10 Genius Far Side Comics Featuring the Invention of Fire, Rhe Wheel, & More

Among The Far Side’s most reliable recurring bits was creator Gary Larson’s depiction of ancient humans – and perhaps the funniest subgenre of these prehistoric cartoons was Larson’s portrayal of humanity’s earliest inventions. From fire, to the wheel, to the first dance, The Far Side offered hilariously skewed accounts of civilization’s earliest days.

Most famously, one of Gary Larson’s caveman comics actually coined the term “thagomizer,” for the spiked tail of a stegosaurus. Before Larson named it in a Far Side comic – featuring a prehistoric lecturer in front of a class of primitive humans – the tail had no official name.

Beyond that, many of Gary Larson’s repeated humorous musings on humankind’s earliest innovations remain at the top of the list of most memorable Far Side installments, making them an integral part of the strip’s enduring legacy.

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10 Progress Is Never A Straight Line – Especially Not On The Far Side

First Published: August 17, 1982

In this Far Side comic, Gary Larson renders the first successful chiseling of a perfectly smooth, functional wheel – well, almost, as after contemplating his work for a moment, the prehistoric man here watches as the stone inexplicably deflates.

In a way, this cartoon is an apt metaphor for innovation – and more generally, creativity – in itself. Both the inventor and the artist have to be prepared to tirelessly hammer away at their project until it takes shape, and even once they have seemingly achieved their desired end result, there is always the possibility that it will fall flat, forcing them to start from scratch. In other words, as lofty as it might seem, this Far Side depiction of the invention of the wheel truly does capture more than just the first great human creation, but the creative spirit of humanity in itself.

9 Sometimes Accidents Are Essential To Creative Innovation

First Published: May 12, 1984

As an artist, Gary Larson relied on intuition and instinct, which was part of what made The Far Side so consistently weird. That meant that he was acutely aware of the key role happy accidents play in creativity – something that he illustrated here by depicting the invention of dance as a result ingesting “some bad beetle grubs.”

Amusing as this comic is, it is likely grounded in science, as even at the time of the panel’s publication in the 1980s, researchers were beginning to speculate about the role psychedelic substances might have played in the evolution of human consciousness and civilization. The origin of dance remains a topic of speculation for cultural anthropologists, and Gary Larson’s theory about “Greg Schwartz” and the beetle grubs is just as possible as any.

8 The Invention Of Fire – And Intimidation Tactics

First Published: May 17, 1984

In this cartoon, the secret of making fire has already been discovered, but the innovator is keeping the formula to himself – until he is tied to a chair and threatened with clubs and spears. At this ungentle prompting, he finally spills the secret, hilariously explaining how to rub two sticks together.

With this Far Side, Gary Larson does more than just depict how the technique of fire-making spread among prehistoric people; he offers an account of the earliest use of intimidation and threats to extract information. Once again, this Far Side comic feels like a humorous extrapolation on the artist’s legitimate theories about the early days of humankind – which, considering Gary Larson’s intellectual interests in science, history, and culture, is likely the case.

The Far Side Complete Collection

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Fans of the far side can’t pass up this master collection of Gary Larson’s finest work. Originally published in hardcover in 2003, this paperback set comes complete with a newly designed slipcase that will look great on any shelf. The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever published, which amounts to over 4,000, plus more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book and even some made after Larson retired. 

7 Early Civilization Was All Fun And Games

First Published: August 11, 1984

This Far Side cartoon, captioned “early musical chairs,” depicts a caveman rhythmically banging one rock against another, while three of his fellows walk around a small boulder. The joke is straightforward and innocuous enough – yet once again, it can be considered for its greater metaphorical significance.

Play is essential to human experience; from creativity, to learning, to stress relief, play occupies a central role in a healthy, balanced life. It is likely that this became deeply engrained in the species even before human consciousness fully evolved, and that it was pivotal to the most formative period of what would become human society. Though he does so humorously, Gary Larson highlights that idea here, by emphasizing the creation of the earliest games as something that was as important as the invention of the wheel and the discovery of fire.

6 The Invention Of Extreme Stunts

First Published: October 23, 1984

Captioned “early experiments in transportation,” this Far Side comic features a caveman strapped to the top of a large stone wheel, as several others prepare to roll him down a steep hill. Hilariously, another stands nearby with a primitive clipboard, prepared to record what is inevitably going to be a disastrous result.

