartoonists Society|access-date=2008-09-03}}</ref> and with their [[Reuben Award]] for 1990 and 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuben.org/ncs/archive/divisions/reuben2.asp|title=The Reuben Award 1975 to present|publisher=National Cartoonists Society|access-date=2008-09-03}}</ref> ''The Far Side'' won the [[2020 Webby Award|2020 Webby People's Voice Award for Humor]] in the category Web.<ref name="Kastrenakes">{{cite web |last1=Kastrenakes |first1=Jacob |title=Here are all the winners of the 2020 Webby Awards |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/20/21263445/2020-webby-awards-winners-lil-nas-x-nasa-jon-krasinski |website=The Verge |access-date=22 May 2020 |language=en |date=20 May 2020}}</ref> == History == ===Creation (1979)=== ''The Far Side'' was created by [[Gary Larson]], a cartoonist based in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. Larson enjoyed drawing as a child but never thought he would become a cartoonist; thus, he never studied art in school outside of required classes.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=13}} Larson had been inspired to draw comics when he was younger from the strip ''[[Alley Oop]]'', and later drew further inspiration from ''[[MAD Magazine]]'' and the work of [[Don Martin (cartoonist)|Don Martin]].<ref name="nytimes dec2019"/> He also enjoys comics from [[Gahan Wilson]], [[B. Kliban]] and [[George Booth (cartoonist)|George Booth]] where humor was derived more from the comics' composition than dialogue, which Larson considered "something almost organic going on between the humor and the art that conveyed it".<ref name="nytimes dec2019"/> In 1976, Larson was working as a cashier at a retail music store<ref name="SalonInter">{{cite web |last1=McCarthy |first1=Susan |title=Gary Larson |url=https://www.salon.com/1999/12/21/larson_2/ |website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |access-date=September 15, 2018 |date=December 21, 1999}}</ref> when he realized how much he hated his job. Two days into this "career crisis", Larson sat down at his kitchen table and drew six cartoons.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=25}} The next day, he showed the cartoons to an editor at the local magazine ''Pacific Search''. The editor was impressed and paid him {{US$}}90, so Larson quit his job to start cartooning and created ''[[Nature's Way (comic strip)|Nature's Way]]'', a single-panel comic strip that served as the basis for ''The Far Side''. Larson showed ''Nature's Way'' to the editor of the weekly newspaper ''Summer News Review'', who began to publish it on a regular basis.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=28}} Although Larson was initially excited to be published, he was only paid {{US$}}3 a cartoon. Eventually, he stopped and became an investigator for the local [[humane society]]. In 1979, a reporter for the ''[[Seattle Times]]'' who had met Larson while investigating "pony abuse"<ref name="PeopleInter">{{cite web |last1=Bernstein |first1=Fred |title=Loony 'Toonist Gary Larson Takes Millions for a Daily Walk on the Far Side |url=https://people.com/archive/loony-toonist-gary-larson-takes-millions-for-a-daily-walk-on-the-far-side-vol-23-no-5/ |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=September 16, 2018 |date=February 4, 1985}}</ref><ref name="nytimes dec2019"/> showed ''Nature's Way'' to her editor. It was revived and began appearing in the Saturday edition of the paper.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=28}} Larson was paid {{US$}}15 a cartoon. After about a year, Larson took a vacation from his humane society work to drive to [[San Francisco]] at the encouragement of his girlfriend. In what he called a "daring plan to expand this 'publication empire'", Larson left a portfolio with his work at the headquarters of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]''.<ref name="PeopleInter"/>{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=36}}<ref name=Salon99>{{Cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Susan|url=http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/12/21/larson/|title=Gary Larson|work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]|date=21 December 1999}}</ref> After several days, Larson was informed that editor Stan Arnold wanted to speak with him. Arnold was impressed by his work and mentioned that, should the ''Chronicle'' be interested in Larson's work, it could become [[Print syndication|syndicated]].