The Far Side of Cryptozoology
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on June 30th, 2006
In the Gary Larson classic comic The Far Side, there were many cryptozoological elements.
The very first Far Side that I ever saw had a classic gillman/swamp monster as a central character.
My friend Laura and I read it together and laughed for days. The funniest word in this comic is the word “again”.
That tells you that she has looked before, and failed to see the creature, setting it up for continued disbelief…much like cryptozoology.
It was the very first Far Side that I ever saw, and it is still my favorite. We still laugh about it.
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
Still one of my favorite comic series.
Thus another illustration of the combined love of the unknown and a great sense of humour!
Thanks, Craig. That made my day. I used to love that comic strip, and I miss it daily. It and “Calvin and Hobbes” were must-reading far as I was concerned.
This post could be a Farside cartoon,”…another slow day at the crypto factory…”
Some funny stuff that farside cartoon.
There was another farside cartoon where the loch ness monster was in a cab and the driver says to himself, “No one is gonna believe who I had in here today” or something of that nature, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen it.
Gary Larson has a sick, yet truthful sense of humor. I have always loved his stuff, course I don’t know if I was born with the humor to appreciate him or if I learned it from him. I agree with mrbf2006 (#3) I must put in Calvin and Hobbes. Did you know that Bill Waterson, creator of calvin and hobbes, didn’t get to see his first comic strip in the paper because his home town didn’t run it yet?
I have a preference for ‘sick’ humor myself!
I as well miss the Farside’s humor
The Farside was my favorite also.
Actually we’ve laughed for years over that joke. The secret’s out on “our” inside joke!
That’s true Laura, but they’ll never be able to take that away from us…
I’m sorry, but even with Craig’s solid integrity, I cannot accept that as a Far Side Cartoon…with out a body.
I remember reading an interview with Gary Larson in which he stated that he blamed his older brother for his twisted sense of humor. He said that when his mom would send him to the basement pantry to get something, his brother would turn off the lights then shut, and lock the door. Then he’d whisper from the other side, “Gary, can you hear them? They’re coming for you, Gary!” He said his parents always thought it was the dog who made all those scratches on the door 😆
Personally, my favorite was the one with two cave men; one standing in the water and the other standing on a cliff above him with a spear. There’s this huge fish coming up for the guy in the water and he’s yelling, “Throw Og! Throw throw throw!”
Definitely my kind of guy.
I second, or third, or whatever, the profound truths exhibited by the Far Side and Calvin And Hobbes. They were 2 of the few things that made the 80’s bearable…we need their kind again!
My first Far Side cartoon was on a calender. “The Real Reason The Dinosaurs Died Out”… When were cigarettes invented?
What can I say? Larson is da man!!
I must say he was (and still is) a great influence in my style of cartooning…I have the whole Far Side collection. Great to know he has so many fans here too 🙂