The Far Sidewas famous for its hilarious portrayals of dogs, many of which displayed creator Gary Larson’s deep insight into the behavior of readers' canine companions. Fans of Larson’s work know that he used dogs to achieve laughs in many different ways – but often,his panels were pups playfully appeared in ways that dog owners could instantly recognize were his most successful.
That is to say, whilemany ofThe Far Side’sdogs acted human, there were just as many memorable instances where their dog behavior was emphasized; the cartoons where Gary Larson managed to balance both of these things, naturally, rank among the most sublime entries in his ouvre.
As was the case with allFar Sidecartoons, even a touch of familiarity went a long way for readers, and the immediate connection provided by a dog’s appearance in a panel was a major factor in why Larson’s canine comics were so perennially popular.
10Sitting On The Far Side Of The Table Doesn’t Stop Mr. Sparky From Being Caught In An Embarrassing Moment
First Published: Far Side, June 13, 2025
Here is one perfect example of a panel in which Gary Larson skillfully merges his penchant foranthropomorphizingThe Far Side’sanimal population, and his ability to make mundane pet dog behaviors hilarious. The comic featuresa group of dogs in suits and ties around a conference table, as one of them points at a graph on the wall – except the business presentation is interrupted by “Mr. Sparky” licking himselfat the end of the table.
The dog characters' heads atop human-like bodies is a staple ofThe Far Side, but it is particularly amusing here, with the canines in business attire. What makes it even funnier is that the “business” that Mr. Sparky distracts from with his licking is, in itself, dog-related stuff such as “cat chasing,” “garden digging,' and “garbage dumping,” all precociously misspelled on the white board.
9Gary Larson Leaves Readers With The Burning Question Of What This Dog Did
First Published: August 13, 2025
“His story?” a human sitting in hell’s waiting roomsays about the dog curled up on the floor nearby, “Well, I dunno. I always just assumed he was a bad dog.“Gary Larson set more thanoneFar Sidecomic in hell, and this canine was far from the only dog to have somehow ended up in the underworld. However, it is the mystery of this panel that makes it so funny.
The Far Sideoften left readers with more questions than answers; sometimes this was an accident, asLarson explained in his breakdown of one particularly confusing comic, but just as frequently this was deliberate on the artist’s part. That seems to be the case here, as the realization of humans awaiting their eternal torment that they don’t actually know why the dog is there is the crux of the joke.
8Gary Larson’s Twisted Spin On “Old Dogs, New Tricks”
First Published: July 12, 2025
The amusing premise of thisFar Sidecartoon belies the dark turn it takes at the end. It featurestwo old dogs sitting on a porch, grumbling about the pair of young pups racing by, reflecting that “back in our day, we had to play with a half-rotted cat’s head,“rather than the assortment of balls and chewtoys littering the front lawn.
Gary Larson Admits His Biggest Regret in Far Side History
According to Gary Larson, a seemingly innocuous error of omission from a classic Far Side cartoon actually haunted him well into retirement.
Translating a stereotypical human behavior to dogs is aclassic Gary Larson comedic maneuver, and he does it effectively here with this “back in my day” moment – except the visceral imagery conjured up by the “half-rotted cat’s head,” is a particular creative choice on his part. It is just as likely to get a shocked laugh from readers as to leave them reeling in disgust.
7On The Far Side, Drinking From The Toilet Was No Laughing Matter
First Published: July 21, 2025
The silliness of thisFar Sidepanel relies on its mock-seriousness. Depicting a dog at a news desk, with the silhouettes of three more waiting just off-camera,this canine news program offers an expose on “dogs that drink from the toilet bowl.”
By framing this as a grave issue, one that requires a special news report, Gary Larson is sure to get a laugh from dog owners, as it reflects their own mix of bemusement and consternation at their pet’s illicit activity. Obscuring the toilet bowl drinkers in shadow is particularly great touch, as it emphasizes that this is considered a shameful act; any dog owner who has caught their canine slinking away from the bathroom with a guilty look on their face will find something to appreciate aboutthisFar Sidedog comic.
6According To Gary Larson, Not All Dogs Go To College
First Published: August 10, 2025
Rather than the SATs, theseFar Sidedogs are showntaking their CATs, in order to gain “their admission to any canine university,” as one dog named Rex is shown working on a math problem that involves a rottweiler chasing a Siamese cat.
Once more, this is an example of aFar Sidecomic in which Gary Larson finds a pitch-perfect middle ground between anthropomorphism and animal humor; these dogs are depicted sitting at desks, and using pencils like human beings, but their concerns are thoroughly dog-like. In this way, Larson constructs an almost-immersive world thatblends the animal and human worlds, in a way that can be considered a precursor to a show likeBojack Horseman, which later did the same thing incredibly successfully in its own way.