{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=37}} When Larson returned to Seattle, he received a letter informing him ''Nature's Way'' had been canceled because it generated too many complaints; he attributes this to the fact it ran next to a [[crossword]] puzzle aimed at children. Larson believes had this happened a week before, he would not have gone to San Francisco.{{sfn|Larson|1989|pp=37–38}} The next day, Arnold called Larson and told him the syndicate affiliate of the ''Chronicle'' decided to syndicate his work. The affiliate, Chronicle Features, coined the name ''The Far Side''; Larson joked Chronicle "could have called it {{'}}''Revenge of the Zucchini People''{{'}} for all I cared."{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=38}} Larson's initial contract for ''The Far Side'' called for it to have a cast of recurring characters (like how ''[[Peanuts]]'' had [[Charlie Brown]]), because Chronicle believed newspaper comics needed familiar characters to be successful.<ref name="NPRInter">{{cite web |title='Far Side' Cartoonist Gary Larson |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1469480?storyId=1469480 |publisher=[[NPR]] |access-date=September 15, 2018 |date=October 17, 2003}}</ref> However, Larson disagreed, feeling it would be limiting and diminish the humor of the strip.<ref name="LATimesInter">{{cite web |last1=Morrissey |first1=Jake |title=The Far Side of Retirement |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1996-10-07/news/ls-51445_1_cartoons |website=[[The Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=September 15, 2018 |date=October 7, 1996}}</ref> In his first month of syndication, Larson made about {{US$}}100.<ref name="PeopleInter"/> The contract with Chronicle lasted four years. After it expired, [[Universal Press Syndicate]] picked up the syndication rights.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=38}} ===Publication (1979–1995)=== ''The Far Side'' made its debut in the January 1, 1980 edition of the ''Chronicle'', and a few months later, Chronicle Features began to offer it to other papers.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=38}} While it was only in four papers by 1982,{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=139}} by 1983 that number had increased to eighty, and by 1985 two hundred.<ref name="SalonInter"/> Initially, Larson drew six cartoons a week,<ref name="NPRInter"/> which were sent to papers a few weeks in advance.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=125}} By 1987, he was drawing seven cartoons a week. From October 1988 to January 1990, Larson took a hiatus from ''The Far Side'' to travel abroad and study [[jazz guitar]] with [[Jim Hall (musician)|Jim Hall]]. When he resumed working on ''The Far Side'' in 1990, he negotiated an agreement in which he would only have to draw five cartoons a week.<ref name="SalonInter"/> The final ''Far Side'' comic was run in newspapers on January 1, 1995.<ref name="SCPR">{{cite web |last1=Solomon |first1=Charles |title=20 years later, 'The Far Side' is still far out, and the new collection is lighter! |url=https://www.scpr.org/blogs/offramp/2014/12/02/17624/20-years-later-the-far-side-is-still-far-out-and-t/ |publisher=SCPR |access-date=September 16, 2018 |date=December 2, 2014}}</ref><ref name="nytimes dec2019"/> Larson wrote a letter to his followers in October 1994 that explained he was ending the series due to "simple fatigue" and avoid having ''The Far Side'' fall into the "Graveyard of Mediocre Cartoons" if he continued.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1994-10-04-9410040026-story.html | title = Cartoonist To Quit Drawing 'Far Side' | first = Karen | last =Schmidt | date = October 4, 1994 | access-date = July 26, 2020 | work = [[Hartford Courant]] }}</ref><ref name="SalonInter"/> Larson also later stated he wanted to pursue a career as a jazz guitarist.<ref name="LJWorldComplete"/> During its 15-year run, Larson produced a total of 4,337 ''Far Side'' cartoons.<ref name="NPRInter"/> By the time of its conclusion, the series was carried in more than 1,900 papers and translated into 17 languages.