10 Far Side Comics About Loners That Every Outcast Can Relate To

The Far Side is infamous for its idiosyncratic, iconoclastic humor, which makes it appeal to readers who consider themselves outsiders, in some way, shape, or form. While the “nerdy kid” became one of the strip’s greatest recurring figures, artist Gary Larson depicted loners, fringe-types, and outcasts in numerous ways over the years.

This list celebrates some of The Far Side’s best cartoons about characters who stuck out like a sore thumb, went against the grain, and often were just plain out of place, as well as some that were otherwise out of sorts, or in one instance, actually falling apart.

The Far Side’s success was as much a product of creating art that readers recognized and related to, as much as it was shocking and surprising them, and these panels perfectly illustrate that.

10 Far Side Fans Know What It's Like To Be Completely Out Of Sync With Everyone Around Them

First Published: November 13, 1981

This Far Side banjo cartoon is particularly metaphorically potent, as it depicts a man in the bottom-left corner of the frame plucking his banjo as a classical orchestra tries to play nearby. The banjo player represents Larson himself, in a way, as an artist who stood out from the rest of his contemporaries; in turn, readers who know what it is like to be out of step with their peers will recognize themselves in this joke.

As a syndicated newspaper cartoon, The Far Side had many readers, who engaged with the comic for many different reasons, and reacted to it in many different ways, but in large part, people who became Far Side fans did so often did so because they found it relatable in some way, as much as they found it funny.

9 Gary Larson Illustrates How It Feels For Some Introverts To Try To Socialize

First Published: April 3, 1982

On the surface, this Far Side clown cartoon is a silly throwaway visual gag; at a restaurant, a clown sits alone at a table, trying to look innocent, after having just stuck a suction-cup dart to the back of the bald patron at the adjacent table's head. Some readers, however, will recognize a deeper meaning to this cartoon, especially those who have a hard time in social settings.

That is, intentionally or not, with this comic, Gary Larson captures the sensation of trying to socialize, only to wind up feeling like a clown, or a weirdo, or worst of all, a bother. The clown here has tried to connect in the only way he knows how – which doesn't seem to stand a high chance of being well-received.

8 The Far Side Highlights How Intimidating The Dating Game Can Be

First Published: December 9, 1982

The Far Side featured a surprising number of miniature people throughout its run, providing Gary Larson with a unique way of subverting normal interpersonal dynamics. That is the case here, but Larson also goes a step further and also uses the mini-character's internal monologue to double down on his thematic point, as a mini-man works up the nerve to talk to a normal-sized woman at a bar, except he has no clue whatsoever what he's doing.

Talking to the opposite sex can be intimidating for introverts, or more generally, anyone who lacks a certain level of self-confidence. In moments like this, they might feel a fraction of their size – which Larson literalizes here – and fumble the opportunity to flirt completely, such as by being "shy and vulnerable" rather than engaging and self-assured.

7 A Far Side Ode To Anyone Who Has Struggled With The Basics

First Published: April 7, 1983

Once again, this Far Side cartoon seems simple – superfluous, even – but it actually resonates with many readers far more deeply than Gary Larson ever expected, or intended. On the surface, the joke seems to be about a character who is too unintelligent to dress himself that he needs a giant note on his wall that says "first pants, then your shoes," but anyone who has struggled with depression will acknowledge how difficult and overwhelming the most simple tasks can seem sometimes.

To reiterate, this wasn't necessarily what Larson was going for with this Far Side panel, but like any truly great art, his panels have a way of taking on a life and a meaning of their own, created by the response of generations of readers as they continue to engage with his body of work.

6 Everyone Feels Like They're Falling Apart Sometimes, Especially On The Far Side

First Published: August 29, 1984

This is another Far Side cartoon that people struggling with mental health, or even just day-to-day motivation to get out of bed, will find relatable. At first glance, it is a play on the "Little Piggies" nursery rhyme, featuring a man who wakes up to discover that the big toe on his left foot is gone, with a note saying "gone to market" stuck in its place.

