Stuff You Should Know – "A Tribute To The Far Side"

Release Date: September 25, 2025
Hosts: Josh Clark & Chuck Bryant

Episode Overview

This episode is a heartfelt and humorous tribute to Gary Larson's "The Far Side" — the iconic single-panel cartoon that helped define offbeat humor for a generation. Josh and Chuck reminisce about the cartoon’s profound cultural and creative influence, break down what made it so innovative, and delight in some of the most memorable panels and controversies. They also explore Larson’s personal background, artistic philosophy, intersection with science, and enduring legacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Magic and Impact of The Far Side

• Both hosts credit "The Far Side" with shaping their sense of humor during formative years.
• Chuck: “The Far Side by Gary Larson … crystallizes to me the perfect time to be awakened to something like Gary Larson’s sense of humor.” (01:33)
• Josh: The cartoon's influence was so widespread it “normalized and spread that sort of humor so far and wide, that it became less, I guess, humorous in and of itself because it made it, well, normal.” (01:57)
• Contrasts between cartoons and comics: The Far Side, as a single-panel cartoon, delivers all its impact in one efficient poetic moment.
  • Josh: “It’s kind of like comparing a book to a poem … a one panel cartoon has to have the same impact or, in the case of The Far Side, a far, far greater impact than a strip…” (03:45)

Gary Larson’s Background and Artistic Journey

• Childhood: Raised in Tacoma, Washington; influences were his older brother (a nature lover and classic ‘tormenting big brother’) and parents with a wacky family sense of humor.
  • Josh: On his brother: “His brother introduced him to the beauty of a jellyfish and then also used that same jellyfish to smack me in the face, which I think that's a good big brother right there.” (06:30)
• Education: Started as a biology major at Washington State, but switched to communications — a decision Larson later regretted.
• Early Career: Worked odd jobs (banjo player, music store, Humane Society investigator) before creating his first strip, Nature’s Way, which evolved directly into The Far Side.
• Breakthrough: In 1979, San Francisco Chronicle picked up his work (renamed “The Far Side”) and immediately syndicated it, despite the comics industry being notoriously closed to newcomers.
  • Syndicate salespeople often heard, “This is not a Buffalo product,” from newspaper editors. (11:35)

The Far Side's Rise and Cultural Reception

• Initial reactions to the cartoon were polarizing—some editors loved it, others recoiled.
• Syndication expanded over years:
  • 1979: 30 newspapers
  • Three years later: 80
  • Later peaked at 1,900 papers worldwide.
• "The Far Side" books and calendars sold tens of millions, and were published in 17 languages.
• Despite its popularity, The Far Side remained divisive and occasionally offensive to certain groups, such as religious readers and cat lovers.
• Josh: “It's just dropping in on an absurd moment in life somewhere in the universe or somewhere on earth, which is why those characters are all interchangeable.” (21:26)

Distinctive Features of The Far Side

• No recurring or named characters; used archetypes and stock figures (e.g., the beehive lady, freckled glasses kid, animals, cows).
• Artistic style was unique, recognizable, and deliberately self-taught.
• Larson largely eschewed merchandising — no dolls or out-of-context character products, keeping the humor contextual and avoiding cash grabs.

Signature Cartoons and Their Legacy

Panel Highlights

Chuck and Josh describe several iconic “Far Side” panels, explaining their humor and visual storytelling:

• Early Experiments in Transportation (22:02): Cave people strapping a man to a stone wheel, with another caveman recording the experiment — “It was those extra little bits in the frame … that just took Far Side over the top.” (23:34)
• Midvale School for the Gifted (23:34): A “gifted” kid shoves a door marked “Pull”, with his whole body leaning into the effort.
  • Chuck: “It looks like that kid has been standing there for an hour.” (24:26)
• Cow Tools (24:42): So baffling to readers Larson had to publish an explanation—the joke was that cows would make weirdly unsophisticated tools.
  • Josh: “That's it. … If you start trying to figure out what this tool means or what he's saying with this, it just completely loses it.” (26:53)
• Lupus lipophobia (27:17): “Fear of being chased in your kitchen by timber wolves while wearing socks on a newly waxed floor.”
• Dog Threat Letter & Harry Houdini’s Final Undoing: Showcased Larson’s perfectionism — he later critiqued small artistic choices, worried they impaired the cartoon’s impact.

