The Far Side had a skewed view of humanity, to say the least, and these cartoons about the forerunners of modern civilization will make readers question whether it was actually a good idea in the first place, just as Far Side creator Gary Larson seemed to on a regular basis.
Alongside The Far Side’s ubiquitous cows, cave-people arguably appeared more than any of Gary Larson’s many recurring tropes and enduring fascinations, including his beloved scientists, and his obsession with animals like snakes, bears, and elephants.
The number of Far Side prehistoric cartoons could fill its own collection, as Larson returned to them frequently and routinely found the comedy in lampooning civilization’s origins. This list collects some of the most unforgettable Far Side comics that remind readers that human society isn’t exactly the product of the best and the brightest prehistory had to offer.
10
The Far Side Confirms The Creation Of Cookware Came After The Invention Of Fire
First Published: December 10, 1981
“Hey! Look what Zorg do!” in this early Far Side comic about prehistoric innovation, as one intrepid cave-dweller has the bright idea to spear his meat on the end of a stick, in order to roast it, while surrounding an adjacent fire pit, his caveman colleagues stick their hands directly in the fire, horribly burning themselves in order to cook their own dinners.
In this panel, Gary Larson brilliantly captures one of his recurring gags about prehistoric people; namely, that they were not so bright. At the same time, this Far Side cartoon subtly offers smart commentary on the fact that human technological advancement, especially at its most primitive level, is far from linear, allowing for the possibility of the invention of cooking preceding the advent of cooking utensils, or any sort of fire safety protocol.
9
The Far Side’s Most Slapstick Caveman Trades Victory For Embarrassment
First Published: January 11, 1982
This Far Side hunter-gatherer cartoon once more emphasizes that Gary Larson is not depicting the most highly intelligent of humanity’s forebearers. Or, at least in this cast, not the most spatially aware. The caveman here starts off strong, deciding to turn and fight as he’s being chased by a sabretooth tiger, ultimately emerging victorious from a cloud of dust after delivering several “bonks” to the prehistoric cat’s head.
Except, then the caveman immediately bonks his own head on the low entrance to his cave, after returning home. It is an amusing sequence, one that begins in triumph, and ends in slapstick comedy, playing out over a series of images in a way that defers the need for The Far Side’s traditional captions.
8
A Far Side “Regular” Meets A Gruesome End In This Hilarious Far Side Comic
First Published: February 3, 1982
Here, Gary Larson returns to the hilarious contrast between human ingenuity and human foible. In this Far Side panel, a pair of prehistoric hunters celebrate after having used a giant hunk of meat, suspended by a vine over a large hole, to capture a large predator. Unfortunately for “Thag,” a familiar name to Far Side fans, he gets knocked off balance in all the excitement, leaving him on the verge of toppling into the pit.
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11 Historic Appearances Of The Far Side’s Recurring Caveman Character THAG (Including the Famous One)
Cavepeople appeared constantly throughout Gary Larson’s The Far Side, but over the years one prehistoric character stood out in particular: THAG.
Part of the humor of this Far Side comic is that the “big one,” that is, whatever is in the hole, is unknown, but it is clear that Thag doesn’t want to be down there with it, and the funniest part of this cartoon is how Larson draws the unfortunate hunter’s eyes, wide with the horrifying realization that he’s about to meet a grisly end.
7
One Of The Far Side’s Smartest Jokes Depicts How Far Humanity Has Come
First Published: November 11, 1982
The Far Side featured a number of riffs on the familiar illustration known as “the March of Progress,” first drawn in the 1960s for a Time-Life book called Early Man, depicting the prehistoric origins of humankind. This particular parody of the painting unquestionably ranks up there with Gary Larson’s smartest jokes.
Why? Because it extends the evolution of humanity beyond just its mammalian phases, back to the origin of all land creatures, a progenital fish. Then, it does more than just show modern man fully formed and walking upright, but gives him a fishing pole with a fish, identical to the one in the top left corner of the frame, hanging from his hook. It is simply a brilliant bit of irony, one that also packs a solid punch as a punchline.
6
The Invention Of Birthdays Doesn’t Go So Well In This Far Side Cave Comic
First Published: August 27, 1983
Here, Gary Larson returns to the comedic premise of fire; while it is certainly an advancement for “civilization” as a whole, for individual cave-people, it can be more trouble than it is worth. In this Far Side panel, a well-meaning cave-dweller brings a cake deep into the caverns, featuring what might be the world’s first birthday candle…except it is a giant, burning tree stump, which quickly starts to fill the cave with a thick fog of smoke.
