The Far Sideis a relic of print publishing’s peak, but it has found a second life on the internet, given how Gary Larson’s single-panel, self-contained cartoons are effectively proto-memes.Larson’s impact on internet humorhas been cited before, and in one way or another, each of the panels collected here deserves its own viral moment.
From jokes that reflect current trends in online humor, to panels that carry a satirical or social message which has become even more relevant in the decades since, theseFar Sidecartoons are ripe for revitalization on the internet.
SomeFar Sidejokes have a more contemporary vibe than others, and these comics exemplify some of the different ways Gary Larson was ahead of his time.
10"Horse Hospitals": This Prescient Far Side Panel Evokes Modern Online Morbid Humor
First Published: July 24, 2025
Captioned “horse hospitals,” this is the kind ofFar Sidecomic that prefigured the gallows humor common on the contemporary internet. The joke is that all the horse patients have broken legs, and are being unceremoniously euthanized by shotgun-wielding doctors. Which of course, defeats the purpose of the “hospital” setting.
It is a macabre gag that comes across as overtly silly, but is not without a twinge of social commentary.Misguided critics might try to cancel Gary Larsonfor the “cruelty” of the cartoon, when, in fact, thisFar Sidepunchline is meant to lampoon the cruel and callous way in which injured horses are customarily treated.
9"I Will Not Act Primitive": A Far Side Cartoon For People Who Feel Like They’re The Only Civilized Humans Left
First Published: July 12, 2025
“I will not act primitive in class. I will not act primitive in class,” a Neanderthal-coded student in a leopard-spotted loincloth writes repeatedly on the chalkboard, having been held after class for, presumably, causing a scene. This is exactly the kind of visual joke that could catch on as a meme even decades after its publication.
Prehistoric characters popped up constantly inThe Far Side, but there is a special place in many fans' hearts for the handful of comics that brought them into the present day. For anyone who feels like they’re surrounded by people who lack modern social graces, this is a low-key relatable comic, making it perfect for a viral internet moment.
First Published: July 03, 2025
Hypercommercialization of American culture was a concern when Gary Larson created thisFar Sidecomic in the late ’80s, and nearly forty years later, it is more out of control than he could have imagined. Consequently, thisFar Sidejoke has gotten better with age, unlike others that have become more obscure over time.
Here, a man crawls through the desert, looking for a lifesaving oasis or some sign of civilization…and when he finally finds the latter, it is in the form of a billboard advertising “Jones Bros. Canteens,” specifically targeting the “lost in the desert” and “dying of thirst” market. It is diabolically funnyFar Sidesocial satire, while maintaining an air of absurdity as well.
7"The First Pangs Of Real Panic": The Far Side’s Unluckiest Characters Make Us Feel Better About Ourselves
First Published: July 16, 2025
ThisFar Sidecartoonwill be relatable to anyone who feels like they are cursed with the worst luck; or rather, it might even bring a hint of relief, as readers can take comfort in the fact that, at least, they’re not one of Gary Larson’s notoriously, darkly hilariously doomed skydivers.
Here, the unfortunate parachutist pulls his cords and gets a grand piano and a literal anchor instead. It is a classicFar Sideimage, which could go viral on its own, while the caption elevates the humor even further by noting that the piano didn’t make the diver concerned, but the anchor did, in a brilliant break from the rules of physics.
6"You Don’t Even Have A Funny Bone": A Far Side Panel For People Who Feel They’re Surrounded By Humorless Clowns
First Published: June 26, 2025
ThisFar Sidecartoon would be the perfect non-response, used as a retort to someone clowning on the internet, a troll or wannabe wit that thinks they’re funny, but really isn’t. Here, one ofGary Larson’s many actual clown charactersgets some terrible news from the doctor: he’s missing his “funny bone.”
This panel exhibits Gary Larson’s knack for making metaphors literal. Of course, what makes the “funny bone” work is that Larson picks the most obvious, and funniest, character to use. In this case, the clown is a no-brainer, and that is exactly what makes this a near-perfectFar Sidecomic.
5"First Pants, Then Your Shoes": A Far Side Panel For Anyone Having A Hard Time With The Basics
First Published: Jul 09, 2025
A common source of humor on the internet is the idea that even the most simple tasks can be overwhelming to some people. Gary Larson was makingFar Sidejokes about this same topic over forty years ago, and this stands as the most overt and most outrageous example in his ouvre.
In thisFar Sidecartoon, a man wakes promptly at sunrise, rolls out of bed, and looks up at the giant, poster-sized note on his wall instructing him “first pants, THEN your shoes.” The gag is hyperbolic in Larson’s characteristic style, but for people who might be struggling with basic everyday tasks,thisFar Sidepanel hits surprisingly hard.
4"Nature Abhorred A Vacuum": The Far Side Walks The Line Between Smart And Dumb Humor
First Published: Jun 18, 2025
“Worst of all,” a woman says as she makes her way through an ominous forest landscape, hauling a household appliance, “she knew that Nature abhorred a vacuum.” Of course, the appliance in question is a vacuum, in one of Gary Larson’s most brilliant over-literalizations, as he takes a scientific concept and finds an absurd twist on it.
This is an example ofThe Far Side’sfamiliar “so smart it’s dumb/so dumb it’s smart” brand of humor, which has become a staple of internet culture. It is a joke that will make readers laugh and/or roll their eyes, and while not everyone will appreciate it, few who encounter it will be left entirely unaffected.
3"The First Real Evidence Of A UFO": Gary Larson Pioneered The “Mom’s Basement” Burn
First Published: July 25, 2025
Conspiracy theory culture was a thing in 1980, when thisFar Sidecartoon was published, but it has become a ubiquitous part of American culture on an entirely different level in the ensuing forty-five years. That’s whyGary Larson’s jokes about conspiracy theory topics, such as this panel depicting a man’s “proof” of UFOs, hit differently than they did when he first produced them.
Here, a truthseeker’s moment of revelation is interrupted by his mom bringing him milk and cookies, in a low-key burn that still carries weight to this day. It also highlights Gary Larson’s expert ability to capture a single moment of “action” inFar Sidecartoons, with this panel forever preserving the moment right before this UFOlogist’s dreams are dashed.
2"What If We Gave A War?": The Far Side’s Anti-War Cartoons Have Never Gotten Less Relevant
First Published: June 26, 2025
“What if we gave a war and everybody came?” a general says, seated around a map of the world with other powerful military figures, in thisFar Sidecartoon that riffs on a memorable 1960s-70s anti-war slogan. While protesters proposed that the world’s soldiers refuse to fight, theseFar Sidehawks suggest that they not give anyone the choice.
Gary Larson’s childhood Cold War fears are on full displayin this panel, and despite the fall of the Soviet Union less than a decade later, this comic has never stopped being relevant. As much as ever before, most people feel helpless as their leaders engage in awful, unnecessary wars, and thisFar Sidecomic embodies that anxiety.
1The Far Side Found Nothing Funny In Ecological Disaster, And That’s More True Now Than Ever
First Published: June 26, 2025
Admittedly, not everyFar Sidecomic is necessarily funny, but most of them were trying to be.ThisFar Sidepanel is the exception; it was not designed to get a laugh, but rather to call readers' attention to the ecological concerns close to Gary Larson’s heart, by depicting Mother Nature on her deathbed, surrounded by a menagerie of grieving animals.
Conspicuously absent? Any humans. Instead, they look on, through Gary Larson’s POV. It is a message that is more urgent than ever, thirty-five years after thisFar Sidecartoon was published, meaning it deserves a second life as a viral meme, shared by people who want to propagate thisFar Sidecomic’s overt, and pressing concerns.
