Comic Book Resources published a ranking of The Far Side’s best stick figure comics on September 6, 2026, highlighting how cartoonist Gary Larson’s most accomplished work often featured deliberately simplistic drawings that contrasted sharply with his reputation as an exceptional artist.
The ranking celebrates a distinctive element of Larson’s approach to humor. While Larson demonstrated sophisticated artistic skill throughout his career, he frequently employed stick figures and deliberately childlike art to amplify his jokes, creating an unexpected collision between his technical ability and minimalist execution.
Larson created The Far Side as a single-panel comic strip that ran from January 1, 1980, through January 1, 1995, according to sources including Wikipedia and Britannica. The strip became internationally syndicated, appearing in nearly 2,000 newspapers at its peak and earning the Max and Moritz Award for Best International Comic Strip/Panel in 1993, per Britannica.
Larson’s use of stick figures represented a deliberate creative choice rather than a limitation. According to Screen Rant’s analysis of his work, “Larson’s stick-figure comics are among his best, taking the logic of the barely-drawn character and creating new ‘rules’ where their depiction” drives the humor. This technique allowed Larson to establish an ironic contrast: his masterful understanding of comedy and composition worked through the most primitive visual language possible.
The Far Side’s single-panel format required Larson to deliver complete narratives and punchlines in one image. The strip featured surreal humor, dark comedy, and avant-garde sensibilities that set it apart from traditional comic strips of the era. When Larson deployed stick figures, the reduction to bare essentials forced readers to focus entirely on the absurdity of the premise rather than visual detail.
Similar ranking lists have become common among comics enthusiasts and media outlets. In 2025, outlets ranked comic strips from the ’90s, with The Far Side leading the list, and more recently, Far Side comics that make fun of Disney have been ranked by other publications, showing sustained interest in analyzing specific themes within Larson’s work.
Larson retired The Far Side in 1995 but returned to cartooning in 2020, surprising fans with new comics 25 years after the strip’s conclusion, according to reporting from that period. His continued influence on cartooning and humor demonstrates the lasting impact of his approach to single-panel storytelling.
Sources
- Comic Book Resources — published the ranking of The Far Side’s best stick figure comics on September 6, 2026
- Wikipedia — The Far Side ran from January 1, 1980, through January 1, 1995
- Britannica — Gary Larson produced the comic for 15 years; the strip won the Max and Moritz Award in 1993
- Screen Rant — analysis of Larson’s stick-figure comics and their role in his humor technique
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