Wide-eyed Far Side Man (color, left) and a rat shrugging its shoulders (right, black & white.)
One of the joys of The Far Side is creator Gary Larson's dexterity when it comes to twisting familiar sayings to give them a totally unexpected new meaning. Larson's ability to find humor in popular phrases and iconic idioms was arguably unparalleled at his peak, and produced some of his most memorable punchlines.
Here, Gary Larson uses the phrase in the context of the shocking death of the victim, who has been crushed by a giant falling object – except by making the object an actual giant baseball, Larson skillfully doubles the meaning of the woman's words. Related Far Side Creator Gary Larson Brilliantly Described the Difference Between Cartoonists and Comedians According to Far Side creator Gary Larson, despite similar end goals, there is a significant distinction between cartoonists & stand-up comics.
6 Gary Larson "Meant Business" When It Came To Playing With Common Phrases First Published: April 9, 1990 This is another example of a comic in which Gary Larson circles back to the origin of a familiar phrase, as he depicts a horde of Vikings marching on a castle, all of them carrying briefcases, as the defenders atop the walls shout in terror that"they mean business!"
"Knocking on death's door" is generally used to describe someone who is ailing, who seems to be on the precipice of the end of their life. This can be envisioned as a knock that is welcomed, as death ushers the deceased through the door to whatever comes next; the crux of the joke here is the way Larson specifically targets that imagery, instead flipping it so that his knocker is actually a nuisance, inconveniencing these Reapers in their off hours.
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