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Summary
A caveman name Thag appear in one ofThe Far Side’smost influential comedian , in which thetail of a stegosaurus was named the " thagomizer"in his memory – terminology by and by adopted by factual palaeontologist . astonishingly , versions of this same persona appeared in about a dozenFar Sidecartoons over the year .
other human character and situation wereamong artist Gary Larson ’s favorite repeat obsessions , andThag at long last proved to be the most prolific ofThe Far Side’sprehistoric subjects , with multiple uproarious appearances to his name .
It is significant to note thatThe Far Sidedidn’t characteristic recurring " characters " in the traditional sense , so while there is some overlap between Thag control board , each one should be evaluate as distinct from the rest . That said , as much as one face – or more accurately , name – can be put onThe Far Side’scavepeople , it is Thag .
Far Side creator Gary Larson frequently return to the early days of civilisation to celebrate the origin of the species ' greatest innovations .
11Thag’s First Far Side Appearance Featured A Caveperson Love Connection
First Published: February 11, 1981
In Thag ’s debut , a cavewarming political party turn into a sports meeting - cunning , as the hostintroduces him to a woman named " Noona , " explain to her that Thag works in the rapidly expanding " Hunter and Gatherer " manufacture .
At their upright , Gary Larson ’s troglodyte comics were an opportunity for him to stab fun at modern society by recontextualizing familiar modern-day behaviors in a prehistoric setting , as is the font here . consider Thag ’s prominence among Larson ’s troglodyte , it is only fitting that his first visual aspect would be such a sterling model of this , as the artist declare oneself an mirthful jab at the practice of mutual friends setting up citizenry they eff to go out . It is one ofThe Far Side’sstrain of unproblematic , effective jokes , which often get drop off in the shuffle ofthe ridiculousness Gary Larson unleashedon a regular basis .
10Thag’s Love Life Is The Focus Again In This Early Far Side Cartoon
First Published: April 22, 1981
In this panel , Gary Larson once more explores early human romance via Thag ’s love life – except this clip in a unquestionably quirkier way , as he guide some of the civilizational veneer off the characters and gives them hints of animalistic qualities . The comedian feature two caveman , badly hidden behind a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , watching from a distance as a cavewoman returns home , while one gives the other a cautionary pep talk before he attempts to come near her .
" Remember , Thag , " come on her cautiously , his fellow traveler remarks . " If she does n’t recognize your courtship conduct , she might wipe out you . " WhileThe Far Sideregularly made animals more human , this is a suffer - out example of the opposite , as Thag becomes the drop link in the evolution of romance .
9RIP Thag – The First Time The Recurring Caveman Character Died
First Published: February 3, 1982
A great moment of triumph is likely Thag ’s last in thisFar Sidecomic . Having turn over a Inferno and entice a carnivorous vulture into it using a large lump of meat , a spear - wielding prehistorical gentleman’s gentleman shouts , " Big one , Thag! …. We caught biiiiiiig one ! " Except that in the routine of throwing his arms up in excitement , the man seemingly knocks his acquaintance Thag off balance , leaving him seesaw on the edge of the hole with the angry tool below .
Gary Larson often depicted characterson the edge of doom inThe Far Side , but rarely was that quite so genuine as it is in this Thag comic , which is laugh - out - brassy risible thanks to the startled spirit Larson quarter on Thag ’s nerve , and the way he illustrate the failing apparent movement of the character ’s arm , as he urgently tries to keep from fall into the waiting jaw of – whatever is in the endocarp .
8Thag’s Famed “Thagomizer” Was As Close To A “Sequel” As The Far Side Got
First Published: May 27, 1982
Thag appears only in memoriam in theFar Sidepanel that made him arguably Gary Larson ’s most influential quality , asa caveman lecturer informs his division that the stegosaurus ' tail is named " after the previous Thag Simmons . "
While it can be guess from the comic that this version of Thag was kill by the spiked tail of a Stegosaur stenops , the proximity of this joke to one in which another Thag was show in mortal endangerment – publish just two month earlier – distinguishes this as one of therareFar Sidepanelsthat can be called a " subsequence " of sort . At least in the sense that it seems as though Gary Larson at least recognized that he had recently depicted Thag ’s inauspicious fate , and resolve to use the same name here , respect the fallen prehistoric fellow .
7Thag Gets A Renewed Lease On Life – Just In Time To Get Iced Again
First Published: December 25, 1982
In this panel , a yoke of prehistorical fibre stand out front of their cave , star up at a giant glacier bearing down on them – as one nonchalantly remarks , " say , Thag … paries of ice closer today?“ForFar Sidereaders , it is another simple-minded , straightforward caveman joke – though for Thag himself , it is yet another brushing with mortality .
