The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set) by Gary Larson, Steve Martin
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Book Reviews of The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set)
Book Review: A Masterpiece Of Comic Brillance
Summary: 5 Stars
"Every one of these cartoons is just something that drifted into my head when I was alone with my thoughts. And, for better or worse, I `jotted them down. It was only later, when perhaps I received an angry letter from someone, that it struck me: Hey! Some one's been reading my diary!"
Gary Larson, from the preface to The Complete Far Side
How do you explain 'Far Side'? A brilliant comedic view of the absurd and unusual? An inspiring cartoon that entertains and inspires? My family loves cards and for each birthday we all receive more than a few cards, and most of them are from 'Far Side'. We look forward to those cards. At Christmas there are calendars and mugs. We are a family of Far Side. But it took my best friend to give me the gift of Far Side that is impressive.
When the first Far Side appeared millions of us could not get enough. The cartoons debuted in January 1980 and we have bought more than 40 million Far Side books and more than 60 million calendars. The demand for The Far Side has been insatiable. I received the hefty, deluxe, two-volume slip cased set as a gift. The slipcase is gorgeous with a lovely ribbon surrounding it. The volumes are printed in full color, milled paper, The Complete Far Side is a superb gift that takes its place alongside collector's-edition art books.
"A masterpiece of comic brilliance, The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever syndicated -- over 4,000 if you must know -- presented in (more or less) chronological order by year of publication, with more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book." publisher.
There are more Far Side cartoons in these volumes that Larson created after his retirement: 13 of them appeared in the last Far Side book, Last Chapter and Worse, and six cartoons that ran as a special feature in The New York Times' Science Times section as The Far Side of Science. Gary Larson offers a glimpse into the mind of The Far Side in quirky and introductions to each of the 14 chapters. Complaint letters, fan letters, and queries from readers appear. Actor, author, and comedian Steve Martin offers his thoughts in a foreword, and Gary Larson's former editor describes what it was like to be "the guy who could explain every Far Side cartoon."
During its 14-year run, The Far Side was syndicated to over 1,900 daily newspapers. It has been translated into a total of 17 different languages.
For his work with The Far Side, Gary Larson received the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year from the National Cartoonists Society in both 1991 and 1994. The National Cartoonists Society also named The Far Side Best Syndicated Panel in 1985 and 1987. In 1993 The Far Side was awarded the Max & Moritz Prize for Best International Comic Strip/Panel by the International Comics Salon. In 1995, Larson's animated film Gary Larson's Tales From The Far Side won the Grand Prix at the Annecy International Animation Festival in Annecy, France. His second animated film, Gary Larson's Tales From The Far Side II, premiered in 1997 in the United States at the Telluride Film Festival and in Europe at the Venice International Film Festival.
Gary Larson has always made use of biology and science. It seems he likes to put animals in human situations, like the praying mantis woman accusing another of having an affair with her mate and being told "Surely you know that I would only eat my own husband", or the cow with a bib and knife and fork sitting behind a big pile of steaks proclaiming to the herd that they tasted a bit like chicken. Surreal, crazy talk, if you like it you'll love it. Some people never understand the humour. It can vary from simple & obvious, to oblique and obscure. However, most of my family and friends understand the humor all too well:-)
It has taken me awhile to read every page of these two volumes. A laugh out loud and/or guffaw, but always, always a smile on my face when I was faced with the humor. Some are so obscure that I am still wondering what they really were all about. but I enjoyed them all the same. This is a gift of a lifetime. My family when visiting all seem to veer toward the two volumes in their slipcase perched so invitingly on my coffee table. One of us will start reading out loud, and soon we will all be engulfed in laughter.
