Summary

The Far Sidecreator Gary Larson loved to draw shark , as they made perennial appearance in the strip over the course of its iconic run . More than some of their animal age group , sharks often got the secure ofFar Side’shumans , while at other times , they proved to be a sidesplitting mirror for human society , as only Larson ’s idiosyncratic humour could make them .

Sharks inTheFar Sidewere frequently among the strip ’s most mirthful focal characters , give writer / creative person Gary Larson ’s predilection for taking the most crimson killers in the animal kingdom , and turning them into lightsome , resonant characters . As with all the brute he regularly picture , Larson ’s shark were at their best when they were used as placeholder for the built-in silly behavior of humankind . As often as shark appear inThe Far Side , it is worth taking a skinny flavor at how their different personification compare and counterpoint with one another , in decree to grow a greater grasp for the legendary strip .

Far Side creator Gary Larson clear loved drawing snakes ; they were one of members of the animal realm that appeared most oft in the strip .

Far Side, Snake at the vet’s office for a check up

15Still Not Safe To Go Back In The Water

First Published: January 25, 1980

ThroughoutThe Far Side , Gary Larson frequently bang to give court to – and parody – dear movie with equal aplomb . Here , he producesa nigh faithfulrecreation of the post-horse for 1975’sJaws , which would have remain even more firm in the popular consciousness of 1980 than it does to this day . Larson ’s turn on the image substitutes the swimming woman from the poster with two fisher in a boat . The kicker is the caption , which has one of them nervously call out : " There it goes again … that eerie euphony . "

The Far Sidebegan publication in newspapers on December 31 , 1979 . As such , this is one of the earliest episode of the airstrip , as well as the first of its many memorable gore featuring sharks .

14Never Let A Potential Suitor Smell Blood In The Water

First Published: July 1, 1980

The sharks in this earlyFar Sidepanel are an exercise ofGary Larson ’s time - quiz artistic methodof reflecting human behavior in animal case . In this event , one shark says to another : " Say , dear … didn’t I meet you last night at the feeding fury ? " The shark speaking is put on as a sleazy male person , with a sneering look on its font , as Larson takes a gibe at the predatory dating behavior of many men , especially in the late 1970s , former 1980s . Thankfully , based on its locution , the distaff shark seems to be wise to to this variety of deportment .

13Turnabout Is Fair Play For These Far Side Sharks

First Published: May 6, 1981

Unlike otherFar Sideanimal mintage , shark were often in truth the apex predator of their appearances , much more oftentimes menace humans who had entered their territory than the other direction around . This gore is an exception , as a twosome of shark are forced to brave out the other side of the encircle equivalence . Backs up against each other , they agree to " stick around serene and do n’t make any fickle movements , " as a unsafe grouping of spear - wielding divers surround them , their intentions clearly predacious . Here , Gary Larson divertingly turns the usual shark - plunger moral force on its forefront , to outrageous results .

12Sharks Have The Far Side’s Best Smiles

First Published: March 8, 1982

Sometimes , Far Sidepanels can be deceivingly wide-eyed , obscuring a deep - layer joke , or a complex deconstruction of the human condition . Others are gloriously , unabashedly simple .

Sometimes , Far Sidepanels can be misleadingly simple-minded , obscuring a deeply - layered joke , or a complex deconstruction of the human term . Others are gloriously , unabashedly simple , as with this gore , whichfeatures a smiling shark hold close its cheeks and adjudge : " FEEDING FRENZY!“There ’s little more to it than that – but there does n’t need to be . At times , Gary Larson ’s finish withFar Sidestrips was nothing more than eliciting a individual chortle from the newspaper proofreader who lingered long enough on the comic Thomas Nelson Page to check out what Larson had done that day .

11A Beautiful Day At Buffet Beach

First Published: September 21, 1982

ManyFar Sidepanels excelled at communicating a punchline to the readereffectively without any words at all . This is a staring expo of that patented Gary Larson skill , and it comes in perhaps one of the funniestFar Sidepanels sport shark . At the upper right of the skeletal system , a crowd of beachgoers wade into the water . On the left , a pair of hungry sharks float eagerly toward them – as two more shark , bloat from having eat on their filling , float away . This strip is adequate parts dark and silly in all the right way of life , as Larson turns a ten - out - of - ten beach day into a shark buffet .

