The Far Side’s Final Comic Of The ’80s Remains Undefeated In Comic Strip History

Published Sep 15, 2026, 5:45 PM EDT TJ Mills is an editor on ScreenRant's Comic team, where she combines her lifelong passion for DC with her analytical background as a former Intelligence Analyst. Since joining ScreenRant in 2023, she has specialized in covering major DC storylines, character evolutions, and industry developments. Gary Larson’s The Far Side is one of the most legendary comic strips of all time, notable for having two major finales: one in the ’80s and another in the ’90s that ultimately wrapped up Larson’s original run. This article focuses on the 1988 finale, AKA the final Far Side comic of the ’80s. However, be warned: We’re cheating just a smidge when it comes to what we consider Larson’s last comic of this decade. But do not fret; we’ve also included what was technically the very last comic of the ’80s, even though it was a major departure from the status quo of Larson’s work. If you’re a Far Side fan, then you may have noticed that there isn’t a single Far Side comic produced during the year of 1989. This is because that year was included in Larson’s 14-month sabbatical, which began in October 1988. After essentially producing a new cartoon every day for the last nine years, Larson understandably needed a break in the face of burnout. During this 14-month period, he genuinely stepped away from all things Far Side and spent the time traveling the world with his wife, Toni, from Africa to the Amazon, while also studying jazz guitar. Before leaving for this well-deserved sabbatical, though, Larson gifted fans with two final Far Side comics, the first of which is one of the best “first-act” goodbyes in comic strip history. 38 Years Later, The Last Far Side Comic Strip Of The ’80s Is Still 10/10 Perfect Published October 28, 1988 Gary Larson’s final Far Side strip of the ’80s was technically published on October 29, 1988. However, this strip was more of a “roll the credits” sort of strip rather than a true Far Side comic. Hence, we’ll first be looking at the strip published on October 28, 1988, as this was the strip that felt like the true finale of the decade and would introduce a theme that Larson would revisit in his last Far Side comic of the ’90s. The Far Side comic of October 28, 1988, is a hilarious fourth-wall break that pictures Gary Larson himself at his drawing desk as he pens a Far Side comic. However, a trio of his own characters interrupts him, bearing weapons. This trio is made up entirely of cows, which makes it even more quintessentially Far Side, given that cows are one of the most popular and recurring motifs of the comic strip. The strip is captioned with “The End (Act One),” undoubtedly a reference to Larson’s impending 14-month sabbatical. The humor, though, mainly comes from the visual gag of a fourth-wall break in which Larson’s own characters are coming after him. This fourth-wall break would later be repeated in the grand finale of The Far Side’s original run, though that ending would have far less violent implications. The Far Side’s TRUE Last Comic of the ‘80s, Explained Published October 29, 1988 As previously mentioned, even though the October 28, 1988, strip was explicitly captioned with “The End,” it technically wasn’t Larson’s final strip of the decade. Rather, that final comic came a day later, on October 29, 1988. This comic stands out because it breaks from The Far Side's status quo and instead feels more like a “credits scene” you might find at the end of a movie. Captioned “The Far Side Cast,” this comic features the strip's familiar faces and assigns them roles, as if they were simply actors playing the strip's recurring characters. For example, Larson reveals that “playing multiple roles,” including the Far Side’s recurring cavemen and cowboys, was a man named Daryl Simmons. This is another epic fourth-wall break by The Far Side and serves as one of the most legendary final comics in comic strip history. Writer Gary Larson Colorist Gary Larson