Summary
AmongThe Far Side’smost reliable recurring bits was creator Gary Larson’s depiction of ancient humans – and perhapsthe funniest subgenre of these prehistoric cartoons was Larson’s portrayal of humanity’s earliest inventions.From fire, to the wheel, to the first dance,The Far Sideoffered hilariously skewed accounts of civilization’s earliest days.
Most famously, one ofGary Larson’s caveman comicsactually coined the term “thagomizer,” for the spiked tail of a stegosaurus.Before Larson named it in aFar Sidecomic– featuring a prehistoric lecturer in front of a class of primitive humans – the tail had no official name.
Beyond that, many of Gary Larson’s repeated humorous musings on humankind’s earliest innovations remain at the top of the list of most memorableFar Sideinstallments, making them an integral part of the strip’s enduring legacy.
Prehistoric characters remained a staple ofThe Far Sideright up until Gary Larson’s retirement from cartooning at the start of 1995. The entries on this list cover some of the best cartoons featuring archaic moments of innovation from the start ofThe Far Sidein 1980 through early 1987.
THE FAR SIDE: 12 Comics From 1983 Designed To Make Readers Go “WHAT-THE?”
As funny as The Far Side was, Gary Larson just as frequently aimed to elicit another reaction, as he looked to test his readers' “What-the?” reflex.
10Progress Is Never A Straight Line – Especially Not On The Far Side
First Published: June 09, 2025
In thisFar Sidecomic, Gary Larson renders the first successful chiseling of a perfectly smooth, functional wheel – well, almost, asafter contemplating his work for a moment, the prehistoric man here watches as the stone inexplicably deflates.
In a way, this cartoon is an apt metaphor for innovation – and more generally, creativity – in itself. Both the inventor and the artist have to be prepared to tirelessly hammer away at their project until it takes shape, and even once they have seemingly achieved their desired end result, there is always the possibility that it will fall flat, forcing them to start from scratch. In other words, as lofty as it might seem, thisFar Sidedepiction of the invention of the wheel truly does capture more than just the first great human creation, but the creative spirit of humanity in itself.
9Sometimes Accidents Are Essential To Creative Innovation
First Published: June 30, 2025
As an artist, Gary Larson relied on intuition and instinct, which was part of whatmadeThe Far Sideso consistently weird. That meant that he was acutely aware of the key role happy accidents play in creativity – something that he illustrated here bydepicting the invention of dance as a result ingesting “some bad beetle grubs.”
Amusing as this comic is, it is likely grounded in science, as even at the time of the panel’s publication in the 1980s, researchers were beginning to speculate about the role psychedelic substances might have played in the evolution of human consciousness and civilization. The origin of dance remains a topic of speculation for cultural anthropologists, and Gary Larson’s theory about “Greg Schwartz” and the beetle grubs is just as possible as any.
8The Invention Of Fire – And Intimidation Tactics
First Published: August 04, 2025
In this cartoon, the secret of making fire has already been discovered, butthe innovator is keeping the formula to himself – until he is tied to a chair and threatened with clubs and spears. At this ungentle prompting, he finally spills the secret, hilariously explaining how to rub two sticks together.
With thisFar Side, Gary Larson does more than just depict how the technique of fire-making spread among prehistoric people; he offers an account of the earliest use of intimidation and threats to extract information. Once again, thisFar Sidecomic feels like a humorous extrapolation on the artist’s legitimate theories about the early days of humankind – which, consideringGary Larson’s intellectual interests in science, history, and culture, is likely the case.
The Far Side Complete Collection
Fans of the far side can’t pass up this master collection of Gary Larson’s finest work. Originally published in hardcover in 2003, this paperback set comes complete with a newly designed slipcase that will look great on any shelf. The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever published, which amounts to over 4,000, plus more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book and even some made after Larson retired.
7Early Civilization Was All Fun And Games
First Published: June 22, 2025
ThisFar Sidecartoon,captioned “early musical chairs,” depicts a caveman rhythmically banging one rock against another, while three of his fellows walk around a small boulder. The joke is straightforward and innocuous enough – yet once again, it can be considered for its greater metaphorical significance.
Play is essential to human experience; from creativity, to learning, to stress relief, play occupies a central role in a healthy, balanced life. It is likely that this became deeply engrained in the species even before human consciousness fully evolved, and that it was pivotal to the most formative period of what would become human society. Though he does so humorously,Gary Larson highlights that ideahere, by emphasizing the creation of the earliest games as something that was as important as the invention of the wheel and the discovery of fire.