10The One That Got Away Will Always Haunt This Far Side Shark

First Published: November 26, 1982

Gary Larson playfully flips the script in thisFar Sideinstallment , as one shark bemoansthe going of " the one that got away " to another . This is , of grade , a regular topic of conversation for mass who angle , most of whom have a story about the catch of a lifetime that managed to escape their hook . Here , an exhausted - looking human , hold close an inflatable tube , clings to the beach for dear life , having just escaped the fins of a giant shark . “He was splendid ! Just magnificent ! " the shark wails , tortured by the missed opportunity , before capping it off with , " I ca n’t blab about it right now . "

9Gary Larson’s Bubbles To The Surface In The Small Details

First Published: March 30, 1983

In thissimple , yet effectiveFar Sidepanel , Gary Larsondepicts a human underwater diver , patently having a corking fourth dimension , as they swim rapidly out of frame – unknowingly being follow with a elephantine shark right at their heels . What makes this panel particularly funny are the aspect of the smaller remora fish swimming alongside the shark ; both of their eyes are broad with expectancy about what is going to bump , while one ’s jaw fully attend heart-to-heart , possibly shock at the human ’s potentially fatal lack of awareness of their surroundings .

8Far Side’s Sharks Have Some Familiar Problems

First Published: May 24, 1983

The terrific matter about sharks is that they can be in the piss with swimmers and not attack – in thisFar Side , Gary Larson attributes their natural action not to randomness , but instead , hilariously , to hold back to make certain the humans are exhaustively toasted first .

" Well fool , " one shark says to another in this control board , as they circulate an unplanned beachgoer , enjoying a ice-cream soda on an inflatable quite a little . " I can never tell if these thing are done or not , " the shark continue , turn every dwelling cook ’s dismay about wangle chicken into a dark commentary on the entropy of shark fire . The terrific matter about sharks is that they can be in the body of water with swimmer and not round – in thisFar Side , Gary Larson assign their actions not to randomness , but instead , hilariously , to waiting so as to make certain the humans are thoroughly toasted first .

7Pride Goes Before The Fall

First Published: October 22, 1984

ThisFar Sidepanel features the quiet aftermath of an evidently brutal shark attack – though according to the shark , the office plainly sire out of hand . " I was just going to circle them a duet time and leave,“the shark excuse to another , " but then they get holler ' shark , ' and suddenly I feel very proud . “Gary Larson ’s humor stand out when taking fauna and putting their behaviors into a human context , with this cartoon strip being a great instance . The shark being prompt by predatory superbia seduce this one of the most wildly funnyFar Sideshark panels .

6These Sharks Need To Get Their Noses Checked

First Published: July 17, 1985

Sharks are known for their incredible sense of smell – only in theFar Sidecould two of them be conduct astray by a current of ketchup be adrift in the sea , mistaking it for stemma . This , of course , is what makes this control board outstandingly laughable . “We keep up a ketchup trail for three stat mi ? " one of the sharks ask in disbelief , as they arrive at what they had look to be a fresh carcass , instead finding a floating bottle of the tomato - based condiment . As with many of his shark illustrations , Gary Larson absolutely twists the menacing countenance of a shark into a more nuanced expression , in this type shine disheartenment .

A man with nuclear explosions going off behind him in The Far Side.

gary larson far side cow and cavemen

the far side shark art

Far Side, Jaws poster homage (shark pointing toward unsuspecting fishermen on surface)

Far Side, shark hits on another shark

Far Side, sharks being circled by predatory divers with spears

Far Side, shark feeding frenzy

Far Side, sharks eating beach goers like it’s a buffet

Far Side, shark bemoans the human that got away

Far Side, shark chasing scuba diver out of frame

Far Side, sharks circling a human wondering whether it’s ‘done’

Far Side, proud shark eats boater

Far Side, sharks mistakenly followed a ketchup trail

The Far Side