The Far Side of My Memory
- Sara Daar
- Oct 12, 2022
- 3 min read
The comic strip. A medium I so often forget about, but one I will always admire.
When thinking about my childhood, countless media texts come to mind. From cooking shows, like Chopped, to the film I watched after my hamster died (Hotel for Dogs, of course). And after a deep dive into my memory, one specific text came to the surface. But alas, I couldn't remember its name for the life of me and had to give my dad a call.
Brrrrrrrng brrrrrrng. Hey dad.
What's the name of that one comic cartoon book I would read when I was younger? But not Calvin & Hobbes, the one with the cows.
And the answer I was so craving—my favorite childhood comic: Gary Larson's "The Far Side." The Far Side Gallery 2, if we're getting specific.
Ok so looking back I have to admit the comics are hit or miss for me in terms of humor and get-ability. But to be fair, Larson created the single-panel cartoons decades ago, running daily in the newspaper from 1980 to 1995 (and to be double fair, the comics are absurd enough in topic that it's probably just a me thing). Since I wasn't alive back then to read the paper, I got my comic fix through books that compiled the cartoons—different form of media, but the same offbeat humor.
I haven't cracked open a copy of any "The Far Side" gallery books in years, but after rediscovering these comics, I'm dying to. I remember that even after re-reading the same comics over and over again, it never got old. These books were both entertainment and a pass-time—something I grabbed when I'd be sitting for a while and something I actually enjoyed flipping through.
On that phone call with my dad, he knew almost right away what book I was talking about (despite my horrible description and breaking cell connection). My dad was the one who introduced me to these comics, along with an array of other absurd, comedic books. And unbeknownst to me, he reads the classic comics on thefarside.com everyday—a website of relatively recent creation.
This conversation reminded me of fond memories and connection with my dad. And this recollection highlighted perhaps one of the reasons why my humor developed the way it did. While I don't think I was shaped by the comics, it definitely had some influence. It's also possible that my appreciation of art and creativity was partially developed or broadened by being exposed to such interesting cartoons when I was younger. Uniquely odd and sometimes morbid, these comics garnered a lot of positive attention from the public and critics.
The newspaper comic as a medium itself is an outlet for sharing current events, social commentary, etc. with the masses in an entertaining and engaging way.
While Larson's comics are often about mundane or nothing topics, some of his work has social implications, such as the smoking dinosaurs depicted in the left image gallery. And because the cartoon is eye-catching, we pay attention.
For more of "The Far Side," check out the official website, find a copy of one of the gallery books, or just throw "far side comics" into Google Images. I hope the taste I gave of the comics makes you curious enough to take a further look :) the website also has a cool letter from the creator himself.
Hey Sara! I thought your blog post on Paula Deen’s cancellation was incredibly informative and engaging! As a person who didn’t know of Paula Deen, you gave a clear description of who she was and what she meant to the Southern cooking scene. It’s really disheartening to hear that a notable public figure like her could make such racist remarks towards a demographic of people who pioneered Southern cooking. It is also interesting that you mentioned how people don’t always stay canceled, which is a very good point. It makes me wonder if some people should just stay canceled. I love how you finished your blog post with a helpful tip of pursuing and sharing multiple sides of the story. Based on what we have seen in cancel culture, I think it is really easy for people to jump ship whenever one party is lacking popularity. It’s important to be open-minded and curious rather than hostile. Great job Sara!
Hi Sara! First, the title of this blog post is fabulous! It’s so clever and instantly got me excited to read the rest of your post. I am not familiar with Paula Deen, but I was shocked to read the extent of her racist remarks and general lack of remorse. I think this serves as an excellent example of someone rightfully not rebounding from cancel culture–since, in class, we discussed how it always seems like none of the consequences really stick. Deen certainly didn’t just make a flippant comment, she had flawed ideology. I agree that with the prevalence of social media today, it is easier for people to clean up their image with interviews and apology tweets. I resonate with this blog post’s message about re-defining and cleaning up “Southern Culture” since that’s what my post comments on as well.
I loved this post, Sara! I never would have thought of comparing the two, but you do in such an eloquent way. I loved your voice and think you do such a great job at tying the two together. I can't wait to read more!
Hi Sara, thank you for this post!! You really touched on very specific childhood memories for me. I feel fairly certain that I saw these comics on cards at a car wash that I frequented growing up. The art style feels so nostalgic and really takes me back to a different time.
I loved how you connected the comics to your father. That relationship and connection seems very special and it really highlights the power media can have on us as we grow up. I can personally think of music and movies that my mom introduced to me as a child that have impacted my life and changed who I am as a person. As children we never expect to be changed so much by our parents but it’s really quite funny how it happens just out of nowhere.
I’m going to have to check that website out and do a deep dive on these comics! Thank you for the link and for this insightful read.
Axel Cordero
Sara, this was such a throwback! I totally forgot about The Far Side, but I actually grew up reading these cartoons as well, courtesy of my grandparents, who owned literally every volume. To be honest, I never loved them (like you said, they can often go over one's head due to their levels of absurdity) but they are definitely a nostalgic memory.
I loved the way you mentioned how these comics make you feel connected to your dad, it's so powerful how media can remind us of the people that we love. (The dialogue you included was funny too). I also admired the way you discussed how The Far Side played a role in developing your sense of humor and has been an influence to you on some subconscious level.
I thought it was great how you embedded some of the comic panels, but I would have loved to hear your opinion on specific episodes of The Far Side and whether you had any favorites / least favorites /significant ones that stood out in your memory. - Cira