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However, it is worth taking a closer look at the character's disheveled state, and his look of resignation, rather than horror or concern. This makes it clear that this panel also serves as a tribute, in Far Side fashion, to anyone who has had a hard time putting themselves together, or who has felt like a piece of themselves was missing.

5 Gary Larson Makes The Case For True Love, Far Side Style

First Published: August 30, 1984​​​​​​​

Gary Larson was known for his dark humor, but he occasionally betrayed a lighter side. Captioned "someone for everyone," this cartoon is the rare optimistic Far Side cartoon, which features a deliberately goofy-looking man walking into a room full of women, all of whom are drawn with a question mark in a thought bubble over their heads as he enters – except one who reacts with a heart.

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For anyone who is ready to give up on finding that special someone, this cartoon is the perfect encouragement to keep going to those parties, to keep walking through those doors, because eventually "the one" is going to be there. As amusing as the joke might be to some, for others it is the reminder they need that there is love waiting for them, and that they will find it.​

4 The Far Side Evokes What It Feels Like When A Friend Group Becomes History

First Published: September 6, 1984​​​​​​​

In this Far Side dinosaur cartoon, a young dino tries to round up friends for a game of baseball, only to find all of their caves empty, with signs saying "extinct" hung out front. As with many of Gary Larson's best cartoons, here the artist takes a familiar scenario and warps it through an unexpected perspective. Plenty of readers will be familiar with the feeling of being the last friend standing, after everyone else has moved away, or moved on, making this a deeply relatable punchline.

The humor here comes from the sharp contrast between this note of relatability and the extremity of extinction as an excuse to not play ball; but while the punchline might not stick with readers the way some Far Side jokes do, that part of the set-up is more likely to leave an impression.

3 The Far Side Exposes The Downside To Being The Funny One In The Group

First Published:​​​​​​​ March 15, 1985

In an all-time great Far Side comic, the caption explains how a character named Brian ponders whether "the other guys" in his friend group "really listened to his ideas or regarded him only as comic relief" – with Brian obviously being the frowning clown in the back seat of a packed car.

Related 10 Times Gary Larson Made the Mundane Absolutely Hilarious with One Panel While some mundane activities are given an exciting, high octane upgrade, other Far Side comic strips turn the mundane into nightmare fuel.

The use of a clown is an intentionally obvious punchline, but that shouldn't obscure the fact that the sentiment expressed in this cartoon is very real. Readers who have been the "funny friend" will recognize the existential crisis of coming to realize that this is their sole function in the group, and starting to want more, which can lead to a problem if their friends are fine with the group's dynamics as they are.

2 A Far Side Cartoon For Anyone Who Feels Like Their Sense Of Humor Goes Unappreciated

First Published: November 13, 1987

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In this Far Side bear cartoon, an ursine practical joker ties a hunter's body to its own and impersonates the dead man, all in an attempt to get a laugh out of the other bears in the cave. As the caption explains, though, "Bernie's sense of humor was seldom appreciated," something that more than a fair share of Far Side fans will likely find familiar.

This cartoon will speak to anyone who doesn't get enough credit from their peers for their sense of humor; from the "weird" to the cerebral, to the crude, comedy is often a "right time, right place" thing, and this Far Side comic celebrates anyone who has tried to get a laugh from a hostile audience.

1 The Far Side Reminds Readers That Rejection Is A Part Of Life

​​​​​​​First Published:​​​​​​​ November 9, 1993

"Douglas is ejected from the spoon band," the caption to this Far Side cartoon reads, as a man angrily walks away clutching a fork in his hand, having showed up with the wrong instrument, for reasons unknown. Anyone who has felt the sting of rejection can recognize themselves in this cartoon, as Gary Larson catalogs a hilarious example of a so-called "artist" going unrecognized by his peers.

Everyone experiences rejection, but for those who feel like "rejects," it is especially important to find art that puts this experience into context. The Far Side does that exceptionally with this panel, which offers a simple joke that gets a laugh-out-loud result, and also reflects a very real experience in a concrete way.