36 Years Later, The Far Side’s Last Comic Remains Undefeated in Comic Strip History

Published Aug 23, 2026, 1:58 PM EDT

Published on January 1, 1995, Larson’s final Far Side comic strip served as an ingenious and frankly hilarious fourth-wall-breaking goodbye to his readers. While the farewell was undoubtedly bittersweet, marking the end of one of the most legendary comic strips of all time, it was also quintessentially Larson. The cartoonist pulled together some of the most beloved signature elements and recurring tropes that had defined his strip throughout its 15-year run.

The final strip was a two-panel comic, breaking from Larson’s typical one-panel format. The first panel featured Larson himself standing on a platform alongside a parody of Glinda the Good Witch of the North from The Wizard of Oz. Surrounding Larson and Glinda are some of the comic strip’s most iconic recurring characters, including the Nerdy Kid, the Devil, cavemen, the woman with the horn-rimmed glasses, and various recurring animals, including cows, ducks, dogs, and more.

However, it isn’t just Larson standing among his creations that makes this such an iconic fourth-wall break and legendary ending. It is the dialogue between Glinda and Larson across the two panels that truly elevates the comic, delivering a farewell so perfectly suited to The Far Side that it remains unparalleled to this day.

The Far Side’s Last Comic, Explained

Comic Strip from Gary Larson’s The Far Side, Published on January 1, 1995

Larson has featured his parodied versions of The Wizard of Oz’s iconic characters in multiple strips throughout his 15-year run. Hence, it was somewhat fitting to see this recurring gag return once again for The Far Side’s finale. Standing on the platform with Glinda and surrounded by his creations, Glinda tells Gary, “Why, Gary, you've always had the power to go home! Just close your eyes, quack three times, and think to yourself, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home..."”

Glinda telling Gary to “quack three times” is a nod to The Wizard of Oz’s iconic “click your heels three times,” but Larson puts his own twist on it by alluding to the recurring ducks that became such an iconic part of The Far Side’s humor. The implication is also that, for the past 15 years, Gary has been held hostage by his own comic strip, delivering one of the most iconic fourth-wall breaks in comics.

The next panel then brilliantly carries over The Wizard of Oz tribute, showing Gary waking up in his bed back home. Fans will note that the first panel is presented in full color, while the second is in black and white. This is a clever nod to the movie, which depicts the land of Oz in color and Kansas, Dorothy’s home, in black and white.

In his bed, Larson is surrounded by his family and friends, who look remarkably similar to some of The Far Side’s most iconic characters. His dialogue states, “And Aunt Zelda, all the women looked like you, and Uncle Bob, all the cows looked like you, and Ernie, there were cavemen that looked like you, and there were all these nerdy little kids like you, Billy; and there were monsters and stupid-looking things, and animals could talk, and some of it was confusing and... and... and.. On, wow! There's no place like home.”

Hence, the joke here is that the “real people” in Larson’s life inspired the characters of The Far Side. This ending is truly brilliant, and it’s this brilliance, combined with some of the most iconic tropes and gags featured throughout The Far Side, that makes it not only the perfect ending for the legendary comic, but one of the all-time best endings in comic strip history.