Experts say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not everybody may ascribe to that belief, but even those who don't enjoy breakfast can certainly enjoy a daily dose of morning comics, courtesy of The Far Side. Truthfully, not everyone enjoys cooking or time spent in the kitchen, but it's one of those necessary parts of life. Enter the humor of The Far Side.
Created by Gary Larson, The Far Side has long entertained readers, creating surreal and atypical comics about daily moments of life, with a twist. The best part about these comics is that they take things that everyone has experienced and then twist them until they become something strange, odd, or hilarious.
1 In The Far Side, You Can Get a Mobile Breakfast
"Breakfast survded anytim"
If there's one thing The Far Side excels at, it's portraying absurd situations. The concept of a "breakfast anytime" restaurant isn't new (but people do love it!), and that explains this particular comic. Here, readers see a chef so committed to the idea of breakfast anytime that he's lugging around his stovetop with him, complete with a flipping pancake on top.
There are many odd and funny little details from this comic. There's the chef's face, showing that he's either concentrating really hard or has given up on any logical thought process. Then there's the sign in the background, which says "breakfast served anytime," but incorrectly and backward, because why not? However, the sign doesn't instill a lot of hope in this chef's intelligence.
2 This Far Side Dog Owner May Have Had a Snack
"An unnatural silence hung in the kitchen, and Spunky sensed that his arrival was unexpected."
Dogs are somewhat famous for not being picky about their meals. They've even been known to eat out of the litterbox. Likewise, people don't generally look at dog food and think "that looks delicious!" However, as this Far Side comic proves, there's always an exception to every rule, and apparently, that exception is Spunky's owner.
This comic portrays a dog heading into the kitchen for his next meal, only to realize that he's arrived too early (or it is too late?). Instead of finding his red food bowl filled and waiting for him, he instead finds his owner sitting guiltily at the table, with a dog bowl suspiciously close (and empty). It's not hard to put the pieces of this puzzle together, though the results are admittedly off-putting.
3 The Far Side Tries Some Donkey Humor
"Kick the Cook"
Who remembers those classic "Kiss the Cook" aprons? These aprons have been around for what feels like forever, gaining popularity in the 1950s and 60s. They're humorous and light-hearted, often playing on family dynamics and the like. Not everybody had one, but it certainly seemed like a lot of men did, at least those who appreciated a good dad joke.
According to The Far Side, donkeys have their own rendition of the classic "Kiss the Cook" apron, and it's pretty spot on. Donkeys are not known for their patience, and one is better off avoiding a good kick from these guys. Unlike other Far Side comics, there are no weird animal and human interactions here, but it's easy to imagine one of the donkeys throwing out a kick if a person gets too close. So the apron, "kick the cook," is oddly appropriate and humorous.
4 There's a Disaster in This Far Side Kitchen
"Recipes for Disaster"
Recipe for disaster is a metaphorical expression that has been around for decades, usually implying that something is destined to fail or go wrong. For example, people would say that a group of unsupervised teenagers could be a recipe for disaster, depending on the situation they're in. Another example would be the phrase being used to describe a poorly matched relationship.
Naturally, The Far Side portrayed a more literal take on the classic saying, with a woman cooking a recipe for disaster. Said recipe knocked her across the room, collapsed her ceiling, knocked down a bookshelf, exploded from the pot, and caused complete havoc in the kitchen. Hey, the kitchen's a mess, but maybe the food isn't all that bad.
5 God Tries Making Things Interesting in The Far Side
"And just to make it interesting..."
If the Earth is one big giant recipe, then that means every ingredient was added by intention, right? In other words, nature, the good, the bad, and everything in between were thrown into one pot, probably with the intention of everything balancing out. This The Far Side comic portrays a very specific scene, in which God is assembling all the ingredients needed to create the world.
What makes this a classic The Far Side comic is that one of the ingredients is a jar of jerks. Perhaps that ingredient could have been skipped, but instead it's being added "to make it interesting." Uh oh. This might explain a thing or two about both about Gary Larson's sense of humor, and the planet.
6 There Are Some Terrifying Reminders On This Far Side Fridge
"On monster refrigerators"
In The Far Side, monsters come in many shapes and forms, and they aren't always all that different from regular humans. This monster's shadow can be seen on his fridge as he looks at his weekly reminders. As it turns out, these monsters live their lives just like everyone else, and sometimes that means relying on a note system to keep everything in order.
The monster in this Far Side comic has six different reminders on his fridge, covering the mundane (calling mom) to more monstrous acts (hiding in Doug's cellar). Some notes will seem humorous and familiar, such as the note about having dinner with Stephen King. That one makes sense, the man has to get all that inspiration from somewhere!
7 In The Far Side, Food Can Go Bad Quickly
"When potato salad goes bad"
There's nothing worse than having something go bad in the fridge. Often, it feels like the item that went bad is something that was recently purchased. Admittedly, sometimes time just gets away from people, resulting in food getting left in the fridge far beyond its expiration date. One of the worst offenders is potato salad. While delicious, this meal can go bad quickly, even inside the fridge.
This sets the scene for a new The Far Side comic, as the potato salad here has gone bad, in a surrealist way. The potato salad in question has been spotted robbing other perishables in the fridge. That's not a good look, but it certainly is a different take on the traditional idea of food "going bad."
8 Can Openers Aren't Quiet in The Far Side
"Zelda! Cool it! ... The Rothenbergs hear the can opener!"
The Far Side has plenty of comics for cat lovers, and, as any cat owner can attest, cats have superpowers. What kind of superpower? One key ability is that they can hear a can opening from a mile away. It doesn't even matter if it isn't a can of cat food; the cats will be right under their owner's feet, yowling away. If there's any chance for a delicious treat, they're present.
Since The Far Side famously takes everyday concepts and pushes them to the extreme, it makes sense that this comic portrays two sets of neighbor cats. One of those cats is happily opening a can for dinner. Unfortunately, that appears to be summoning the clingy neighbors, who are probably hoping for a free meal. Time to hide!
9 This Far Side Resident Is Waiting on a Magical Light
"Wendall Zurkowitz: slave to the waffle light"
Waffles are a delicious treat that many people love to eat! However, even homemade waffles can take a few minutes to cook. Those who have purchased a waffle maker know how long it can take for that light to flip on, signaling the time to collect the waffle. Worse, some waffle makers have a light that only turns on when it's hot enough to cook, meaning people have to wait for two rounds of lights to get their delicious snack!
In this Far Side comic, a man identified as Wendall Zurkowitz has become stuck in this cycle. Determined to get his perfect waffles, he eagerly waits for the light to turn on, not knowing if it'll be another thirty seconds or ten minutes. With any luck, it's the former, but one never knows.
10 Snoopers Should Beware in The Far Side
"While Farmer Brown was away, the cows got into the kitchen and were having the time of their lives — until Betsy's unwitting discovery."
"When the cat's away, the mice will play" is a famous phrase about mice having run of the house while the infamous cat isn't on the prowl. As it turns out, that phrase may apply to other situations as well. For example, "when the farmer's away, the cows will raid the kitchen." It doesn't have the same ring, but it's an accurate description of what's happening in this comic.
Unfortunately, these two Far Side cows made the mistake of opening the freezer. Everything else in the kitchen would probably have been safe for them to see, but finding the stash of frozen meat was certainly traumatic. After all, they almost certainly know the names of every animal that made up those frozen meals. Gary Larson loves to make jokes about talking animals, but sometimes it gets a little dark.
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