The Creative Burden and Retirement

• For years, Larson drew seven panels weekly; the pressure led to fatigue and creative anxiety.
• Sabbatical: Took a 14-month break in 1988; returned with a reduced schedule.
• Retirement decision: “He was really worried that his creativity was gonna go downhill and that he was gonna start making mediocre cartoons. … A pure artist.” (34:31)
• Final official panel (Jan 1995): Spoofed The Wizard of Oz—the perfect meta-ending, blurring the line between his universe and ours.

Science and The Far Side

• Larson’s passion for nature and science permeated his work; scientists loved his cartoons for making science “cool” and relatable.
• “His influence is pervasive. I can't tell you how many seminars I've been to that had a Gary Larson slide in them.” — Dr. Harold Varmus, NIH director (40:47)
• Honored in biology:
  • A louse named Strigophilus garylarsoni
  • A butterfly (for a while) named in his honor
  • “Thagomizer” (stegosaurus tail spikes) — a made-up term from a Far Side panel now used semi-formally in paleontology (42:27)

Controversies and Reactions

• Occasionally inflamed readers or editors; e.g., Jane Goodall Institute protested a cartoon, but Goodall herself found it funny and later wrote a foreword for one of his books.
  • “She ended up writing a foreword to one of the Far Side books. And then that cartoon was licensed for the Jane Goodall Institute… So he was the real deal.” (45:57)

Larson’s Shyness, Legacy, and Occasional Returns

• Disliked the spotlight, rarely gave interviews, remains a semi-reclusive figure.
• Brief returns: Played with digital illustration, sporadically published new or archival panels on his website.
• Despite pressures, never compromised his unique vision or commercializes unduly, maintaining integrity and affection from fans.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On defining his artistic approach:
  • “It’s kind of like comparing a book to a poem … a one panel cartoon has to have the same impact or, in the case of The Far Side, a far, far greater impact than a strip…” (03:45, Josh)
• On divisiveness:
  • “Some people never do. Some people hate the Far Side still.” (11:35, Chuck)
  • Salesman’s feedback: “This is not a Buffalo product.” (11:41, Salesman via Josh & Chuck)
• On the ‘Cow Tools’ uproar:
  • “The problem was everybody was looking way too deeply into it … it was just these dumb rudimentary tools that a cow would make.” (25:36, Chuck)
• On science geeks:
  • “He was glorifying nerds at a time when nerds were not super. Well, of.” (43:13, Josh)
• On perfectionist regrets:
  • “He got even more obsessive than that with Regret, which was Harry Houdini's final undoing… the tilt of Harry Houdini’s skull should have been looking downward a little more. It's like, dude, it's fine.” (29:31, Josh)
• Final closing sentiment:
  • “Just a thank you, Gary Larson. Thank you for doing what you did and being you.” (47:27, Josh)

Important Timestamps

• 01:33: How The Far Side influenced the hosts
• 03:45: The panel-vs-strip distinction
• 06:30: On family influence & collecting animals
• 09:06: Larson’s first cartoon sales
• 11:41: Editorial reactions — “This is not a Buffalo product.”
• 17:53: The Far Side’s explosive popularity, sales numbers
• 22:02-29:31: Favorite panels and verbal illustrations
• 33:03: Larson’s creative fatigue and sabbatical
• 36:03: The perfect “Wizard of Oz” inspired final cartoon
• 40:47: Intersection with academic science community
• 42:27: The legacy of the “Thagomizer”
• 45:32: Jane Goodall controversy and its resolution
• 47:27: Heartfelt closing thanks to Gary Larson

Conclusion

Josh and Chuck’s tribute to Gary Larson and The Far Side is both an entertaining walk through comic history and a nuanced appreciation for an artist who made the absurd mainstream. It's a must-listen (or read) for anyone who loves dry wit, science, or seeing the world a little sideways.

Listen to the full episode for more wry riffs, panel breakdowns, and the unfiltered joy of two lifelong fans celebrating a cultural landmark.