Gary Larson

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Gary Larson (born August 14, 1950 in Tacoma , Washington ) is an American cartoonist .

Career

His main work consists of the series The Far Side (Eng. The other side ), which appeared daily for 15 years from 1979 to 1994 in numerous newspapers and magazines. In Germany, the cartoon was published in Titanic and in Stern , in Switzerland, Der Bund published a daily Larson cartoon until March 2010.

In early 1995, Larson retired from working on the daily far-side cartoons. After that he published only a few works, such as the 1998 book There is a hair in my dirt! In November 2003, a Larson-drawn cover was released for The New Yorker .

In July 2020, he published two new Far Side cartoons on his website , and old works are also being put online.

Private

Larson married Toni Carmichael, an anthropologist, in 1987. Carmichael became his manager early on in their relationship.

Larson plays jazz guitar and took lessons from jazz guitarists Remo Palmieri and Herb Ellis . He also drew the cover of the 1988 album Doggin 'Around by Herb Ellis and Red Mitchell .

Trademark

According to his own statement in the volume Gary Larson's Drawing School , most of his drawings are based on his studies in biology (animals in everyday human situations) and the important question for him: If you put two living things in a cage, who will come out alive?

Typical of Larson's work, which mostly only consists of a single picture and a corresponding caption, is the grotesque content, for example in that animals are shown in situations that would otherwise only be human (e.g. the stripped snakeskin in front of the shower curtain and the “naked” snake showering behind it). Word games and idioms are also an integral part of his work, for example the dog who, proudly showing another dog his trophy collection, points to a hand and says that this is the hand that fed him.

The subjects of his cartoons are often:

  • Scientists whose - mostly adolescent - activities are in stark contrast to the supposed claim of "noble science";
  • Animals (especially cows and insects) that are depicted in everyday human situations;
  • Monsters and extraterrestrials who usually target some unfortunate people;
  • Larson also has a particular fondness for using snakes, privately he keeps them as pets;
  • Predators that devour people;
  • Women who wear square glasses;
  • the stereotypical, fat American snot spoon with freckles and a baseball cap.

Another typical feature is the interplay of individual images and subtitles that sometimes escalate into literary miniatures (similar can also be found in the work of Bernd Pfarr and Eugen Egner ).

Awards

In 1985 a newly discovered louse species was named after Gary Larson: the Strigiphilus garylarsoni .

Works

Many of Gary Larson's cartoons have appeared in both English and German in the form of anthologies.

Available as paperback:

The following are bound:

Available as import VHS:

  • Gary Larson's Tales From The Far Side I & II (Written and animated by Marv Newland and Gary Larson, music by Bill Frisell )

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Gary Larson. December 21, 1999, accessed August 19, 2020 .
  2. ↑ The New Yorker - Monday, November 17, 2003 - Issue # 4052 - Vol. 79 - N ° 35 - “The Cartoon Issue” - Cover “The Duel…” | The far side, Sick humor, New yorker covers. Retrieved August 19, 2020 .
  3. ^ Rebecca Cook-Associated Press Writer: Gary Larson revisits 'The Far Side'. November 30, 2003, accessed August 19, 2020 .
  4. ↑ The Far Side. Retrieved on August 19, 2020 (English).
  5. ↑ Marc Bodmer: About dogs and people: cartoonist Gary Larson is back. In: NZZ on Sunday , July 25, 2020.
  6. ↑ usatoday.com : Larson is drawn to the wild side
  7. ↑ Rachel Altman, How Ellis, Gary Larson Got to 'Doggin' Around 'Cover , Los Angeles Times, Aug. 6, 1989
personal data
SURNAME Larson, Gary
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American comic artist and cartoonist
DATE OF BIRTH August 14, 1950
PLACE OF BIRTH Tacoma , Washington