My 12-year-old son is enamored with The Far Side comics by Gary Larson. And with just cause: the man's work is ingenious. If you've not read a cartoon or two by Larson or if you're not familiar with the work at all, stop reading this right now. I mean it. Leave this page. And go immerse yourself in one of the collections.
Larson's talent is a true gift to this world. Although he's now a bit of a recluse and hasn't created anything new in 20 years, his comics are timeless. In fact, they're practically new each time I read them. I love the connection (or even the disconnect) between the art and caption, the seemingly random allusions to literature or history or idioms. The comics, laugh-out-loud funny, make me think, make me thread together my literal and my creative sides. They challenge me, even in something as simple as a joke. Which is why, when my son decides to put down a novel in favor of some "lighter" Far Side reading, I never complain.
Larson's talent is a true gift to this world. Although he's now a bit of a recluse and hasn't created anything new in 20 years, his comics are timeless. In fact, they're practically new each time I read them. I love the connection (or even the disconnect) between the art and caption, the seemingly random allusions to literature or history or idioms. The comics, laugh-out-loud funny, make me think, make me thread together my literal and my creative sides. They challenge me, even in something as simple as a joke. Which is why, when my son decides to put down a novel in favor of some "lighter" Far Side reading, I never complain.
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