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When it comes to The Far Side’s off-center way of looking at the world, nothing was funnier or more whimsical than the way it presented cowboy life. Gary Larson’s iconic strip lampooned everything, from the daily absurdities of life to deeper, philosophical questions about society.
But among all the chickens and cows pontificating, one of the best recurring themes was The Far Side’s use of the Wild West. Sometimes Larson poked fun at the genre, other times it served as the setting for some truly hilarious and even twisted gags. Read on to see 10 The Far Side strips that will make anyone want to venture out to the Wild West to become a rootin’-tootin’ cowpoke themselves.
10
“Chocolate Mint”
Publication Date: December 31st, 1993
Being a cowboy often involved brushes with the unknown and in this strip, Larson puts a humorous spin on that idea. Rather than an encounter with a stranger or the supernatural, a cowboy named Zeke notices that, out in the middle of nowhere, someone has placed a chocolate mint on his pillow, as if his spot for the night featured a turndown service one would find at a hotel. Maybe it’s not the type of odd evening one would generally have as a cowboy, but it’s a hilarious spin one would only find in a world like The Far Side.
9
Dragged Through the Desert
Publication Date: August 31st, 1987
The Far Side often puts hilarious twists on even the most gruesome of things. In this gag, the boss of a band of outlaws has ordered his men to have a cowboy dragged through the desert. The men comply, but in the most literal way possible, by lugging around the dope themselves while their horses stand by with nothing to do in the background. Encountering a band of bad guys would no doubt be a frightening experience. But in The Far Side, these kinds of criminals are way too inept to do any kind of harm to anyone they meet.
8
Accident at the Red Dog Saloon
Publication Date: November 19th, 1982
Is there anything more awkward or dangerous than accidentally knocking over a row of motorcycles? Apparently, in The Far Side’s take on the Wild West, there is. This gag sees a man arrive at the Red Dog Saloon, but apparently, after dismounting his horse, he’s knocked over every other equine in front of the bar, all of whom fall over like bikes. Just as one would expect a group of angry bikers, a bunch of cowboys has spotted the unfortunate rider responsible for the accident. Even in The Far Side, one can’t avoid the consequences of accidents like that.
7
Shoot First, Ask Questions Later
Publication Date: August 10th, 1986
The Wild West was dangerous for a lot of reasons and topping the list was everyone being a little too free with their firearms. This Far Side strip takes that idea to an incredibly hilarious extreme. A man has been shot dead and his shooter is asking the clearly deceased man various trivia questions, only to be told he can’t shoot first and ask questions later. Not only is this Far Side gag a funny spin on the age-old idiom, but a painfully real portrait of just how trigger-happy a lot of people were back in the Wild West days.
6
Quick Draw
Publication Date: July 3rd, 1987
If there’s one thing Gary Larson loved doing with The Far Side, it was making nature jokes. And this gag combines Larson’s preference for animal-based humor with a time-honored staple of the Wild West genre: The duel. In this strip, two men witness the result of a duel, where a sloth stands victorious over his rival. But what makes the situation even more absurd is the men’s commentary, which reveals the deceased man was never a quick draw. Only in The Far Side could anyone face a sloth in a gun fight and still manage to somehow lose.
5
Fair Play with Arrows
Publication Date: October 11th, 1982
To get a laugh, The Far Side would often apply particular mores to situations that wouldn’t ordinarily apply. Case in point, in this strip, a couple of cowboys have circled the wagons and are pinned down as they face an attack from a group of attackers. But what really makes the strip is one of the men’s complaints about the siege, asking his fellow cowboy if it’s fair that their opponents are lighting their arrows on fire. It’s not easy for cowboys in the Wild West, but Far Side scenarios like this make it a hell of a lot funnier.
4
Clear Winner
Publication Date: October 26th, 1994
Again, duels were a staple in Wild West films and shows. But true to The Far Side, Gary Larson could find several ways to apply his particular brand of humor and have each one be funnier than the last. In this strip, a cowboy has somehow gotten into a duel with a clown, who is lying on the ground, dead as a doornail. But the cowboy has a pie in his face, thrown by his rival. It’s a far cry from two cowpokes shooting one another at the same time, but it’s a delightfully twisted take on the cliched ending.
3
I See You, Mom
Publication Date: December 6th, 1984
It wasn’t uncommon for people to face public execution in the Wild West days. In this Far Side strip, Larson goes for literal gallows humor by having a man getting ready to be hanged in front of a crowd. But lightening the situation up a bit is the executioner, who is waving to his mother in the crowd (completely defeating the point of his anonymous duty). This is a slightly darker Far Side gag than most, but it manages to find some humor in a situation no one would make light of if they were in the hot seat.
2
Good Kind of Hurt
Publication Date: January 9th, 1991
The Far Side could make any situation hilarious, even one as grim as the one this strip presents. A man is lying on the ground after an ambush and his body is riddled with arrows while his wagon burns. The man’s injuries are inspected and (presumably) he’s asked if he’s in pain. But rather than stating the obvious, the man says what he’s experiencing is a “good kind of hurt”, as if he was sore from weightlifting. It’s a preposterous scenario, but this Far Side gag can’t help but make one crack a smile at how utterly farcical it is.
1
Wanted Dead or Alive
Publication Date: April 14th, 1988
Aside from cows, chickens were the most commonly used animal that Gary Larson used in The Far Side and in this gag, the iconic bird takes the role of a dastardly villain. A cowboy rolls into town, carrying the body of a chicken on the back of his horse. Apparently, this chicken was a monster who had been terrorizing this town and his bounty was worth five grand. It’s a delightful mix of Wild West tropes and the traditional Far Side absurdity. While most chickens would never fetch that kind of price, in The Far Side, truly anything is possible.
- Writer
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Gary Larson
- Colorist
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Gary Larson
Summary
Written and drawn by Gary Larson, The Far Side is a comic strip series that ran from December 1979 to January 1995. A worldwide hit, The Far Side explores life’s surreal side and uses a mix of humans and anthropomorphic animals. As of 2020, Gary Larson decided to pick his pencil back up again and has started The Far Side up, circulating the comics on his official website.
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