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Far Side Collection #1
The Far Side
The Far Side was syndicated in more than 1,900 daily newspapers from 1980 to 1995, when Gary Larson retired. During its run, the cartoon spawned 22 books from AMP, which were translated into a total of 17 different languages. For his work with The Far Side, Larson was awarded the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist from the National Cartoonists Society in 1991 and 1994. The group also named The Far Side Best Syndicated Panel in both 1985 and 1987.
104 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1982
About the author
Gary Larson
127 books691 followersGary Larson was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. His parents were Vern, a car salesman, and Doris, a secretary. He attended Curtis High School before attending Washington State University and graduated in 1972 with a degree in communications. In 1987, Larson married Toni Carmichael, an archaeologist.
Larson credits his older brother Dan for his "paranoid" sense of humor. Dan would pull countless pranks on Gary, taking advantage of his phobia of monsters under the bed by, for example, waiting in the closet for the right moment to pounce out at Gary. Dan is also credited with giving Gary his love of science. They caught animals in Puget Sound and placed them in terrariums in the basement; even making a small desert ecosystem, which their parents apparently did not mind. His adept use of snakes in his cartoons stems from his long-standing interest in herpetology.
Since retiring from the Far Side, Larson has occasionally done some cartooning work, such as magazine illustrations and promotional artwork for Far Side merchandise.
In 1998, Larson published his first post-Far Side book, There's a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm's Story, an illustrated story with the unmistakable Far Side mindset.
Larson credits his older brother Dan for his "paranoid" sense of humor. Dan would pull countless pranks on Gary, taking advantage of his phobia of monsters under the bed by, for example, waiting in the closet for the right moment to pounce out at Gary. Dan is also credited with giving Gary his love of science. They caught animals in Puget Sound and placed them in terrariums in the basement; even making a small desert ecosystem, which their parents apparently did not mind. His adept use of snakes in his cartoons stems from his long-standing interest in herpetology.
Since retiring from the Far Side, Larson has occasionally done some cartooning work, such as magazine illustrations and promotional artwork for Far Side merchandise.
In 1998, Larson published his first post-Far Side book, There's a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm's Story, an illustrated story with the unmistakable Far Side mindset.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
September 16, 2010
It is always difficult to review a comic strip, and I think a one panel strip with no set characters is even more difficult to discuss as opposed to a regular strip, but I’ll give it a try. To begin with, if you don’t know what “The Far Side” is, then your life is going to improve a bit from having experienced it, unless you have absolutely no sense of humor at all, in which case you probably won’t like it. Gary Larson has an unusual mind and puts a different twist on the common and uncommon alike. Each one picture entry stands on its own, and many will connect with the reader in terms of culture, myths, etc.
This is the first collection of strips from Larson, and as such looking back on it now, I would say that this is not Larsen at his peak, but at the same time there are still plenty of laughs contained in this book and it is certainly not a poor collection. So while none of my favorites for “The Far Side” series is included in this particular collection, there are some very good ones here. You learn what happened to unicorns, how the wife of a werewolf feels in her old age, and a bit about Santa’s relationship with his reindeers, just to allude to a few of the strips included. All in all there are 200 strips included.
This is the first collection of strips from Larson, and as such looking back on it now, I would say that this is not Larsen at his peak, but at the same time there are still plenty of laughs contained in this book and it is certainly not a poor collection. So while none of my favorites for “The Far Side” series is included in this particular collection, there are some very good ones here. You learn what happened to unicorns, how the wife of a werewolf feels in her old age, and a bit about Santa’s relationship with his reindeers, just to allude to a few of the strips included. All in all there are 200 strips included.
January 11, 2023
I see that “The Far Side” cartoons were in 1,900 daily newspapers around the world, including in Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1980 to 1995; which accounts for my familiarity with them. Gary Larson also penned a line of greeting cards. I remember buying one for a boyfriend’s birthday from a university campus store. That relatable tagline about basic visual horror was one of the most hilarious jokes I have read. When I recently ended up with second-hand copies of two of these cartoon books, I anticipated being in for a gut-busting ride, with the space for bigger and more elaborate hilarity.
