Gary Larson's longtime editor at Far Side is what makes his creative process so unique

according to The far side editor, Gary Larson's creative process was more like a novelist than a cartoonist – which is what made him create such a unique, unique work. during his career. For artists, Larson's process offers insight into how to create work that is unmistakably their own.

In his presentation The Complete Far Side Volume OneJake Morrissey, Larson's longtime editor, explained how Gary Larson distinguished himself from his peers at the level of process rather than the final product on the page. As Morrissey explains, The far side cartoons began at a rudimentary level rather than being taken from their point of view.

That is, like The far side Readers will expect that while everyone else was going for conventional cartooning, Larson swam against the tide and made her own way in the industry – or, in other words, against things.

Gary Larson Started With a Contract and Found the Way to the Punchline

The far side The editor explains Larson's process

“Normal” is always subjective, but when it comes down to it
The far side
the “normality” or “strangeness” of a comic can only be defined internally, in relation to others.
The far side
comics.

As Jake Morrissey discovered, most cartoonists actually work backwards; they create a structure that matches the income they want to deliver. Gary Larson, on the other hand, started with an idea, with little or no idea where it would take him until he started doodling. This meant that sometimes he got lost along the way – partly explaining why there were so many The far side the jokes were lost on readers throughout it run away At the same time, it was the basis of this process The far side his wild and unpredictable nature ultimately made him successful.

Introducing Morrissey Full Away side It's built around Gary Larson's rediscovery of his old records, commenting on his own work and writing things like:

I don't know why I drew this or what it means, but compared to the next cartoon, it's very normal.

Gary Larson's creativity can be summed up in one sentence, and here the best example has been revealed by the artist himself. “Normal” is always subjective, but when it comes down to it The far sidethe “normality” or “strangeness” of a comic can only be defined internally, in relation to others. The far side comics.

Anyway, in retrospect The far sideand his fruitful creative collaboration with Gary Larson, leading Morrissey to admire the artist's approach to his work and what makes it so special. The far side editor wrote:

Rereading Gary's notes, I was struck by how open he was to his creativity, how willing he was to be guided by it. Several people note that his initial ideas for cartoons turned into panels that differed drastically from their inspiration.

As described by Jake Morrissey, What made Gary Larson stand out among cartoonists was that his creative process was organic rather than mechanical. That is, a The far side the cartoon grew rather than set. The far side cartoons were a product of evolution rather than design.

Editor of The Far Side on what makes Gary Larson more than a garden-variety creator

A Novelist's Approach to Caricature

Gary Larson took a novelist's approach to the cartoon, which is what made it
The far side
so awesome. In other words, watching a novel's worth of ideas play out day after day in the funny pages of American newspapers was a spectacle.

As mentioned by Jake Morrissey, it is particularly interesting Full Away sideHow Gary Larson's creative process differed from that of other cartoonists, especially given its similarity to the process described by many prose writers. Morrissey later wrote:

What interests me about cartoonist Gary Larson is how different his methods are from his peers. Many cartoonists start with a gag and write towards it. Gary often starts with the seed of an idea that doesn't seem traditionally funny, and then tries to take some root.

Here, Morrissey uses a gardening metaphor that often appears when talking about writing. Game of Thrones author George RR Martin often describes himself as a gardener, George Saunders—the king of the American short story for the past three decades—advises to structure stories tightly to allow characters, plot, and themes to grow naturally.

So it's fair to say that Gary Larson took a novelist's approach to the cartoon. The far side so awesome. That said, watching a novel's worth of ideas play out day after day in the funny pages of American newspapers was a spectacle. As much as each The far side meant to be dealt with in isolation, it is inevitable that modern readers will view it as a whole, this view of Larson's corpus makes the study of his entire career more meaningful.

In other words, Artists working in all different mediums can look to Gary Larson as an inspiration as they consider how to approach their work in unconventional or unexpected ways.to create an unusual and different art The far side. That is, an examination of Larson's process shows what prose writers can learn from musicians, musicians can learn from artists, artists can learn from authors, and so on.

Far Side editor Gary Larson explains what makes him an “exceptional” creator

The “Subversive Thriller” Quality of the Comic

There is another famous saying among writers: ”
no surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.
“…Gary Larson's ability to subvert his own expectations has allowed him to consistently distract, surprise, and even shock readers.

As Jake Morrissey sums up, The organic quality of Gary Larson's creative process was key The far side success and is at the heart of what makes it so enduringly fascinating until today. Morrissey explained:

What's unique about The Far Side is that sometimes the sprouts aren't what anyone expects, least of all Gary: He plants what he thinks is a carrot, and it turns out to be a cabbage. What makes The Far Side so provocatively exciting is the feeling of not quite knowing how something will turn out.

There is another famous saying among writers: “no surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.“That's exactly what Morrissey shows as an integral part of what he's doing here The far side so great. Gary Larson's ability to subvert their own expectations has allowed him to consistently distract, surprise, and even shock readers.

Especially creative people should take this lesson to heart. while The far side fans will appreciate this behind-the-scenes insight into the strip, and artists will hopefully be motivated to reinvent their approach to their work. For many people, “he doesn't know exactly how something will turn out” is intimidating and prevents the creation of a work. That is, it is one of the main reasons for writer's block or similar artistic struggles. However, if this transition can be changed, it can become the basis for the flourishing of a person's creativity.

Gary Larson deserves recognition as a major artist of the 20th century

Rethinking The far side Heritage

When it comes to the great artists of the 20th century, Gary Larson's name may not be at the top of many people's minds – but he definitely should be. given The far side A prominent position in American newspapers, his work reached a more consistent audience than all but the most successful film and television programs; It is not correct to say that more people remember reading The far side We've rounded up the books that have consistently topped our list of the greatest novels of the 20th century.

The far side It helped indoctrinate American audiences against the culture, especially the increasingly absurd humor that dominates the internet age. Larson's work helped sharpen a generation of readers' sense of satire and, more fundamentally, the funny. – even if it's defined by rejection rather than embrace The far side. As more readers continue to discover The far side in the future, hopefully, a wider appreciation of Gary Larson's influence will take root in the popular imagination.

Source:
The Complete Far Side Volume One