Gary Larson and his single-panel strip The Far Side were constants for newspaper comic readers in the 80s and 90s. After 15 years of syndication and over 4000 comics made, Larson reappeared on the internet in 2019 with completely new Far Side comics and fans were delighted to see that the master had not lost a step, and he continues to release comics on his website every now and then. Many younger people will remember being acquainted with The Far Side thanks to their science teachers and professors.

Larson has a lifelong fascination with science and many of his comics deal with math, biology, chemistry, and just the day-to-day life of people who work in laboratories. Naturally, readers who worked in those professions gravitate towards them, and it's not uncommon to see a cut-out Far Side comic attached to a Physics professor's office door. These comics about scientific discovery are often well-researched and always funny.

Hydrochloric Acid Prank

far side comic, scientist pours acid on anothers neck while the victim yells

Laboratory safety is one of the first things any science student learns when they first enter a laboratory. In the universe of The Far Side, some of those lessons seem to have been forgotten because at least one scientist thinks it's appropriate to pour hydrochloric acids down another's neck as a joke.

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Professor Bingham has the perfect expression of someone in shock and pain and the drawing perfectly conveys that the "prank" may be an understatement. And Professor Glickman's expression is much funnier than it shows him concentrating on dripping the acid rather than smiling about it.

Purpose Of The Universe

far side comic of two scientist standing in front of chalkboard looking at an equation that equals zero

A part of what is so funny about this Far Side comic is how intricately Gary Larson drew the math equations on the left side of the board. They look like they may work out logically. The way Larson takes time and puts effort into making sure his comics hold real water makes them funnier for it.

The joke in this is fairly simple, the scientists have managed to find the mathematical formula to answer the question of everything. And the answer is zero. But rather than being upset about this very troubling fact, the scientists seem to be completely absorbed in completing it in the first place. It's a funny juxtaposition of people enjoying life while finding out it means nothing in the process.

Curiosity Killed The Cat

far side comic police officers enter a classroom and see dead cats looking at science notes

Gary Larson is never afraid to make his Far Side comics a bit darker than the usual newspaper fare, even if it means killing a couple of cats. In this comic, a detective and a police officer walk in on a bunch of dead cats, leaning over several scientific materials.

The detective's line is a play on the classic idiom made literal by these felines whose scientific curiosity also caused their deaths. It's a funny idea made even better by the various poses of slumped-over cats who appear to have spontaneously died in the pursuit of some discovery.

Canine Decoder

far side comic, a scientist walks around with a weird helmet and can hear dogs, the dogs only say "hey"

Gary Larson's relationship with dogs always leads to some very funny comics. He clearly loves them and thinks they are good pets, but he also seems to not think very highly of their intelligence. So when a scientist puts on an absurd "canine decoding" helmet, the only word he gets out of the dogs is "hey!"

It does seem like most dogs are just yelling, "hey! hey!" when they appear to be barking at nothing and the unamused and disappointed look of the Schwartzman makes it clear he may have wasted a lot of time on this particular project. It's also a laugh that his first test involves him walking around some neighborhood rather than trying it out in a lab.

Cardboard Armor Testing

far side comic, scientists are testing armor of two knights, one is in cardboard and looks scared

This comic has some of the best Gary Larson can offer, great art, a hilarious caption, and a situation that only he would consider. In the comic, a group of scientists who are dressed in modern attire, despite the caption saying they are from medieval times, are getting ready to test out the armor they've built.

One knight has normal armor and the other has cardboard, and the ridiculous grimace on his helmet shows the reader exactly how he feels about it. There is no explanation why "cardboard" would be the next material to test after metal and preliminary tests should have shown it doesn't work. So the fact everyone is still going through with the experiment is another level of humor.

Everyone Loves Ice Cream

far side comic, four scientists happily run outisde when they see an ice cream truck

While Gary Larson's Far Side comic is well known for how weird it can get, there are many instances of him drawing a perfectly innocent joke with no dark undertones. In this comic for example, there isn't any subtext, the joke is simply that scientists are as excited as children when they hear the ice cream truck.

The four variations of joy drawn on the faces are all unique. The scientist in front is excited and the hungriest, he's dashing off so quickly that his tie and hair are pulled back; the bald one right behind him has his mouth set in a perfectly content smile; next to him the scientist is happily directing his friends to the door, and behind them all is the most joyous scientist, his arms and face raised like he's saying "Hallelujah".

Early Microscope

far side comic, two cavemen are looking at a mammoth through an oversized microscope, caption reads: early microscope

In this comic, Gary Larson's other favorite characters, the cavemen, take the place of the usual scientists. These early scientists have gotten somewhat close to finding the real scientific process. They have at least already built something that looks like a real microscope.

But they've made it way too large, or it could be that it's the exact right size for the subjects they're looking at. A mammoth for example appears completely content to be examined. The "foreman" looking caveman at the bottom only adds to the comedy as he expectantly waits for the caveman up top to tell him something he should already know.

Kissing Animals Experiment

far side comic captioned "testing whether or not animals 'kiss'" and scientist kissing various animals

One of Gary Larson's funniest cartoons comes when he combines two of his favorite subjects: scientists and cows. In this completely inexplicable situation, a bunch of scientists have gotten together to determine whether animals kiss and from the looks of it, it appears the answer is different from animal to animal.

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The ones on the chalkboard seem to have no reaction to the attempt while the man with the aardvark may have at last found success. The researchers are so invested in that development that they're missing the cow in the back, rejecting the scientist's kiss with a damsel-like slap.

Controversial Cure

far side comic, a man is suspended off a building in a dark box covered in snakes while a psychologist watches

Immersion therapy may be a real thing for people suffering from debilitating phobias, but this may be too much at once. In the comic, a professor has hoisted a man high up on a skyscraper, put him in a dark box, and covered him in snakes to cure his fears.

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From the terrified look on the man's face, the treatment does not seem to be working and from the professor's vantage point, he can't see how poorly the session is going. What's even funnier is that this is a "controversial technique" which means he must have done it several times for it to be called out as controversial.

Anthropologist's Dream

far side comic, title anthropologist's dream with a man standing with a skeleton head and a beautiful woman

Gary Larson's drawing of a perfectly happy anthropologist in the Far Side comic is perfect. He has everything he wants and a wide smile to show his appreciation. And what an anthropologist wants is a beautiful woman and the skull of a rare archeological find.

What makes this comic so funny is that this scientist's dream could be many people's dream. A beautiful person on one arm and a symbol of their professional success on the other. And of course, it's hilarious that even when Larson tries to draw someone gorgeous, they end up just looking like a funhouse version of his usual characters.

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