This Far Side joke is so obvious it doesn’t need a caption to get a laugh-out-loud reaction. Astute readers will also appreciate Larson’s sly inclusion of a rendition of the famous cave painting of a bull found in the Lascaux caverns in France, low-key tying this joke to a real place, and real-life history.
5
The Far Side Depicts Prehistory’s Most Dangerous Game
First Published: July 3, 1986​​​​​​​
Broadly speaking, The Far Side’s prehistoric humor arose from depicting early humans as engaged in an ongoing process of trial-and-error, though one that could at times be dangerous. That’s certainly the case here, as the caption explains readers are witnessing “the primitive game of kiss the mammoth and run,” in which a caveman sneaks up on the giant creature and kisses its butt, then high tails it out of there, hopefully, before being trampled.
What takes this Far Side joke from amusing to legit funny? Two things: 1) the hilariously extended puckered lips of the brave caveman risking his life to play the game; 2) the two other cavemen in the background of the panel, watching from a distance, slight hints of devious smiles on their faces, suggesting that they could have made this game up.
4
The Far Side Makes A Point About The Nature Of Technology And Commerce
First Published: ​​​​​​​July 18, 1988
In this certified classic Far Side caveman cartoon, one of history’s greatest technological breakthroughs is undermined by a related early entrepreneurial advancement. That is, just as one intrepid prehistoric inventor puts the finishing touches on a wheel, he looks over and finds another visionary chiseling the first parking meter.
Some Far Side jokes are hard to parse for deeper meaning, but even sans a caption, this one shouts its social subtext loud and clear, as Gary Larson seems to be saying that whenever one person comes up with an invention that is going to change the world, there will be someone right there with an idea for how to make a profit off it. It is a smart bit of commentary, but one that doesn’t negate the laugh-out-loud impact of this Far Side panel on readers.
3
The Far Side Showcases The Evolution Of Hucksters
First Published: June 28, 1990
In this panel, Gary Larson depicts the invention of grifting, specifically the low-level street hustle in which money is put under one of three cups, and the cups are elaborately mixed up, with the player of the game winning their money back if they guess it right. Except in The Far Side’s proto-version of this game, there is only one cup, or rather a coconut shell, giving players only one option to guess.
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Yes, Stegosaurus’ Tail Is Named After An Old Far Side Comic
Like “kryptonite” and “milquetoast”, “thagomizer” also has its root in comics. The stegosaurus’ spiked tail was named by Gary Larson’s The Far Side.
Hilariously, the proto-grifter doesn’t recognize the flaw in his own game, but rather thinks “this guy’s on to me,” when another caveman correctly guesses the answer. This is another classic example of The Far Side’s not-so-evolved early humans, who still have a ways to go before mentally catching up to their modern descendants.
2
The Far Side Takes A Modern Problem And Makes It An Ancient Punchline
First Published: November 6, 1990
In more than one memorable Far Side panel, Gary Larson equated prehistoric humans’ weapon of choice, the club, with its contemporary equivalent, the gun. This is one standout example, in which the caption informs readers: “as the small band of hunter-gatherers sat around cleaning their weapons, one made the mistake of looking at his club straight on.”
Notably, this Far Side cartoon is rooted in a dark reality; many gun owners are killed by their own guns by accident, including as the result of misfires while improperly cleaning their firearms. However, the translation of this phenomenon back into the deepest recesses of human history makes the end result so absurd that it manages to morph tragedy into comedy, a Far Side staple.
1
The Far Side’s Prehistoric Fire Fakeout Hilariously Calls Back To America’s Most Infamous Scandal
First Published:​​​​​​​ June 25, 1992​​​​​​​
In this hilariously silly Far Side prehistoric panel, “Zorg dupes the entire tribe, in an incident later known as firegate,” as a crowd of cave-dwellers is depicted looking in awe upon a raging fire, which, from the reader’s perspective, is clearly a painted piece of wood propped up on a stick.
Meanwhile, The Far Side’s prehistoric prankster, Zorg, stands off to the side, depicted with a nervous grin and wide-eyes, waiting for his duplicity to be discovered. The caption makes it clear this will inevitably happen, with a classic Larsonian riff on the “gate” suffix popularized in the wake of the early 1970s’ Watergate scandal. Here, Larson conjures the exact opposite of Watergate, “firegate,” leading to a Far Side joke that will stick with readers long after they read it.
- Writer
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Gary Larson
- Colorist
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Gary Larson
