The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever syndicated - more than 4,000 comic gems, with more than 1,100 that have never previously appeared in book form! Also included is a rare glimpse into the mind of Far Side creator Gary Larson, with his quirky and thoughtful introductions to each of the 14 chapters. Still want more? Complaint letters, fan letters, and queries from puzzled readers round out this eclectic and definitive collection of what many people consider the most side-splitting cartoon of all time. Actor, author, and comedian Steve Martin writes the delightful and pithy foreword, and Larson's former editor describes what it was like to be "the guy who could explain every Far Side cartoon." It's everything you could want from The Far Side - and much, much more!

Revered by fans as the funniest, most original, most "What the ...?" - inspiring cartoon ever, The Far Side last appeared over nine years ago and still boasts millions of rabid devotees. During its 14-year run, the cartoon was syndicated internationally in more than 1,900 daily newspapers, translated into 17 different languages, and spawned 22 Far Side books.
Gary Larson calls The Complete Far Side, the massive two-volume collection of his Far Side cartoons, an "18-pound hernia giver." Sure to give any coffee table a solid workout, the handsome and heavy 1,272-page "legacy book" is a must for fervent fans; over 4,300 single-panel comics with more than half in color and 1,100 that have not appeared in any book form before (the popular--and far less weighty--paperback collections).

Set in rough chronological order, the comics share pages with occasional letters from fans, detractors, editors, folks made famous by a particular cartoon, and those begging for explanations. Though few explanations are provided (Larson personally supplies merely one, plus a single apology), this collection helps answer the inevitable "how do you think up these things" conundrum. Before each year's cartoons, Larson provides insight with essays about his childhood, various travels, occupational hazards, and his official rules for dealing with bedtime monsters (which often turned out to be his older brother). Most wonderful is the first essay on how the comic started. (His longtime editor Jake Morrissey's long introduction is a must read on The Far Side's story).

Despite no central characters, it's easy to spot patterns in Larson's wild and wacky cartoons. Animals, insects, and inanimate objects often exhibit all-too-human impulses. Larson's subjects are often in scenes of peril--disasters, visits to hell, and perhaps a hundred cartoons set on a one-palm tree deserted island. It is what Larson's fertile imagination mined from those situations that created fans and enemies for 14 years. (Larson retired at his peak and then went into jazz music). The comics are not indexed (how could they be--first lines? listings of cartoons with cows?); finding a favorite requires a great memory for its publication date. Best simply to peruse the pages of this beautiful collection in which you will certainly find more than a few new chuckles before landing on your beloved Larson sketch. --Doug Thomas

Customer Rating:
Summary: a trip through history
Comment: If you are of a certain age then you grew up with the daily Far Side and likely had a Far Side calendar on your desk at some point. I love Larson's humor and this two volume set (as some have noted it is very very heavy) is well worth reading and re-reading. All the normal Larson favorites are there: the bugs, the nerds, and animals of all sorts. I've enjoyed coming across those special cartoons that touched me at some point in my life in the 80's and 90's.

I found the introductory comments for each year by Gary Larson to be fluff pieces, hardly worth reading and they don't add much to the overall edition. Perhaps as funny as some of the cartoons are the letters from people and companies who have been impinged upon by Gary's humor; some of the letters against his cartoons are funny because of the poor grammar, spelling mistakes, and indicate that the world indeed is populated by people as strange as anything ever included in a cartoon.

After reading through the volumes over the Christmas vacation I'm not sure what to do with the books now. They are too large and heavy for bedside reading and don't fit the mold for a coffee table book. I guess they will go back on the shelf until the next time I need a Larson fix.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Marvelous, simply marvelous!
Comment: This is even better than I had expected. The background notes and supplemental response letters are fantastic. I've missed his humor through theses years and now, when the desire arises, all I have to do is pick up a book and open to a page.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A Far Side Fan's MUST HAVE
Comment: Having grown up on the Far Side daily "tear-sheet" calendars (man I miss those) it was awesome to be able to get everything in a giant collectible-type tome. This anchor is worth it's weight in laughs! Remembering your favorites and revisiting the forgotten gems - funny how timeless actually are!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Somewhat excessive
Comment: I bought this set in 2007. It is big and well bound.

The problem with it is that each volume is big & heavy and takes a lot of space to read. In a lot of ways, someone might be better off with a collection of lighter, paper bound versions. It is sort of like do you buy hard bound books or paper bound? I usually buy paper bound as they are more convenient and are easy to carry around. Others, who primarily read in one place, prefer hard bound.

Also, I am not a fan of colouring images that originally were black and white. To me, they are more subtle and interesting when in their original black and white.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Worth It!
Comment: WOW! When people stress the weight of this item, they are NOT kidding! I received the package in a half-open box. Luckily, the content inside was well wrapped! Not only is this a collection of Gary Larson's work throughout the years, it also has a fascinating history about him as well. In addition to his cartoons, there are also some pretty cool tid-bits throughout the book. For example, when someone wrote a letter to Mr. Larson explaining that his humor is sick and demented. Hahaha... there are copies of such letters in these books. AWESOME PURCHASE! I bought it for my husband as a birthday gift. Any Far Side follower MUST have this purchase!!!!

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