<ref name="SalonInter"/> Universal briefly re-syndicated ''The Far Side'' for a three-month period in late 2003 to promote the release of the anthology ''The Complete Far Side: 1980–1994'',<ref name="LJWorldComplete">{{cite web |last1=Cook |first1=Rebecca |title=Gary Larson revisits 'The Far Side' |url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2003/nov/30/gary_larson_revisits/ |website=[[Lawrence Journal-World]] |access-date=September 16, 2018 |date=November 30, 2003}}</ref> and many newspapers still publish reprints.<ref name="InfiniteFire"/> === Hiatus (1995–2019) === Larson has expressed disapproval of the distribution of his cartoons on the internet and has requested that fans do not do so; he wrote in a letter that his work is too personal and important to him to have others "take control of it".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Larson |first1=Gary |title=Gary Larson Cartoon of the Week |url=http://www.portmann.com/farside/index.html?home.html |website=portmann.com |access-date=September 19, 2018}}</ref> For this reason, Universal's online service [[GoComics]] does not offer ''Far Side'' cartoons.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=Joseph |title=New App Makes 'Calvin and Hobbes', 'Peanuts', and More Classic Strips Available for Free |url=http://comicsalliance.com/comic-strip-app-gocomics-calvin-and-hobbes-the-far-side-peanuts/ |website=[[Comics Alliance]] |access-date=September 21, 2018 |date=April 23, 2013}}</ref> In at least one case, he had sent out a [[cease and desist]] letter to a comics-aggregation site for reproducing ''The Far Side'' online.<ref name="nytimes sept2019"/> While an official ''Far Side'' site existed, it only offered information related to the comic and published books, but did not offer any of the strips.<ref name="nytimes dec2019"/> In 2003, Gary Larson drew a cover for the November 17 edition of ''[[The New Yorker]]'' magazine<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/11/17 | title = The New Yorker cover November 17, 2003 | date = November 17, 2003 | access-date = July 26, 2020 | magazine = [[The New Yorker]] }}</ref> (the Cartoon Issue), a prestigious offer he said he could not refuse.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2003/nov/30/gary_larson_revisits/ | title = Gary Larson revisits 'The Far Side' |date = November 30, 2003 | first= Rebecca | last = Cook | publisher = [[Associated Press]] | via = [[The Lawrence Journal-World]] | access-date = July 26, 2020 }}</ref> === Online revival (2019–present) === On September 13, 2019, the official ''Far Side'' site was updated with a major redesign, teasing that "[a] new online era of ''The Far Side''" would be forthcoming.<ref name="nytimes sept2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/16/arts/the-far-side-gary-larson-comic.html|title=The Far Side Teases Its Return|first=George Gene|last=Gustines|date=September 16, 2019|access-date=December 17, 2019|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Burton |first1=Bonnie |title=The Far Side could be back from extinction, and the timing's so right |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/the-far-side-could-be-back-from-extinction-and-the-timings-so-right/ |website=[[CNET]] |access-date=September 21, 2019 |date=September 16, 2019}}</ref> The full site was launched on December 17, 2019. It features a "daily dose" of several randomly selected ''Far Side'' comics, a weekly themed collection, and additional material including art from Larson's sketchbooks. Larson wrote in an open letter announcing the site that he hoped that the official online presence of ''The Far Side'' would encourage sites presently hosting his comics to take them down and direct readers to the official site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/entertainment/article238489738.html|title=Gary Larson went from Tacoma to 'The Far Side.' Now he's back, but on a new format|first=Craig|last=Sailor|date=December 18, 2019|access-date=December 18, 2019|work=[[The News Tribune]]}}</ref> Larson said that while he does not plan to draw regular ''Far Side'' comics, he may include new material every once in a while when updating the site.<ref name="nytimes dec2019">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/arts/far-side-gary-larson.html|title='The Far Side' Is Back. Sort Of. Gary Larson Will Explain.