5Gary Larson Dabbles In Canine Sociology With This Far Side Dog Cartoon
First Published: July 09, 2025
Here, Gary Larson once more combines something human – in this case, clothing, specifically hats – with dog behavior, except in this case, the scales are much more tilted toward the latter. This is intentional, as the imposition of hats on these dogs heads is meant to be incongruous with their otherwise fully-dog-like depiction.
The Far Side Complete Collection
Fans of the far side can’t pass up this master collection of Gary Larson’s finest work. Originally published in hardcover in 2003, this paperback set comes complete with a newly designed slipcase that will look great on any shelf. The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever published, which amounts to over 4,000, plus more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book and even some made after Larson retired.
Captioned “if pets wore hats: a study in animal personalities and styles,” this panel also includes cats in fedoras and a bird in a sombrero, butthe focus is on the baseball-cap clad canines, with their choice of headgear reflecting their focus on the simple pleasures, like chasing felines up trees. Inaddition to Larson’s love of animals,The Far Sidereflected his fascination with subjects like sociology, which is also evident here, as applied to the world of domesticated pets.
4The Toughest Seeing-Eye-Dog Training Program On The Far Side
First Published: June 13, 2025
This stands out as one of the bestFar Sidepanels in which Gary Larson used dogs to achieve a laugh-out-loud joke.Set at “Anderson’s School For Seeing-Eye-Dogs,” the panel depicts one of the trainees leading a mannequin on roller skates up a ramp toward an airplane turbine,as the trainers remark:
Well, scratch number 24. He did good though – right up to the jet engine test.
As absurd as this might be, Larson does a fantastic job here of offering immersive details that will stick with readers,even long after they have read thisFar Sidecartoon. The premise of the “jet engine test,” is in itself ridiculously funny, but the true peak of this punchline is the mock-human on skates, and the way the real humans are drawn reacting to this disappointing outcome for “number 24.”
3This Far Side Canine Gets A Taste Of His Species' Own Medicine
First Published: June 16, 2025
Many dog owners will be overly familiar with the experience of sitting down to eat and feeling the eyes of their dog boring into them, hoping to be given just a single scrap of people food – though even if they get it, one is never enough to stop the staring.
Turnabout is fair play in thisFar Sidecomic, asa group of four humans stand rigidly still, eyes glued to a dog as he chows down on the contents of his bowl, uncomfortable thinking “man, I wish they wouldn’t do that while I was eating,“in exactly the same way legions of pet parents have since time immemorial. As he so often did, Gary Larson captures the feeling of being a pet owner, and a pet, in this one highly amusing cartoon.
2Gary Larson’s Depiction Of Dogs On A Stakeout Speaks For Itself
First Published: August 13, 2025
Gary Larson was very particular about the details ofThe Far Side, in regard to both its illustrations and its captions. That means when aFar Sidecomic omitted its caption, the visual was intended to say everything Larson wanted to – and this panel, featuring dogs in a surveillance van spying on an indoor cat, is a great example.
10 More of the Best Far Side Recurring Elements, Explained
The Far Side featured recurring characters, often repeat jokes, and frequently revisited location & themes; this list presents some of the best.
Again, the detail work here is essential; while the punchline should be evident to most readers easily enough, even without a caption to provide further context, what makes this an especially hilariousFar Sidecomic arethe details like the clipboard in one dog’s hand, and a coffee mug in another’s, and the headphones they are all wearing, as they –and, of course, the unsuspecting expression on the feline’s face.
1While The Dogs Away, The Human Will…Worry?
First Published: August 11, 2025
This split-imageFar Sidepanelhilarious upends the canine-human dynamic, as the top half of the image depicts a concerned man reading a note from his dog, demanding that he “STAY,” as his dog and another, named Rex, “took the kar to town,” with the bottom of the panel showing the carefree canine pair on their joyride.
The Far Sidehad its pair of bad pet owners, and bad pets, and this is a very funny example of the latter; as amusing as it is, though, it also carries a hint of subtextual tension, as anyone who has had their dog escape and run free will feel a twinge of secondhand concern, even from this obviously absurd joke. In that way, it is without question one of Gary Larson’s greatestFar Sidedog comics.
The Far Side
The Far Side is a humorous comic series developed by Gary Larson. The series has been in production since 1979 and features a wide array of comic collections, calendars, art, and other miscellaneous items.
