Many ofThe Far Side’scharacters had warped senses of humor that reflected that of their creator, Gary Larson,something best exhibited by the many panels Larson produced over the years which starred a wild variety of merry pranksters, both human and animal, pulling practical jokesfor their own amusement.
The Far Side’spranks weren’t exactly always lighthearted; like the cartoon’s overall comedic style itself, some of its practical jokers took thinks in an unexpectedly dark direction, while others did take a sillier, less dangerous approach.
In any case, from unpleasant to possibly deadly, each of these gags conjured by Gary Larson is the kind of thing readers will be entirely grateful they won’t find themselves on the receiving end of, but rather can enjoy from afar, thanks toThe Far Side’swarped sense of humor.
12The Far Side’s Alien Pranksters Interrupt A Perfect Picnic For This Earthling Pair
First Published: June 17, 2025
“Zzz” reads the flag that pops out of the end of an extraterrestrial ray gun in this late-stageFar Sidealien cartoon, as a group of space “invaders” pull a hysterically cruel prank on a pair of humanstrying to have a nice picnic on an otherwise idyllic day.
This punchline is perfectly situated between an ensuing moment of relief for its human characters, and a preceding few seconds of abject terror, as they presumably believe themselves to be the first casualties in a war for human survival. Instead, it turns out they have made first contact with some space jokesters, making it clear their sense of dark humor is light years ahead of most humans, though not Gary Larson.
11The Far Side’s Smallest Prankster Gets In Big Trouble Chasing A Laugh
First Published: Aug 01, 2025
In this classicFar Sidecartoon,an ant with an oversized sense of humor goes to great lengths to get one over on the rest of his colony, even ordering an “A-1 Fake Picnickers” set to pull a cruel trick, the result of which this comic’s caption explains is that “Wally was finally booted off the hill.”
It is a memorableFar Sidejoke, one that anthropomorphizes insect charactersin a charming way, while also delivering one of Gary Larson’s out-there fake products. For most readers, the lingering question here is precisely what purpose this toy might have outside of this very specific instance. The answer is none, and this is precisely what makes itFar Sidegold.
10The Far Side Reveals What Really Goes On In Operating Rooms
First Published: July 14, 2025
In thisFar Sidecartoon lampooning doctors,a group of surgeons gathered around the operating table burst out laughing as “Carlton falls for the old rubber scalpel gag,” having gotten a surprise when he went to cut into the patienton the table.
With jokes like this, Gary Larson played into the general fear of medical malpractice, the idea that doctors, particularly surgeons, don’t take their patients' well-being as seriously as they should, and successfully converted this anxiety into humor. Here, these concerns are actualized, but in a way that is patently farcical; though, in the context of the cartoon, the joke is, unfortunately, squarely on the man going under the (fake) knife.
9The Far Side Reveals The Lengths Cowboys Would Go To Amuse Themselves
First Published: Jun 18, 2025
“In the Old West,” the caption to thisFar Sidecowboy comicexplains,“cowboy show-offs often fell victim to the old whoopee saddle gag,” as the illustration features a man elaborately jumping onto his horse, about to unleash an epic fake fart noise, as his fellow cattle rustlers look on from the Saloon window,ready to ruthlessly mock him.
This cartoon is funny in its own right, but for those who appreciate a good whoopee cushion in real life, it is elevated to true hilarity, as they imagine the gold standard of pranks transported back in time to the American West, a time period, and genre of story, which is generally known for its gravity, except when it came toThe Far Side.
8The Far Side’s Farm Animals Resort To Prank Calls To Pass The Time
First Published: Jul 18, 2025
“Your barn door’s open,” a horse whispers into the receiver of a pay phone, prank-calling “Farmer Bob,“with the rest of the bewildered farmer’s barnyard animals gathered around. Once again, the joke here is funny, but what really makes it great is therelatable quality to thisFar Sidepanel’s premise, as it will evoke fond memories of childhood prank calls for many readers.
Over the years,The Far Sideoften depicted the relationship between farm animals and farmersas significantly more contentious than in this comic, as rather than violent insurrection, these animals settle for a lighthearted practical joke to get a dig in at “Farmer Bob,” who should consider himself lucky this prank isn’t more perilous.
7This Little Piggy Is Going To Be In Big Trouble With Mom After Playing Dead
First Published: June 09, 2025
Captioned “piglet practical jokes,” thisFar Sidecartoon features a young pig, “Billy,” playing dead when his mom tries to wake him up in the morning, even going so far as to lay perfectly still with an apple sticking in him mouth so as to freak his parent out when she flips on the light.
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Here,Gary Larson effectively uses multiple panelsto build up to the punchline, as the lack of response from Billy in the first three panels builds up a degree of suspense, leading to the reader to feel a degree of empathy for the mother pig when she turns on the light to find seemingly her worst nightmare. Thankfully, readers know what she doesn’t, in this moment, that this is only a prank, albeit a crass one on the part of “Billy.”
6The Far Side’s “Animal Joke Gifts” Comic Reminds Readers Gary Larson Thinks Humans Stink
First Published: July 15, 2025
Captioned “animal joke gifts,” thisFar Sidecartooncaptures the hilarious moment that a deer opens and tries a gag present, in the form of a perfume bottle containing “scent de la human,” which it laughingly sprays into the air, as the other deer at its birthday party recoil.
The joke, of course, is on humankind itself, whom the dismayed and disturbed reactions of the deer in the illustration make clear do not smell pleasant, at least by the standards of wild animals. It is asimpleFar Sidepunchline, but one that contains some layers of further comedic meaning that astute readers can pull back and examine in more detail.
5Far Side Readers Are On The Outside Looking In With This Scientist Prank
First Published: July 05, 2025
ThiscaptionlessFar Sidecartoonis deliberately slightly obscure; in a way, it actually invites readers to overthink it, when really the joke isn’t particularly deep. In the panel,a group of scientists snicker amongst themselves, having just stuck a note with a complex equation to the backside of one of their colleagues, who is minding his own businessworking on another equation on a chalkboard.
The fact that this formula equates to a “dig” or a “burn” for these scientists, while being esoteric to the reader, is the point of the punchline. Readers aren’t missing something by not understanding why they find this funny; in fact, that is the essence of the joke here in itself.
4The Far Side’s Darkest Practical Joke Belongs To The Bears
First Published: August 05, 2025
In this low-keydarkFar Sidecartoon, Gary Larson offers some insight into “practical jokes of the wild,” which turn out to be as deadly as a bear attack in its own right. Here, a trio of bears stand in the woods, andthe one with its back to the reader has a “shoot me” sign taped to it.
It is one ofThe Far Side’smost straightforward jokes, yet it is also one of its most charged, as Larson depicts these bears as outright cruel in the extent of their humor. Some readers might conflate this withThe Far Side’sstyle of comedy, but in fact, while this doesn’t reflect the author’s attitude toward animals, it does make clear the extent he is willing to go to shock and surpriseFar Sidefans.
3Hope Is The Cruelest Joke In This Far Side Desert Island Cartoon
First Published: June 30, 2025
As far as human characters are concerned, this arguably stands asThe Far Side’scruelest practical joke, asone half of a duo of shipwreck survivors shakes the other awake, claiming to see a ship approaching, having secretly painted a boat on “Bob’s” glasses, presumably having reached a breaking point of boredom and being willing to crush the other man’s spirit to bring himself some amusement.
The character’s motivations here remain open to speculation, but what is definitive is the fact that this also ranks high up on the list ofThe Far Side’sfunniest desert island jokes, as harsh as it might be for “Bob.”
