[ad_1]
These unforgettable Far Side jokes find humor in car crashes, but there’s nothing accidental about what makes them funny. In fact, these jokes about fender benders and total wrecks alike highlight some of the core qualities that define a “successful” Far Side comic; that is, one that grabs readers’ attention and gets an immediate reaction out of them.
Artist Gary Larson made the most of the comic medium, in more ways than one, and that included perfecting the art of depicting a single moment with The Far Side. Car accidents lent themselves to this, offering an action that embodied the abrupt, unexpected nature of The Far Side.
Despite the jarring, traumatic nature of real-life car crashes, Larson’s depictions of accidents are among his silliest jokes, showing how he was expertly able to take serious subjects and convert them into fodder for the funny pages.
10
Far Side Cow “Lulu” Proves She’s Not Ready For Her License
First Published: January 15, 1983
Sure, this isn’t technically about a car, but it is perfect for a “crash” course in The Far Side’s cow humor. Anthropomorphic cows were a Far Side mainstay, and a fair share of them were depicted behind the wheel of automobiles over the years, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. This cartoon, however, emphasizes the absurdity of a cow driving, by depicting “Lulu’s adventure on the tractor,” which reaches “an abrupt end” when she crashes into the side of the barn.
Related
Gary Larson Says This Recurring Far Side Joke Highlights The “Lunacy” Of His Best Trope
The Far Side featured a number of iconic recurring tropes; Gary Larson says the most famous one seems most absurd in a particular type of joke.
Here, Gary Larson makes a standard Far Side premise into a classic cartoon through his elevated use of detail; the way the farmer runs out of the house in response to the commotion caused by Lulu, still clutching his newspaper, with his wife standing behind him, her hands on her hips, and even moreso, the way Lulu clutches her hooves over her mouth in a hilariously contrite “oops” gesture, as she realizes she’s been caught in the act of joyriding.
9
The Far Side Weighs In On The Perennial Debate: What’s More Stressful, Driving Or Flying
First Published: June 2, 1983
“Well, don’t look at me, idiot,” an angry duck behind the wheel of a car, its front end freshly wrapped around the pole of a stoplight, snaps at its passenger, reasoning that even though it was the one driving, it still isn’t responsible for the accident, because it “said [they] should have flown!“
Once again, Gary Larson uses a car crash to deliver a self-referential comment on The Far Side’s use of animal characters, at least a subtle, as here, he depicts what seems like the “logical” end result of ducks driving cars. I.e., total disaster. Of course, “logic” is a tricky topic when it comes to The Far Side; even Larson’s wildest cartoons, even wilder than this one, have their own internal logic to them, but applying external logic, or rational thought, to his jokes is often a recipe for disaster of its own sort.
8
The Far Side’s Greatest Strength Is On Full Display In This Car Crash Cartoon
First Published: March 31, 1984
This Far Side comic omits a caption, but it can’t be said to be lacking one, because it easily communicates its joke without any words, in the way that only the highest tier of Gary Larson’s illustrations managed to do. In this nigh-perfect Far Side, Larson innate ability to capture a single moment is on full display here, but more than than, the artist is able to depuct a full cause-and-effect sequence, in which the action involves multiple moving parts at once.
Related
“No Cap”: Why Some Far Side Comics Have Captions And Others Don’t
Far Side comics are comprised of two core elements: an image and a caption. Except sometimes Gary Larson left out the caption – here’s why.
In the panel, an explorer on safari drives his car directly into a tree, the front end buckling with a decisive “WUMP!“, with the impact sending the man’s hat flying off his head, and at the same time, a startled snake flying out of the tree’s branches, soaring downward toward the man’s exposed head.
7
The Far Side Explores The Fun Side Of Being A Bystander To A Head-On Collision
First Published: April 20, 1984
Outside of an action movie, there are few contexts in which seeing two trucks have a head-on collision would be a cause for excitement, but Gary Larson brilliantly identifies one with this Far Side cartoon, in which a cat watches out the window enviously at the aftermath of trucks for “Bob’s Assorted Rodents” and “Al’s Small Flightless Birds” running into each other.
This cat’s nightmare, of watching delicious-looking prey scamper all across the road while being stuck inside, unable to chase, equates to a laugh-out-loud Far Side gag. Notably, this comic also sets a precedent; over the years, drivers for “Al’s” assorted business endeavors would prove time and again to be among the most dangerous drivers on The Far Side’s roads.
