Gary Larson and The Far Side

by Kerry D. Soper

Overview

Kerry D. Soper reminds us of The Far Side's groundbreaking qualities and cultural significance in Gary Larson and "The Far Side." In the 1980s, Gary Larson (b. 1950) shook up a staid comics page by introducing a set of aesthetic devices, comedic tones, and philosophical frames that challenged and delighted many readers, even while upsetting and confusing others. His irreverent, single panels served as an alternative reality to the tame comedy of the family-friendly newspaper comics page, as well as the pervasive, button-down consumerism and conformity of the Reagan era.

In this first full study of Larson's art, Soper follows the arc of the cartoonist's life and career, describing the aesthetic and comedic qualities of his work, probing the business side of his success, and exploring how The Far Side brand as a whole--with its iconic characters and accompanying set of comedic and philosophical frames--connected with its core readers. In effect, Larson reinvented his medium by creatively working within, pushing against, and often breaking past institutional, aesthetic, comedic, and philosophical parameters.

Due to the comic's great success, it opened the door for additional alternative voices in comics and other popular mediums. With its intentionally awkward, minimalistic lines and its morbid humor, The Far Side expanded Americans' comedic palette and inspired up-and-coming cartoonists, comedians, and filmmakers. Soper re-creates the cultural climate and media landscape in which The Far Side first appeared and thrived, then assesses how it impacted worldviews and shaped the comedic sensibilities of a generation of cartoonists, comedy writers, and everyday fans.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496817631
Publisher:	University Press of Mississippi
Publication date:	07/03/2018
Series:	Great Comics Artists Series
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	699,702
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.02(d)

About the Author

Kerry D. Soper is director of the American studies program and associate professor of humanities, classics, and comparative literature at Brigham Young University. He is author of We Go Pogo: Walt Kelly, Politics, and American Satire and Garry Trudeau: "Doonesbury" and the Aesthetics of Satire, both published by University Press of Mississippi. His work has appeared in the Journal of American Studies, International Journal of Comic Art, INKS: Cartoon and Comic Art Studies, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and other periodicals.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 3

Chapter 1 The Accidental Cartoonist: Larson's Life and Career 17

Chapter 2 Deadpan Irreverence with Cosmic Proportions: The Comedy of The Far Side 59

Chapter 3 Blandly Drawn, Myopic Pinheads: The Awkwardly Effective Aesthetics of The Far Side 109

Chapter 4 The Accidental Cartooning Auteur: The Business Side of Gary Larson's Career 143

Chapter 5 Absurdly Naturalistic: The Cultural Significance of The Far Side 183

Works Cited 205

Index 211

Editorial Reviews

A well-paced and vividly drawn portrait. The biographical details are fascinating, helping to limn a person who remained willfully opaque throughout the peak of his fame.--Tom Heintjes "Hogan's Alley"

From the Publisher