Gary Larson's work on Far Side has had an undeniable influence on art and culture, even once appearing in one of the most popular cartoons ever, The Simpsons. A version of a dinosaur comic he created made a surprise cameo in the episode "The Book Job," where the Far Side strip gets The Simpsons treatment - which wasn't even the first time the legendary cartoonist crossed over with the iconic animated world created by Matt Groening.
After debuting in 1980, Larson walked away from the comic strip in 1995, retiring for nearly 20 years before returning to Far Side in 2014. In 2011, when Larson was still retired, The Simpsons made a fun reference to one of his most popular comics.
In the 23rd season of The Simpsons, the episode "The Book Job" featured Lisa Simpson at a dinosaur show, where she learns her favorite author is just an actress hired to pose as the writer of a young-adult comic. While following the author for answers, Lisa Simpson walks by a bathroom where three dinosaurs are smoking cigarettes in the background. The scene is straight from Gary Larson's Far Side, as the comic strip makes explaining the "real reason dinosaurs when extinct" makes an unexpected cameo in the episode.
Gary Larson Actually Appeared In The Simpsons Before The Dinosaur Cameo
The writers of The Simpsons are likely big fans of Gary Larson, as the Far Side author himself made a cameo in the 2010 episode, "Once Upon A Time In Springfield." In the episode, Homer tours a rival power plant that offers great perks for working there, from free massages to comics from Gary Larson, who came out of retirement to draw for the employees' enjoyment. While Larson was technically retired in real life at the time, he voiced himself in the episode that joked about his potential comeback - which would come true just a few years later.
The dinosaurs secretly cameoing in the 2011 episode showed that even the longest-running and most popular American animated series ever had respect and iration for Gary Larson's incredible work. Ultimately, while subtle, The Simpsons comic strip cameo was a great way to celebrate the Far Side creator and showcase one of his most iconic works.
