The Far Side is a single-panel comic that started life in The San Francisco Chronicle, and later went on to get syndicated in more than 900 newspapers, running for exactly 15 years, until 1995.

Proving that one panel really can say it all, the comic still continues to be timeless and enduringly funny even to this day. It's hugely influential, to say the least, and its bizarre sensibilities will appeal to just about anyone. Of course, no work feels truly complete without the author's insight, and as such, Far Side fans will completely dig The PreHistory of The Far Side. It's an incredibly fascinating book, especially considering its rather benign topic, that being a single-panel newspaper comic. And, probably much to your surprise, Far Side's author Gary Larson, in his ever-easygoing fashion, divulges a lot about his years with the comic, giving fans and casual readers alike a chance to dive into the mind of the author of one of the most amusing comics to ever run.

Starting from the very beginning, Larson goes into his beginnings, with his older brother's love of frightening and disgusting him playing a huge influence on his choices of subject matter in Far Side. Mostly though, you'll get an opportunity to read a few choice strips from his earlier one-panel work, Nature's Way. Covering both this and Far Side, Larson dissects the humour and reasons why he did what he did with select strips, all without being too overbearing or overtly technical (if that were really possible with humour). If you consider yourself a dour and laughless person in need of a character makeover, Larson's commentary will certainly give you some of the finer points on what makes things funny.

Believe it or not, despite its somewhat newspaper-friendly exterior (with the occasionally dark panel), The Far Side has actually been embroiled in controversy several times. Granted, viewing said comics will make you wonder what bored suburban housewife could muster the effort to pen her indignation, but nevertheless, Larson opts to defend himself (in his humorously self-deprecating fashion), and couples it with a few choice excerpts from the reactions of irate readers. Although facing ire mostly from embittered pet owners for his comic's humorous cruelty between cats and dogs, Larson's most internationally controversial comic turned out to be one that took a jab at ape-anthropologist and gorilla-whisperer Jane Goodall. You've probably seen it; a wife gorilla (complete with winged eyeglasses as is common in the Far Side universe) chastising her husband gorilla for “conducting research” with that “Goodall tramp” finding blonde hairs in his fur.

Many more comics like it — otherwise harmless with humorous intent, being splayed by people carrying pitchforks and torches with nothing better to do — are all given some closure.

It's a pretty thickly packed book. There are plenty, and I really do mean plenty, of cool behind-the-scenes stories on the history of this comic. It would seem odd to recommend a book on the history of a newspaper comic that, while enjoying some cult success to this day, is otherwise not spoken about all too often, but really, the only prerequisite to reading The PreHistory of The Far Side is having read the comic and enjoyed it.

Reading Between The Lines explores books that you may have missed out on that are worth your while. If you have a book to suggest, email Eshaan at e_gupta@fanshaweonline.ca.