The Far Sidehas cite many movies in its time , fromJawstoFrankenstein . One movie , however , had been of particular interestingness to creator Gary Larson , perhaps being the most referenced picture show of them all : The Wizard of Oz .

An adored and much - acclaimed 1939 authoritative MGM film , The Wizard of Ozmanaged to come up its manner into multipleFar Sidestrips . Whether being parodied by bugs or using its role in unexpected state of affairs and setting , The Wizard of Ozpopped up multiple timesinThe Far Side . The Wizard of Oz’scandy - colour fantasy and its optimistic viewpoint might seem like a startling contrast to the more absurdist , cynical tilt ofThe Far Side . As a effect , the two contrasting tones make for some uproarious scenarios .

7"Spiders, Scorpions, and Insecticides, Oh My!"

May 31st, 1983

Walking through tall sens and incredibly high bloom , three bugs are spookedby the atmospheric state around them . They are frightened of perhaps lurking spiders , Scorpion , and insecticides lie low in the Gunter Wilhelm Grass that could get them at any time . Not unlike the iconic prospect fromThe Wizard of Ozwhere Dorothy , the Tin Man , and the Scarecrow get frightened in the forest before they come cheek to boldness with the Cowardly Lion and blab " lions , tigers , and bears , oh my,“the three bugs face their own threats in their journeying .

spider , scorpions , and insect powder are all lifetime - imperil to bugs , being menace that are on equality with carnivorous fauna like lions , Panthera tigris , and bear for humans … and scarecrows and tin men . Hopefully thing go as well for these buggyFar Sideprotagonists as they did for the character ofThe Wizard of Oz . One wonders what thing these three bugs are look for on their journey , not look like the sort to care about a brain or a heart .

6"The Circus Is Back in Town”

Looking at the newspaper , one Wicked Witch is excited to see that the aptly - named Dingling Bros Circus is coming back to town . find out the news of the circus ’s return , they reminisce about the last metre they went to the circus when a clown postulate her to sense his boutonniere . Clowns normally have weewee in their boutonniere that they use to squirt in people ’s aspect by tricking them into smelling the flower . experience how the Wicked Witch of the West inThe Wizard of Ozgot melted to last from a pail of water supply to the face , thisFar Sidewitchdeals with the same water affliction but manages to have a better circumstances than her Oz counterpart .

This genius Far Side comedian opened my oculus to what make Gary Larson ’s wacky signified of witticism work , turning me into a full - fledged fan at last .

Being splashed in the face with the pee from the boutonniere , the witch has the side of her face melt . After experiencing an injury that results in the thawing of a boldness , many would be hard - pressed to go back to the scene of the wound . However , a goof - establish trauma is not enough to deter these two witches from the fun of the circus . Now much wiser after some authoritative life experiences , this Wicked Witch knows better than to smell out any clown ’s boutonniere at the genus Circus this time around .

Gary Larson (black and white, foreground) with the Far Side cast in color behind him

5"He Gave Me a New Brain!"

When the Scarecrow experience home , he arrive at a call to surrender some terrific news show : he finally gets his new brain . He had been telling his conversation partner for some time about the Wizard , whom he had just gotten back from seeing . The Wizard did the impossible in establish him a brain . joyful at his fresh brain , he leave it on the coffee table where his cad can easily get to it . It turns out that the Scarecrow ’s placement of the mastermind on the coffee table was not the best conclusion , because the dog is seen chowing down on the brain . This dog may have taken the saying to " clean one ’s brain " a little too far and a petty too literally .

In a pretty pathologic comic strip , something that was notrare forThe Far Side , the Scarecrow ’s brain gets eaten up by his dog , which is not an image anyone wants in their foreland . It was the Scarecrow ’s pipe dream to have a encephalon , so it is a bummer for both the Scarecrow , who is in for a monolithic dashing hopes when he goes back to his brain , and for the reader who knows how much he has always wanted a brain . How will the Scarecrow confer with the flowers and confer with the rainfall now ?

4"Let’s Have ‘Em!"

August 7th, 1983

Dorothy and the crew wind up in the very speculative side of town , where they descend boldness to look with one truly unsavory guy . He guard them at point and orders them to hand over the items they just spent so much hard work , fourth dimension , and energy on , nearly getting kill by a revengeful Wiccan in the spare-time activity of their gruelling - won item . Specifically , the robber bark at them togive him the Tin Man ’s warmheartedness and the Scarecrow ’s genius . They are a far way from Oz with Dorothy really want to get back home after dealing with the trial by ordeal presented inthisFar Sidecomic strip .