Liking to start at the beginning of any work, be it music or literature, I was pleased to notice that this book of 1982 cartoons, simply entitled “The Far Side”, was Gary’s first. I readily attest that nothing was worse than the negative output of the English duo called “Silvey-Jex” but could only give this début two stars too, based of course on reacting via my own taste.
Appreciating artists of all fields as I said, I get more out of them after gleaning a bit of their biographies. I would never condone trapping or keeping animals from their natural homes; as Gary and his Brother, Dan did, during their childhood in Washington, USA. I was relieved that they took the heart to make more naturally accommodating terrariums for them. Any cartoons involving harm or discomfort of animals hold no humour for me, nor causing discomfort or harm to anyone.
Reading that Dan played pranks that became the source of “paranoid humour”, clarified why their personal brand is not for me. I hate pranks; unless they are a minor curiosity that only lasts a second, does not spoil anyone’s possessions or home environments, nor do they inconvenience or scare anybody.
Liking to start at the beginning of any work, be it music or literature, I was pleased to notice that this book of 1982 cartoons, simply entitled “The Far Side”, was Gary’s first. I readily attest that nothing was worse than the negative output of the English duo called “Silvey-Jex” but could only give this début two stars too, based of course on reacting via my own taste.
Appreciating artists of all fields as I said, I get more out of them after gleaning a bit of their biographies. I would never condone trapping or keeping animals from their natural homes; as Gary and his Brother, Dan did, during their childhood in Washington, USA. I was relieved that they took the heart to make more naturally accommodating terrariums for them. Any cartoons involving harm or discomfort of animals hold no humour for me, nor causing discomfort or harm to anyone.
Reading that Dan played pranks that became the source of “paranoid humour”, clarified why their personal brand is not for me. I hate pranks; unless they are a minor curiosity that only lasts a second, does not spoil anyone’s possessions or home environments, nor do they inconvenience or scare anybody.
April 30, 2018
15th book read in 2018.
Number 328 out of 675 on my all time book list.
Very funny, but some jokes where dated or not funny.
Number 328 out of 675 on my all time book list.
Very funny, but some jokes where dated or not funny.
December 9, 2011
The scene:
An abode. A closed door. A man we cannot see except for his legs protruding from behind a couch lies lifeless, probably dead, on the floor. A talking parrot perched in a cage next to the door, squawks, "Knock knock! Hello, is anybody in there? Knock knock."
This is the twisted genius of Larson. I read this, the first of The Far Side collections from 1982, in one sitting at Half Price Books tonight, along with his second collection from 1983, Beyond the Far Side. If I'd been able to take notes I would have shared more of these gems with you.
Needless to say, this is my kind of humor, so much so that when my friend Tom, who was also in the store perusing the books with me, told me he liked Larson's humor because it was "sick" I looked at him quizzically. Sick, hmmm, I never thought of it that way. This gives you some indication of how naturally skewed is my worldview.
An abode. A closed door. A man we cannot see except for his legs protruding from behind a couch lies lifeless, probably dead, on the floor. A talking parrot perched in a cage next to the door, squawks, "Knock knock! Hello, is anybody in there? Knock knock."
This is the twisted genius of Larson. I read this, the first of The Far Side collections from 1982, in one sitting at Half Price Books tonight, along with his second collection from 1983, Beyond the Far Side. If I'd been able to take notes I would have shared more of these gems with you.
Needless to say, this is my kind of humor, so much so that when my friend Tom, who was also in the store perusing the books with me, told me he liked Larson's humor because it was "sick" I looked at him quizzically. Sick, hmmm, I never thought of it that way. This gives you some indication of how naturally skewed is my worldview.
May 20, 2015
The Far Side and Calvin and Hobbes hold up amazingly well! Came across my old Far Side books and am going through them, C&H next up, after grades are in.
July 11, 2019
The Far Side ran in my local newspaper when I was young and beautiful and impressionable. I found it the other day as I've been packing my bookshelves for a move to a new house. Wow. Still as warped and funny as ever. Very enjoyable.
February 2, 2022
Always gets a laugh. Among top three cartoonists even IMHO. Read often
November 13, 2017
Far Side is the best strip ever created. puts our world to shame.
