Gary Larson’s The Far Side ran for decades, but the late 1980s were its peak — the years when the strip became a national phenomenon and Larson pushed his puns to the limit. A new ranking looks at seven of the worst puns from that period, presenting them as the highest praise.
The list covers the years 1987 and 1988, the period just after the strip exploded in popularity and before Larson took a year off to rest. For fans, these are the cartoons that defined the strip’s signature style — absurd, layered, and often deliberately awful. The ranking argues that the funniest puns are the ones that stretch the furthest, and it ranks them from the least ridiculous to the most.
What Counts As A Bad Pun
The ranking opens with a confession: the line between a good pun and a bad one is slippery. The author compares it to quicksand, a Far Side favorite. The list uses an inverse scale — puns get worse as they get more elaborate, and the worst are the ones that most people hate.
The author admits that some of these jokes are eye-roll inducing for people who don’t like puns. For Far Side fans, though, the jokes get funnier the more they get punnier.
The Top Seven Puns
“The Crepes Of Wrath” leads the list, published October 27, 1988. It’s a proper pun, not one of Larson’s most ludicrous stretches, and it references two things at once. The title borrows from The Grapes Of Wrath, by John Steinbeck, which in turn takes its title from “The Battle Hymn Of The Republic.” That makes it a double reference.
In the cartoon, “the crepes of wrath” strike back at an unlucky diner, lodging in his throat while he eats at “Le Petite Cafe.” The joke is simple — someone was bound to make it at some point — and Larson put it in print first.
“Wildlife Preserves” comes in second, published October 18, 1987. It’s a Sunday strip that uses the widescreen format to full effect. The joke depends on a single letter. A wildlife preserve, a protected stretch of land for plants and animals, becomes something very different when you add that ‘s’ to the end.
It becomes a place where animals are stuffed into oversized jars, like jelly and jam. The visual sells the punchline — Larson uses the extra space to show the jars spread across the plains.
“Romeo And Juliant” lands at number three, published February 28, 1988. It’s another Sunday comic and another literary reference. This time it’s to Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet. The pun stretches the title to “Juliant,” and the joke implies that the rival anthills would be called the “Capulants” and “Montantgues.”
The visual helps. The two lovelorn ants meet in the exact middle of the oversized frame, with their families piled up behind them toward the outer limits of the panel.
“Fruitcases” takes the number four spot, published November 18, 1987. It’s described as a ridiculous slice of wordplay. It’s a simple joke — suitcases made of fruit. Larson offers half a dozen examples: apple, banana, grapes, lemon.
The ranking suggests the joke might be an example of a Far Side produced under the pressure of a growing production schedule. Even so, it’s patented Larsonian humor, exactly the kind of thing readers were starting to expect by 1987.
“How The Human Egg Is Often Deceived” sits at five, published October 11, 1988. It’s an underrated pun. Larson uses his favorite recurring joke form — the faux-documentary style. The cartoon could be a photograph and caption from an issue of Scientific American, except Larson imagines sperm engaging in the art of deception to gain entry to the egg.
“Conceive” becomes “deceive,” as one sperm masquerades as an insurance salesman, another as a phone repairman, and one more as a deliverer saying “package for you to sign, ma’am.”
“Take My Wife’s Fleas” closes out the ranking, published August 11, 1987. It’s one of the funniest Far Side dog comics. It’s also one of the best Far Side cartoons about stand-up comics. Larson envisions the canine version of pioneering 20th-century comedian Henny Youngman up on stage, delivering his classic line.
Because that’s exactly what deadpan dog humor would be like.
The Ranking’s Own Sense Of Humor
The ranking’s own sense of humor is part of its appeal. It’s clearly written by someone who loves the genre’s bad reputation, and it treats the puns with affection even as it rates them. The jokes are ranked from least ridiculous to most, and the list’s own description of what makes a good pun is itself a pun — the inverse scale means the worst puns are the ones that most people hate.
The ranking is available now.
Key Facts Box
- “The Crepes Of Wrath”: October 27, 1988
- “Wildlife Preserves”: October 18, 1987
- “Romeo And Juliant”: February 28, 1988
- “Fruitcases”: November 18, 1987
- “How The Human Egg Is Often Deceived”: October 11, 1988
- “Take My Wife’s Fleas”: August 11, 1987
See the video the story is built around at Screen Rant.
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