Far Side Comics on Heatwaves: 10 Relatable Panels

The Far Side featured some classic cartoons about being way too hotand this list collects the best of them. Gary Larson‘s comic tackled the subject of overheating in several different ways over the years, each equally ludicrous in all the ways that made The Far Side a pop culture phenomenon.

This list includes jokes about the sun, a melting ice cream man, and the “phenomenon of cat mirages.” It also takes a look at several iconic Far Side settings that evoked the suffering that being hot can yield, notably the desert, and the depths of hell itself, both of which popped up frequently in Larson’s work.

With the start of summer bringing a gnarly heatwave to large portions of the United States, people everywhere are looking for ways to cool off, including revisiting some memorable Far Side cartoons that they can commiserate with. In the process, these cartoons offer a look at Gary Larson’s humor at its finest.

10

“Inside The Sun”: The Far Side Hilariously Captures What Hot Summer Days Feel Like

First Published: August 27, 1986

Sometimes, when the heat is so dense, and the humidity so thick, it can make you feel as though you’re “inside the sun” itself, hyperbolically speaking, of course. This Far Side cartoon makes that literal, to great comedic effect, by depicting the interior of the sun as an office building, with a single employee, devoted to flipping the “rise/set” switch.

With the image of flames licking the office window, and fans surrounding the sweat-covered man in the sun, this Far Side cartoon brilliantly evokes the feeling of enduring extreme, oppressively hot conditions by any means necessary. Without question, this is one of Gary Larson’s defining jokes about the heat.

9

“Those Are My Sunglasses”: The Far Side Highlights The Horror Of Having Your Shades Stolen

First Published: September 7, 1994

In this laugh-out-loud Far Side scenario, a spaceship pilot stares daggers at his copilot, because, despite the fact that their ship is “being sucked in by the sun’s gravitational field,” and they’re about to burn to death in the atomic fires of the solar system’s star, he can’t help but point out: “those are my sunglasses you’re wearing!“

With this punchline, Gary Larson hysterically brings a petty dispute into the most high-stakes situation. Amusingly, readers will find themselves relating to this wide-eyed Far Side character not just because of his vocal airing of a grievance, but also because there’s nothing worse than forgetting one’s sunglasses on a brilliantly hot day.

8

The Far Side’s “Melting Ice Cream Man” Is A Hilariously Horrifying Illustration Of Extreme Heat

First Published: October 14, 1981

This early Far Side cartoon is borderline body horror, in the way that it depicts a terrified ice cream truck driver calling for help over the radio, because he has started to meltjust like the ice cream in the back of the truck. It is deliriously weird Far Side joke, at least until readers find themselves without air conditioning on a particularly brutal summer day.

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6 Hilarious Far Side Comics About the Ice Cream Man (And His Rivals)

This Far Side bit might not get as much attention as it should, but fans will tell you Gary Larson’s “ice cream truck” panels are certified classics.

At that point they might start to get the gag. Again, it is a matter of Gary Larson taking figurative language literally, albeit very subtly in this instance. Nobody bats an eye at metaphorically describing themselves as “melting” during hot weather, and this Far Side panel nightmarishly envisions what that would look like.

7

The Far Side’s Vampires Take Sunblock To An Entirely New Level

First Published: June 22, 1990

In this Far Side classic, Gary Larson lampoons the familiar vacation tragedy of forgetting to apply sunscreen on a particularly intense day at the beach, and takes this to an absurd place by making the characters in question vampires, one of whom has shriveled up completely as a result of not putting on “sunblock.”

This Far Side vampire joke also, yet again, demonstrates Gary Larson’s knack for taking things overly literally; by using vampire characters, Larson conjures the most literal interpretation possible of the word “block,” in sunblock, suggesting the undead can withstand the sun’s rays as long as they apply some before heading outside.

6

When It Came To Making Fun Of Familiar Phrases, The Far Side Was Always On Fire

First Published: May 25, 1992

In this Far Side cowboy cartoon, Gary Larson lampoons the idea of “riding off into the sunset” as a metaphor for having a happy ending, or for living a fulfilled life. Here, a “dang fool” who tried to do exactly that is dragged back into an Old West saloon, burnt to a crisp and still on fire.

