The Far Side By Gary Larson
Gary Larson is the creator of the enormously popular cartoon The Far Side. The cartoons unique style and creative style has helped it to become one of the most recognizable and popular cartoons of all time.
Gary Larson was born August 14th 1950 in University Place, Washington (near Tacoma, WA) to Verne and Doris Larson. As a child he enjoyed drawing and biology as well as playing the guitar. He graduated from Curtis Senior High School and then attended Washington State University where he earned a degree in communications. He wanted to work writing for television shows but, instead he started a jazz duo with his friend. A while later while working at a music store in Lynwood he deiced that what he really wanted to do was draw cartoons. He sold his first six cartoons to Pacific Search for $90. After that he drew more cartoons, entitled Nature’s Way, which ran in the Sumner News Review. He quit cartooning later and took a job as an investigator of the local Humane Society. According to Larson on the way to the interview for the job he ran over a dog. He started back cartooning in 1979 when Nature’s Way ran in the Seattle Times, for which he was paid $15 a cartoon. His work was then carried by the San Francisco Chronicle, who changed the name to The Far Side, with the cartoon’s first run on January 1st 1980. …show more content…
From there the success of the cartoon only grew.
At its height The Far Side ran in over 1,900 daily newspapers and was translated into 17 different languages. It ran for 15 years until 1995. There have been 23 companions books published as well as his work being made into calendars and greeting cards. Larson made two television shorts based on his cartoons, Gary Larson’s Tales from the Far Side one and two in 1994 and 1997 respectively. In 1998 he published the widely successful There’s a Hair in my Dirt: A Worm’s Story. His work is syndicated by Universal Syndicate. In 2003 he drew the cover for the New Yorker and voiced himself on an episode of The
Simpsons.
In his private life Larson is somewhat of a recluse. He married Toni Carmichael in 1987, he has no children. He has always had a deep love of biology that lead to having a biting louse named after him as well as a beetle and a butterfly. He also plays Jazz Guitar. Besides being interested in biology he is also an avid conservationist. Larson has received numerable awards from the Nation Cartoonist Society. He currently lives in the Windermere neighborhood of Seattle and is valued at a net worth of over 50 million.
All in all Gary Larson is an important figure in not only the Pacific Northwest but around the country and around the world. His work in cartooning has been enjoyed by millions.
Gary Larson was born August 14th 1950 in University Place, Washington (near Tacoma, WA) to Verne and Doris Larson. As a child he enjoyed drawing and biology as well as playing the guitar. He graduated from Curtis Senior High School and then attended Washington State University where he earned a degree in communications. He wanted to work writing for television shows but, instead he started a jazz duo with his friend. A while later while working at a music store in Lynwood he deiced that what he really wanted to do was draw cartoons. He sold his first six cartoons to Pacific Search for $90. After that he drew more cartoons, entitled Nature’s Way, which ran in the Sumner News Review. He quit cartooning later and took a job as an investigator of the local Humane Society. According to Larson on the way to the interview for the job he ran over a dog. He started back cartooning in 1979 when Nature’s Way ran in the Seattle Times, for which he was paid $15 a cartoon. His work was then carried by the San Francisco Chronicle, who changed the name to The Far Side, with the cartoon’s first run on January 1st 1980. …show more content…
From there the success of the cartoon only grew.
At its height The Far Side ran in over 1,900 daily newspapers and was translated into 17 different languages. It ran for 15 years until 1995. There have been 23 companions books published as well as his work being made into calendars and greeting cards. Larson made two television shorts based on his cartoons, Gary Larson’s Tales from the Far Side one and two in 1994 and 1997 respectively. In 1998 he published the widely successful There’s a Hair in my Dirt: A Worm’s Story. His work is syndicated by Universal Syndicate. In 2003 he drew the cover for the New Yorker and voiced himself on an episode of The
Simpsons.
In his private life Larson is somewhat of a recluse. He married Toni Carmichael in 1987, he has no children. He has always had a deep love of biology that lead to having a biting louse named after him as well as a beetle and a butterfly. He also plays Jazz Guitar. Besides being interested in biology he is also an avid conservationist. Larson has received numerable awards from the Nation Cartoonist Society. He currently lives in the Windermere neighborhood of Seattle and is valued at a net worth of over 50 million.
All in all Gary Larson is an important figure in not only the Pacific Northwest but around the country and around the world. His work in cartooning has been enjoyed by millions.