Collected Comics Library Podcast #250
25,957Kb; 27m 25s

I’ve always had a funny bone. I can laugh at just about anything and I’ve been known to make people laugh, too. Now, I’m no comedian, but I have a pretty good instinct and what is funny and maybe more importantly – why it is funny. I guess that’s why I enjoy The Far Side by Gary Larson so much. It has the type of smart humor that we can all relate to.

Since the beginning of the printing press, man has tried to master this feat on paper with cartoons. The roots are mostly political and satirical in nature and when newspaper strips became popular in the early 20th century many succeeded. The trend continued on and skills were honed and then in 1980 The Far Side debuted and all bets were off.

For the uninitiated (or aliens from another planet) The Far Side is arguably the most popular and most funny single panel newspaper strip ever. The art is ever simplistic, with an absolute ridiculous look at the world we (and chickens, cows, amoebas and insects) live in. Occasionally off color and borderline of political correctness, it has never ceased to obtain a good hearted belly laugh from anyone in all of its 15 year run from 1980-1994.

Over the years Larson has done a wonderful job of colleting these panels into a series of 16 8”x5” and 6 much larger Far Side Gallery’s softcovers, including the Prehistory of the Far Side – 10th Anniversary that incorporated several pieces from his Nature’s Way comic strip from the 1970’s. I can distinctly remember getting one of the early Far Side paperback collected editions (I think it was Beyond The Far Side) and laughing so hard with my sister that we both started to hyperventilate! Our parents didn’t know what to do except wait for us to calm down and only then could we go on to the next page and lose our breath all over again.

In 2003, Andrews-McMeel published the uber deluxe The Complete Far Side. This massive 2 volume hardcover set (including slipcase) includes every panel except for a few cartoons written for Christmas cards. The collection is also missing parody art pieces from Wiener Dog Art, some material from The Prehistory of The Far Side, and a panel run for a caption writing contest in the Telegram-Tribune newspaper (from Wikipedia).

The total weight is just about 19 pounds, and reading each volume can be a chore. You also have to be careful not to crack the spine, which is notoriously easy to do with oversized books like these. You may want to invest in some sort of stand for easier reading and your daily dose of off the wall merriment. Comedian Steve Martin has the honor of doing the foreword. Clearly his love for Larson and the strips are heartfelt, but it falls short with a few too many inside jokes. It comes across more of a love letter to Larson himself rather then the audience it’s intended for. Jake Morrisey, Larson’s friend and editor has the introduction and provides a fascinating look into how the strip was conceived, constructed, edited and marketed. Complete Far Side book designer Michael Reagan, is next up and adds his insight on how and why this massive undertaking was done in the first place. Turns out that Larson, was very instrumental and meticulous in the creation and layout of the books, which is done in chronological order with each year being its own chapter. Lasron’s own personal writings can be found throughout as he does the Preface and Acknowledgements and provides intros for each year emphasizing a certain subject matter. This is the kind of back story that I love to see. Not only are the stories behind the panels informative and funny, but the process is so interesting. Make no mistake, cartooning and comedy is very hard and Larson makes it look easy and simplistic. But underneath it all is a very serious tone of getting everything exactly right. Also included are panels accompanied by written complaint letters to Larson, voicing their disdain for certain situations. Mostly the letters are more absurd then the comics, which makes for an even bigger laugh. Keep in mind that some of the comics for this set have been altered with either different captions, correcting errors and omissions, or with new colors.

Along with the other oversized hardcover collections Andrews-McMeel has published including Dilbert 2.0 and The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (review coming soon), The Complete Far Side is a welcome addition to any home.

The Complete Far Side by Gary Larson
Andrews-McMeel, 2003
1272 pages, 9.5” x 13.5”, $150.00

My thanks to Andrews-McMeel for supplying me a copy of the book.

Additionally covered today is news about the newly recolored, upcoming 10 Volume Sandman by Neil Gaiman Trade Paperback set (DC Comics/Vertigo) and the sold out Rocketeer Deluxe Edition HC from IDW.

All this and the New Releases of the Week.

Chris

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