Highly, Highly Recommended. prisrob 07-22-08
Last Chapter and Worse
Unnatural Selections
Book Review: Heavyweight
Summary: 5 Stars
I used to half wonder if the hilarious cartoonist Gary Larson should be locked away in a padded room. After all, how can someone with such a tilted and iconoclastic view of the world be sane? The Far Side is long gone from newspaper funny pages, but I'll admit that the thought crossed my mind again as I flipped through the pages of this massive collection. Yes, "massive" is the right word. A few days ago in a bookstore in Milan, I saw what was reported to be the first copy of the book in Italy. It took both hands to transfer the collection to the viewing table, and I almost had to remind myself to lift with my knees and not my back. The literature that came with it said it tipped the scales at around 9 kilos or nearly 20 pounds. That's almost as much as the spare tire for a car, or more than a case of wine. Obviously, Mr. Larson would be more likely to compare the weight to a family of talking chickens or that troublemaker Rex, the dog-philosopher -- but the uninitiated wouldn't figure that out until the books are actually open.
When open, of course, the warped humor of the Far Side takes over. I loved the strip from the first time I saw it: this time around I felt very nostalgic about re-experiencing the brief instant between when I finish looking at the panel and when I "get" it, and the personal recognition at feel when I see the puzzled look or knowing smirk that the child-like drawings manage to convey.
Looking at this new book, another quality to Mr. Larson's work came into focus: I think it speaks directly to the creative and self-deprecating side of American culture we have seen too little of lately. It's not universal ... few non-Americans understand it. In a busy bookstore in the center of Milan, with customers poking around the latest releases on subjects as mundane as writing HTML code and gossip about the Formula 1 race car circuit, I got lost in the pages of this collection for more than 45 minutes without anyone looking over my shoulder or asking me when I'd be finished. It had been on display for 10 days or two weeks, and yet the pages looked almost untouched.
There's more here than just Far Side cartoons -- its pages incorporate angry reader responses to cartoons, and some of the clever responses. They include essays (including one from Steve Martin!), explanations, and anecdotes, all of it with top quality binding.
All in all, it's not surprising that it's such a hefty production. I didn't buy it (there was a weight limit for my baggage), but I will. It's a perfect gift for any Far Side lover you know, or, better yet, for the Far Side lover you are.
Book Review: A Piece of History
Summary: 5 Stars
The first thing you notice about The Complete Far Side is its weight. This is a heavy item. (...) Even the slipcase is made of some super-industrial-strength cardboard, because a regular thickness just wouldn't be up to the task of housing the two absolutely massive bound volumes within. You really can't imagine how big and heavy this thing is. Get a rough estimate in your mind. Now double it. Good, you're getting close. (...)P>The second thing you notice is quality. Everything from the full-color pages (even when the comics are in black-and-white) to the cloth binding with gold embossing, to the full-color plates decorating the outside of the slipcase shouts "We are the nicest-looking books you will ever own."<P(...) So, you may want to buy it in a bookstore where you can ensure your copy is perfect).
Even if the contents were the Detroit Yellow Pages, these books would still be a pleasure just to look at and feel. Fortunately, the contents are a long way better than the Yellow Pages. And that brings us to the third thing you'll notice: the absolute, pure, unalloyed genius of Gary Larson. You get every Far Side ever published along with a heap that never have been. Lots of old comics I remembered as being in black and white, are redone in color here. Plus you get several meaty essays by Gary Larson himself, that add even more context to the Far Side phenomenon.
But the best part of The Complete Far Side may not even be Larson's work -- rather, it's the exhaustive documentation of people's reaction to it. Every time some nutjob with too much time on his hands wrote an angry letter to the newspaper complaining about a Far Side, that letter is reproduced here next to the panel in question. Often, the syndicate's response is included as well.
People who complain that they've already read, and bought, many of the comics in this compendium are missing the point. This is the book equivalent of a DVD Ultimate Edition. No, it's better than that. This is more than a bunch of comics; it's a historical record of an artist's life's work and the impact it had on the world around him. This is a work of art that you will keep in your family and hand down through the generations, unless you sell it on Ebay in a few years for five times its current price. It's the highest-quality version possible of one of the highest-quality comics ever created.
Ultimately, I can say only this: the Complete Far Side belongs in the collection of anyone who loves books. Or humor itself. Or weiner dogs. Cows. Primates. Scientists. Insects. Grannies in those pointy glasses. Dinosaurs...
