10 Classic Early Far Side Comics Featuring Kings, Knights, and Medieval Castles

Readers may not immediately think of knights, kings, and castles The far side many recurring elements, but they appeared more often than fans might realize, especially early on in the comic. The medieval world was a frequent source of humor for Gary Larsonand the first few years The far side produced many iconic jokes about the Middle Ages alone.

Between cowardly jousters, clown kings and difficult attempts to fend off attacks over castle walls, The far side It showcased Gary Larson's deep knowledge of historical facts and his ability to twist those facts in revolutionary ways, with hilarious results.

It's worth taking a closer look at Larson's early medieval comics in particular to help readers understand where he stands. The far side signature humor began, so they can have a fuller picture of how it in turn has evolved over time.

These are medieval
The far side
cartoons are taken from the first two years of 1980 and 81
The far side
publishing; they are arranged in chronological order.

10 Readers Don't Break Their Heads Trying To Understand The Far Side

First published: March 9, 1980

It's early The far side The panel depicts two dueling knights, with one shouts to the other”give it up sir james… you lost!“- after cutting off his opponent's head. It was published just a few months later The far side run, it's safe to say that many readers would be confused by this punchline, and it was perfect with Gary Larson.

That said, Larson was quick to stake his reputation as a cartoonist on such panels. It was as if he was fighting each of them one-on-one The far side the reader looks for weak points in his armor that he can exploit. A comic made the reader laugh, or made them uncomfortable, or left them wondering what exactly the artist was trying to say, so long as Larson could get past someone's defenses, he was somehow satisfied.

9 The Far Side often found humor in life-or-death situations

First published: June 10, 1980

A lot The far side The characters are doomed, but there are knights they are in a particularly dangerous situation knowing that they will soon have to fight to the death, but first they must fulfill the king's whims and compete in egg throwing. “And the last gladiator standing will win the contest!,” the king shouts to the warriors from his throne before adding, “but first…With a pause before he unleashes the penultimate pointless ordeal in this life-or-death game.

It was one of the very early ones The far side cartoons defined Gary Larson's affinity for mining humor from mortal danger. In this case “throw eggs” bit is a silly climax to the punchline, but the real dark humor of the panel comes from stopping a deadly fight to engage in such a harmless contest.

8 According to Gary Larson, Men Ruining New Clothes Is A Timeless Tradition

First published: June 20, 1980

In this panel, the woman admonishes her husband as soon as she arrives home: that's why I'm angry”fought again… and in [his] new suit too!” — which is, of course, funny considering the suit in question is a suit of armor and the husband is a medieval knight..

Gary Larson's puns here are certainly fun, but what adds to the humor of this one The far side the cartoon is the way the husband is depicted as having his armor completely battered, he's miraculously lucky to be alive and so getting a little word from his wife is the least of his worries. At the last moment, apparently losing the battle, he runs home in a bruised state, dragging his mace—the opposite of glory.

7 King Arthur of the far side gathers the knights of the round table to issue a very solemn decree

First published: July 18, 1980

In this The far side panel Gary Larson portrays the mythical King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table – Except, as Arthur admonished, to catch them in an embarrassing moment”Lancelot, Galahad and the rest“of illustrious knights”stick to [their] chewing gum under the table.”

Of course, these characters are revered for their legendary exploits, and as silly as it sounds, the Round Table itself is one of the most famous pieces of furniture in history. So “demysifying” them by showing them being punished for their behavior, which is more common in the school cafeteria, is an effective comedic device that Larson will use over and over again throughout. The far side run away

6 Gary Larson in this hilarious historical “What if?”

First published: July 31, 1980

The far side his unique brand of observational humor involves more than just looking at the world around Gary Larson; Larson also had a knack for looking back to find unexpected humor in historical situations. In this case, he imagines a group of medieval knights in full armor, carrying lances on horseback, point skyward – unfortunate as the light hits one of their lances.causing him to cook without doubt in his suit.

