Far Side man wrirting (foreground) duck kicking woman down stairs (background)
The Far Side's first famous fan tells you everything you need to know about Gary Larson's transformative comic. When The Far Side launched in 1980, it was just a niche, regional thing; Larson's cartoons were originally only available in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Still, it didn't escape the elevated perception of one controversial American counterculture figure: Timothy Leary. The Complete Far Side collection reprinted a letter Gary Larson received from Timothy Leary in December 1980, praising his"cartoon blips." Of course, Leary is best known for being a pioneer of psychedelics in the 1950s and '60s. Naturally, he dug The Far Side, because the comic was a total trip. Read Psychedelic Pioneer Timothy Leary's Fan Letter To Far Side Creator Gary Larson Included In The Complete Far Side Timothy Leary's letter to Gary Larson is dated December 13, 1980. That's just a few weeks shy of The Far Side's first anniversary. The comic was still finding its audience as its first year wound down, and Leary's enthusiastic endorsement must have been the perfect sign to Larson that he was doing something right. It's not that Leary's experience with psychedelics prepared him for The Far Side's weirdness. It's that Timothy Leary was an outside-the-box thinker, just like Gary Larson. Both of them were boundary-pushers; each were avant garde thinkers in their respective lanes. And even more importantly: Leary was incredibly smart, with a solid sense of humor. Related 12 Far Side Comics That Helped Make The Series A Massive Hit The Far Side steadily grew in popularity in its early years, achieving nationwide success in the mid-80s; these early cartoons helped make it a hit. Posts By Ambrose Tardive The famed author, researcher, and social gadfly delighted in having his expectations subverted, and his perspective shifted. These were The Far Side's greatest comedic weapons. So, Leary and Larson really were a match made in heaven. And just like his penchant for psychedelics, Timothy Leary was ahead of the curve as an early Far Side fan. Timothy Leary's Praise For The Far Side Prefigured Gary Larson's Rise To Fame In The 1980s Once Again, Leary Was Ahead Of His Time In his fan letter, Timothy Leary called The Far Side "the best thing happening in American journalism," no small praise coming less than a decade after Watergate, and just over a month after the election of Ronald Reagan as president. Leary praised Gary Larson's"wit and insight," essential parts of The Far Side's DNA that still amaze readers today. Leary also urged Larson to publish a Far Side collection, writing:"please do so soon!!" Note the double exclamation point, which even in 1980 was a signifier of potent enthusiasm. It is the thing about his letter to Gary Larson that makes Timothy Leary come across the most as a full-on fan of The Far Side. $71 At Amazon Expand Collapse It took almost two years, but the first Far Side collection finally hit bookstore shelves in 1982. It was this and subsequent collections that helped make Gary Larson and The Far Side super famous. Unfortunately, we don't know if Timothy Leary kept up with the comic, or if he ever reached out to Larson again. The Proof That Counterculture Icon Timothy Leary Loved The Far Side? His Signature Leary Legit Was A Fan In 1980, But Did He Stick With The Far Side? Now, you might be saying to yourself:"Are we sure the Far Side-fan Timothy Leary is the famous one?" The proof is Leary's official signature, which adorns his letter to Gary Larson from 1980. Compare this to other samples of Leary's signature available online, and you'll find that they match. Timothy Leary passed away in 1996. The Far Side wrapped up a year earlier on New Year's Day 1995. We can't say for sure, but there's no reason to believe Leary didn't remain a fan following his 1980 note to Gary Larson. The Far Side was a trip from day one, unlike anything else in American cartooning at the time. Timothy Leary was one of the first people to sign on, strap in, and take a wild ride through Gary Larson's reality tunnel and end up coming out on The Far Side. If only we had more details about Leary's favorite Far Side comics. Subscribe for deeper Far Side and pop-culture stories Get the newsletter for richer coverage of Far Side lore, Timothy Leary's fan moment, and other comic-history curiosities—subscribe to access archival details, cultural context, and stories that deepen your understanding of comics and their fans. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. What do you think, Far Side fans? Could there have been a more perfect first famous fan for The Far Side?
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