Book Review: LOVE LARSON BY THE POUND!!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember the very first Larson cartoon I ever saw; it was "The Holsteins visit the Grand Canyon" and showed 4 Holsteins with their backs to the Grand Canyon, mother, father, sister and brother and the brother, who had his hoof behind his sister's head...pure joy! Larson's world is our own, we feel an immediate kinship with his magical POV on everyday things, and immerse ourselves in delight at his keen eye and ability to tell a story in a (deceptively!)simple line drawing. This humor is the pure, unadulterated joy you had as a child, and haven't quite forgotten yet. Bobbing for Poodles (changed from Bobbing for Babies!) and the alligators resting on the bank of the lake having just consumed an unwary swimmer...the dog hiding behind the washing machine and the wall, with his "CAT FUD" signs leading the family cat right into his trap...saying "Oh please, oh please..." The hunter with his enormous, oversized head walking right into a headhunters tribe in the remote jungle of Larson Land...the snake on the chair in his living room, a huge pig, half consumed, sticking out of his mouth, and the phone ringing...and the caption: "DANG"...etc., etc. No matter how many times you see the cartoons, you enjoy them just as much the subsequent times; they actually hold up over time/repeated viewings, they are that good. You marvel at the genius of someone who can take ordinary things and turn them into such hilarious, universal jokes. Everyone appreciates them; (everyone with any sense of humor, that is...)and somehow you could never get enough Larson...until now. I am luxuriating in the perusing of these weighty books, and I know, that when I finish them, I will start all over again at the beginning...and hope there will be enough material, someday, for a Larson 2, just as weighty. The quality is astonishing, and I am quite a bibliophile, fortunate enough to be blessed with a large number of books, but have never seen any quite like this, or of this quality. Extraordinary. The pages are beautiful, as is the binding, and the color and text are showcased as never before; this is the ultimate gift for any Larson fan. I have, so far, ordered two, and am about to order a third; the UPS driver has been glaring at me with undisguised hatred in his eyes, yet I must have extra copies for those friends and relatives who share my enthusiasm for this incredibly gifted artist and his quirky, marvelous vision of the world. With all due apologies to the UPS guy, Larson, you are the best!Book Review: The best collection of one of the greatest comics ever
Summary: 5 Stars
My shelves were already cluttered with several volumes of "Far Side" collections (sitting proudly beside my "Bloom County" and "Calvin and Hobbes" volumes) when I strolled past these beauties at a book store. My eyes must have nearly popped out of my head and I had to walk over and gently remove these hefty volumes from the protective box. The price tag caught the corner of my eye and I have to be honest - you have GOT to be a hard-core comic lover to drop over 80 bucks for a collection of comics. The Mrs. gave me a funny look. "You don't need THAT, do you?" Turns out the Mrs. had secretly just purchased this very collection as a present. What a wife! You still with me? If you can see yourself spending 90 dollars buying a "comic book" - you've got to get this collection.Gary Larson doesn't have quite the visual flair of Bill Watterson or Berkely Breathed, but the lack of artistic sophistication is part of the charm of this fantastic series. Crude line drawings get right to the point and Larson's captions hit the nail squarely on the head.
In the universe of the Far Side cows and ducks and often microscopic organisms have equal status with humans. Larson looks at many of our most commonly held misconceptions and frailties, has us gaze into the mirror, then twists the mirror to hilarious result.
To "get" the Far Side requires some basic education. You have to know about bacteria and space exploration and a little history to know what the heck the joke is, but he doesn't pander to us. It's also decidedly NOT all "high-brow". My personal favorite frame shows the aftermath of a messy barroom brawl, with bodies and broken furniture strewn about. A barmaid is trying to explain to a cop how "the little sailor guy" went crazy after eating some spinach and crazy music started playing. How many episodes of "Popeye" would you have to see to "get" that joke? I don't know - but knowledge of the folklore about Popeye is essential for that joke. He similarly skews fairy tales along with legends about vampires and devils and angels.
Another fantastic element to this collection are Mr. Larson's insightful comments which separate the "chapters" - describing some of his inspirational process as well as struggles he encountered along the way trying to produce The Far Side.