10 Darkly Funny 'Far Side' Comics About Clowns

In October 1994, The Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson published what he would eventually refer to as his worst comic strip. The strip depicts two clowns in a back alley, one of whom is about to throw a pie at the other clown with his back to the wall. Larson later included a note stating that he considered this his worst cartoon and that he still found it cringe-worthy.

Despite this, many find the strip hilarious in a "so bad it's good" way. The Far Side often featured clowns, and their jokes tended to be dark, with clowns either dying or causing others to die. Here are ten incredibly funny and dark The Far Side comics starring clowns.

The first comic panel takes a moment to appreciate, as one's eyes are drawn to the dead clown before realizing the humorous twist involving the gunfighter. Another comic, from 1984, plays on a similar theme of criminal clowns using pies to rob people, but it is funnier than the 1994 version. This comic isn't as dark as some others but still delivers a punch.

While not as dark as some of the other comics, this one still features a clown terrorizing an entire city. One imagines the chaos and destruction those massive clown feet could cause. In a comic strip without clowns, Larson still manages to make them the punchline, leaving one to wonder about his true feelings towards clowns. Some of his other comic strips indicate a dislike for mimes, but clowns seem to be a different story.

It is clear he found humor in depicting clowns as victims of terrible things or in clowns committing horrendous acts themselves.

This comic strip feels multi-layered, with the visual gag of the clown going to the electric chair being both funny and dark. Larson adds another layer by having one guard express hesitance about revealing the joke to children, adding a layer of dark humor. The idea of clowns in charge of missiles is disturbing and shocking, which makes the comic even funnier.