For many, Christmas is a season of cheer, warmth, and timeless traditions. Dominating December with its decorations and festivities, the holiday remains recognizable and relevant even to those who don’t celebrate it. Gary Larson understood this well. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, his publisher, Andrews McMeel Publishing, released a series of Christmas greeting cards featuring never-before-seen panels that weren’t republished in newspapers.
Beyond these rare greeting cards, Larson’s The Far Side panels frequently included Christmas and Santa-themed jokes. Over its 15-year run and 4,333 panels, Larson crafted a notable collection of holiday humor. Whether published in newspapers or exclusive releases, fans could always count on his Christmas-themed illustrations to be hilariously dark, delightfully absurd, and wholly unforgettable.
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10
Jumping For Joy, Right Out The Window
Pogo Sticks Are Serious Safety Hazards
Receiving any kind of gift on Christmas morning is a rush of jolly delight that many can relate to. However, aside from giving and receiving gifts, part of the fun at Christmastime is trying out new gifts. In this panel, a festive living room is interrupted by a shattered window and scattered pogo stick prints, with a discarded pogo stick box completing the story.
The untouched tree and cozy décor contrast the horrible accident, leaving readers to imagine the ill-fated jump that led to this scene and proving that even Larson’s quieter scenes can pack a punch. For its simple humor and not quite Christmas-inclusive joke, this panel takes the last spot on the list.
9
Santa Claus Is Coming To Court
Cherry Street Is A Dangerous Intersection On Christmas Day
This courtroom scene features Santa Claus as the defendant, standing trial for allegedly running over Vinnie and his passenger with his sleigh. As the witness recounts the moment of their terrible car accident, he mentions how the driver, Vinnie, screamed:
“Here comes Santa Claus! Here comes Santa Claus! RIGHT DOWN SANTA CLAUS LANE!”
Of course, in typical Larson humor, the cartoonist takes the happy and upbeat lyrics of the classic Christmas song “Here Comes Santa Claus” and gives them an entirely new meaning. While this song is meant to cheer on the beloved symbol of the holiday, in this scene, the lyrics are used to scream in horror as an approaching Santa’s sleigh barrels through the plaintiff’s car at an intersection. It’s dark but hilarious, making this strip a classic holiday Far Side panel.
8
Santa Claus Makes An Emergency Stop In The OR
Hopefully, Doctors Can Find His Appendix Soon
One of Larson’s most hilarious gags is whenever he takes something joyful and lighthearted and turns it into something extremely serious and dark. While it is known that Santa Claus has a large belly, a red suit and hat, and a white beard, the health risks Santa’s weight poses in emergency surgery are less explored.
As doctors operate on Santa Claus’ appendix, the professionals complain about the man’s stomach being “like jelly” and therefore complicating their access to the man’s organs. The absurdity of surgeons grappling with a mythical figure’s anatomy creates a memorable, festive and grimly hilarious moment.
7
The Banjo Boy Was Then Forgotten By The World
God Did Not Appreciate His Playing At The Birth
This nativity scene reimagines the classic birth of Christ with The Far Side’s signature absurdity. God intervenes to address them all as shepherds, wise men, and Mary and Joseph gather around the manger. His divine decree echoes from above: “Let them rejoice and bring gifts to the child, but get that Little Banjo Boy out of there.”
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Larson’s twist transforms a serene moment into hilarity, with the banjo boy sadly slinking away from the scene. Larson makes God a character who is all-wise and powerful yet easily annoyed, making this scene a perfect example of the cartoonist’s ability to turn the most wholesome events into ridiculous and hilarious affairs.
6
Santa Might Be A Little Radioactive This Christmas Season
Perhaps His Magic Powers Can Take The Radiation Right Off
According to The Far Side, even Santa can make mistakes on Christmas Eve. This panel shows his sleigh parked atop a nuclear power plant’s cooling tower, with an unmistakable text bubble scream communicating “AIEEEEEEEEEEE!…” as an echo through the night. The scene cleverly shows how a plant’s structure can, with enough perspective, look like an oversized, hazardous chimney.
The absurdity of Santa’s misjudgment and the festive lights adorning the power plant make this entry unforgettable. It perfectly represents The Far Side’s ability to find humor in unexpected and catastrophic scenarios.
5
Fruitcake Even Got A Wise Man Rejected Once
It’s Just A Universally Bad Dessert
In olden times, fruitcake was a sign of wealth, as it was cake mixed with fruit and liquor — resources that were not as easily accessible as they are today. It was once a respected sweet treat to bring to an event, as it showed guests had taken the time to make such a complicated gift. However, with time, such a delicacy is no longer as beloved or respected as it once was.