|first=George Gene|last=Gustines|date=December 17, 2019|access-date=December 17, 2019|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> On July 7, 2020, Larson released new ''Far Side'' strips for the first time in 25 years on the website. Unlike his previous work with pen and paper, Larson transitioned to using a [[graphics tablet]] for the comic. In an accompanying post, Larson explained that frustration with his pens clogging from disuse on the rare occasions when he drew following his retirement (primarily for his annual Christmas card) led him to try working on a digital tablet. The new freedom and possibilities offered by the digital medium meant that he soon found he "was having fun drawing again". Larson made it clear that he was not resuming production of a daily cartoon, but was "exploring, experimenting and trying stuff."<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/21317458/far-side-new-comics-creator-gary-larson-25-years-digital-tablet | title = The Far Side returns after 25 years, and it's all digital | first= William | last = Joel | date = July 8, 2020 | access-date = July 8, 2020 | work = [[The Verge]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Larson |first1=Gary |title=New Work by Gary Larson |url=https://www.thefarside.com/new-stuff |website=The Far Side |access-date=7 July 2020}}</ref> == Design and themes == ''The Far Side'' is primarily told through the use of a single, vertical, rectangular [[Panel (comics)|panel]],<ref name="PeopleInter"/> occasionally split into small sections of four, six, or eight for storytelling purposes. A caption or dialogue usually appears under the panel as typed text, although [[speech balloon]]s are sometimes used for conversations. Certain strips, mostly those published on Sundays, are double-sized,{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=146}} colored,<ref name="InfiniteFire"/> and have handwritten captions.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=239}} When Larson drew panels they were {{cvt|6|×|7.5|in|cm}}; he [[penciller|penciled]] until the image "closely approximate[d]" his vision, and then he would [[Inking (comic book production)|ink]] it. The caption was handwritten in pencil underneath the cartoon. When Universal received a cartoon, it would set the caption to the usual typeface and add copyright and publication dates.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=125}} The series is characterized by its unconventional, often [[surrealistic]], style of humor.<ref name="InfiniteFire"/> [[Brigham Young University]] professor Kerry Soper described it as "an anomaly" among other newspaper cartoons<ref name="BYUProf">{{cite web |last1=Mann |first1=Court |title='The Far Side' was a weird comic. This BYU professor helped us translate it |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900032281/the-far-side-was-a-weird-comic-this-byu-professor-helped-us-translate-it.html |website=Deseret News |access-date=September 21, 2018 |date=September 20, 2018}}</ref> and ''[[ComicsAlliance]]'' wrote it was "surreal, random, and occasionally very dark".<ref name="CALegacy"/> Larson was influenced by his family's "morbid" sense of humor.<ref name="InfiniteFire"/> His older brother Dan, who would often play pranks on him that took advantage of his fears, was a particular influence.<ref name="USATwild"/><ref name="MF50">{{cite web |author1=The Mag |title=50 Reasons to Subscribe to mental_floss (#45, Gary Larson) |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/17358/50-reasons-subscribe-mentalfloss-45-gary-larson |website=[[Mental Floss]] |date=November 12, 2007}}</ref> He also drew inspiration from personal experience, ''[[Mad (magazine)|Mad]]'', and his favorite childhood book, ''Mr. Bear Squash-You-All-Flat''.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=43—97}}<ref name="20/20">{{cite AV media|title=''Interview with [[Gary Larson]] on'' [[20/20 (U.S. TV program)|20/20]]|date=January 8, 1987|people=Sherr, Linda; Larson, Gary|medium=Interview|publisher=[[American Broadcasting Company]]}}</ref> Larson sought to mock the [[human condition]], often by placing animals in human positions. Fear is also recurring in the strip;<ref name="20/20"/> ''The Far Side'' was produced in a time when [[horror comedy]] was becoming popular.