July 16, 2014
1984 Jan 01
2012 July 21
After the long slog through the ghost stories, I wanted something quick and zippy and fun. So I snagged a whole slew of Far Side books at the library, confident that not only would I read them, so would the kids. And so it came to pass: Veronica and I reading books side-by-side and sharing selected cartoons with one another. And Tash ran off with another volume at bedtime. Even at his worst Larson amuses me no end.
Library copy.
2012 July 21
After the long slog through the ghost stories, I wanted something quick and zippy and fun. So I snagged a whole slew of Far Side books at the library, confident that not only would I read them, so would the kids. And so it came to pass: Veronica and I reading books side-by-side and sharing selected cartoons with one another. And Tash ran off with another volume at bedtime. Even at his worst Larson amuses me no end.
Library copy.
July 23, 2007
The first in a series of The Far Side books...granted not every cartoon is excellent but so many are that I think this book deserves 5 stars. I love Larson's drawing style and brilliant and hilarious observations so neatly captured in one sentence or two.
January 13, 2014
Things just aren't funny like the farside. Supposed to be a parody, and it does make me laugh but I see some valid truths in these pages as well. reminds me of the adages "it's important to learn to laugh at yourself, don' take life too seriously"
Read
December 23, 2022I'm at my folks' place near the Hudson River for Xmas, it's below freezing, sleet is blowing around outside, the fire is on, Melody and my dad are working on a puzzle, and I'm three books behind finishing this year's Goodreads challenge. But my folks have an extensive collection of my childhood books, so that's no problem.
The inscription in this reads, in my dad's calligraphy, "To Nat, from Santa". I think I got it in 1986. My favorite cartoon has long been the one where the suburban couple are sitting in the living room and their neighbors have an ICBM parked on the lawn and the beehive-hairdoed wife says, "Wouldn't you know it! Now the Hendersons have the bomb" (there is also an ICBM in the couple's living room). But I discovered a new fave, which took me a while to figure out: There's a guy sprawled on the floor with paint and paintbrushes scattered around, and an easel on top of him—he's been painting a portrait of someone. The picture doesn't look like much at first, but then you see the window is open, and there's a full moon, and looking back at the portrait, it's clear that it's of someone who is halfway into turning into a werewolf.
The inscription in this reads, in my dad's calligraphy, "To Nat, from Santa". I think I got it in 1986. My favorite cartoon has long been the one where the suburban couple are sitting in the living room and their neighbors have an ICBM parked on the lawn and the beehive-hairdoed wife says, "Wouldn't you know it! Now the Hendersons have the bomb" (there is also an ICBM in the couple's living room). But I discovered a new fave, which took me a while to figure out: There's a guy sprawled on the floor with paint and paintbrushes scattered around, and an easel on top of him—he's been painting a portrait of someone. The picture doesn't look like much at first, but then you see the window is open, and there's a full moon, and looking back at the portrait, it's clear that it's of someone who is halfway into turning into a werewolf.
March 31, 2022
Colonel Quinten Beckham unexpectedly inherits the title, Earl of Rosemont, upon the death of his older brother. Not only does he get the estate, its large debts, he's also now guardian to his brother's two daughters and he knows nothing about being a parental figure.
Out in the rain on his horse, he runs into a young woman and takes her to a nearby house to learn she's the granddaughter of a dowager countess, Lady Cassandra Worth. Some days later, the countess proposes they wed to save Cassandra from being put under the guardianship of the countess's awful sons, as the older lady is dying.
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I am such a fan of this trope and this one is well written! It is the first book in a new series and I look forward to reading more of them. My review is freely given in exchange for receiving a free copy of the book. I just reviewed A Love for All Time by Laura Landon. #ALoveforAllTime #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]
Out in the rain on his horse, he runs into a young woman and takes her to a nearby house to learn she's the granddaughter of a dowager countess, Lady Cassandra Worth. Some days later, the countess proposes they wed to save Cassandra from being put under the guardianship of the countess's awful sons, as the older lady is dying.
.
I am such a fan of this trope and this one is well written! It is the first book in a new series and I look forward to reading more of them. My review is freely given in exchange for receiving a free copy of the book. I just reviewed A Love for All Time by Laura Landon. #ALoveforAllTime #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]
May 25, 2023
Gary Larson is responsible for some of my favourite cartoons - his humour can vary from the subtle to the outrageous. Some of the cartoons I frankly don't get - I'm Scottish, some of them I think I might need an American to interpret or explain.