6The Invention Of Extreme Stunts
First Published: August 15, 2025
Captioned “early experiments in transportation,” thisFar Sidecomicfeatures a caveman strapped to the top of a large stone wheel, as several others prepare to roll him down a steep hill. Hilariously, another stands nearby with a primitive clipboard, prepared to record what isinevitably going to be a disastrous result.
Naturally, before the use of the wheel was going to be perfected, it needed to go through a trial-and-error process, just like any subsequent invention. Few of history’s greatest innovations have come without some level of danger, and Gary Larson depicts that here in laugh-out-loud fashion, as the unfortunate test driver of the oversized wheel in thisFar Sidecomic prepares to take one for the team – the team being all of civilization and generations of future human drivers.
5One Unfortunate Lizard Changed The Trajectory Of Human Dining
First Published: July 19, 2025
ThisFar Sidepanel depicts the first instance in human historyin which a person was thoroughly stuffed and satisfied following a hearty meal – until catching sight of a tantalizing treat, forcing them to find the will, and room in their stomach, for a few more bites.
Captioned “the origin of ‘dessert’,“this cartoon features a group of prehistoric human beings sitting in their cave,surrounded by the licked-clean bones of a fresh kill, when an unfortunate lizard finds itself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many of Gary Larson’s funniest caveperson panels transposed modern human behaviors onto their earliest ancestors; this panel does precisely that, while continuing the trend of Larson’s imaginative accounts of prehistory’s moments of gamechanging innovation.
4The Invention Of Better Tools Shaped Human History
First Published: August 11, 2025
In this panel, a prehistoric craftsman curses the fact that the tools of his trade haven’t caught up to his needs yet. Just as the scientists of thousands of years later would need to wait for technology to catch up to their their theories,this ancient artisan may not witness the fine distinction between a hammer and a crescent wrench in his lifetime.
The use of tool is, of course, one of the signs humans have come to look for in other species, as an indicator of intelligence. It is understood that this was one of the things that helped push humanity up the evolutionary ladder – and subsequently, asthisFar Sidecomic playfully illustrates, human progress has been closely tied to the consistent innovation of tools and technology.
10 Funniest Far Side Comics That Just Turned 40 (In May 2024)
These iconic Gary Larson comics are the cream of the crop from May 1984, with some of The Far Side’s most iconic recurring characters.
3Humor Was Vital To Shaping Society – Up To & Including The Far Side
First Published: June 04, 2025
ThisFar Sidecartoonmakes the case that as long as there has been humor, there have been hecklers. Considering that comedy has played an essential role in the development of human culture, it can be reasonably argued that the response to criticism has done the same.
Here, Gary Larson depicts the so-called “missing link,” in ape-to-human evolution – and as it turns out,it is a stand-up comedian, who points out the heckler in the audience and asks, “sir, did you walk here tonight or brachiate?“Though readers may need to look up “brachiate,” to confirm that it is not another word Larson made up, like “thagomizer,” once they know it means “to swing from branch to branch,” thisFar Sidecartoon becomes significantly funnier.
First Published: August 20, 2025
ThisFar Sidecomic depicts a caveman’s successful creation of fire –something his wife is so proud to witness that she says, “if only we had a camera,” before adding, “but of course, I’m getting ahead of myself.”
Of course, the anachronism of her comment is the punchline here, and it is a particularly effective one, as her mention of technology thousands of years out of date adds a burst of absurdity to an otherwise innocuous image. Like the cavewoman here,Gary Larson was an innovator, someone who thought in ways that were years ahead of his time – as exhibited best by modern internet humor, which is incredibly similar to, if not outright inspired by,The Far Side.
1Why Buy A Used Wheel When You Can Chisel One New?
First Published: June 05, 2025
This comic combinesThe Far Side’sprehistoric characters withGary Larson’s penchant for goofy wordplay, asa cave-couple stand in a used wheel lot, as a shady dealer tells them, “Now here’s a good buy…she rolls a little rough, but she’s really solid.”
Two small details make this cartoon particularly funny. First, the wheel in question has a flat bottom, even though it is surrounded by many more fully-rounded wheels – making it all the more clear the “early wheeler-dealer,” is an unscrupulous huckster. By far the funniest part of the drawing, however, is the dealer in question’s slicked back pompadour, which makes it evident that when it comes toThe Far Side, the more some things might change, the more others stay the same.
The Far Side
The Far Side is a humorous comic series developed by Gary Larson. The series has been in production since 1979 and features a wide array of comic collections, calendars, art, and other miscellaneous items.
