The Far Side was the product of creator Gary Larson's, and throughout the comic's run, he proved to be fascinated by real world history. The result of this "obsession" was a host of Far Side comics making fun of actual historical eras, and specific legendary moments from bygone points in time, from ancient history to the modern era.
Larson’s humor was highly intelligent, but as Far Side fans know well, the actual substance of his jokes could often be incredibly silly, especially when his irreverent style was applied to particularly serious subjects.
The intelligence of Gary Larson’s work, then often came at the level of the premise. That isn’t to say his punchlines weren’t also intelligence, but when he often resorted to deliberate dumbness, the smart mind behind it was still evident from the choice of subject matter. The Far Side’s world historical cartoons offer many great examples of this.
10 The Far Side Goes All The Way Back To The First Great Fake Out In History
Circa 12th Century BCE
As the centerpiece of Homer's Iliad, the Trojan War is the first great conflict in the canon of Western literature, and the consensus among historians is that it is a fictionalized version of a real war on the Anatolian coast over three thousand years ago. With this Far Side cartoon, Gary Larson makes light of the progenital story of subterfuge, the Trojan Horse, by having one of the soldiers hiding in its belly have to go to the bathroom just as they're wheeled up to the gate.
12 Classic Far Side Comics That Make American History Hilarious
Far Side creator Gary Larson was fascinated by history, and his interest in the past leaked into his work, resulting in many iconic Far Side s.
This punchline is a hilariously lighthearted extrapolation from the classic tale; the demonstrates Gary Larson's keen interest in history and the literary canon, though it is not without a slight anachronism. For reasons unknown, Larson decided to name the character here Cornelius, a Roman name that wouldn't come into fashion for nearly a millennium after the Trojan War era.
9 Gary Larson Pokes Fun At The Most Legendary Figures In British History
Circa 5th-6th Century CE
The historicity of King Arthur is a bit harder to pin down than that of the Trojan War; though Arthur has become an almost entirely mythological figure, there were at least real-life inspirations in ancient British history for the subsequent stories about him. Here, Gary Larson makes a classic Far Side joke using the Knights of the Round Table, with the table itself being the heart of his punchline.
That is, because the heroic knights of King Arthur's court keep sticking their gum under the round table, annoying their iconic leader, who specifically calls out Lancelot and Galahad as two of the main perpetrators. The joke is at least worth a chuckle, and it stands out for how it exemplifies knack for comedically undermining its serious source material.
8 Gary Larson's Vikings Were On The Far Silly Side Of The Danger Spectrum
Circa 9th Century CE
"Vikings!" a soldier shouts from the watchtower of a medieval castle, "and they mean business," he concludes, judging from the briefcases the invading horde are all solemnly carrying toward the castle gate. This is a hilarious example of all-time great Viking comics produced by Gary Larson.
The Vikings, infamous for centuries of raids on coastal European settlements, have remained a fixture in the popular imagination ever since; yet The Far Side's version of these warriors are, by comedic design, the exact opposite of fearsome. Larson adeptly undermined their reputation with his Viking jokes, and the success this yielded led to many appearances over the years.
7 The Far Side Routinely Made Jokes About The Evolution Of Warfare
Circa 10th-11th Century CE
Medieval knights, castles, and battles are a whole Far Side genre unto themselves, with this standing out as one of the most iconic examples. Here, a castle's high walls are under siege, forcing its defenders to resort to a desperate escalation of their battle tactics; "forget the water balloons," one of the soldiers on the wall cries, "we need hot oil!"
Throwing hot water, oil, and scalding pitch on enemies scaling castle fortifications is among the many gnarly aspects of close-range battles ranging from antiquity up through the early modern era. In this cartoon, Gary Larson injects a brilliant anachronism into that history, getting a solid laugh from the intrusion of a modern prankster's weapon of choice onto this moment of chaotic violence.
6 Gary Larson's Samurai Dog Joke Showed His Interest In The Far Side Of The Globe
Circa 12th-14th Century CE
In this memorable Far Side cartoon, Gary Larson pays tribute to the imposing samurai warriors of Japan, in the form of a dog dressed in ceremonial robes, wielding a long curved sword, and waiting to leap out and strike at his mortal enemy, a mail carrier.