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Carroll |first=Noël |date=Spring 1999 |title=Horror and Humor |journal=The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism: Aesthetics and Popular Culture |volume=57 |number=2 |page=145|doi=10.1111/1540_6245.jaac57.2.0145 }}</ref> Recurring [[Theme (narrative)|themes]] in ''The Far Side'' include people stranded on desert islands, [[Extraterrestrial life|aliens]], [[Heaven]], [[Hell]], the life of [[cavemen]], and [[Middle Ages|medieval]] dungeons. Animals—especially [[cow]]s—are also common. Larson focused on subjects he considered [[taboo]] because he wanted his cartoons to be personal statements.<ref name="20/20"/> Larson's editors refused to publish strips they found [[off-color humor|indecent]], offensive, or hard to understand. Examples include cowboys roasting a horse over a fire because they are "hungry enough to eat one" and a bird eating scrambled babies. Generally, they also avoided publishing cartoons with [[scatological]] humor; Larson recalled that during the strip's first few years he was not even allowed to draw an outhouse. Larson often disagreed with his editors' decisions and was sometimes successful in getting rejected cartoons published, although he does admit most of their decisions likely saved his career.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=172—183}} Larson also says he never tried to intentionally offend readers.<ref name="20/20"/> While Larson frequently used the same stereotypical characters such as a woman with a [[Beehive (hairstyle)|beehive hairdo]], he purposely did not name his characters nor imply they were the same characters from cartoon to cartoon. He did not want to have a character-based series, as the characters were there to help serve the humor of the comic.<ref name="nytimes dec2019"/> == Notable cartoons == === ''Cow Tools'' === {{main|Cow Tools}} ''[[Cow Tools]]''<ref>{{Citation|title=Cow Tools|date=2021-12-30|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cow_Tools&oldid=1062818501|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=2022-01-08}}</ref> is the name of a 1982 ''Far Side'' cartoon. It shows a cow standing behind a table with strange objects, with the cartoon's caption "Cow tools". While most of the displayed tools had no apparent function, one was similar to a saw. The cartoon has become one of the most loathed cartoons in the series, with [[Reddit]] posters calling it the series' "notoriously confusing cartoon".<ref name="nytimes dec2019"/> Larson was frequently asked about the meaning of the cartoon by the media, and received numerous letters, some angry and questioning where the humor was in the comic.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/magazine/lady-mondegreen-and-the-miracle-of-misheard-song-lyrics.html|title=Lady Mondegreen and the Miracle of Misheard Song Lyrics|first=Willy|last=Staley|date=July 15, 2012|access-date=December 17, 2019|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Larson said in ''Prehistory of the Far Side'' that he had so much mail from this strip he had to issue a press release to explain that there was nothing to explain about the ''Cow Tools'' comic.<ref name="prehistory">{{harvnb|Larson|1989}}</ref> === Jane Goodall cartoon === One ''The Far Side'' cartoon shows two [[Common chimpanzee|chimpanzees]] grooming. One finds a blonde human hair on the other and inquires, "Conducting a little more 'research' with that [[Jane Goodall]] tramp?"<ref name="Strange Legacy">{{cite web|url=http://comicsalliance.com/tribute-gary-larson-far-side/|title=The Strange Legacy of Gary Larson's 'The Far Side'|publisher=ComicsAlliance|date=August 14, 2015|access-date=August 20, 2016|author=Chris Sims}}</ref> Goodall herself was in Africa at the time, and the [[Jane Goodall Institute]] thought this was in bad taste, and had their lawyers draft a letter to Larson and his distribution syndicate, in which they described the cartoon as an "atrocity." They were stymied by Goodall herself when she returned and saw the cartoon, as she stated that she found the cartoon amusing,<ref name="prehistory" /> stating "It all helps to put us humans in our place, and we desperately need putting in our place."<ref name="newyorker july2020"/> Since then, all profits from sales of a shirt featuring this cartoon go to the Jane Goodall Institute. Goodall wrote a preface to ''The Far Side Gallery 5'', detailing her version of the controversy, and the Institute's letter was included next to the cartoon in the complete ''Far Side'' collection.