While the Cowardly Lion may have pick up the endowment of bravery , he is unprepared for such an natural event , hit all of them look fabulously scared . One ca n’t help but question what a robber would do with a plastic - look heart - shaped watch and an honorary point in Thinkology , but he seems desperate to take them . Now would be a good time to realize that their warmness and brains are actually within them and not in the items that are getting in cold blood stolen from them .

3"I Just Used My Last Heart and Brain"

April 9th, 1980

Dorothy , the Cowardly Lion , the Tin Man , and the Scarecrowgo to Dr. Frankenstein ’s mansion to seek to get a heart and a brain . Unfortunately for the group , they had some bad timing , because Dr. Frankenstein just used his last sum and brain . The recipient is standing right behind the room access : Frankenstein ’s Monster . Dr. Franksetin ostensibly has a very good business reputation , being the one to go to when in need of a mind or a heart . Luckily , Dr. Frankenstein has a good recommendation for where they can all go since he is not an option ; they can go to see the Wizard up the road .

While the quartet may be disappointed to not get the Robert William Service of Dr. Frankenstein , they still find a room to get the heart and brain for the Tin Man and the Scarecrow .

How commodious ! While the foursome may be disappoint to not get the armed service of Dr. Frankenstein , they still find a manner to get the heart and nous for the Tin Man and the Scarecrow . The Wizard of Ozwould have been a very unlike movie had they been successful in getting Dr. Frankenstein ’s armed service , veering more towards the horror writing style rather than the fancy genre . Although , all Dr. Frankenstein really needed to do was let the Tin Man and the Scarecrow hump that they had a affectionateness and brain within them this whole time .

Far Side, cowboys with hands in the air (foreground) Union soldier giving general

2"Why, Gary, You’ve Always Had the Power to Go Home!"

January 1st, 1995

With a Glinda the Good Witch - eccentric character reference speaking to the one and only creator ofThe Far Sidehimself , Gary Larson , she distinguish him that he had the power within himself the whole time to go back home . To get back to where he come from , all he has to do is quack three times and to consider to himself that " there ’s no place like home . " Surrounded by all the notable characters he made forThe Far Side , including the aliens , snake , and bear he oftentimes used , Gary does what she says and ends up back home in his bed . He wakes up and tells his Aunt Zelda and Uncle Bob that all the women look like her and all the cows looked like him .

Likewise , he tells the field hand Ernie that he saw cave man who attend just like him and that there were so many nerdy kids that looked just like Billy . He also tells of all the monsters that were there , and that animals could even babble , making it a perplexing place at clip . The tantrum of this comical friction match up utterly with the final effect ofThe Wizard of Oz . This comedian was really thelast comic ofThe Far Side’soriginal run , with it providing a phantasmagorical and wittiness - take conclusion that was fitting for the beloved comical strip series .

1"Marathon"

September 16th, 1981

Scared of a collision , The Wizard of Ozgang are frightened stiff , looking in horror at the rabble of people running in their counselling . ThisFar Sidecomic leave its reader on a cliffhanger , with no one except for Larson make out what happens to the beloved characters . The trio just want to follow the sensationalistic brick route , but they keep see obstacles , especially a whole crowd of marathon runners that take up the entire pathway . Dorothy may have to get those crimson slipper dirty if she want to head for the hills getting clobber inThe Far Side .

The Far Side is a humourous mirthful series spring up by Gary Larson . The series has been in production since 1979 and features a wide array of comic collections , calendar , art , and other miscellaneous items .

Summary

Written and pull out by Gary Larson , The Far Side is a comic airstrip series that ran from December 1979 to January 1995 . A worldwide hit , The Far Side explores life ’s surrealistic side and use a mix of human beings and humanlike animate being . As of 2020 , Gary Larson decided to pick his pencil back up again and has started The Far Side up , circulating the comics on his official website .

A man with nuclear explosions going off behind him in The Far Side.

the far side cow and the wizard of oz’s scarecrow

far side wizard of oz comic with insects

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.

The Far Side, a witch has a melted face from smelling a clown’s boutonnière

far side comic where wizard’s of oz’s scarecrow has his new brain eaten by his dog

The main characters of The Wizard of Oz getting mugged in The Far Side.

Far Side, Dr. Frankenstein telling Wizard of Oz characters he just used his last heart and brain

Far Side, January 1, 1995, the final Far Side panel, a Wizard of Oz homage

Far Side, September 16, 1981, a marathon comes face-to-face with the Wizard of Oz characters

The Far Side Comic Poster

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.

Comics

The Far Side