This funny joke comes from Larson imagining something that is not part of any existing historical record, but could easily have happened. This is a great example of something he does regularly The far sideBased on actual facts, no matter how absurd, nonsensical, or imprecise, his attention to detail was a punchline that added depth to his humor.

5 The first – but not the last – of The Far Side is the guillotine joke

First published: August 6, 1980

The guillotine appeared many times The far sidebecause it was meant to be seen as a quixotically comedic device that had been used for many personal tragedies. The guillotine is one of the most recognizable and terrifying inventions in history, especially given its close association with the French Revolution.

Here, Gary Larson offers an innovation in the executive device that completely diminishes its appeal. It is admirably depicted with the body of a clown, which an artist has added to the neck hole, as the king solemnly says: “I like it… I like it.” while The far side Rightfully so, it gained a reputation for easy-to-miss punchlines, an outstanding early example of how easily Larson could deliver simple and hilariously funny jokes.

Although recognized as a symbol of the French Revolution (1789-1799), the last execution by guillotine in French history took place, remarkably, in 1977 – just a few years ago.
The far side
entered the publication.

4 An early example of the subtle darkness of Gary Larson's comedy

First published: November 1, 1980

Something readers will understand The far side how much confidence he had in his readers as they became more familiar with Gary Larson's humor. That said, his jokes weren't always obvious, and often the reader had to actively engage with the cartoon to “get” it. Here it is “As two knights roast marshmallows over a bonfire at the tip of their swords – with a bag of tags”Joan of Arc Marshmallows” under his feet.

The joke isn't as subtle as simply placing the bag towards the edge of the frame or the lack of a title to contextualize the humor, but the actual punchline occurs off-panel in the reader's inference of history. Joan was burned at the stake in 1431 during the Hundred Years War between France and England.

3 The Classic Broke An Eye And You Miss It Far Side Punchline

First published: March 14, 1981

This is another subtlety The far side joke, but at least the reader doesn't need to provide their own history to find it funny. All they have to do is look closely as shown on the panel at the moment of truth, two medieval jousters before they meet – one coming toward the reader, one holding a hand in front of the viewfinder.unable or unwilling to follow what is about to happen.

A reader browsing the comics section of a newspaper might have caught a quick glimpse of it – and surely did. The far side miss the cartoon and punchline altogether. It was a risk Gary Larson was willing to take because, for him, the reward of the double take was worth it to both him and the reader.

2 This Far Side Panel Depicts The Loyal Bond Between A King And A Dog

First published: June 17, 1981

Many of the most memorable The far side there are dogs in the panels; here, His canine companion is now running after his man, who is going into battle, and a soldier shouts, “hey richard your stupid dog is following us again!“ Given Gary Larson's choice of “Richard,” as the name and the hero's place at the head of the army, he seems destined to be king, and his dog's behavior is consistently embarrassing.

A small but important point The far side It's the way Gary Larson draws his eyes. In this panel, Richard's wide, surprised eyes and the angry eyes of the screaming soldier are prominent, and rightly so, as they are vital in forcing the reader to feel rather than simply understand the text.

1 Gary Larson Describes a Deadly Innovation Moment in Medieval Warfare

First published: June 19, 1981

The funniest medieval so far The far side panel at the beginning of the comic, a chaotic attempt by a besieging army to scale the walls of a castle leads to an increase in the brutality of the war. “Hot oil! We need hot oil!One of the defenders shouts and adds:forget the water balloons!“ as their balloons are met with returning volleys of spears and arrows.

The punch line of this panel is unequivocally goofy, and this tone is emphasized by the contrast between the colored water balloons held by the defenders and the sharp projectiles hurled at them. However, the humor of this panel belies the fact that Gary Larson ponders the nature of war and extrapolates an absurd joke from this heavy subject in a way that proves itself. The far side a date only he could.