Summary
WhileThe Far Sidedidn’t have recurring characters or ongoing storylines in the traditional sense, Gary Larson’s infamous comic was highly iterative in its own way – perhaps best illustrated by one dark visual gag that repeated in several different forms over the course ofThe Far Side’stime in publication.
The Far Side’s"kill marking" jokes were a series of panels produced in the early years of the cartoon; by studying them in sequence, readers can observe some keyaspects of Gary Larson’s approach to humor.
AsFar Sidereaders will recognize,Larson’s jokes had a way of reappearing in different contexts, with different strains of the author’s humor mutating over the years, leading to variations on the same punchlines, as much as on the same themes. It can be argued that understanding the repetitions inThe Far Sideis essential to understanding Gary Larson’s career as a whole.
This Recurring Far Side Joke Is the Perfect Metaphor For Gary Larson’s Humor
Though it didn’t appear with the frequency of the comic’s infamous dogs, ducks, cats, & chickens, one repeat gag perfectly sums up The Far Side.
The Far Side’s First “Kill Marking” Joke Came At Snoopy’s Expense
First Published: August 03, 2025
Gary Larson extrapolated the “kill marking” punchline of this strip from a convergence of his knowledge of real-world history and his idiosyncratic perspective onPeanuts’classic Red Baron reference.
History-savvy readers will know that aerial combat first became a thing in the early 20th century, during World War I. At this time, the tradition arose of pilots keeping track of their kill count by painting a silhouette of an enemy plane on the side of their fighter, which Gary Larson artfully lampooned repeatedly inThe Far Side.
The Far Sidecontained more than oneriff on Charles Schulz' iconicPeanuts; the first, and perhaps the most memorable, was also the genesis of Gary Larson’s “kill marking” joke, which he would elevate to increasingly absurd heights of hilarity over the next several years. Beloved for adopting a variety of alter egos,Peanuts’Snoopy often cosplayed as a WWI fighter pilot, with hisnemesis being the real-life “Red Baron,“a German fighter ace – a rivalry which Larson considers the bleak, if realistic, endpoint of in this panel.
Here, Larson depictsa grim-faced Baron, walking away from his plane with a paintbrush in hand, having just added a silhouette of Snoopy atop his doghousealongside the outlines of four other warplanes he’s downed. As iconoclastic as the joke might seem at first, it derives naturally from a “realistic” outcome of Snoopy’s pretend scenario; in other words, it takes the lighthearted humor of Snoopy imagining himself as an equal to the Red Baron in combat and inverts it by making him no more than the Baron’s latest victim.
The key thing to note, though, is the fact that Gary Larson extrapolated the “kill marking” punchline of this strip from a convergence ofhis knowledge of real-world historyand his idiosyncratic perspective onPeanuts’classic Red Baron reference. Moving forward, Larson would find different contexts in which to use this joke again, making it equal parts more absurd and grim with each passing iteration of the joke. Each version, in turn, offers another opportunity to explore Gary Larson’s singular sense of humor.
Gary Larson’s Second “Kill Marking” Joke Came Soon After The First
First Published: July 29, 2025
It is worth considering why this joke stuck with Gary Larson; ultimately, it comes down to the clear visual signifier of the “kill markings.”
Approximately six months afterThe Far Side’sRed Baron “kill marking” joke, Gary Larson returned to the idea, transposing it from the skies over Europe during World War I toThe Far Side’sperennial “man vs. nature” struggle.In this panel, the silhouettes of three big-game hunters are painted on the backside of an elephant– which is depicted being ridden byThe Far Side’sequivalent of Tarzan, preparing toambush a fourth ill-fated hunter, who ambles unsuspectingly along a trail through the jungle in the background of the frame.
It is worth considering why this joke stuck with Gary Larson; ultimately, it comes down to the clear visual signifier of the “kill markings.” Readers who understand the reference immediately connect with the punchline, even with no other context. Notably, all four ofThe Far Side’s"kill marking” panels are among the comic’s many examples ofpanels that were published without captions, instead relying entirely on the image to communicate the joke. While captionlessFar Sidecartoons at times could leave readers confused, the “kill marking” jokes actually landed with increasing effectiveness over time.