Naturally, before the use of the wheel was going to be perfected, it needed to go through a trial-and-error process, just like any subsequent invention. Few of history’s greatest innovations have come without some level of danger, and Gary Larson depicts that here in laugh-out-loud fashion, as the unfortunate test driver of the oversized wheel in this Far Side comic prepares to take one for the team – the team being all of civilization and generations of future human drivers.

5 One Unfortunate Lizard Changed The Trajectory Of Human Dining

First Published: December 3, 1984

This Far Side panel depicts the first instance in human history in which a person was thoroughly stuffed and satisfied following a hearty meal – until catching sight of a tantalizing treat, forcing them to find the will, and room in their stomach, for a few more bites.

Captioned “the origin of ‘dessert’,” this cartoon features a group of prehistoric human beings sitting in their cave, surrounded by the licked-clean bones of a fresh kill, when an unfortunate lizard finds itself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many of Gary Larson’s funniest caveperson panels transposed modern human behaviors onto their earliest ancestors; this panel does precisely that, while continuing the trend of Larson’s imaginative accounts of prehistory’s moments of gamechanging innovation.

4 The Invention Of Better Tools Shaped Human History

First Published: January 17, 1986

In this panel, a prehistoric craftsman curses the fact that the tools of his trade haven’t caught up to his needs yet. Just as the scientists of thousands of years later would need to wait for technology to catch up to their their theories, this ancient artisan may not witness the fine distinction between a hammer and a crescent wrench in his lifetime.

The use of tool is, of course, one of the signs humans have come to look for in other species, as an indicator of intelligence. It is understood that this was one of the things that helped push humanity up the evolutionary ladder – and subsequently, as this Far Side comic playfully illustrates, human progress has been closely tied to the consistent innovation of tools and technology.

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3 Humor Was Vital To Shaping Society – Up To & Including The Far Side

First Published: March 11, 1986

This Far Side cartoon makes the case that as long as there has been humor, there have been hecklers. Considering that comedy has played an essential role in the development of human culture, it can be reasonably argued that the response to criticism has done the same.

Here, Gary Larson depicts the so-called “missing link,” in ape-to-human evolution – and as it turns out, it is a stand-up comedian, who points out the heckler in the audience and asks, “sir, did you walk here tonight or brachiate?“ Though readers may need to look up “brachiate,” to confirm that it is not another word Larson made up, like “thagomizer,” once they know it means “to swing from branch to branch,” this Far Side cartoon becomes significantly funnier.

2 Some Thinkers Are Truly Ahead Of Their Time – Not Unlike Gary Larson

First Published: February 18, 1987

This Far Side comic depicts a caveman’s successful creation of fire – something his wife is so proud to witness that she says, “if only we had a camera,” before adding, “but of course, I’m getting ahead of myself.”

Of course, the anachronism of her comment is the punchline here, and it is a particularly effective one, as her mention of technology thousands of years out of date adds a burst of absurdity to an otherwise innocuous image. Like the cavewoman here, Gary Larson was an innovator, someone who thought in ways that were years ahead of his time – as exhibited best by modern internet humor, which is incredibly similar to, if not outright inspired by, The Far Side.

1 Why Buy A Used Wheel When You Can Chisel One New?

First Published: February 22, 1987

This comic combines The Far Side’s prehistoric characters with Gary Larson’s penchant for goofy wordplay, as a cave-couple stand in a used wheel lot, as a shady dealer tells them, “Now here’s a good buy…she rolls a little rough, but she’s really solid.”

Two small details make this cartoon particularly funny. First, the wheel in question has a flat bottom, even though it is surrounded by many more fully-rounded wheels – making it all the more clear the “early wheeler-dealer,” is an unscrupulous huckster. By far the funniest part of the drawing, however, is the dealer in question’s slicked back pompadour, which makes it evident that when it comes to The Far Side, the more some things might change, the more others stay the same.

The Far Side

The Far Side is a humorous comic series developed by Gary Larson. The series has been in production since 1979 and features a wide array of comic collections, calendars, art, and other miscellaneous items.