`Far Side' Cartoonist Gary Larson To Retire

Gary Larson, Seattle cartoonist, is retiring his popular "The Far Side" cartoon Jan. 1.

The strip, carried by nearly 1,900 newspapers around the world, revolutionized the comic pages with cows that stand, dogs that talk and bugs that belch.

In a statement, Larson, 44, said his reasons for retiring center on "fatigue and a fear that if I continue for many more years my work will begin to suffer, or at the very least ease into the Graveyard of Mediocre Cartoons.

"My future plans are hazy, and I've yet to experience how much cartooning is in my blood and therefore how much I'll miss it. But I have some other interests, especially in music, and I will probably take the opportunity to delve into those things more deeply."

Jake Morrissey, Larson's editor at Universal Press Syndicate, which distributes the cartoon, said, "He has always felt lucky for the success he has enjoyed. He has unbelievable modesty for a creator of his talents."

Larson's first televised special, "Gary Larson's `Tales From The Far Side,' " will be broadcast Oct. 26.

In typical Larson fashion, he concluded his press release: "The truth must finally be told - I never really knew what I was

doing."