At this point, I’ve written extensively aboutThe Far Side, and my understanding of Gary Larson’s work has continued to evolve rapidly the more time I spend looking through his vast output over the course of his career. Case in point: When I started studyingThe Far Side, I approached it with the view that the comic “doesn’t have recurring characters” – but now I look at it differently.
That is because Larson has made me rethink things like character and continuity. I’d like to dig a bit deeper into why the question of"recurring characters" onThe Far Sidecontinues to crop up, especially as successive new generations of fans find the comic.
To be totally upfront, I am not going to argue thatThe Far Sidedoes, in fact, have recurring characters in the conventional sense. Instead, I’d like to propose that wedo exactly what Gary Larson did with every one of his panels – set aside the conventional.
To Begin, Why Is There A Debate About “Recurring Characters” And “The Far Side” At All?
Gary Larson Complicates A Simple Question
At least when it comes to newspaper comic strips, character is, essentially, a product of continuity.TakePeanuts,for example: creator Charles Schulz often wrote story arcs taking place over days, and he would at times make callbacks to stories that took place days, months, or even years earlier. Another famous example isDoonesbury, which I described in a prior article as essentially thepolar opposite ofThe Far Side, because of its ongoing narrative that has sprawled for over fifty years now.
Without question,The Far Sidelacks continuity, at least in a straightforward narrative sense. This is the root of the idea that the strip doesn’t have “recurring characters.” Even if the same “character” does appear in multiple strips – and there are a few select instances where I would argue this did happen – their appearances are not explicitly linked, and could be separated by years. One appearance doesn’t build on the other, and as such, characters don’t develop. Yet incongruously, as fans of Larson’s work will know,The Far Sidewas full of familiar faces.
Gary Larson’s Breakdown of 1 Far Side Joke Explains So Much About His Sense of Humor
Known for leaving readers confused, Far Side creator Gary Larson explained a typical “obscure” punchline, revealing the inner workings of his humor.
We’ve come touse the term “recurring elements"to describe the ubiquitous cows, chickens, detectives, Grim Reapers, sharks, traveling salesmen, and more who populatedThe Far Side. Because Larson drew the same archtypes or “stock” characters over and over during the comic’s run, the author did cultivate a sense of continuity in his readers over time. This led to the uncertainty that prevails to this day over whether characters recur inThe Far Side– but I think there’s a simple solution to that “problem.”
What Is “Recurring,” Anyway?
As my understanding ofThe Far Sidehas grown, I have come to look at it as analogous, in a way, to a sketch TV show, such asSaturday Night Live. That is, Larson might not have developed characters the way a sitcom would, buthe did utilize a rotating cast of regulars in various scenarios. Cows, of course, were the stars of the show, while figures likeIgor, the mad scientist’s assistant, andTarzan, the man of the jungle, were bit players who made the most of their time in the spotlight.
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.
SNLof course, famously has recurring characters – while they don’t develop in the traditional sense, they do become increasingly familiar to viewers over time. I would say thatThe Far Sideoperates similarly; its anthropomorphized cows, or perhaps the closest thing to a true recurring character the strip had,Gary Larson’s detective, play the same role in repeated strips, with the intent of delivering punchlines that grew increasingly familiar to readers. In this way, it is less a matter of character continuity, or ongoing storylines, and more about repeated situations and scenarios.
I Think It’s Time To Set Aside The “Recurring Character” Question & Focus On Everything Else The Far Side Has To Offer
Larson’s Complex & Endlessly Entertaining Opus
To be honest, I’m less concerned with coming to a “definitive” answer about whetherThe Far Sidehas recurring characters or not; I’m more concerned with the fact that I feel some fans, especially new fans, get stuck on this question. Ultimately,the biggest thing worth considering is the fact that Gary Larson himself was utterly unconcerned with continuity, character development, or anything of the sort. To me, this is the biggest tell that it shouldn’t factor too significantly into readers' understanding of his cartoons.
In a way, fixating on the idea of “character” in aFar Sidecomic at all is a bit of a distraction from what Gary Larson is trying to do with any given panel.
I have come to loveThe Far Sideas a work of serialized art, and Gary Larson as an artist, for how endlessly fascinating both are. Larson has become a creative inspiration for me, personally, and I find that his approach to humor and creativity have a near-endless wealth of things to teach other creators.The Far Side’sjokes are laced with social commentary, philosophical musings, andLarson’s observations about life, both human and non-human. In my opinion, these are the things fans of his work should focus on tracing the development of throughout the artist’s career.
In a way, fixating on the idea of “character” in aFar Sidecomic at all is a bit of a distraction from what Gary Larson is trying to do with any given panel. There’s a reason the term “elements” has become popular among those of us who scrutinizeThe Far Side; each cartoon is made up of a set of elements, including characters, setting, set-up, punchline, image, caption, and so on, and it is how all of these elements cohere together that determineswhether a Far Side comic gets a reaction, and what kind.
The Work Of An Unconventional Artist Like Gary Larson Deserves To Be Looked At From A Different Perspective
Reorienting Readers' Approach ToThe Far Side
AlthoughThe Far Side’scharacters might not have developed, almost everything else about the strip did. From Gary Larson’s artistic style, to his ability to craft a caption, to the way he found humor in a recurring set of ideas, if you look closely enough, there is a ton of growth that can be observed from the start ofThe Far SidetoGary Larson’s retirement from cartooning. I would say that these alsoprovide a form of continuity toThe Far Side, to go along with the artist’s use of repeat imagery.
Little aboutThe Far Sidewas conventional, or standard, and so it just makes sense to me that we should not apply conventional, or standard, logic about characters to Gary Larson’s work.
In other words, to recognize how everything from ideas to characters reoccur in Larson’s work, the reader must adopt a bit of an unconventional perspective. This is perhaps what I have come to appreciate aboutThe Far Sidemost, at least lately – the way that the comic’s idiosyncratic worldview forces me, as a reader, to think outside the box. Little aboutThe Far Sidewas conventional, or standard, and so it just makes sense to me that we should not apply conventional, or standard, logic about characters to Gary Larson’s work.
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.