Once again displaying the technique of literalization, this comic also cleverly evokes the origin of the phrase itself: Western films. This makes it a much smarter Far Side joke than it might seem at first glance, a common Far Side experience, with the overt silliness of the joke masking the deep thought that went into it.

5

The Far Side’s “Cat Mirage” Cartoon Is Perfect For The Dog Days Of Summer

First Published: May 6, 1993

“On hot days,” the caption of this Far Side canine cartoon explains, “dogs are often subject to the phenomenon of cat mirages,” with the illustration accordingly depicting a pup standing on its hind legs, front paws on the window, watching a phantom-catconjured out of the heat waves outside, prowling around.

As this list will address in the next few entries, Gary Larson was evidently fascinated by the concept of mirages, and what makes this a great Far Side cartoon is the way he takes that idea out of its usual milieu and turns it into a joke about the idea that the heat makes everyone act a little crazy.

4

The Far Side Reminds Readers To Pick Their Summer Snacks Carefully

First Published: December 14, 1984

Gary Larson produced many certifiably hilarious Far Side jokes about characters wandering the desert; in fact, along with its related trope, The Far Side’s “desert island” jokes, the concept of people stuck in the most miserably overheated conditions imaginable was seemingly on Larson’s mind constantly. The result? Frequent comedic gold.

Here, a man belatedly realizes that eating chips while walking through the desert in the middle of the day is probably not a sound idea. In this way, Larson hilariously pokes fun at the fact that people’s habits, snacking included, change with the weather, and that certain treats are more suitable for some seasons than others.

3

The Far Side Pokes Fun At Some Peoples’ Obsession With Tanning

First Published: July 5, 1985

In another iconic example of a Far Side “lost in the desert” panel, two men hide behind a large rock, trying catch a bit of shade from the beating down sun, and despite the seeming severity of their situation, they’re preoccupied with which of them has gotten more of a sun tan while they have been wandering.

Of course, when heat conditions get to a certain point, safety is paramount to getting a natural tan, but nevertheless, with this Far Side cartoon, Gary Larson hilariously toes the dividing line between the best and worst parts of sun exposure, while absurdly blurring the lines between vacation and calamity.

2

There’s Nothing Worse On A Hot Day Than Pointing Out How Hot It Is, And This Far Side Proves It

First Published: October 1, 1987

It can be hell when it gets too hot, and you have no cool place to seek respite, and it can be even worse if someone insists on calling attention to how hot you both are. Gary Larson perfectly captures that feeling in this Far Side panel; captioned “nerds in hell,” it features one character turning to another, as they stand in line in perdition, and asking “hot enough for ya?“

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10 Hilarious Far Side Comics From the 1990s That You Definitely Forgot About, But Shouldn’t Have

The Far Side’s final years, contained some of Gary Larson’s best work, but this year often gets overlooked among his pantheon of greatest panels.

The Far Side frequented hell in some truly classic cartoons, and this is a great example of an instance in which Larson managed to make fiery damnation actually feel ridiculously relatable. As if the suffering of these souls couldn’t get any worse, the “nerd” in question here has to ratchet up their agony by making annoying small talk.

1

“The Dog’s On Fire”: The Far Side Makes The Case That Summer Can Be Hell

First Published: July 16, 1990

This unforgettable Far Side cartoon combines two of Gary Larson’s favorite settings: hell and living rooms. It features two demonic characters sitting in their respective armchairs, reading, when the wife looks up and notices their pet dog has burst into flames…again. “I think it’s your turn to put him out,” the woman of the house says, indicating this is a common occurrence.

Despite its infernal setting, this Far Side comic is delightfully evocative of the feeling of a major heatwave, especially for those who lack luxuries like central air conditioning, which is definitively the case for these Far Side devils. Which highlights the glory of Gary Larson’s work: the ability to be simultaneously totally absurd, and unexpectedly relatable.

Writer

Gary Larson

Colorist

Gary Larson