Summary
Across its fifteen-year run in syndication,The Far Sidehad a transformative effect on the medium of the newspaper comic strip, something that is perfectly celebrated by the frequent appearance of butterflies – and butterfly hunters – throughout Gary Larson’s opus. Over the years,butterflies and the people who catch them starred in some of the strip’s most memorable panels.
Lepidopterology, or the study of butterflies, was a personal passion of Larson’s, and as a result theirFar Sideappearances offer an almost-panoramic view of theartist’s sense of humor.While in most cases, Gary Larson’s sympathies seemed squarely with animals over humans, it is interesting to note that he parodied both butterfly hunters and butterflies themselves with equal aplomb.
Understandably, Larson routinely used butterflies as a means of making jokes about change, and the nature of beauty, while his lepidoterologist characters allowed him to explore an especially unique relationship between human beings and the natural world.
The Far Sidewas published between 1980 and 1995. The entries on this list are arranged in reverse chronological order; starting in 1993, they trace some – though not all – of Gary Larson’s best butterfly panels back to 1980.
This Recurring Far Side Joke Is the Perfect Metaphor For Gary Larson’s Humor
Though it didn’t appear with the frequency of the comic’s infamous dogs, ducks, cats, & chickens, one repeat gag perfectly sums up The Far Side.
10The Far Side’s Caterpillars Pay Tribute To Their Dark Deity: Professor Crutchfeld
First Published: July 08, 2025
ThisFar Sidepanel is a hilarious interpretation of King Kong, substituting caterpillars for indigenous humans, and a butterfly-hunting human for the giant ape.A beautiful purple butterfly is depicted tied to a sacrificial alter, gawking up in terror as a man with a net approaches, pleased, as the caption notes, that “the little caterpillars had done well this time in their offering.”
While the Kong reference here is funny, even for those unfamiliar with the source material, thisFar Sidepanel is elevated to truly iconic status by its detailed absurdity, from the caterpillar banging a gong to bring forth “Professor Crutchfeld,” to the characteristic “Far Sideeyes” which do the heavy lifting of bridging the gap between insect and human.
9Gary Larson Takes His Readers Down To The Old “Entomological Rodeo”
First Published: August 02, 2025
In thisFar Sidepanel, Gary Larson brilliantly reimaginesa rodeo with butterflies substituted for bulls, and a lepidoterologist in place of a cowboy, as “Professor Hardwick” seeks to win a prize by netting a butterflyin under ten seconds.
This cartoon representsThe Far Sidein all of its silly, irreverent glory.Unencumbered by any attempt to convey deeper meaning, Larson was able to fully render a ridiculously skewed take on reality; while it might not evoke uproarious laughter from the reader, this panel is certainly good for at least a solid chuckle. Further, it stands a strong chance of sticking in the reader’s imagination – whether they want it to or not.
8Butterflies Were Far From Immune To The Far Side’s Macabre Humor
First Published: July 02, 2025
In multiple panels throughout the years,Gary Larson found humorin the odd paradox of lepidoptery, a field in which the beauty of the subject is venerated – by killing them. This is perhaps the funniest extrapolation of this premise, asthe trope of a serial killer’s neighbors giving an interview in the wake of their crimes being exposed is conflated with the practice of embalming and framing butterflies.
“The whole flower bed is still in shock,” one butterfly tells another holding a microphone, repeating oft-cited lines about killers, including the classic “he was such a quiet butterfly – kept to himself, mostly.” Most amusing, however, is the way the suspected butterfly collector is shown being hauled off by two butterfly cops as the news breaks the story of his collection’s discovery.
7The Far Side Lampoons Nostalgia In This “Butterfly Yearbook” Panel
First Published: August 19, 2025
In thisFar Sidepanel,a butterfly wistfully recollects its younger days, gazing at an old yearbook with rows of pictures of caterpillars pre-metamorphosis.Here, Gary Larson offers a great visual representation of the way people change with age – often for the better – yet still yearn for earlier times that can never be recaptured.
Given the opportunity, many people would go back to their youths, even if they couldn’t change a thing, just to experience the highs and lows of growing up all over again. Bypicking an insect speciesbest known for one of nature’s most radical transformations, Gary Larson added a potent dimension to this punchline, allowing the visual to make a bold point about the nature of aging.
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.
6The Far Side Reveals The Hidden Dangers Of Butterfly Hunting
First Published: August 20, 2025
It’s safe to say that butterfly hunters were amongThe Far Side’smost frequently hapless characters, perhapsright up there alongside Egyptologists. This panel is a great illustration of that, as it depicts a manstepping up to net a “armandia lidderdalii” – a real type of butterfly – only to have his companion place a hand on his shoulder, warning him to"back off’because the insect has rabies.