Unbeknownst to most theologians, there was a fourth wiseman, who was turned away for bringing a fruitcake.
This panel perfectly captures the animosity that has grown and festered for the dessert over the last few decades. With the introduction of various new cakes and sweets made exclusively for the holidays, fruitcakes have become an unpopular choice at family feasts. Larson shows the extent of people’s rejection of fruit cake by depicting a fourth wise man who existed but was rejected at the door by an angel for bringing the infamous cake. It is an absurd scene, but it is one that Larson uses to introduce a lighthearted yet memorable Christmas gag to his collection, landing this strip in the middle spot.
4
Change Is Always An Opportunity To Grow
But Santa’s Choice Might Start Terrible Chaos
Stood before his closet full of red suits, hats, and black boots, Santa Claus ponders over a striking blue ensemble. Such a choice is presented for readers to consider, paired with Santa standing in his underwear and old socks with a little more view of the mythological man’s body than is necessary.
The humor here is subtle but effective. The panel offers a What If situation on Santa’s iconic look. It briefly invites readers to wonder why Santa even wears red, but such curiosity is quickly extinguished — it’s just right. This panel is a fun, modern twist on the classic holiday figure, and it emphasizes Larson’s ability to add levity to cherished traditions with practiced ease.
3
Santa Claus May Need To Get Himself Some Updated Flying Equipment
Planes Have Made The Man’s Job A Lot Harder
On Christmas Night, Santa Claus and his reindeer have an unfortunate midair collision with the front of an airplane. The flight crew inside looks stunned as the chaos reigns, with gifts and sleigh parts scattered across the night sky.
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This panel brilliantly reminds readers of the dark, imaginative chaos Larson could conjure in a single panel. The collision of two iconic modes of transportation, which readers could not have anticipated, makes this one a standout in The Far Side’s holiday-themed archive.
2
Even Spiders Eagerly Wait For Santa’s Arrival
Maybe Santa Enjoys Snacking On Flies Sometimes
Somewhere in a quiet corner of an insect’s world, a small spider has prepared a thoughtful surprise for Santa Claus. The web, adorned with miniature ornaments, a plate full of bugs, and a glass of milk at the center, completes the scene with a heartfelt note reading: “For you, Santa.”
This panel highlights Larson’s knack for bringing life and creativity to familiar holiday traditions, using the lens of an unexpected species to provide a wholesome change in perspective. The meticulous decoration of the web brings a level of charm to the imaginative and endearingly festive scene.
1
Indeed, No Mouse Stirred That Christmas Eve
Santa Claus’s Boot Accidentally Made Sure Of That
When it came to reinventing and reimagining holiday classics, Larson was among the few who did so with an eagerness to weave dark and grim twists into them. After all, such twists ultimately made The Far Side a hilarious comic strip that readers still enjoy. In this panel, Santa pauses during his busy Christmas Eve rounds, inspecting the sole of his boot with mild irritation. Beneath him lies a tiny, lifeless mouse, inadvertently crushed in the chaos of his busy gift-giving day. Taking a universally cherished line from Clement C. Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and flipping it into a macabre scenario, this strip embodies everything that makes The Far Side so enduring.
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring… not even a mouse.
Indeed, no mouse was stirring that Christmas Eve. The punchline is dark, bold, and perfectly absurd — a shining example of why Larson’s humor stayed dark and grim, even during the holidays. This panel earns its spot at the top for embodying everything that made The Far Side special: unapologetically genuine, delightfully twisted, and always surprising. Larson never shied away from delivering unexpected punchlines, no matter how dark or absurd they were, and that fearless approach was what endeared him to countless readers. Ultimately, it was in embracing Larson’s peculiar humor that The Far Side found its readership. Much like Christmas, once readers welcomed the oddities and quirks of Larson’s world, there was no going back. Instead, they were rewarded with endless years of unparalleled laughter and joy — a gift that keeps giving.
The Far Side
Gary Larson’s The Far Side is a single-panel comic strip renowned for its offbeat humor and unconventional take on everyday life. Featuring bizarre situations, anthropomorphic animals, and quirky characters, the strip delves into surreal and absurd scenarios that challenge typical comic norms. Often blending dark humor with insightful commentary, it explores a range of themes from science to society, making readers both laugh and ponder the absurdities of existence.
Writer
Gary Larson
Publisher
Universal Press Syndicate
Artist
gary larson