Though Gary Larson retired from producing his iconoclastic comic stripThe Far Sideat the start of 1995, the release of the two-volumeComplete Far Sidecollection in 2003 allowed him the opportunity to revisit – and in some cases, remaster – his classic cartoons. This included one of his notoriously perplexing comics, the “Slug Worship” panel, which justcelebrated its 40th anniversary in June of this year.
The finer details were incredibly important to Gary Larsonas an artist. He labored over the details of every panel, more than most casualFar Sidefans might realize. Yet at the same time, in order to meet the demands of daily publication, Larson adhered to a strict production schedule – meaning there was often more he could have done with certain cartoons.
WithThe Complete Far Side, Larson offered the “definitive” versions of his comics –but the discrepancies between versions of someFar Sidepanels raise interesting questions about the strip’s humor, and how readers respond to it.
“Slug Worship” Version 2.0, Explained: How Weird Is The Joke? How Funny Is It?
Published InThe Complete Far Side Volume One, From 2003
It is best to examine the revised version of “Slug Worship” first, before turning to the original, because it is the version that makes a greater effort – that is to say, any effort at all – to explain itself to the reader. While the image has been refined slightly, it is nearly identical to the version first published in 1984; the major change is the difference in caption. InThe Complete Far Side, “Slug Worship” is captioned:
Of course, the slugs worshipped their god out of fear, not love.
In this way, Gary Larson explains why the slugs are directing their reverence toward something that could put them in mortal peril.
The Far Side Complete Collection
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.
It becomes clear then, that Larson is offering a comedic take on a complex religious question – that is, why believers still worship a deity that might choose to strike them down. Larson doesn’t seek to answer the question, or even to engage with it that deeply. Instead, his goal is to embody the question inThe Far Side’spatented style of humor. As such, this is one of the more overtly subjectiveFar Sidepanels; still,whether individual readers find it funny or not, the majority will agree that this updated caption makes it easier to engage with.
“Slug Worship” Version 1.0, Revisited: Why It’s So Much Weirder Than V2.0, And (Maybe) So Much Funnier
First Published: July 27, 2025
Meaning, as much as the word can be applied toThe Far Side, was always a result of how the image and caption worked together to convey Gary Larson’s punchline. Or, in some cases, didn’t work together. When “Slug Worship” first appeared in newspapers in 1984, the image was paired with one ofThe Far Side’smore “confusing, obscure, esoteric, and strange”– as Larson described his own work – captions, which required much more effort from readers to piece together the joke.
The original caption to “Slug Worship” was, in the strictest sense, nonsense:
Eeeney-ooney wanah! …Eeeney-ooney wanah…Eeeney-ooney wanah…
With the context of the updated version fromThe Complete Far Sidein mind, it is much easier to make sense of the caption’s purpose, which is to convey that these are the slugs' hymnal chants, so to speak. Astute readers of the original print version certainly pieced this together – but many readers remained mystified. The second version is unequivocally more understandable, but whether it is funnier depends on what readers consider the virtues ofThe Far Side’shumor to be.
The original “Slug Worship” caption was at the center of possiblythe funniest mishap inFar Sidehistory; the cartoon’s caption was inadvertently run again with the next day’s panel, featuring a woman who called pest control to get kids out of a treehouse. Needless to say, the slugs' chants to their salt shaker god made even less sense in this context.
That is to say, “Slug Worship V1.0” is more than just potentially harder to “get” than V2.0 – it is also sillier. The updated caption of V2.0 offers a direct line of insight intowhat Gary Larson was thinking about, which motivated the creation of the comic. It is thought-provoking, in addition to being amusing. V1.0 might not be as immediately intellectually stimulating, butthe alienating effect of the caption could, and did, strike many readers as funny, even in the"What-the?“wayThe Far Sidewas prone to.
Neither Version Of A Far Side Comic Needs To Be “Better”: What The Changes Can Tell Us
Insight Into Gary Larson’s Revision Process
There are many cases throughoutThe Complete Far Sidesimilar to “Slug Worship,” where comics have been tweaked, or in some cases, completely re-done. For readers who engaged withGary Larson’s work during its original publication run, cataloging these differences is one of the joys of revisiting the author’s collected cartoons. For those discoveringThe Far Sidein posterity, it is fascinating to realize thatThe Complete Far Sidedoesn’t always contain exactly what first generation readers saw in newspapers.
The idea that improvements to old cartoons would strike him even decades later is a testament to Gary Larson’s creative dexterity.
When encountering these discrepancies, debating which version ofaFar Sidecartoon is more “effective” or “funnier,“can help fans sharpen their understanding of Larson’s art, there is ultimately more value in celebrating the differences for what they have to say about the artist.Gary Larson was relentlessly devoted to the practice of revision; he often drew and redrew even the simplestFar Sidecomics repeatedly, and his comics' captions evolved throughout the writing process. The idea that improvements to old cartoons would strike him even decades later is a testament to Gary Larson’s creative dexterity.
An Updated Version Of “The Complete Far Side” Would Perpetuate Gary Larson’s Artistic Legacy
In Advance Of 50 Years Of The Far Side
It has been nearly forty-five years sinceThe Far Sideentered publication in 1980, and the 30th anniversary ofGary Larson’s retirement in 1995is already nearly here.The Complete Far Sidewas produced in 2003, less than a decade after Larson retired – making the collection, which remains an absolute treasure to fans of his work, already more than two decades old in itself. The enduring popularity ofThe Far Side, which continues to find new generations of fans all this time later, suggests that an updated version ofThe Complete Far Sideitself would be well received.
The Far Side’s “Cow Tools” Comic: The Most Confusing Joke Gary Larson Ever Wrote is Still Impossible To Explain
“Cow Tools” is widely considered the hardest to decipher Far Side cartoon of all time; even decades after its release, it still confuses readers.
It would be aFar Sidefan’s dream for an even more massive collection,which included both the original print versions of everyFar Sidecomic, as well as the “remastered” version.With even more time to have thought about his career in retrospect, Gary Larson could perhaps write more of the essays on his work that fillThe Complete Far Side– and could perhaps tweak some more ofThe Far Sidecartoons that he didn’t get quite “right” the first time.
The Far Side
The Far Side is a humorous comic series developed by Gary Larson. The series has been in production since 1979 and features a wide array of comic collections, calendars, art, and other miscellaneous items.
