| Gary Larson, notable for Far Side comic fame, has a | | | | based out of Seattle. The success of that initial |
| unique biography that plays a substantial role in | | | | attempt laid the groundwork for Larson to submit |
| influencing what many people consider to be his | | | | pieces to the prominent Seattle Times where he was |
| creative genius. | | | | eventually given a weekly spot to share his creative |
| Born in August of 1950 in Tacoma, Washington Gary | | | | humor. |
| Larson would go on to achieve an interesting level of | | | | Early career success did not take off as a direct result |
| fame for the single panel comic strips he published in | | | | of the Seattle Times picking up his strip but it did lay |
| newspapers around the world from 1980 until his early | | | | the groundwork for Larson to pitch the product to the |
| retirement January first of 1995. Essentially Mr. Larson | | | | San Francisco Chronicle. Larson himself was |
| stepped away from his pen and pad at the age of 45 | | | | pleasantly surprised at the degree of interest the |
| which is still very youthful by writing career standards. | | | | Chronicle expressed. The San Francisco Chronicle can |
| Growing up in the western portion of Washington | | | | be created with actually coming up with the name The |
| state Larson was the son of a car salesman father | | | | Far Side and playing a significantly role in making |
| and a secretary mother and had a typical middle class | | | | Larson a wealthy man as that paper syndicated the |
| upbringing by all accounts. A defining period in the life | | | | piece so that a much wider audience could enjoy the |
| of Gary Larson occurred after he left Curtis Senior | | | | creative musings of Gary Larson. |
| High school and went to nearby Washington State | | | | While new material along the lines of the surreal nature |
| University (WSU) for college. After four years at the | | | | of Gary Larson's ideas are missed by a large portion |
| Pullman, Washington campus Larson received a | | | | of the American landscape his genius has fortunately |
| degree in communications in 1972. | | | | been preserved in the literally thousands of clever |
| While many people have wondering what primarily | | | | ideas he penned that are captured forever as |
| inspired the quirky humor Gary Larson was | | | | evidence of his imaginative way of thinking about the |
| consistently able to summarize in simplistic but hilarious | | | | world. |
| images the answer very well may be Gary's brother | | | | With an early retirement at the age of 45 Larson |
| Dan. Gary himself gives his older brother much of the | | | | afforded himself plenty of time to take up numerous |
| credit for shaping his much appreciated humor and | | | | hobbies to fill his days. Larson is an avid jazz guitarist |
| fascination with science, a topic that often found a | | | | and has even tried his hand at the game of golf a few |
| way into his drawings. Sadly Dan died of cancer at the | | | | times. It's unclear if Gary Larson owns a WSU golf |
| height of his brother's popularity in 1991. | | | | bag (his alma mater) but there is no question that if he |
| As far as Gary Larson's big break into cartooning it | | | | does he has plenty of time to use it. |
| came about as a function of his general dissatisfaction | | | | As arguably the most famous WSU alumni (at least in |
| with the direction his life was going after college and | | | | certain circles) Larson likely has influenced more than |
| specifically his lack of a fulfilling career path. While | | | | one fellow alum that already carries a Washington |
| working in a Washington music store in the late 1970s | | | | State University golf bag to brag to golfing buddies |
| Larson realized how much he hated his job and | | | | about having attended the same college at the same |
| decided to try his hand at comic strips. Initially he drew | | | | time as the very highly regarded Gary Larson. |
| and submitted six cartoons to a regional magazine | | | | |