Gary Larson Cartoons

JupiterKid

Does anyone else here like or - like me - love the cartoons of Gary Larson? His works are both simple and brilliant, and he is definitely the thinking person’s (and scientist’s) cartoonist.

He drew his famous cartoons, entitled The Far Side, which featured in newspapers worldwide, between 1979 and 1995 but over the past two decades became a virtual recluse and did not publish any new work.

Now - he has unveiled a new website of his work and I for one am thrilled!

Check out the link:
https://www.thefarside.com

An unparalleled cartoonist. The word "genius" is bandied about cheaply, but Larson fits the definition.

"Animals on prozac" as somebody astutely coined it. Never get tired of revisiting the collection.

astrofool

Still have the entire collection in the bookshelf, still wished I bought the special edition entire collection

I think he gave up after punkupines...

buried

Loved them. Great read for sitting on the jacks



Loved the 'Calvin and Hobbes' series too by Bill Watterson. When the young lad used to imagine he was a space pilot or private eye detective. That was some real funny stuff.

Quantum Erasure

Raconteuse

Love him. A must for those who like their humour absurd, surreal and silly.

Zaph

For years newspapers were full of all sorts of crap cartoons masquerading as "the funnies". Larson was in a different league and was genuinely funny, although I know quite a few people who had the same reaction as Homer did when I had a Far Side calendar on my desk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjfkynJ4hbI

Like astrofool, I regret not buying the special edition hardback collection, despite owning probably just about everything he published already. These are my two personal favourites:

andekwarhola

Binged on them years ago. They're brilliant. Must have a browse through again.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

For the season that's in it.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I loved him, bought numerous books of his over the years. Delighted to know he has a website now.

Love The Far Side.

joe40

Raconteuse wrote: »

Love him. A must for those who like their humour absurd, surreal and silly.

Absolutely agree, and I would add "a little dark" to your list

KungPao

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0d/53/25/0d53250e7920d4a72a23f19fed70c805.jpg

emo72

I can't wait till this thread is on its 1000th page. I'll read it then.

MoashoaM

I remember back in 97' my ex broke it off with me, but that paled in comparison to losing my Far Side Gallery while traveling home later that evening.
I couldn't ever shake the feeling of dread and general heartache on its whereabouts.

Ipso

jester77

Oh nice, love his stuff. I've a few of his books somewhere back at my parents Must get them out again next time I am home.

Philipx

Thank you so much, JupiterKid, I reckon this is the best thread of the year :D

mailforkev

My girlfriend bought me the fancy hardback box set for my birthday many years ago. So obviously she became my wife.

Ipso

Standman

Two of my favourites:

Samuel T. Cogley

A WO when I was a cadet in the UK used to deliver part of a leadership course using nothing but Farside cartoon slides. 20 years later I still remember most of it.

Relikk

He's a genius. I adore his dark humour.

My favourite of his...

RayCon

love this one

Earthhorse

glasso wrote: »

love this one

'Tis a fine cartoon but sure 'tis no Larson.

Hector Savage

Zaph wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek::eek: omg thats horrible!!!

De Bhál

My brother and I collected lots of his books when we were young, love his stuff

two of my favourites

De Bhál

I don't get the one above with the woman asking the man to play some blues?

ollkiller

Ah The Far Side. The man is a genius. F**k all work been done today now. My co-workers are already wondering why i'm laughing like a madman.

mfceiling

Absolutely love Gary Larson.

I'm not great at posting images on my phone but there is one of a deer in the crosshairs of a rifle scope and he's pointing at the deer beside him. Cracks me up!!

odyssey06

There was a short lived animation series taking inspiration from the Farside. iirc was shown late Friday nights on BBC2.

There's some clips on Youtube

Wayne Jarvis

De Bhál wrote: »

I don't get the one above with the woman asking the man to play some blues?

The couple are so rich and well off in their big mansion that she wants him too play some blues for a change.


JupiterKid the Interesting Maps is one of my favourite threads I've ever seen on any forum and now you have smashed it out of the park again. Keep em' coming!

loyatemu

one that didn't make it into the newspapers (for obvious reasons) but appeared in his excellent "Prehistory of the Far Side" book:

Keyzer

Love this stuff, used to spend hours in Easons reading the books when I was a nipper.

sbsquarepants

Little Larson trivia. The spikey bit on the end of a stegosaurus tail is officially called a Thagomizer after this cartoon.




Just copped it's missing the caption

"And this end is called the Thagomizer, after the late Thag Simmons"

Porklife

I was unsure what to buy my best mate for Christmas but now - Bingo!!
Thank you Jupiterkid!

SlipperyPeople

Love Gary Larson, looked at his shop there and realized we had nearly all the books growing up.

Stovepipe

they even named a beetle after him. One of the greatest single-panel cartoonists of all times. I have most of his stuff since i was a sprog and I still read them and get a laugh out of them.

bodhrandude

A few of my favourites.

jakobgallagher

RayCon

My all time fav

The Tetrarch

De Bhál wrote: »

I don't get the one above with the woman asking the man to play some blues?

Is it that they are living in a elegant mansion, and he is playing a grand piano?
Blues music is the music of the downtrodden, poor folk, who might play the blues on a mouth organ.

jimgoose

Oh yeah, Larson is magic, one of the greatest ever. These days I also like Stephan Pastis' "Pearls Before Swine" and Nathan Pyle's "Strange Planet".

s7ryf3925pivug

Ipso wrote: »

This one generated a lot of complaints from people who took it to mean she was having sex with gorillas. Obviously it actually didn't mean that at all, and Jane Goodall herself didn't have any issue with it.

Wayne Jarvis

Fans of Gary Larson may also enjoy the work of Jack Handey. He doesn't do illustrations but does what he calls "Deep Thoughts". They are basically just funny little one liners but I think he's great. I know it's not quite on topic but it's related enough I think, here are a few.


1. It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.


2. If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go limp, because maybe you'll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey, free dummy.


3. If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."


4. To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.


5. If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.


6. Better not take a dog on the Space Shuttle, because if he sticks his head out when you're coming home his face might burn up.


7. To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kinda scary. I've wondered where this started, and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus and a clown killed my dad.


8. I'd like to see a nude opera, because when they hit those high notes I bet you can really see it in those genitals.

RayCon

RayCon wrote: »

I don't get this one

Nor I. First I noticed the marble behind the piano looks like a shaft so was looking for other phallic items.

s7ryf3925pivug

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't get this one

Blues is music from oppressed and impoverished black people that expresses the pain of that situation. Andrew has no reason to have the blues.

bodhrandude

Another loved one.

WrenBoy

Deleted User wrote: »

I don't get this one

Its kind of like what would these people know about the blues ? Blues is all about hardship and how tough you have it. Its like sweet little female creche teachers belting out gangsters paradise or something.
Never sounds funny when its explained, sorry :pac::pac: