Gary Larson (b. 1950): Creator of The Far Side and Master of Surreal Humor

Gary Larson (born August 14, 1950) is an American cartoonist best known for creating The Far Side, a revolutionary single-panel cartoon series that captivated millions around the world. Syndicated internationally to more than 1,900 newspapers over fifteen years, The Far Side became a cultural phenomenon, blending surrealism, anthropomorphic humor, and sharp satire. Even after its conclusion on January 1, 1995, Larson’s unique wit continues to thrive, especially with his online relaunch of The Far Side in 2020. His twenty-three books of collected cartoons have sold over forty-five million copies globally, solidifying his legacy as one of America’s most beloved humorists.

Infobox: Gary Larson

Early Life and Education

Born and raised in University Place, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington, Gary Larson was the son of Verner, a car salesman, and Doris, a secretary. His upbringing in a close-knit suburban environment, combined with the quirky dynamics of his family, played a crucial role in shaping his sense of humor. Larson often remarked that his family had a “morbid sense of humor,” filled with practical jokes, strange imaginations, and playful fear-inducing pranks, particularly at the hands of his older brother, Dan. Dan, who had a sharp mind for both mischief and science, frequently designed elaborate stunts to scare Gary—such as pretending to be monsters hiding under the bed—while simultaneously sparking Gary’s deep interest in the natural sciences.

Together, the brothers built homemade ecosystems in their basement, including terrariums teeming with frogs, snakes, and insects caught around Puget Sound. This combination of scientific exploration and dark humor laid the foundation for the bizarre and biological themes that would later dominate Larson’s cartooning style.

Larson attended Curtis Senior High School, where his interests in science and music flourished. He participated in school jazz bands, mastering both the guitar and the banjo, and would later credit jazz music for inspiring the improvisational and unexpected rhythm of his comic storytelling.

After high school, Larson enrolled at Washington State University in Pullman, initially intending to pursue a career in biology. However, he ultimately shifted his focus to communications, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree. During college, he never lost his love for science and music; he frequently performed in jazz ensembles and remained fascinated by animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and the quirks of the natural world—all themes that would deeply permeate his later cartoon creations.

Career Beginnings

Larson’s professional path started with dissatisfaction. While working in a music store, where he spent long hours selling instruments he had little passion for, he took a few reflective days off, realizing that he was profoundly unhappy in that line of work. He decided to pursue cartooning seriously, encouraged by his lifelong love of drawing and humor. In 1976, Larson submitted six cartoons to Pacific Search magazine, a Seattle-based natural history publication, and quickly became a regular contributor. His early cartoons were modest but already displayed glimpses of the offbeat humor and fascination with animals that would become his trademark.

By 1979, Larson’s weekly comic strip, Nature’s Way, was published in The Seattle Times. The strip featured whimsical takes on animals, nature, and the absurdities of modern life. Although Nature’s Way had a growing local following, it remained relatively obscure.

Fate intervened during a vacation to San Francisco when Larson pitched his work to the San Francisco Chronicle. Impressed by the originality and cleverness of his humor, the editors immediately bought his work, rebranded it as The Far Side, and launched it into syndication. The Chronicle’s syndication arm recognized the strip’s broader potential and helped it reach an expansive audience across the United States and eventually worldwide.

Ironically, the very same week Larson secured national syndication, The Seattle Times canceled Nature’s Way, believing it was too quirky and lacked mass appeal. This misjudgment became one of the great ironies in newspaper history. What started as a minor setback for Larson turned into a pivotal turning point—the beginning of a storied career that would transform the world of cartooning and embed The Far Side into the cultural zeitgeist.

The Birth of The Far Side

First appearing on January 1, 1980, The Far Side quickly grew into one of the most syndicated comic panels in history. Known for its bizarre characters—talking cows, clueless scientists, and socially awkward animals—Larson’s humor often highlighted the absurdity of both human and animal behavior.

Among his most iconic works are parodies involving scientific mishaps, animal anthropomorphism, and societal commentary. One famous cartoon featuring chimpanzees and a jibe at Jane Goodall caused a minor controversy, but Goodall herself later praised the strip, and profits from the related merchandise were donated to the Goodall Institute.

Larson’s distinctive humor also birthed terms still referenced today, such as “thagomizer,” now commonly used to describe the spiked tails of stegosaurs. His influence permeated not just humor, but science and education, with many teachers and professors using his cartoons in classrooms to engage students with scientific and ethical topics.

In addition to printed collections and calendars, Larson expanded into animation with two specials: Tales from the Far Side (1994) and Tales from the Far Side II (1997), showcasing his visual storytelling on television.

Themes and Impact

Larson’s cartoons were characterized by their surrealism. Whether depicting a family of spiders driving with a “Have a Nice Day” bumper sticker or showcasing the antics of chimpanzees, Larson’s wit transcended traditional comic boundaries. Notably, his cartoon featuring a chimpanzee couple garnered attention from the Jane Goodall Institute, becoming a positive collaboration for wildlife conservation.

The Far Side’s significance was further underscored by a significant exhibition of Larson’s original works at the California Academy of Sciences in 1985. The cartoons also entered popular culture through greeting cards and two animated television specials.

Retirement and Beyond

In 1995, Larson retired from “The Far Side” at its peak, wanting to avoid the “Graveyard of Mediocre Cartoons.” Despite retiring from the daily strip, Larson continued occasional cartoon work, including illustrations and promotional art. He also published “There’s a Hair in My Dirt!: A Worm’s Story,” a book with thematic similarities to “The Far Side.”

Larson’s versatility extends beyond cartooning. A jazz guitarist since his teen years, he even provided cover art for a jazz album. His foray into magazine cover art, including one for The New Yorker, showcased his artistic breadth.

Sidelights

Before his retirement in 1995, cartoonist Gary Larson drew millions of daily newspaper readers into his unconventional and surreal world through the one-panel comic feature “The Far Side.” In Larson’s strip, animals are always smarter than humans and the humans themselves are always very strange.

Syndicated in more than 1,900 newspapers throughout the United States, “The Far Side” has also been collected into bestselling cartoon anthologies that have sold over 40 million copies, and another 60 million “The Far Side” calendars have been purchased by fans of Larson’s quirky art. In “The Far Side,” observed Nancy Shute in the Smithsonian, “the simple line drawings—doodles, almost—get [Larson’s] point across, hooking deeply into the psyches of the susceptible. The natural order of things goes seriously awry, with hilarious results.”

James Kelly, writing in Time, asserted that “if a single theme animates [Larson’s] work, it is that man, for all his achievements, is just one species on earth, and not always the wisest or strongest one. His prehistoric cave dwellers and chunky matrons with beehive hairdos and sequined glasses are vulnerable and foolish, while his cows and bears are wise and resourceful.” Larson related to Kelly: “It’s wonderful that we live in a world in which there are things that can eat us. It keeps us from getting too cocky.”

This attitude is reflected in Larson’s creations, which present such odd juxtapositions as a movie-theater crowded with insects waiting to watch Return of the Killer Windshield; campers slumbering in sleeping bags while bears examining them exclaim, “Sandwiches!”; and a pilot mildly puzzling over the appearance of a mountain goat in the cloud bank directly ahead. Commenting on this brand of humor, Detroit News critic Beaufort Cranford declared that “The Far Side” is “radically dependent on twists of perception,” adding that Larson’s humor is “so black that it can only have come from the eerie corridors of a very bizarre mind.… It is also the stuff of a demented imagination.”

Other reactions to Larson’s work include Washington Post contributor Richard Harrington’s announcement that “The Far Side” is nothing short of “macabre, weird, zany, twisted, whimsical, fiendish, bizarre, odd, strange.”

Love for Animals Leads to Cartooning Career

Born August 14, 1950, in Tacoma, Washington, Larson has admitted that as a child he had “an infatuation with animals in general.” In an interview with U.S. News and World Report, he explained that he has always loved both biology and art: “Ever since I was a little kid I’ve been walking around swamps and tidelands with nets and jars. But simultaneously, ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been drawing.”

He attended Washington State University, where he received a B.A. in communications in 1972. Larson began cartooning in an offhand way while working at a series of diverse jobs. After performing as a jazz guitarist in a duo called Tom and Gary, he worked at a music store in Seattle, Washington. In the late 1970s, while working at the music store, he drew several cartoons and offered them to Pacific Search, a nature magazine.

“They bought all six,” he related in his interview with Harrington. “I was shocked.” The sale encouraged Larson to continue cartooning after he began working for the Humane Society in 1978. During an investigation of animal abuse, Larson met a Seattle Times reporter who saw his cartoons and urged him to submit them to her paper. Soon the Seattle Times was running a weekly cartoon, “Nature’s Way,” that the cartoonist referred to as his “training ground.”

Shute related that “Nature’s Way” was canceled within a year “after complaints about the unnatural selection of the subject matter.” Heeding a new suggestion, Larson submitted his material to the San Francisco Chronicle and eventually signed a five-year contract with Chronicle Features syndicate, which nationally introduced Larson’s daily cartoon as “The Far Side.” The subject matter of the strip remained under fire, however. “I lived in terror of cancellation,” revealed Larson in an interview with Tim Appelo for Pacific Northwest.

“I was always being canceled by newspapers, and I was horrified every time. All these ‘Nancy’ readers would see this hideous thing and cry out. But the people on the news staff enjoyed the strip. I think that’s the single thing that saved me.”

“The Far Side,” syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate beginning in 1984, was a regular feature in more than 300 American dailies within its first seven years; by the time Larson retired in 1995, the cartoon would appear in almost 1,900 newspapers. Larson’s “weirdly inverted depictions of life in the food chain have snared him … a swift … fame” observed Lisa Kinoshita in Saturday Review. In addition to his highly successful cartoon, Larson also had several bestselling anthologies of his work, including The Far Side, In Search of the Far Side, Valley of the Far Side, Night of the Crash-Test Dummies, Wildlife Preserves, and Cows of Our Planet.

Larson explained to Cranford that he believed his strip “touches a sense of humor that’s always been out there somewhere. Television and other media have reflected that kind of humor, but it had never found its way into the newspapers. I think there was oddness out there that made people ready to accept and enjoy it.” Fans delighted, for example, in a panel depicting a boat full of headhunters staring incredulously at two tourists with enormously large heads as they paddle by.

In another “Far Side” cartoon, one praying mantis responds to the accusations of another: “I don’t know what you’re insinuating, Jane, but I haven’t seen your Harold all day—besides, surely you know I would only devour my husband!” And another favorite has a pack of dogs disguised as humans sneaking into a post office and attacking the workers.

In his interview with Cranford, Larson explained that for “Far Side” readers “a sort of vicarious release … takes place with this kind of humor. It’s much akin to slapstick comedy. You laugh when someone gets a pie thrown in their face or takes a pratfall, but when you think about it, it’s not funny at all—you’re laughing at someone else’s suffering. But it works because people know life’s just like that.” Larson continued: “I don’t think it’s sick.… There’s a distinction between something that’s sick and something that’s morbid humor.”

This contention might be based on such “Far Side” scenes as a freeway-driving dog whose master, tongue lolling, projects his head through the car’s open passenger window. Or one in which an astounding couple complains to a witch in whose care they had left their children, “We hired you to babysit the kids, and you cooked and ate them BOTH?” Larson admitted to Carol Krucoff in the Washington Post that “people get the short end of the stick more often in my stuff”; but, the cartoonist told Harrington, “I hope people see that it’s just silliness.”

Committed to the single-panel format, Larson described his work in an interview for People as “basically sitting down at the drawing table and getting silly.” He informed Harrington: “I think very visually and I think a single panel lends itself to that one instant visual image.… It all kind of comes to me at once, more or less simultaneous. Sometimes a caption will hit me first, but that’s rare.

Usually, it’s the image that will come first, this one hideous moment that just lands on me.” Such moments resulted in cartoons like the one in which a lemming trailing a suicidal group at the water’s edge glances furtively to determine if his life preserver will be detected; or one that depicted Reuben, the hospital worker, caught rubbing newborns on his clothes for static electricity and sticking them to the walls like balloons. For Larson, humor captured in single images like these depended on subtleties.

“I sweat over the nuances in a face or I try to think what is the focus of this cartoon,” Larson told Krucoff. This focus can sometimes be slightly blurred, however; not every reader always gets the joke. “I realize that some of my cartoons go over people’s heads,” admitted Larson in an interview with Sheridan Warrick for Pacific Discovery. “But if out of ten people, I think that one will bellylaugh and the other nine will be dumbfounded, I’ll go for it. The one thing I try not to do is condescend to people. If you start doing cartoons that are too universal, you end up with something milked out and uninteresting. I’d rather be misunderstood.”

A variety of characters filled Larson’s subtle and sometimes “misunderstood” cartoons, but more often than not the starring roles were given to animals. “Mostly I think of animals as a vehicle for my particular sense of humor,” explained Larson in a San Francisco Chronicle interview with David Perlman. “A lot of the time I end up exploring the weird prejudices we humans have toward some animals. If a real animal starts adding too many legs or too many eyes, it seems to become too alien for most of us to stand.”

Among the many animals that were fodder for Larson’s work were cows, one of his personal favorites. “I particularly enjoy drawing cows,” Larson related to Harrington. “I’m not exactly sure why. They seem to be some kind of absurd, almost non sequitur animal to put into certain situations. I even find humor in the name.” Shute, who identified scientists as among Larson’s first and most appreciative fans, quoted a Smithsonian Institution National Zoo bird curator’s admission that “if you have any knowledge of animals, the cartoon is ridiculous to the point that you laugh uncontrollably.” Larson’s fans in the scientific community have named new species of a biting louse and a butterfly after him.

In “The Far Side” Larson’s pursuit of fun and silliness met with enormous success, a circumstance the cartoonist found difficult to trust. He told Krucoff: “Sometimes I have a hard time shaking the feeling that there’s been a big mistake. It’s taken me by surprise that things have happened the way they have.… I have a sense of not wanting to give myself over to it entirely, a sense that it could all suddenly turn to smoke or I’m going to hear my mother’s voice in the distance saying, ‘Gaaaaary, time for school!’ and there I am, 12 years old.”

Larson echoed this skeptical outlook in an interview for People: “I keep thinking someone’s gonna shows up and says, ‘There’s been a mistake. The guy next door is supposed to be drawing the cartoon. Here’s your shovel.'”

Retirement and Later Projects

In 1995, fearing repetition and creative decline, Larson retired The Far Side to avoid joining what he termed “the Graveyard of Mediocre Cartoons.” His retirement was almost as iconic as his career—eschewing public appearances and preferring anonymity.

Larson’s post-retirement projects include the bestselling illustrated book There’s a Hair in My Dirt!, a dark ecological fable that mirrored the tone of The Far Side. The book became a New York Times Bestseller and demonstrated Larson’s ability to weave environmental and biological concepts into a compelling narrative.

He also contributed artwork to albums, notably for jazz guitarist Herb Ellis, and created cover art for The New Yorker in 2003—a prestigious milestone he described as a tremendous honor. Larson’s passion for conservation was also evident in his projects, with proceeds from The Far Side merchandise often donated to environmental causes.

Despite avoiding the public eye, Larson’s legacy grew. In 1989, an insect (Strigiphilus garylarsoni) and a butterfly (Serratoterga larsoni) were named in his honor, reflecting his close ties to the natural world.

A New Era: Return to The Far Side

Long resistant to his work being posted online, Larson changed his stance in 2019 with the launch of the official The Far Side website, marking a major shift in his relationship with digital media. By July 2020, Larson released new digital cartoons, delighting fans worldwide with fresh material for the first time in 25 years. These new drawings, created on a digital tablet, maintained his signature style of surreal humor and anthropomorphic absurdity, while offering a smoother, crisper artistic quality thanks to the advantages of digital tools.

Larson described the transition to digital drawing as both liberating and challenging, requiring him to adapt from traditional pen-and-ink techniques to a more fluid digital medium. His digital relaunch introduced Larson to a younger generation, many of whom had only encountered The Far Side through secondhand collections or anecdotes. It also reaffirmed his relevance among longtime fans, who eagerly welcomed his return.

The “New Stuff” section showcased Larson’s willingness to embrace new tools and methods while staying true to his whimsical, bizarre, and insightful voice. He experimented with new ideas and visual gags, extending his legacy without abandoning the core elements that had defined The Far Side. This digital chapter not only breathed new life into Larson’s career but also underscored his enduring ability to evolve while preserving the distinctiveness that made him a beloved icon in the world of cartooning.

Awards and Honors

• Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year (1990, 1994): Recognized by the National Cartoonists Society as the top cartoonist in the field, reflecting Larson’s profound influence on contemporary cartooning.
• National Cartoonists Society Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award (1985, 1988): Awarded for his exceptional work in the newspaper panel cartoon category, affirming the popularity and creative excellence of The Far Side during its peak years.
• Species Named in His Honor:
  • Strigiphilus garylarsoni: A chewing louse found on owls, named by entomologist Dale H. Clayton in tribute to Larson’s humor, particularly his numerous bird cartoons.
  • Serratoterga larsoni: An Ecuadorian rainforest butterfly named after Larson, honoring his contributions to increasing public interest in biology and zoology through humor.
• Science Contribution: Popularization of the term “thagomizer” in paleontology. The term originated in a Far Side cartoon and has since been adopted informally by paleontologists worldwide to describe the spiked tail of a stegosaurus.
• Commencement Speaker at Washington State University (1990): Delivered a humorous yet inspirational speech to graduates at his alma mater, emphasizing creativity, resilience, and the importance of embracing unconventional thinking.
• Honorary Contributions:
  • Illustrated covers for The New Yorker, including a notable 2003 issue, showcasing his prestige beyond traditional comic circles.
  • Created album art for jazz musicians, merging his artistic talents with his passion for music, notably illustrating for jazz guitarist Herb Ellis.
• Environmental Contributions: Numerous fundraising efforts and donations directed towards wildlife conservation groups, often tying into his work’s themes of animal life and environmental respect.
• Pop Culture Influence: Larson’s work has been referenced in television shows, textbooks, scientific literature, and museum exhibits, cementing his cartoons’ role in blending science education with humor.

Gary Larson’s diverse awards and honors reflect his enormous cultural, scientific, and artistic impact, which continues to inspire both the creative community and scientific circles today.

Personal Life

In 1987, Larson married anthropologist Toni Carmichael, who also became his business manager. The couple resides in Seattle, Washington, and share a deep appreciation for science, wildlife, and music. A committed environmentalist, Larson frequently donates royalties to conservation causes, merging his love of nature with philanthropy.

Larson remains a passionate jazz guitarist, having taken lessons from notable musicians like Remo Palmier and Herb Ellis. Despite his fame, he continues to value privacy and maintains a low profile, letting his work speak for itself.

Gary Larson’s contributions to humor, science, and culture are unparalleled. The Far Side remains a beloved staple for readers of all ages, its intelligent absurdity proving timeless. By blending scientific fascination with sharp wit, Larson not only entertained millions but also reshaped how we see the world—through the delightfully twisted lens of a cartoon panel. As he continues to create new work into the digital age, Larson’s enduring legacy stands as a testament to the timeless power of creativity, humor, and wonder.

Read also

• The Hilarious Comics of Gary Larson: Unraveling The Far Side’s Enduring Impact
• 25+ Most Famous Cartoonists from Around the World (Open list)
• Why Newspapers Commit A Full Non-Revenue Producing Page

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Gary Larson and “The Far Side”:

When was Gary Larson born, and where is he from?

Gary Larson was born on August 14, 1950, in Tacoma, Washington, USA.

What is Gary Larson best known for?

Gary Larson is best known for creating “The Far Side,” a single-panel cartoon series syndicated internationally to over 1,900 newspapers for fifteen years.

When did Gary Larson retire, and why?

Gary Larson retired from “The Far Side” on January 1, 1995, at 44. He felt the series was becoming repetitive and did not want to produce mediocre cartoons.

Is “The Far Side” making a comeback?

In September 2019, Larson’s website hinted at a “new online era of The Far Side.” On July 8, 2020, Larson released three new comics, marking his return after 25 years.

How many books of collected cartoons has Gary Larson published?

Gary Larson has published twenty-three books of collected cartoons, with combined sales of more than forty-five million copies.

What is Gary Larson’s educational background?

Gary Larson graduated from Curtis Senior High School in University Place and earned a degree in communications from Washington State University in Pullman.

Who is Gary Larson’s spouse, and when did they get married?

Gary Larson has been married to Toni Carmichael since 1987. She is an anthropologist who later became his business manager.

What are some notable themes in “The Far Side”?

Themes in “The Far Side” are often surreal, featuring human and animal behavior comparisons. Larson’s humor explores the quirky and sometimes absurd aspects of life.

Has Gary Larson received any awards for his work?

Gary Larson has received several awards, including the Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award and the Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society.

Why did Larson name his cartoon series “The Far Side”?

Larson renamed his cartoon series from “Nature’s Way” to “The Far Side” when it was syndicated by the San Francisco Chronicle in 1980. He had no qualms about the name and humorously stated that it could have been called “Revenge of the Zucchini People” for all he cared.