'The Far Side' cartoonist Gary Larson debuts new comics for 1st time in 25 years

Cartoonist Gary Larson has returned to the world of mad scientists, the absurd, cows (of course) and more.

But this time, it’s going to be on his schedule.

After 15 years of daily and Sunday “The Far Side” strips, Larson’s final syndicated cartoon published on Jan. 1, 1995. But on Tuesday, Larson added three cartoons to the New Stuff section of his official The Far Side web site which launched in December 2019.

“The day after I retired from syndication, it felt good not to draw on a deadline,” Larson wrote “And after moving on to other interests, drawing just wasn’t on my to-do list.”

But even after retirement, he would draw an annual Christmas card for family and friends … and get ticked off in the process because of his pen.

“So a few years ago — finally fed up with my once-loyal but now reliably traitorous pen — I decided to try a digital tablet,” Larson wrote. “I knew nothing about these devices but hoped it would just get me through my annual Christmas card ordeal. I got one, fired it up, and lo and behold, something totally unexpected happened: within moments, I was having fun drawing again. I was stunned at all the tools the thing offered, all the creative potential it contained. I simply had no idea how far these things had evolved. Perhaps fittingly, the first thing I drew was a caveman.”

That digital creative rebirth means Larson will add more cartoons, but with no more deadlines, they’ll post at his pace. The news was welcomed online.

Gary Larson falling back in love with cartooning after retiring from The Far Side in 1995 is so sweet and the exact thing we need right now. pic.twitter.com/eH3yxpN8ga

— Dave Scheidt (@DaveScheidt) July 8, 2020