6
The Far Side Explores The Down Side Of Back-Seat Drivers
First Published: July 14, 1984
At times, when driving gets stressful, there can be nothing worse than having a passenger that tries to be “helpful.” Gary Larson amusingly illustrates that here, in hyperbolic Far Side form, by depicting two explorers who have driven their car into a deep crevice in the jungle floor, landing the vehicle upside down, and leaving them seemingly no way out, with the passenger adding insult to injury by unhelpfully asking, “are you sure it’s in four-wheel drive, Saunders?“
The Far Side Complete Collection
$71 $125 Save
$54
Here, the hopeless plight of the characters is key to the hilarity of the joke, with the proverbial twist of the knife, of one of them uselessly asking about four-wheel drive, adding a relatable note to this Far Side joke, which otherwise would be one of the comic’s most perilous circumstances.
5
The Far Side Depicts Captain Ahab’s Dream Come True…From The Whale’s POV
First Published: June 10, 1986
In this deliriously funny Far Side reference to classic literature, the fraught relationship between man and whale at the heart of Moby Dick is transposed from the high seas to a city street, as the white whale, driving a hilariously undersized red car, accidentally gets into a fender-bender with his nemesis Ahab.
“Millions of people in this city, and look who I rear end,” the whale thinks, making this a joke about a highly improbable coincidence, as much as it is an extension of the Ahab-Whale rivalry onto land. Beyond that, the ridiculous visual of the panel will strike readers as highly amusing in its own right, making this the kind of Far Side comic capable of getting a laugh on multiple levels.
4
Another Bad Day For One Of Al’s Truck Driver, And For Everyone Else In The Neighborhood
First Published: October 16, 1986
Captioned simply “treehouse nightmares,” this Far Side comic features a truck from “Al’s Monsters,” which has crashed violently into a tree containing a clubhouse full of kids; while the tree seems sturdy enough that falling isn’t a concern, the kids do have to worry about the contents of the truck getting loose, a consequence of this accident that Gary Larson leaves to the reader’s imagination.
Related
10 Far Side Comics Set At Diners
The Far Side featured a number of hilarious cartoons set in diners, cafes, and other eateries, which stands out as one of the strip’s best locations.
Once again, a driver for “Al’s” gets in trouble on the job in this cartoon, and it is far from the last time this would be the case, as Gary Larson seemingly recognized the opportunity for a subtle running bit, which he committed to over the course of years. Here, the humor is the absurdity of a delivery truck carrying monsters in the first place, mixed with the “worst case scenario” outcome of it running off the road.
3
This Is Definitely One Of The Far Side’s Most Deadly Funny Jokes
First Published: May 1, 1988
In an escalation from their previous appearances, this time one of Al’s drivers is about to be responsible for full-on manslaughter, as he loses control of an “Al’s Meats” truck, inadvertently driving it right through the window of a crowded vegetarian restaurant.
The heart of the joke here, of course, is the macabre irony of an out-of-control meat truck wiping out a bunch of people who went out of their way to eat at a place that doesn’t serve meat, but what truly makes this Far Side joke exceptional is the way that Gary Larson sets it in the moment before the crash, rather than of, or after, forcing the reader to feel a sense of dark anticipation as part of the punchline.
2
Gary Larson Finally Figures Out Al’s Most Dangerous Delivery
First Published: December 13, 1991
If the preceding entries haven’t already solidified the reputation of Al’s truck drivers as low-key The Far Side’s most destructive characters, this one will certainly seal the deal. Appropriately, this time it is actually Al himself behind the wheel of the delivery truck for “Al’s Scissors,” which crashes through the fence of an “Institute for the Criminally Insane” and rams right into the corner of the building.
In the comic, Al is depicted standing in the yard, surrounded by yellow-clas inmates, who have just begun to take an active interest in the truck’s contents, as Al “realizes his problems were much bigger than a smashed truck,” suggesting he is in imminent danger, while leaving readers to ponder just how much havoc these patients could wreak.
1
This Bare Bones Far Side Comic Proves Sometimes Simpel Was Best For Gary Larson’s Humor
First Published: October 12, 1994
The Far Side officially ceased publication with its January 1, 1995 installment, but Gary Larson continued to produce classic cartoons right up until the conclusion of his career. Case in point, this simple, yet incredibly effective Far Side car crash comic, which features two skeleton drivers in a head-to-head collision, causing them to stick their fleshless arms out their respective drivers’ windows, rattle their fists at one another, and shout “bonehead!” and “numbskull!” respectively!
In this was, Gary Larson astutely captures an instance of road rage, but deliberately takes the tension out of it, converting the moment into a whimsical gag by having these Far Side skeletons speak overly literally as they shout at each other in frustration. Ultimately, this is an instance in which the straightforward nature of the punchline is the virtue of this panel, allowing Gary Larson’s audience to easily engage with his work.
- Writer
-
Gary Larson
- Colorist
-
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.
[ad_2]
Source link