MostFar Sidewore glasses, and this was more than an aesthetic decision, but rather a creative choice that played a pivotal role in creator Gary Larson’s comic, both at the level of his artistic process, and later, in how readers responded to a panel. Given the often minimalist nature of Larson’s work, every detail is especially important, and spectacles were essential to makingThe Far Sidespectacular.
The importance of glasses inFar Sidecartoons was an extension of the vital role played by characters’ eyes, whichGary Larson’s long-time editor called “the best part” ofThe Far Side.
For this to be the case, readers’ attention had to be directed to a particular character’s eyes in a panel, andone crucial way that Larson prioritized their importance was by obscuring the eyeballs of surrounding characters. Underlying this, though, is an even simpler reason for drawing most ofThe Far Side’scharacters with glasses: time.
Put Simply, Drawing Most Far Side Characters With Glasses Saved Gary Larson Time
The Creative Process Side Of The Answer
Aside from several sabbaticals Gary Larson took during his career,The Far Sidewas in continuous publication for fifteen years. In other words,The Far Sidewas made on a time crunch; like most popular art, it was produced in accordance with a schedule, and as much as Larson was inclined to write and rewrite his captions, and draw and redraw his illustrations, only so much of hislate-night work sessions forThe Far Sidecould be devoted to any single cartoon. This ultimately necessitated certain shortcuts, or creative shorthand, which became part ofThe Far Side’ssignature style.
Even if it was simply a matter of time management, or for the sake of the bit, every time Gary Larson drew one of his characters with glasses, it was done with purpose.
One of these wasthe ubiquitous use of glasses to limit the range of expression on a character’s face. This allowed Larson to leaveFar Sidecharacters' eyes opaque, and consequently, open to readers' interpretations. From Gary Larson’s most bare-bones black-and-white panels, to his most meticulously detailed, full-color cartoons, the details ofFar Sidecomics were carefully crafted, both what was included and what was omitted. Even if it was simply a matter of time management, or for the sake of the bit, every time Gary Larson drew one of his characters with glasses, it was done with purpose.
Giving Most Far Side Characters Glasses Made Eyes That Much More Prominent When Larson Drew Them
A Closer Look At The Far Side’s Humor
Glasses-wearing characters certainly savedGary Larson time during the creative process, though this was not the only way the artist found to avoid drawing eyes. Alternatively, some characters appeared with little more than a dash across their face, indicating that they were squinting, or narrowing their eyes. Ultimately, each of these variations provided the same creative “shortcut,” for Larson during composition, while alsoserving the same comedic purpose, of necessarily limiting the details of aFar Sidepanel so that the important stuff stood out to readers.
The Far Side Complete Collection
ExperiencedFar Sidereaders know to look to the eyesof characters first, and this is made possible by the fact that Larson didn’t endow all of his characters with emotive pupils. This is a subtle, yet incredibly perceptive way of guiding readers' attention when they engage withFar Sidecartoons, wordlessly telling them where to look, and over the course of manyFar Sidecomics, training them to know what to look for instinctively. Critically, of all the details Gary Larson had to play with, eyes appeared, in some way, shape, or form, in nearly every panel.
The Far Side’s Four-Eyed Characters Testify To Gary Larson’s Creative Genius
Larson’s Artistic Decision-Making Was High Level
To put it in lofty artistic terms,Gary Larson’s artistic use of glasses inThe Far Sideis the perfect synthesis of form and function; it helped facilitate theproduction ofFar Sidepanels, and also helped to elevate Larson’s humor. It is the kind of thing that might go overlooked by even the most astute fan of Larson’s work for a long time, but upon recognizing its importance, it becomes an essential part of how readers understandThe Far Side, giving them a greater appreciation for it both as an artistic achievement and as a bastion of absurdist humor.
