The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set)
by Gary Larson, Steve Martin
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Book Reviews of The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set)
Book Review: A future museum piece
Summary: 5 Stars
Gary Larson was of course a genius. I loved his Far Side cartoons in the 1980's, and even today miss that Far Side greeting cards appear to now be a thing of the past. His work in a single panel - just a handful of square inches - was always excellent. The joke might be obvious, or subtle (or both). Reality and absurdity juxtaposed together. I'd love to say that the Far Side was a thinking man's (or woman's) comic, but in fact it was everyman's comic.
This is then the complete collection of the Far Side comics, in two hardbound volumes surrounded by a slipcase. There is an introduction by Larson, and then every Far Side comic he ever drew...well, had published, anyway. The only thing missing is the content of Prehistory of the Far Side - but how do you work that into a collection like this organically?
Its expensive, but like the Complete Calvin, cheap at the price. Also like the Complete Calvin it is huge and unwieldly. Its not a book to take on the morning train ride, unless you have a private carriage.
This is the definitive Far Side collection, and will last forever. Probably, millions of years from now, the last copy will be preserved in a museum, being read by intelligent giant cockroaches and presumed "to have been used...for ritual purposes". How right they will be.
Book Review: 20 Lbs. of forgotten humor!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not kidding when I say make sure your coffee table is sturdy and your postal delivery person is hernia-free, this two volume collected work of Gary Larson's THE FAR SIDE is amazing..amazingly heavy. But, despair not valiant reader, the pain of this massive tome digging into your thighs as you meander through it's pages is at best causing severe nerve damage and at the very least taking you away from the horribly crushing depression that you suffer most of the time anyway. Why, do you say? Becuase Mr. Larson has devoted his entire life, all thirteen years of it, to drawing poorly constructed, one-frame cartoons, that are sure to make you either giggle or guffaw, with enough of the good ol' "oh my God, that's sick" thrown in for balance. Let's face it, you need this. Seriously. Yes, you. C'mon, your looks are fading, the years havn't been kind, and you are starting to smell funny. Wouldn't it be nice if you could somehow, magically, travel back in time, thirteen years ago, when your teenage dreams were brought to life in every new paperback edition of THE FAR SIDE? Remember how mad you were at your parents when they threw them all out, along with you, after you dropped out of the technical college for the third time? Well, you'll show them now. YOU'LL SHOW ALL OF THEM!!! HA HA HA HA HA!!!!Book Review: Gary had no idea he'd drawn so many cartoons, until one day they were published...and couldn't fit into a single volume!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you're like me, when you REALLY like an author, composer or, um cartoonist, you want to get their COMPLETE works...or at least know you CAN get them! (I still haven't got ALL of Mozart's, but getting there). Anyway, I got tired of all the compilations of Larson's greatest, I wanted to see it all! The good funny, the bad funny and the ugly funny. This book lives up to the hype, and the heft! Each book weighs like 20 lbs. There are intro essays, attempts at a humorous forward by Steve Martin that I could do without, but after all, who cares? The music of the humor is hilarious.
As another reviewer rightly pointed out, only two things are missing, seen in other published books, and only one of those I think are important enough to get: the 10th Anniversary Pre-History of the Far Side, which is quite a treat. Why they didn't add this material to this collection, even as an addendum, I'm not sure. But the insights gleaned from this paperback are so wonderful - frankly, it's just so nice to finally hear the author's actual voice, telling us HIS opinions on good efforts that misfired or were misunderstood, as well as his Graham Wilson-influenced roots - it should be in the Complete Far Side too. Since it isn't, get it, and THEN you WILL be really complete.
Thanks Mr. Larson!
Book Review: Two full volumes of graphical satire
Summary: 5 Stars
I've always been a big fan of the Far Side. I attribute all my knowledge of American culture to Gary Larson's creation, as well as MAD magazine.
Anyway, I had in the past collected a few of the individual albums, perused through my friends' collections, but then saw this beauty on Amazon and could not resist. And boy was I pleased when the delivery came... It's great value for its weight, first of all! The books weigh a ton!
The contents are great as well, all cartoons are ordered chronologically, with a foreword by Mr. Larson at the beginning of each year, giving us insight on the creation of the comics, but most entertainingly, some explanations on which parts of his life caused his mind and sense of humor to be twisted in this inimitable style. Oh and there's also some mail from readers sprinkled throughout the book, some praise, some asking what the joke is on a particular cartoon, and a lot of people greatly offended at some of the humor when it insults their own version of reality...
So in closing, if like me you enjoy the Far Side, and want to have the definitive collection, as well as a great conversation starter when you bring friends to your home (and I suppose it could double as a boat anchor for an emergency), get this, you won't regret it :)
Book Review: Gee, you mean I get to buy the same cartoons once again!?
Summary: 1 Stars
How many times must we be asked to buy the same cartoons yet again? There's nothing new here other than the wrapper and the sticker price. This continued re-selling of the same thing, over and over again, is so funny IT should be the subject of Larson's next cartoon (if he ever draws another one - and why would he when suckers keep on buying the same cartoons?) The cartoon would probably involve a doofy looking Larson character going into a bookstore through a revolving door again and again. Piles of the same book growing on the sidewalk outside the bookstore. A thought bubble over the head of the buyer..."I must be suffering from repetitive buying syndrome."I give Larson the credit he deserves while he was on the playing field. He was great. It ended in 1995, as did Watterson's reign. I don't even blame Larson for selling the same cartoons over and over. I blame the syndicate for not being creative enough to replace him.
The best thing I can say about this book is that perhaps it will finally be the LAST of the SAME THING OVER AND OVER...but that presumes too much creativity at the syndicate's end. In the long run getting a replacement for Larson would prove THE most financially successful move they could make. THIS COW HAS BEEN MILKED!