Gary Larson, creator of The Far Side, had a self-professed, self-imposed rule of not explaining even his strangest cartoons – a rule he only seldom made exceptions to, such as when he felt it necessary, years after his retirement from cartooning, to offer a correction about a he described as "almost universally misunderstood."

In The Complete Far Side Volume Two, Larson appended a brief explanation to his "Dangling Cat" cartoon, which suffered as much as any Far Side cartoon from its creator's penchant for obtuse, hard-to-decipher comedy.

That is to say, the joke of the was more than just unclear – it was easily misinterpreted; considering the author acquiesced to elucidating the comic, "Dangling Cat" should rank alongside the "High Tide/Low Tide" as one of The Far Side's most confusing installments.

The Far Side's "Dangling Cat" Cartoon, Explained (Why Is It So Confusing?)

First Published: January 16, 1987

At first glance, "Dangling Cat" doesn't seem particularly difficult to comprehend. In the , a man in his pajamas pulls back the curtains on his living room window at sunrise, revealing a cat tied up and dangling upside down outside the house – to which the man observes, "Emma...that dog ain't goin' for the new cat." Different readers will have different immediate reactions to this Far Side cartoon, but a majority will be able to agree that it is not exactly one of Gary Larson's most obvious, laugh-out-loud punchlines.

Instead, it is the kind of Far Side cartoon that has to be scrutinized a bit more closely. Most readers would likely agree that the illustration, paired with its caption, seems to suggest that the pajama-clad man has tied up the cat and left it for his dog – but according to Gary Larson, that interpretation is wrong. If that is the case, then this is without question one of the most flummoxing Far Side comics, as it has apparently led the vast majority of its readers astray, not just confusing them, but actively obfuscating their arrival at the correct conclusion.

Gary Larson's Explanation Of The Truth Behind "Dangling Cat" (Is His Answer Satisfying?)

Did The Dog Really Do It?

In The Complete Far Side Volume Two, Gary Larson offered this note on 1987's "Dangling Cat" cartoon:

To whom it may concern: I have tried throughout this book to hold fast to my own rule of not attaching explanations or apologies to any particular cartoons. Once I started that, I realized, it might never end. But here, I need to "make my case" regarding a cartoon that was almost universally misunderstood upon its initial publication. (And it especially stirred up my most dreaded enemy, the Cat People.) Therefore, let it be known, it is the dog – in a mafia-like gesture – who has done this to the cat. The humans here are innocent. This time.

Larson's commentary here is intended to absolve this Far Side of its "darkness," but in a way, his explanation is actually what makes the comic truly confusing. While his revelation that it was the dog who tied up the cat could align with the 's illustration, it seemingly clashes with the caption, "the dog ain't goin' for the new cat," which certainly seems to imply the man's responsibility, rather than the dogs.

If the author's explanation is taken at face value, this is perhaps the most egregious instance in which The Far Side fails to communicate its humor to the reader.

Of course, Larson could have intended a different meaning behind "goin' for," but nevertheless, if the author's explanation is taken at face value, this is perhaps the most egregious instance in which The Far Side fails to communicate its humor to the reader. Rather than providing context for the image, the caption led readers to incorrectly interpret its humor. Yet, interestingly, while there are some instances in which Gary Larson changed comics' captions for The Complete Far Side, he chose to let "Dangling Cat" stand as it was originally published.

Why Gary Larson Was Against Interpreting His Own Humor For Readers' Sake

Readers Have To Work To Understand The Far Side

As Gary Larson stated in his annotation to The Far Side's "Dangling Cat" cartoon, if he started to break down the punchlines of his comics, "it might never end." Moreover, it would demystify his work, which in large part became a cultural phenomenon because of his penchant for ambiguity, and his tendency toward the inscrutable. Learning how to become a more astute Far Side reader is an essential part of being a fan of Larson's work; over time, it becomes easier to understand even his strangest punchlines – though "Dangling Cat" will force fans to reevaluate how much they truly know.

Entertainment, in a way, can be divided into two categories: that which is engaged with ively, and that which is engaged with actively. The Far Side demands active engagement, in a way more akin to arthouse cinema than blockbuster flicks; Larson's work is layered, and novelistic, and reveals more and more of itself upon repeat inspection. Yet as many of its nuances come into focus for readers over time, The Far Side contains endless mysteries – if it is labrynthian, there will always remain plenty of dead-ends and false ageways to get stuck in.

It Is Possible Gary Larson Was Messing With Readers With His "Dangling Cat" Explanation

A Misleading "Clarification" Would Be On Brand For The Far Side Creator

Of course, it should be noted that it is possible Gary Larson was making a tongue-in-cheek joke with his "Dangling Cat" explanation, offering a false clarification of the comic simply for the fun of it. While this doesn't seem to be the face, fans of The Far Side would be remiss to put it past him entirely. The Complete Far Side is full of humorous asides from Larson, both subtle and obvious, and while his explanation can only be taken at face value until readers are told otherwise, for it to be a gag would certainly explain its own incongruities.

In any case, "Dangling Cat" may not seem like a stand-out Far Side cartoon at first – it is certainly not one of Gary Larson's most controversial jokes, even if it did upset some "Cat People," nor is it outright hilarious, or stylistically distinct – but Larson's explanation, true or false, lends it a greater degree of mystique. What was a seemingly simple, if obtuse, becomes more worthy of attention in the context of the author's explanations. Consequently, this Far Side cartoon will continue to give rise to ongoing scrutiny, even if no further elaboration comes from its creator.

Source: The Complete Far Side Volume Two