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.
The Third “Kill Marking” Far Side Joke Takes It To Another Level Of Absurdity
First Published: July 29, 2025
While both the Snoopy/Red Baron original and the jungle “kill marking” comic contained a hint of the gravity and mortal peril inherent in the punchline’s real-life origin, this panel takes it into fully absurdist territory.
Published a year-and-a-half after the last iteration of the joke, the third “kill marking"Far Sidecartoon is certainly the strangest – making the visual shorthand of the joke all the more vital. In this comic, a man sits ina tank with four castle silhouettes on the side, using binoculars to observe the next sandcastle he is going to run over, currently being constructed by a child. It is a peak example of the kind ofpatented strangeness that madeThe Far Sidestand out.
That is, it feels like a joke that only Gary Larson could arrive at. In any case, this take on the “kill marking” joke, unlike its appearance in several priorFar Sides,is a laugh-out-loud funny extension of the premise. While both the Snoopy/Red Baron original and the jungle “kill marking” comic contained a hint of the gravity and mortal peril inherent in the punchline’s real-life origin, this panel takes it into fully absurdist territory. That is for the better, however, as it allows the gag to once again feel fresh, and perhaps even whimsical.
Far Side Creator Gary Larson On the 1 Question He WISHED Readers Would Have Asked
In “The Complete Far Side,” Gary Larson discussed the questions readers asked him all too often – and the one he never got asked, but wished he did.
The Fourth Far Side “Kill Marking” Joke Is The Crest Of The Recurring Gag’s Wave
First Published: July 19, 2025
In this case, the “kill markings” are deployed as one dimension of a multi-layered joke – as Gary Larson uses them to immediately grab the reader’s attention, while his illustration of the captain rewards those who spend an extra few beats scrutinizing the panel.
This “kill marking"Far Sidepanel appeared nearly two years after the previous one; it featuresa massive cruise ship with the silhouettes of five sail boats painted on the side. Interestingly, while that punchline is immediately evident to the reader, the funniest part of this comic is a bit more obscure – as a closer look at the illustration revealed the absolutely delighted, deranged look on the ship captain’s face. This has the effect of making it emphatically clear that he takes great pleasure in hunting smaller boats for sport.
Just as the previous use of the “kill marking” joke displayed an increased level of absurdity, this one features a progression of its own. In this case, the “kill markings” are deployed as one dimension of a multi-layered joke – asGary Larson uses them to immediately grab the reader’s attention, while his illustration of the captain rewards those who spend an extra few beats scrutinizing the panel, soaking in every painstakingly deliberated-upon detail. Once more, Larson skillfully delivers a familiar punchline that is repetitive, without being redundant.
The Far Side Was A Tapestry Weaved From The Many Threads Of Gary Larson’s Humor
Tracking Recurring Jokes Rewards Readers
The progression of the “kill markings"Far Sidecartoons – like Gary Larson’s drawings of the Trojan Horse, or his depictions of Tarzan – offer a particular angle at which to approach the artist’s work.
Surprisingly, Gary Larson did not return to the “kill marking” joke again after 1985; perhaps because even he felt its repeated use had limits, or simply because other, stronger ideas preempted its usage. Whatever the answer might be, the small set of “kill marking"Far Sidepanels is a virtue in the sense that it offers a concise limited set of a Gary Larson joke for readers to closely study. Considering thatsome ofThe Far Side’srecurring bitsappeared dozens of times, or more, it is as useful in retrospect to look at those that appeared seldomly asthose that dominated Gary Larson’s creative attention.
Any daily newspaper comic strip is a unique insight into the mind of its creator, and this was particularly true for Gary Larson andThe Far Side. The progression of the “kill markings"Far Sidecartoons – like Gary Larson’s drawings of the Trojan Horse, or his depictions of Tarzan – offer a particular angle at which to approach the artist’s work. It offers a look at how Larsoncontinually paireda spirit of innovation and experimentationwith the highly recursive introspection that drove the creation ofThe Far Side.
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.