This is the kind of simple leaving many Far Side fans dying to know what happens next. While of course there isn't a "next moment," that sense of anticipation is an essential part of the humor of Larson's joke here, elevating it to unforgettable status.
5 The Far Side Celebrates The Forgotten Craftsmen Of World History
Circa 1473
In this highly underrated Far Side gem, Gary Larson reveals the unacknowledged history of "the Sistine Chapel floor," which no one ever thinks about, as they're too preoccupied with its more famous ceiling. "Although history has long forgotten them," the caption explains "Lambini & Sons are generally credited" with laying the brick foundation of the Chapel.
Amusing as this Far Side joke is, Larson isn't wrong; the names of the workers who built the Sistine Chapel, like all of humanity's greatest architectural achievements, are lost to time, yet they played an unappreciated pivotal role. It is the kind of smart observation Larson became known for, tucked away within a joke that might otherwise seem silly, or throwaway.
4 The Far Side Hilarious Elaborates On The Final Moments Of Marie Antoinette
Circa 1793
The execution of Louis XVI, the king of , and his Austrian-born wife Marie Antoinette was a massive turning point in history; up until that point, it was possible the French Revolution could have been undone, but after the pair were publicly guillotined, there was no going back.
10 Funniest Far Side Comics That Make You Wonder If Human Civilization Was A Good Idea
The Far Side routinely lampooned society, to the point where it can make readers honestly ask themselves if civilization makes any sense.
Antoinette's execution is associated with the infamous "let them eat cake" saying. It is likely apocryphal that she actually said it, but nevertheless, it has been closely tied with her legacy ever since, something Gary Larson hilariously builds on in this Far Side cartoon, which has her adding "and ice cream" to her statement in a "last-ditch effort to save her head" as she's hauled up the steps to the chopping block.
3 The Far Side Explores The Silly Side Of Colonial History
Circa 19th Century
This Far Side cartoon lampoons a whole era of colonial misadventures in places like Egypt and India, by featuring a platoon of soldiers on a trek through desert terrain, at the hottest point of the day, with their leader having to stop and onish "Johnson" and "Higgins" for wasting precious water from their canteens.
"Knock off those water fights once and for all" their exasperated platoon leader says, pointing an irate finger in their faces, as their cheeks bulge with water, while more pools at their feet, soaking into the sand and quickly evaporating. All the while, a line of more well-behaved soldiers stand there, sweating, waiting for the troublemakers to be told off. It is a laugh-out-loud frivolous twist on familiar historical iconography, one get the reference Gary Larson is making or not.
2 Gary Larson Digs Into The Comedic Potential Of Trench Warfare In This Far Side Snake Comic
Circa 1914-1918
Captioned "the Snakes of War," this Far Side war cartoon is an absurdist rendition of World War I imagery, as a group of anthropomorphic snakes engage in trench warfare. Here, Gary Larson puts an inspirational speech in the mouth of the serpentine squad leader that wouldn't have been out of place in an actual WWI trench, as he tells his troops, "if we're going to take that hill, we'll have to do it an inch at a time, flat on our bellies, wriggling through the mud."
As perilous as this sounds for human soldiers, it is, of course, more par for the course for snakes, and that is the gonzo brilliance of this Far Side joke. In this way, Gary Larson takes a real-world scenario and finds the most surreal interpretation of it imaginable, to laugh-out-loud success.
1 Gary Larson's Grenade Thrower Has To Aim For The Far Side Of "No Man's Land"
Circa 1914-1918
Again, Gary Larson dabbles in World War I humor here, as a commanding officer instructs his subordinate on how to lob a grenade at their enemies in the opposing trench, on the other side of "no man's land." "Just pull the pin," the officer explains, "and refrain from yelling 'Heads'."
It's not the most obvious Far Side joke, but given the fact that it is trying to make light of such a dark situation, it can still be looked under the merit of how close it came to doing so, even if it doesn't achieve full-on "hilarious" status. Though the old adage is "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," perhaps it can be extended to include certain Far Side cartoons as well, especially those that find humor in the worst moments in real world history.
