The Far Side

:This article concerns the Far Side comic strip. For other uses of the expression, see Far side.

Publishing history

Gary Larson has produced 23 Far Side books, all of which made it to the New York Times bestseller list. The cartoons were first collected in small books (see list below), and some were then republished in larger "best-of" collections (The Far Side Galleries). Additional "best-of" collections were published, such as The Prehistory of The Far Side, culminating in the final, most complete publication, The Complete Far Side.

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The small collections:

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• 09-1982 The Far Side
• 08-1983 Beyond The Far Side
• 08-1984 In Search Of The Far Side
• 04-1985 Bride Of The Far Side
• 08-1985 Valley Of The Far Side
• 08-1986 It Came From The Far Side
• 04-1987 Hound Of The Far Side
• 10-1987 The Far Side Observer
• 07-1988 Night of the Crash Test Dummies
• 04-1989 Wildlife Preserves
• 10-1990 Wiener Dog Art
• 11-1991 Unnatural Selections
• 11-1992 Cows Of Our Planet
• 11-1993 The Chickens Are Restless
• 11-1994 The Curse of Madame "C"
• 10-1996 Last Chapter And Worse — this last collection was published after the end of the strip

Other books:

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• 11-1984 The Far Side Gallery
• 10-1986 The Far Side Gallery 2
• 10-1988 The Far Side Gallery 3
• 01-1989 The Prehistory of the Far Side: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit
• 10-1993 The Far Side Gallery 4
• 09-1995 The Far Side Gallery 5
• 04-1998 There's a Hair in My Dirt! — this book is not a collection of single panels
• 08-2003 The Complete Far Side: 1980-1994

The five Far Side Galleries are the most popular of the books, each of them collecting together the best cartoons from three smaller books, along with a humorous foreword by a celebrity fan, e.g. Stephen King, Robin Williams, or Jane Goodall (who herself was the subject of a controversial Far Side cartoon).

Related Topics:
Stephen King - Robin Williams - Jane Goodall

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In 1989, The Prehistory Of The Far Side was published to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the strip. In this book, Gary Larson discussed the development of The Far Side, the public's reaction to it, and presented a selection of his personal favorites from the cartoon's history, as well as previously unpublished sketches and strips rejected by his editor.

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In 1994, Larson produced an animated special, Tales From the Far Side, featuring his art style and gags from the strips. He followed with a sequel in 1997.

Related Topics:
1994 - Tales From the Far Side - 1997

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In 2003, The Complete Far Side was released, which contains nearly every Far Side comic ever published. (The collection is missing parody art pieces from Wiener Dog Art and some The Prehistory Of The Far Side material) The set featured two volumes (1980-1986 and 1987-1994), a foreword by Steve Martin, and an introduction by Larson's long-time editor Jake Morrisey. The first-edition hardcover boxed set weighs nineteen and a half pounds (8.8 kilograms).

Related Topics:
2003 - Steve Martin - Pound - Kilogram

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