Though it is easy to think of Thag as a recur " eccentric , " this iteration emphasizes the fact that it was more accurately a go back name thatGary Larson mean was funny . This serves as a reminder that there was no strict " continuity " to Larson ’s piece of work . Only now , decades afterThe Far Sideceased publication , does it support out as notable that Thag appeared more than any other caveman name that Larson came up with .
Fans of the far side ca n’t pass up this master collection of Gary Larson ’s fine work . Originally bring out in hardcover in 2003 , this softback book Seth comes everlasting with a new design slipcase that will see corking on any shelf . The Complete Far Side hold every Far Side sketch ever release , which amounts to over 4,000 , plus more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a Holy Scripture and even some made after Larson retired .
6Thag Completes The Very Rare Far Side “Trilogy” Of Cartoons
First Published: May 21, 1983
Again , while it is important to notice that eachFar Sidepanel is mean to work in isolation – and was composed with the world-class intent ofgetting an contiguous reaction out of reader – it is also interesting to name parallels , connectedness , and repetitions in Gary Larson ’s work , of which there are certainly many .
pillowcase in point , this cartoon , in which a caveman namedThag backwash up from a incubus about his mortality rate , only for a cavewoman to reassure him with the oddly poetic declaration that , " you only stargaze we hold out just so long then die . “In a fashion , thisFar Sideties up two converging duds from early Thag appearances : his initial romantic nidus , and his subsequent brush with death .
5Thag Finally Gets To Cut Loose & Have Some Fun At The Gravel Pit
First Published: September 19, 1984
While previous Thag panels recover him sputter with issues of liveliness and death , this one features him stimulate some sinless fun – though he wo n’t emerge alone unhurt from his decision to " make crushed rock angel . “Thag might not give-up the ghost here , that ’s true , but he ’s about to find out that the experience is n’t as pleasant as it might have seemed when it first had the idea .
One of the funniest thing aboutThe Far Side’srecurring prehistoric motif was theway that Gary Larson found comedyin the theme of former humans enter out later generations ' custom the hard room . That is perfectly the case with Thag here , as he hilariously make himself case - first into a cumulus of rocks in the same style his descendants will do when it snows .
Gary Larson ’s Far Side did n’t officially use recurring characters , but his repeated use of ' the Nerdy Kid ' led to some of his best comics .
4Thag Has To Learn Some Table Manners If He’s Going To Live In A Society
First Published: September 28, 1984
Thag is the subject of another relatively lighthearted , innocuousFar Sidejoke here . In the panel , hesits at the dinner tabular array with a cavewoman , who tells him , " Thag , take napkin …. get some mammoth on face " – as he in fact has a jumbo ivory lodge to his cheek .
For Thag , this is certainly an improvement on being impaled by the tip of the ivory . In this type , far from mortal peril , Gary Larson once more use Thag to add a personal , specific emphasis to the punchline here , in which the artist offer an amusing chronicle of the evolution of societal practices – or rather , their intrusion upon the blissful body politic of nature enjoy by those less civilized among manhood ’s first contemporaries .
3Thag Gets Spiritual In This Strange Prehistoric Far Side Comic
First Published: August 8, 1987
As often as it was outrageously risible , The Far Sidewould just as easily leave readers nonplus , shake their heads , and asking " What - the?“That ’s the case with this Thag jury , which is funny moreso as a product of how strange the joke is , rather than a result of the punchline itself .
In the panel , Thag stands on a stone acting like a monkey , asthe caption explains that he is serving as " the ghostlike channeler for a two - million - year - one-time gibbon mention Gus . “It isthe kind ofFar Sidethat has fans wondering if there is more to the tale than Gary Larson has made them privy to ; further , it would n’t be beyond them to also enquire , if so , why .
2RIP Thag Pt. 2 – The Caveman Makes History By Dying Again
First Published: May 22, 1990
Once more , Thag is a bushed human beings here – but yet again , his on the face of it ignominious oddment top to him being conserve in the account books , albeit in a less - than - flattering fashion . In thisFar Sidepanel , the fabled prehistory character is depicted taking a snooze up against a cycle he has just finished chiseling , as a thirsty saber-toothed tiger tiger look on .
" Thag Anderson becomes the first fatality as a resultant of falling deceased at the wheel , " the subtitle explains , in one of the darker ofGary Larson ’s frequent puns . While apparently not the same Thag of " thagomizer " fame , this badly - fated Thag shares a similar role , just like he come across a similar fate , as Larson effectively offered another follow - up to his early sequence of jokes .
Fans of the far side can’t pass up this master collection of Gary Larson’s finest work. Originally published in hardcover in 2003, this paperback set comes complete with a newly designed slipcase that will look great on any shelf. The Complete Far Side contains every Far Side cartoon ever published, which amounts to over 4,000, plus more than 1,100 that have never before appeared in a book and even some made after Larson retired.
