Gary Larson’s The Far Side comic strip featured few recurring characters – but a freaky, giant squid was one of them, and it embodied everything that was great about the comic. Running for sixteen years, The Far Side entertained readers with its punchy, single-panel gags, all while rarely, if ever, using the same character more than once. Except, of course, a giant squid.
The Far Side‘s unique brand of humor entertained, bewildered and angered readers; its style did not lend itself to recurring characters –instead the emphasis was on the punch-line. This distinguished The Far Side from its competitors, and helped change the comic strip landscape. Of course, every rule has its exceptions, and in Gary Larson’s case, that exception was a giant squid.
The Far Side’s Freakiest Character
Larson, mastermind behind the landmark The Far Side comic strip, never intended to be a cartoonist. Ultimately, his work has been credited with helping to usher in a new style of strip, as well as for influencing millennial humor. Disgruntled with his job, Larson began drawing cartoons, eventually leading to the creation of The Far Side. While few of the comic’s human characters were ever named, and their stories were encapsulated within a single panel, rarely crossing over into a second installment, the giant squid – along with a recurring cow, both inspired by Gary Larson’s love of animals – made multiple appearances throughout The Far Side’s long run.
Squids Were Perfect Far Side Creatures
Giant squid strips tended to put the deep sea beast in situations wildly out of its original context. In one, an elderly couple sees the squid, accompanied by the recurring cow, and remark, “Looks like another one of those stupid Incredible Journey things.” Often, the squid is recontextualized as a family pet – a shocked visitor is told the squid is “quite harmless,” but also not to “show any fear” because, “Squids can sense fear.” The Far Side regularly used animals as a source of humor, sometimes anthropomorphized, other times not. The result was always the same: a comic that was both funny and unsettling.
Given its penchant for dark humor, it’s no surprise The Far Side’s giant squid at times was a less than innocent character. The squid killed dogs in two different strips. In one, the owner of a “Squid-Be-Gone” shop is out – just as a couple needs his assistance. No animal embodied The Far Side’s dual nature of comedy and menace better than the giant, freaky squid. Powerful ocean animals, the stuff of maritime legends of sunken ships, squid are fearsome creatures. Yet Gary Larson time and again puts the squid in ordinary domestic situations, and the contrast between the threatening and the ordinary gave The Far Side its comedic brilliance.
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