the far side cast of characters
By
Robert Wood
Published 4 minutes ago
Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words.
Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II.
Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno.
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Fans of The Far Side rejoice - not only has Gary Larson released a brand-new comic, but it's a great gag that calls back almost four decades into the strip's history.
Gary Larson's New Far Side Comic Is a Tribute to Jane Goodall
FAR SIDE APES
While The Far Side was officially syndicated from 1979-1995, Larson has revisited his beloved comic multiple times since. Most notably, under the 'New Stuff' heading on the official Far Side website, which Larson uses as a playground for experimenting with digital art tools. The latest entry came on October 15, showing a chimpanzee band screeching out a song.
new far side comic about jane goodall
The main joke of the strip shows a 'reserved' sign for celebrated primatologist Dame Jane Goodall, who famously lived among the apes of Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to study their behavior (a fact referenced by the gig being held at 'Club Gombe.' Not also the very literal banana daiquiris.)
jane goodall with a chimp
As well as a funny gag, the strip also functions as a tribute to Goodall, who passed away on October 1 this year. And for fans who know about Larson and Goodall's connection, it goes a lot deeper.
Far Side's Jane Goodall History Explained
the far side jane goodall comic
Larson's new tribute strip isn't his first comic about Jane Goodall. In 1987, Larson penned a strip where the joke implied that Goodall was the home-wrecker in a chimpanzee marriage. While the joke was made in good fun, the Jane Goodall Institute didn't see it that way, writing into the Arizona Daily Star to complain, with the group's executive director writing:
To refer to Dr. Goodall as a tramp is inexcusable ... The cartoon was incredibly offensive and in such poor taste that readers might well question the editorial judgment of running such an atrocity in a newspaper that reputes to be supplying the news to persons with a better than average intelligence. The cartoon and its message were absolutely stupid.
Chastened, Larson made sure the comic wasn't reprinted, even when the National Geographic Society reached out for permission to republish it. Thankfully, the representative who contacted Larson was a friend of Goodall, and didn't understand the reaction, stating that, "That doesn't sound like the Jane Goodall we know."
nationa geographic cover showing jane goodall and a chimp
In our reader poll of the best Far Side comics that make fun of celebrities, Larson's Jane Goodall strip won with 24% of the vote.
Sure enough, when Goodall was contacted, it was the first she'd heard of the strip. Rather than being offended, Goodall was tickled by the gag and reached out to Larson, thanking him for providing her "Real fame at last!" This point of contact began a friendship between Larson and Goodall, with Larson even traveling to Tanzania to see Goodall's work in person.
Jane Goodall went on to write the foreword for Larson's The Far Side Gallery 5 collection, while Larson auctioned Far Side art with the proceeds going to Goodall's foundation.
the far side gallery 5
In that context, Larson's new work is more than just a new Far Side gag - it's a fond goodbye to a friend who helped make the world a better (funnier) place.
The Far Side
Writer
Gary Larson
Colorist
Gary Larson
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