10 Perfect Horror-Themed Far Side Comics To Read This Halloween

Published Oct 12, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com.

His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023.

Gary Larson clearly had a soft spot for horror that he worked into his legendary run on The Far Side in its original syndicated run. It featured the usual beats, such as ironic role reversal of monsters and humans, clever puns, and some pretty hilarious pop culture references. It certainly didn't stray from some surprisingly dark humor at times, but it was nevertheless one of the greatest highlights readers could come across while reading from 1980-1994.

The best part about The Far Side's horror-themed comic strips is just how prolific they were, to the point of never being isolated to Halloween or even the month of October. Gothic and horror movie tropes worked their way into comic strips year-round when the mood struck, and some have been especially memorable upon review. While Larson has since returned to The Far Side after picking up a digital tablet and creating new cartoons for his personal enjoyment, his enormously prolific work from the 1980s and 1990s is easily enough of a treasure trove for readers wanting the right vibe this Spooky Season.

10 The Vampcow

Published January 6, 1986

A collection of comic strips from The Far Side can never truly be complete without at least one cow, and this strip from January 6, 1986 is simply no exception. Mixing classic vampire-hunting lore with larson's knack for working in a goofy pun, this will easily get a good laugh out of readers at the simple absurdity of waving a steak, rather than the wooden stake meant to kill a vampire. But it's a shame, as even a vampcow would at worst only feed on Japanese blood grass, more of a nuisance than a real terror.

9 Bump In The Night

Published August 31, 1982

A classic English idiom, the concept of things that go bump in the night is meant to describe the horrors concocted by the imagination that, while not grounded in reality, provoke dread as early as childhood. It can mean the monsters in the closet or under the bed. In the case of Larson's work, though, The Far Side presents these as real monsters, and the source of startling noises in the home. However, the humanizing twist on the "bump" is merely that it's the result of a hilariously relatable clumsiness, instantly rendering their terrors toothless.

8 Guard Dog

Published November 25, 1991

Easily a contender for another 1991 installment of The Far Side that prompts readers to make a double-take, this illustrates the classic concept of the incompetent guard animal trope to new heights. In the face of a practically alien monster casually entering a home through the window, the dog's instinct for self-preservation kicks in, just at the exact time a real "barking frenzy" would really be warranted, to warn the owners. But whatever happens next, these homeowners will have slept soundly, and not jarred awake by their barking dog, heaven forbid.

7 Monster Snorkel

Published August 16, 1986

A near-perfect encapsulation of childhood fear of the dark and the classic defense of hiding under a blanket, this speaks to the unarticulated concerns of kids afraid of the monsters supposedly coming out at night. But rather than carefully keeping one corner of the blanket open to safely breathe, The Far Side proposes a solution any kid would have begged their parents to get. It's a good thing no poltergeists have shown up to ruin this particular party, though, as the kid would soon be back to square one.

6 Mummy Burlesque

Published September 22, 1984

While it was published in a time when the burlesque scene was beginning to die out, its tropes stayed alive even then before its later global revival. The Far Side appears to render its most familiar tropes, a dimly-lit theater with a heavy spotlight on the performer, with the audience of predominantly (mummified) men hooting, hollering, and calling on the performer to strip.

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In this case, the performer is also a mummy, slowly unfurling their linen bandage dressings in what's simultaneously the worst yet most ironically amusing striptease ever conceived. Patrons better have tipped, as it can't be good luck to invoke the wrath of a mummy's curse by stiffing the performer, even if they're notoriously stiff themselves.

5 Werewolf Therapy

Published September 23, 1980

Larson loves to create elaborate role-reversals to create absurd-yet-creative scenarios for a variety of characters far beyond humans alone. In the case of werewolves, the idea of suddenly transforming into a feral beast that terrorizes the local community is scary enough. But to give werewolves agency, flipping that around creates an amusing notion: werewolves are typically far stronger and more equipped as natural predators, so the thought of losing virtually all of their advantages at daybreak would be an upsetting notion. But humans can handle silver a lot better, to their credit.

4 "I'm Changing!"

Published February 4, 1980

The Far Side often makes its jokes work on a relatable level by injecting a fictional or surreal element to shift it into the absurd territory. As a clear parody of Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, this comic strip clearly turns the relatable scenario of somebody feeling rushed by the knock at the door in the middle of changing clothes, but with the added twist that the "change" is his Mr. Hyde alter ego coming out. It adds a spooky 19th Century spin to a timeless feeling of vulnerability for anyone.

3 Surf Lagoon

Published May 1, 1981

In an even better distillation of the role reversal between man and monster, this comic captures the befuddled terror of a surfer running toward the high waves just as the Gill-man, The Far Side's recurring spin on the Creature from the Black Lagoon character, emerges. But rather than joining to surf waves, Gill-man is clearly seeking a vacation of his own, running for dry land with a wagon, inverting the entire scenario quite brilliantly.

2 Bait Motel

Published December 19, 1990

Larson clearly has a soft spot for worms in The Far Side and beyond, especially for any kids who may have enjoyed reading his storybook, There's a Hair in My Dirt! But the additional element of Larson's recurring penchant for Psycho parody mixes the opportunity for great puns, pop culture references, and great visual storytelling into a foreboding scene. The lightning striking as the unaware worm family drives to the Bait Motel, all while the ominous silhouette of a fisherman waits in the window on the second floor overlooking the business, indicating the worms may think they're on a fun getaway, but they're far from off the hook.

1 Alien Birthday

Published August 31, 1983

There's pop culture parody, and then there's The Far Side-level elevated comedy, with this instance featuring Larson's clear nod to the Alien franchise. It's such a perfectly absurd interpretation of the life cycle of xenomorphs, with the young chestburster exploding out of a cake instead of John Hurt's character, Kane, all while adult xenomorphs celebrate their kin's true birthday. It's also a wistful occasion, as they grow up far too fast, having only been the egg planted by a facehugger mere hours ago. But maybe keep it from fire all the same.