Far Sidecreator Gary Larson was an avid music lover, particularly jazz and blues, as well as a musician himself, and this had a substantial influence on the cartoonin a number of ways. From jokes about jazz icons, to musicians toiling in obscurity, to seemingly esoteric song references, Larson infusedThe Far Sidewith his love of jazz.
Once readers know about Larson’s musical influences, it putsThe Far Sidein a totally new context. For starters, theexperimental creative spirit of Larson’s work was akin to improvisational jazz, in a sense.
Moreover, fans acquainted with Larson’s love of jazz, and music in general, start to recognize just how frequently the subject came up inThe Far Side.
Gary Larson’s Passion For Music Was Foundational To The Creation Of The Far Side
Jazz And Other Genres Inspired Larson In Multiple Ways
Gary Larson produced a number of jokes about musiciansover the years, which take on an entirely new meaning when fans learn that music was one of Larson’s biggest passions outside ofThe Far Side. In fact,the late ’80s hiatus Larson took from producingThe Far Sidewas spent playing jazz guitar with musicians he admired.
Jazz played a critical role in the creation of countlessFar Sidecartoons, whatever the subject of those panels might be.
According to interviews with Larson during his career,jazz was a direct inspiration on his creative process, in the sense that he would listen to music while working onThe Far Side.Further, when stuck on a particularly obstinate cartoon, the artist would pause to play guitar in order to clear his head.
So, in a sense, jazz played a critical role in the creation of countlessFar Sidecartoons, whatever the subject of those panels might be. Yet there is also the tangible result of this inspiration on the page, in the form of the jokes Gary Larson made about music and musicians, which popped up frequently in his work.
As absurd and, at times, confusing asThe Far Sidecould be, it was alsohighly relatable in a lot of its panels, especially for those readers who knew what to look for. This was certainly the case with the comic’s jokes about the ups and downs of being a musician, as well as Larson’s many references to musical genres.
Gary Larson Shouted Out Jazz Musicians, From Obscure To Famous, In Many Far Side Panels
Far SideJazz Cameos Include Dizzie Gillespe, Charlie Parker, Tito Puente, And More
Gary Larson made jokes about many different genres of music, including classical, blues, and even punk rock. His favorite genre, though, andthe one that appears inThe Far Sidethe most, is jazz.So, it is worth focusing on those, in particular. Essentially, Larson’s jazz jokes came in three distinct forms.
The first were those about the genre itself:cavemen clunking rocks together in a panelcaptioned “the birth of jazz,” for example, or sheep jamming in “Jazz at the Wool Club.” In multiple cartoons, Larson captures the trials and tribulations of practicing an instrument, such as in one panel where a saxophone grows fangs and bites a practicing musician on the head.
Or, the cartoon which depicts “three more careers claimed by the Bermuda triangle of jazz,” as instruments once more turn on their players. These were classicFar Sidesend-ups to the genre, in the abstract. YetGary Larson also occasionally shouted out actual real-lifejazz heroes, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.
The Far Side Complete Collection
The latter was actually namechecked in several memorableFar Sidecartoons, including one unforgettable cartoon in which Parker was trapped in hell, forced to listen to “New Age music.” In another one, an excited music teacher encouraged her student to play his heart out by shouting, among other things, “Charlie Parker, move over!”
Some Of The Far Side’s Seemingly Obtuse Jokes Are Actually Deep-Cut References
Looking At Larson’s Work Through The Jazz Lens
In addition to Gary Larson’s many overt jazz references,The Far Sidecontains a number of much more sly homages to the genre, ones which are much more likely to fly under the radar, such as riffs on popular 20th-century songs like “Bye Bye Blackbird” and “The Bluebird of Happiness.”
Don’t get aFar Sidejoke? Try checking to see if it is a subtle reference, such as in Larson’s tribute to the jazz song “Mack the Knife.”
Especially forreaders in 2025, these references might be hardto spot, yet they offer a potential solution to some ofThe Far Side’smost inscrutable jokes. Don’t get aFar Sidejoke? Try checking to see if it is a subtle reference, such as in Larson’s tribute to the jazz song “Mack the Knife,” made most famous by Louis Armstrong’s rendition.
WhileThe Far Side’shumor relied heavily on recognizable tropes, and pop culture points of reference, Larson was simultaneously unafraid to go for obscure, deep-cut callbacks when they suited him. Further, the interval of time has made references like his riff on “Bluebird of Happiness,“the “Chicken of Depression,“even harder to identify as references.
Decades after it ended its run,The Far Sideremains labyrinthine in the way that it has endless re-read potential and constant new discoveries to offer.
Ultimately, though, this givesFar Sidefans one more reason to go back through Larson’s creative catalog with fresh eyes, to look for the influence of jazz on his work where it might not have been obvious before. Decades after it ended its run,The Far Sideremains labyrinthine in the way that it has endless re-read potential and constant new discoveries to offer.