<ref>Larson, Gary. ''The Far Side Gallery 5''. Kansas City, MO: Andrew and McNeel, 1995. ({{ISBN|0-8362-0425-5}}).</ref> She praised Larson's creative ideas, which often compare and contrast the behavior of humans and animals.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://comicsalliance.com/tribute-gary-larson-far-side/|title=The Strange Comics And Equally Strange Legacy Of 'The Far Side' And Gary Larson|first=Chris|last=Sims|date=August 14, 2015|access-date=December 17, 2019|work=[[Comics Alliance]]}}</ref> === The Thagomizer === In 1982, Larson published a comic in which a prehistoric lecturer refers to the then previously unnamed tail spikes of the ''[[Stegosaurus]]'' as the "[[thagomizer]]".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/watch-out-for-that-thagomizer-98891562/|title=Watch Out For That Thagomizer!|last=Black|first=Riley|date=March 30, 2011|website=Smithsonian.com|access-date=May 28, 2019}}</ref> The arrangement of spikes originally had no distinct name, but Larson's [[neologism]] was adopted gradually by paleontologists, albeit only in a casual context.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/dino/stegdcvr.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214142258/http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/dino/stegdcvr.htm|archive-date=December 14, 2004|title=Stegosaurus Changes|publisher=Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Department of Paleobiology|access-date=March 3, 2007}}</ref> ''[[The Complete Far Side: 1980-1994|The Complete Far Side]]'' and ''[[The Prehistory of The Far Side]]'' include letters from angry readers alongside the comics. The letters were written to newspaper publishers and often demanded the removal of ''The Far Side''. Despite these protests, ''The Far Side'' remained popular and continued to run in many newspapers. Larson often laughs at the controversies as evidenced in ''The Prehistory of The Far Side'', in which he writes that the people complaining have usually misunderstood the cartoon.<ref name="prehistory" /> == Collected editions == {| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" !colspan=3 | Main series !colspan=3 | ''The Far Side Gallery'' series !colspan=3 | Anthologies |- ! Title ! Date ! ISBN ! Title ! Date ! ISBN ! Title ! Date ! ISBN |- | ''The Far Side'' || September 1982 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1200-2}} || ''The Far Side Gallery'' || November 1984 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2062-5}} || ''The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit'' || January 1989 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1851-5}} |- | ''Beyond The Far Side'' || August 1983 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1149-9}} || ''The Far Side Gallery 2'' || October 1986 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2085-4}} || ''The Complete Far Side: 1980—1994'' || August 2003|| {{ISBN|0-7407-2113-5}} |- | ''In Search of The Far Side'' || August 1984 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2060-9}} || ''The Far Side Gallery 3'' || October 1988 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1831-0}} || colspan="3" rowspan="14" style="background:#ccc;"| |- | ''Bride of The Far Side'' || April 1985 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2066-8}} || ''The Far Side Gallery 4'' || October 1993 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1724-1}} |- | ''Valley of The Far Side'' || August 1985 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2067-6}} || ''The Far Side Gallery 5'' || September 1995 || {{ISBN|0-8362-0425-5}} |- | ''It Came from The Far Side'' || August 1986 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2073-0}} || colspan="3" rowspan="11" style="background:#ccc;"| |- | ''The Hound of The Far Side'' || April 1987 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2087-0}} |- | ''The Far Side Observer'' || October 1987 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2098-6}} |- | ''Night of the Crash-Test Dummies'' || July 1988 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2049-8}} |- | ''Wildlife Preserves'' || April 1989 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1842-6}} |- | ''Wiener Dog Art'' || October 1990 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1865-5}} |- | ''Unnatural Selections'' || November 1991 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1881-7}} |- | ''Cows of Our Planet'' || November 1992 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1701-2}} |- | ''The Chickens are Restless'' || November 1993 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1717-9}} |- | ''The Curse of Madame "C"'' || November 1994 || {{ISBN|0-8362-1763-2}} |- | ''Last Chapter and Worse'' || October 1996 || {{ISBN|0-8362-2131-1}} |} There are 23 collected editions of ''The Far Side'',<ref name="USATwild"/> which combined have sold over 45 million copies and have generated {{US$}}70 million in revenue.