His first Far Side anthology is perhaps quite a mean little book compared to the larger scale of later volumes - some of his ... many of his cartoons really do deserve to be printed big and bold. The highlight of this one is the attack on the circled covered wagons ... my daughters have heard my shouted commentaries on old Western movies, including tactical considerations when attacking circled wagons, or what to do when chasing a stagecoach ("Shoot the horses"), etc., so it is lovely to see that Larson and I are of a mind on this one.
A cast of thousands, a regular ensemble cast of bears and children and terrifying bespectacled females and many many more. Always a refreshing and envigorating read.
His first Far Side anthology is perhaps quite a mean little book compared to the larger scale of later volumes - some of his ... many of his cartoons really do deserve to be printed big and bold. The highlight of this one is the attack on the circled covered wagons ... my daughters have heard my shouted commentaries on old Western movies, including tactical considerations when attacking circled wagons, or what to do when chasing a stagecoach ("Shoot the horses"), etc., so it is lovely to see that Larson and I are of a mind on this one.
A cast of thousands, a regular ensemble cast of bears and children and terrifying bespectacled females and many many more. Always a refreshing and envigorating read.
April 14, 2022
Although the books in this time travel series are not connected like most other series, each book does build on each other. This third book in the "Time to Love a Highlander" series has its own unique set of issues and dilemmas. I found these characters to be as wonderful has this author's characters always are, but their emotions are so human, often very raw. The story is remarkable. It takes Satia St. Clair back to the Fourteenth century into the arms of Kane McPherson during Scotland's fight for independence. Along the way we get to meet some interesting people including Robert the Bruce and go on some interesting adventures. Again, I say, although these books not connected by more than the time travel period, the stores just get better and better.
March 22, 2022
This is a clean, sweet story that is very easy to read. There is not much descriptive text, but some good emotional scenes. I would have loved to had more conversations between Grandmother and her sons. The girls were adorable. I felt , however that something was missing, not a lot of depth, like the reader was just being allowed to skim the surface. But the storyline was good and very original, the camaraderie was good between the three men.
August 22, 2022
The Far Side, even in its earliest form, is always clever and enjoyable. While Book 1 gives me a lot of great chuckles, this collection, to me, is a template for the better laugh-out-loud moments to come. Still, this is a great collection and a must-read for fans of Gary Larson. I would give this a 3.5/5 if I could.
October 10, 2023
Gary Larson’s first book of cartoons published in 1982. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but I think it impressive how well the majority of these cartoons have held up, despite being over 40 years old. One of the few exceptions was a reference to Popeye. There were several that I’ve seen many times—I’ve had Far Side page-a-a-day calendars in thr past—but also some I don’t remember at all. Worth rereading.
February 23, 2018
This is a terrible book. A lone page or even a long paragraph of the MacQuarie dictionary has more literal content. Now the drawings however, are superb artistry. But we follow a code here, read not illustrations.
March 23, 2022
This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was clever, steamy, and fast-paced. It held my interest and I wanted to know what would happen next. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.
March 22, 2023
This was a fun marriage of convenience story. The characters were entertaining and the story enjoyable. Definitely recommended.
Thank you Laura Landon, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.
Thank you Laura Landon, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.
May 2, 2018
If you hand this book to someone and within seconds of opening it, they are laughing out loud, how can it not be 5* Case closed.
June 10, 2018
I am not sure if I am outgrowing THE FAR SIDE or if these early cartoons are not as great as Larson's later work. I'll have to keep reading to find out.
March 4, 2019
I wish I liked this more.
April 15, 2019
Hate nerds
Shelved as '700-799-arts-rec'
December 17, 2019741.597
August 5, 2020
As always, Larson hits the nail on the head with his wry humor. I completely enjoyed this collection.
March 13, 2021
Gary Larson is probably the most celebrated cartoonist of all time, and he deserves it!
March 28, 2021
Classic comic strips from the master, Gary Larson. First collection, long-time fan.
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February 17, 2023VERY funny. Most jokes are still as funny as they were 40-30 years ago. Favorite one is the one with the bears
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews