The Far Side Well Its Cold Again
A Letter From Gary Larson
Hard to believe.
Information technology'south been shut to 25 years since I decided to retire my trusty Rapidograph X500, with added Comfort Grip, Turbo Flow, and Steadycow. (I especially loved that final option.) That was a nice pen. We went places. But simply around the time the 2 of us were emerging from our adventure downwards one rabbit pigsty, another ane suddenly loomed.
Back so, the Internet was a cute piffling Cyberspace-ling, its cold, digital optics just starting to open up. The outset website (I but looked this upwardly) debuted just a couple years prior to my retirement, Google came along several years later on, and Facebook was launched a full decade afterwards I had drawn my last cow. Pregnant, like most of my generation, I was pretty much clueless well-nigh this new technology that was on the rise. Hell, I was still marveling at the wonders of my electric pencil sharpener. (I splurged.)
But as the digital globe gathered speed, I was as excited as most of us who lived exterior the tech globe (and back and so, as a cartoonist, you couldn't become much further exterior of tech unless perhaps you lot were a coal miner) and were seeing all these amazing tools unfold. Tools to help u.s. better communicate, write, explore, and larn. (Of course, soon to be adding hack, steal, exploit, deceive, bang-up, and maybe destroy commonwealth, merely hey, what're a few wrinkles? We'll figure this out. Or non.) Naively, I now realize, I never once foresaw whatever connection between this emergent engineering and my cartoons. I had spent years cartoon The Far Side for (real) newspapers, which segued into (real) books and (real) calendars. These, as some of you may recall, were rather quaint, iii-dimensional objects that could also double as flyswatters. What did the Internet accept to do with me? Cue the scary music.
Okay, "scary" might exist a little melodramatic, but years ago, when I slowly started realizing I had a second publisher and distributor of my work, known every bit Anyone With a Scanner & Associates, I did notice it unsettling enough to write an open letter to "whom it may concern," explaining — all-time as I could — why I preferred that the people doing this would kindly refrain. I won't rehash it all here, simply my powers of persuasion had at least some touch on, and many of my fans were very understanding and responsive. Possibly it takes a warped mind to sympathise a warped heed. (No, seriously, my thanks to those who removed my cartoons willingly, or even begrudgingly.)
So fast-forrard to today, and hey, look! I'm writing some other letter! This time, though, I'm writing to say something I never idea I would: Welcome to The Far Side website! Guess I've got some 'splainin' to do.
Truthfully, I withal have some ambivalence about officially entering the online world — I previously equated it to a rabbit hole, although "black hole" sometimes seems more than apropos — only my alter of heart on this has been due not just to some development in my own thinking, but as well in ii areas I've e'er cared about when it comes to this computer/Internet "stuff": security and graphics.
Okay, so amend security is, of course, just amend security. But information technology helps. If they wanted to, I'm sure the Russians could get within this thing and kickoff messing with my captions. (I know they're thinking most it!) But the other one — the advancements in graphics — has been a large incentive for me. Human being, did those one-time reckoner screens suck when it came to visual nuances. I'll make up an example: Let'southward say I'1000 going to draw a grouping of vultures who are scavenging the remains of some poor soul who got lost in the desert, and one of them has encountered a glass eye. (You can run across the potential already.) This could probably go several ways, but I'm thinking the bird is excited virtually his discovery and is telling his buddies he wants to take information technology home and show his kids. Whatever, I already know in that location's a lot to capture in this scene, while trying not to overcomplicate it. Some things have a bit of leeway, just that glass eye? That has to be juuuuuust right, or this thing is damaged appurtenances, if non blown. As for seeing it on an old figurer screen? Fuhgeddaboudit. Just things have changed. On today'south computers and devices, voilà! — you lot're definitely going to come across that small, dispossessed eye. I could even add a hint of blueish. Ah, yes. Dainty eye. (I repent to anyone who either doesn't appreciate drinking glass-heart humour or has lost a loved i in the desert, but I've got to cease this thing and that'southward what jumped in my head.)
Finally, I also concede I'm a little wearied. Trying to exert some command over my cartoons has e'er been an uphill slog, and I've sometimes wondered if my absence from the web may have inadvertently fueled someone's belief my cartoons were upwards for grabs. They're not. Just it'due south always been inherently awkward to chase down a Far Side–festooned website when the person behind it is ofttimes simply a fan. (Although not everyone is quite so simple in their motives; my cartoons have been taken and used to help sell everything from doughnuts to rodent command. At least I offer range.) And so I'm hopeful this official website will assistance temper the impulses of the infringement-inclined. Please, whoever yous are, taketh down my cartoons and let this website become your identify to stop by for a smile, a laugh, or a good ol' fashioned recoiling. And I won't have to release the Krakencow.
So here we go. I promise you enjoy TheFarSide.com. I'm very grateful to the digital team at AMU, my longtime publisher, for all their input and hard work on this project. And for those of you who are familiar with The Far Side, and perhaps wishing it had been online earlier now (as opposed to those who are familiar with my work and have an opposing view), thank you for your patience. I hope all the reasons I've given here help explain why I'1000 so late to this political party. Simply I'k finally here. And I could employ a beverage.
— Gary Larson
About
A Letter of the alphabet From Gary Larson
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Source: https://www.thefarside.com/about/48/a-letter-from-gary-larson
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