<ref name="InfiniteFire">{{cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Joseph |title=Gary Larson - Cartoonist With Compassion |url=http://infinitefire.org/info/gary-larson-cartoonist-with-compassion/ |website=Infinite Fire |access-date=September 21, 2018 |date=August 20, 2016}}</ref> The books are published by [[Andrews McMeel Publishing]], an affiliate of Universal. Andrews McMeel acquired the rights to publish collected editions of the series in 1982, the year the first ''Far Side'' book was released. It was surprisingly successful, which influenced Larson's decision to sign on with Universal after his contract with Chronicle expired.{{sfn|Larson|1989|p=38}} In January 1985, the four ''Far Side'' books out at the time—''The Far Side'', ''The Far Side Gallery'', ''Beyond the Far Side'' and ''In Search of the Far Side''—were simultaneous bestsellers; [[Jim Davis (cartoonist)|Jim Davis]]'s ''[[Garfield]]'' was the only newspaper comic that had previously accomplished this feat.<ref name="PeopleInter"/> New ''Far Side'' books continued to be published after the series concluded and remain in print and popular today.<ref name="LATimesInter"/><ref name="InfiniteFire"/><ref name="USATwild"/> During his 14-month hiatus, Larson produced ''The PreHistory of The Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit'', a ''Far Side'' anthology that commemorates the series' 10th anniversary. It contains commentary on individual strips, letters from angry readers, unpublished cartoons, and some of Larson's personal favorite ''Far Side''s.<ref name="SalonInter"/><ref name="CALegacy">{{cite web |last1=Sims |first1=Chris |title=The Strange Comics and Equally Strange Legacy of 'The Far Side' and Gary Larson |url=http://comicsalliance.com/tribute-gary-larson-far-side/ |website=[[ComicsAlliance]] |access-date=September 21, 2018 |date=August 14, 2015}}</ref><ref name="prehistory" /> In 2003, Andrews McMeel released the two-volume, twenty-pound anthology ''The Complete Far Side: 1980—1994''. ''The Complete Far Side'' contains every ''Far Side'' cartoon syndicated and, when it was initially published, retailed for {{US$}}135. Larson spent three years working on it; the majority of work went into redrawing characters' eyeballs because he was unhappy how they looked when transferred digitally.<ref name="TimeInter">{{cite magazine |last1=Stein |first1=Joel |title=Life Beyond The Far Side |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,490695,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=September 21, 2018 |date=September 29, 2003}}</ref> It sold 350,000 copies and at the time was the most expensive [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' bestseller]].<ref name="USATwild">{{cite web |last1=Weise |first1=Elizabeth |title=Larson is drawn to the wild side |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/2006-11-20-larson-cover-usat_x.htm |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=September 21, 2018 |date=November 22, 2006}}</ref> A new, lighter edition of ''The Complete Far Side'' was released in 2014.<ref name="SCPR"/> ==Merchandise and other media== A large amount of ''Far Side'' merchandise was produced, ranging from [[greeting card]]s, [[poster]]s, [[t-shirt]]s, and [[mug]]s.<ref name="PeopleInter"/><ref name="20/20"/> For many years, Larson produced a yearly [[calendar]] that contained a ''Far Side'' cartoon for each day of the year. He stopped making them annually in 2002, but created another edition in 2006; all proceeds from this edition went to [[Conservation International]].<ref name="USATwild"/> In the years they were available, ''Far Side'' greeting cards and calendars sold 110 million and 45 million copies, respectively.