Thescreescore – In the golden age of mid-century science fiction, the silver screen was dominated by terrifying visitors from beyond the stars. For legendary cartoonist Gary Larson, this era of UFO fever and cinematic dread wasn’t just pop culture; it was the creative fuel that powered the surreal, often absurd universe of The Far Side.
While Hollywood often leaned into the terror of the unknown, Larson found the hilarity in the cosmic. He transformed the grand concept of an interstellar takeover into a series of bite-sized, existential punchlines. From social commentary to pure slapstick, here are seven of the most brilliant alien-themed strips in the Far Side canon.
1. The News Anchor Conspiracy
In a strip that feels like a fever dream directed by John Carpenter, Larson tackles the concept of the "hidden invader." Drawing visual inspiration from classics like They Live, this 1991 masterpiece suggests that news anchors are actually extraterrestrials whose disguises only extend from the waist up. It is a biting, cynical jab at how easily humanity can be manipulated by the very sources of information we trust blindly.
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2. Roy’s Fatal Mistake
First contact is usually depicted as a moment of profound awe, but Larson views it through the lens of a tragic misunderstanding. When a saucer lands on Roy’s farm, the visitors emerge looking remarkably like giant human hands. In a misguided attempt at a friendly greeting, Roy seizes the leader and shakes it vigorously—unwittingly triggering the annihilation of the entire planet. It is a masterclass in how biological differences could turn a handshake into a catastrophe.
3. The Crosswalk Saboteurs
Ever wonder why "Walk/Don’t Walk" signs seem to be everywhere? In this 1988 gem, Larson posits a terrifyingly mundane theory: the signs are actually aliens in disguise. Their master plan? To slowly dismantle human civilization through a series of "malfunctions" and traffic accidents. It’s a perfect blend of urban observation and sci-fi paranoia.
4. The Punchline of "Henry"
This six-panel sequence is a triumph of visual storytelling. A man named Henry is walking through a field when a saucer descends, an alien emerges, delivers a sudden, brutal left hook, and vanishes. The brilliance lies in the caption: "Henry never knew what hit him." Larson plays with the idiom to highlight the sheer, senseless randomness of the encounter.
5. A Western Inspiration?
Long before Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens hit theaters, Larson was already riffing on the concept. His 1994 strip presented a romanticized, absurd mash-up of the Old West and space invaders. While the film remains a cult curiosity, Larson’s original vision remains the gold standard for the genre-bending concept.
6. The Cosmic Pranksters
Sometimes, an invasion isn’t about conquest; it’s about the joke. In one wordless panel, a group of aliens lands during a peaceful picnic only to fire a "weapon" that releases a flag reading "Zzz!" It is a cruel, hilarious subversion of the "menacing invader" trope, leaving the humans traumatized by the sheer absurdity of the encounter.
7. The Sitcom Interruption
In a clever nod to 1970s pop culture, Larson once depicted a fleet of saucers descending upon Earth just as a woman complains about her television signal cutting out. The joke, timed perfectly with the era of Laverne & Shirley reruns, suggests that the end of the world might just be a minor inconvenience to our domestic comforts.
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