European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 06, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Fri ii 3 o Tjin in soy Ernie. That looks like Sally across the Street. And she s with some Guy Don encourage him. Sylvia so. Out Bob Bob Bobbing along again Vori ,." a cups of Coffee into me and weird things just Start to As a child. Larson along with his older brother Dan. Spent Many hours in the swamps around his Home in Tacoma. I was a biology Freak from the ninth Grade he admits in his Book. This love of biology has played a very big part in his cartoons. In tact it was this interest that led Dale h Clayton of the University of Chicago to write in March 1989 asking permission to name the tee after Larson to Honor his contrib tuition to biology through his cartoons. Several years ago Larson Drew a panel that absolutely stumped his readers. The panel depicted an insect Grasshopper Cricket looking at an old fashioned Victrola such As the one in the Ria logo there were Many queries As to its meaning a phone Call to the Syndicate Universal press got the following explanation the insect is a praying mantis not too Many people know it. But the mantis is the Only member of the insect kingdom that can cock its head to the Side like the dog in the Ria Victor ads that certainly qualifies that cartoon for the Hail of Fame were he to appear in a lineup the 39-year-old Larson who is married and lives in Seattle would probably be the last person that you d pick As the creator of the far and balding he looks like he d be More comfortable in a Small Bistro playing some deep heavy jazz he actually was a musician for several years and spent some of his sabbatical studying jazz guitar in new York a lot of people think i m going to be like someone who s stepped out of one of his own cartoons says the creator of what most agree is some of the weirdest far out cartoon Art on the comics pages. Far Side made its debut on Jan 1,1980, in the san Francisco chronicle. Several months later chronicle features offered the strip to other papers. With the added exposure. Universal press publishing Arm. Andrews & Mcmeem brought out his first Book the far Side which is in its 31st printing with nearly 1.2 million copies in circulation. Larson is uncomfortable dealing with questions about his Fame. Questions about his income Are equally distressing. I d rather not discuss he tells readers of his Book. I m doing Okmaybe it s my Blue Collar background but work meant to me that you came Home covered with sweat he adds. Now i just have to Brush away the Eraser he returns to work on the far Side with no thoughts of changing the successful formula. I Don t think i la be introducing any cute Little animal characters any time nor does he envision any changes in his format which has at times caused a storm of criticism deserved or not. I wonder when the Day will come when i manage to do that one cartoon that manages to offend everybody he writes. There s probably a prisoner somewhere that would of