<ref name="NYTInter">{{cite web |last1=Angier |first1=Natalie |title=AFICIONADO OF SCIENCE: Gary Larson; An Amateur of Biology Returns to His Easel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/28/science/aficionado-of-science-gary-larson-an-amateur-of-biology-returns-to-his-easel.html?_r=0 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=September 21, 2018 |date=April 28, 1998}}</ref> Larson stated in 1987 he was personally embarrassed by how much money he made from ''Far Side'' merchandise.<ref name="20/20"/> == Television productions == {{main|Gary Larson's Tales from the Far Side}} In 1994, Larson produced an animated special, ''[[Tales from the Far Side]]'', featuring his art style and gags from the strips. He produced a sequel in 1997. == Exhibitions == In 1987, a special exhibit of 527 black and white ''Far Side'' panels was shown in the [[Smithsonian Institution]]'s [[National Museum of Natural History]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] 127 of the panels were originals, displayed in the rotunda on boards that held 50 panels each. Later the display became a traveling exhibit that was shown in [[San Francisco]], Washington, D.C., [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], [[Chicago]], [[Toronto]], [[New York City]], [[Denver]], and [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Reilly|first=David|title=The Far Side Of The Smithsonian Through Gary Larson's Lens, The World's A Naturally Wacky Place, So A Temple To Natural History Is A Fitting Place For A Show Of His Cartoons|url=http://articles.philly.com/1987-04-16/news/26191943_1_dinosaur-bones-cartoons-natural-history|access-date=12 March 2014|newspaper=Inquirer|date=April 16, 1987}}</ref> There was a ''Far Side'' gallery at the [[California Academy of Science]] that featured some of Larson's panels. The exhibit included a giant microscope under which visitors could stand, based on one of Larson's cartoons. Looking up through the objective lens revealed a giant blinking eyeball. The building was torn down and replaced and the exhibit is no longer in the new facility.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/academy_tour/naturalhistory/farside.html|publisher=California Academy of Sciences|access-date=12 March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002093606/http://www.calacademy.org/exhibits/academy_tour/naturalhistory/farside.html|archive-date=October 2, 2013|title=California Academy of Sciences - Academy Tour - Natural History Museum}}</ref> == Legacy == As described by Sarah Larson for ''[[The New Yorker]]'', ''The Far Side''{{'}}s initial run came at a time where newspaper comics were generally more grounded, such as ''[[Peanuts]]'', ''[[Garfield]]'', ''[[For Better or For Worse]]'' and ''[[Doonesbury]]'', and helped to introduce more modern and surreal humor into the comic pages that influence other strips such as ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'' and ''[[Bloom County]]'' as well as brought [[nerd]] humor to the forefront, reflected in series like ''[[The Simpsons]]''.<ref name="newyorker july2020">{{Cite magazine |last1=Larson |first1=Sarah |title='The Far Side' Returns to a Weird World |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |date=July 25, 2020 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-far-side-returns-to-a-weird-world |language=en-us |access-date=July 26, 2020 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> == See also == {{portal|Comics|Cartoon|Comedy}} * ''[[Bizarro (comic strip)|Bizarro]]'' * ''[[Rhymes with Orange]]'' * ''[[Strigiphilus garylarsoni]]'' * [[Thagomizer]] == References == {{reflist}} ===Sources=== * {{cite book |last1=Larson |first1=Gary |title=[[The PreHistory of the Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit]] |date=1989 |publisher=[[Andrews McMeel Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-8362-1851-0 }} == External links == * [http://www.thefarside.com/ Gary Larson's ''The Far Side'' official site] {{Thefarside}} {{UniversalPressSyndicate}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Far Side, The}} [[Category:The Far Side| ]] [[Category:Gag cartoon comics]] [[Category:Black comedy comics]] [[Category:1979 comics debuts]] [[Category:Satirical comics]] [[Category:Surreal comedy]] [[Category:Metafictional comics]] [[Category:1995 comics endings]] [[Category:Gag-a-day comics]] [[Category:Comics about animals]]'