Of course, insects cannot get rabies – a disease partial only to mammals – and butterflies cannot bite, making this joke ridiculous at its very premise. Naturally, this the point of the punchline, as Gary Larson subverts the workings of nature itself in order toget a reaction out of his audience.
5The Far Side Exposes The Dark Underbelly Of Lepidoptery
First Published: August 21, 2025
ThisFar Sidecartoon once again makes light of lepidopterists, by hinting that there is a seedy side to the subculture. The panel depicts two men with butterfly nets, dressed in drab brown,coming face-to-face with a black-clad counterpart in the forest. “Egad! It’s Professor DeArmond,” one of them declares, noting that he is, “the epitome of evil amongst butterfly collectors!”
Hilariously, DeArmond is depicted with a huge grin on his face, the pleasant nature of which comes in stark contrast to his supposedly vile reputation, which has the effect of accentuating the comic’s punchline. How and why DeArmond came ot be synonymous with outright “evil” is one ofThe Far Side’smany enduring mysteries, a story that there may be much more to, but one that readers are unlikely to ever be privy to.
4These Far Side Butterflies “From The Wrong Side Of The Meadow” Are Not To Be Messed With
First Published: August 23, 2025
Depicting a group of butterflies “from the wrong side of the meadow,“the humor of thisFar Sidepanelrelies onthe contrast between the vibrant natural colors of the insects, and the intense anti-social markings they have covered themselves and their territory with. One has its wing almost entirely covered by a skull-and-crossbones, while another’s wings read “eat pollen and die!”
Nearby, a rock is covered in graffiti proclaiming someone named “Bernie Schaubel” to be “a moth,” adding to the comedic effect of this depiction of butterflies on the ragged fringe of insect society, having been led off the straight-and-narrow path at some point in their metamorphosis. In all, thisFar Sidebutterfly cartoon undermines the “tough crowd” stereotype by recontextualizing it with butterflies.
10 Far Side Comics That Prove Gary Larson Preferred Animals Over Humans
The Far Side universe is full of animals, usually shown clashing with humans. These ten moments prove Gary Larson will always side with the animals.
3This Far Side Butterfly Panel Says The Quiet Part Loud
First Published: June 27, 2025
In one ofthe earliestFar Sidebutterfly cartoons, Gary Larson unequivocally depicts the inherent incongruity of butterfly hunting. A satisfied hunter holds a butterfly by its wing,calling it “an excellent specimen,” and then further elaborating that it is “the symbol of beauty, innocence, and fragile life,“before ruthlessly telling his companion to “hand [him] the jar of ether.”
Of course, while the preservation of butterfly specimens can be argued to have its merit, it is quixotic that the people with the most overt appreciation for butterflies also make a habit of killing them. Larson effectively portrays that here, utilizing deadpan humor to force readers to dwell in the disconnect between lepidopterists' motivations and their methods.
2Gary Larson Depicts A Midnight Metamorphosis In This Butterfly Cartoon
First Published: June 21, 2025
In thisstrange and wonderfulFar Side, Gary Larson finds the hilarity in a fully Kafkaesque scenario,as a person on a camping trip emerges from their sleeping bag as a human-sized butterfly, appearing as though about to fly off into the night and leave their still-human companions behind.
While itslack of caption might leave many readers scratching their heads, that is only because they are overthinking the comic, which is simply an illustration of the comparison between a sleeping bag and a cocoon. WithThe Far Side, Larson didn’t need to be more complex than that, and in fact, many of his most memorable comics – however they were received by readers – were born out of the most simple premises.
1The Far Side’s Butterfly Hunters Become The Hunted
First Published: June 30, 2025
The Far Side’sfirst butterfly cartoon is an early example of Gary Larson’s ability to flip something familiar completely on its head in order to get a laugh. In this case,a butterfly hunter creeps through tall grass, holding his net aloft – as a group of butterflies sneak up behind him with their own net,turning the tables on their dynamic.
This humorous inversion would serve as the basis forcountlessFar Sidejokes, as Larson regularly displayed a singular ability to make the familiar strange, and conversely, the unexpected seem obvious. At its core, this wasThe Far Side’sgreatest virtue; this unmistakably idiosyncratic perspective on the nature of existence was the thing that made it a gamechanging, era-defining, transformative landmark in the history of comic strips.
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.
