Tue Jan 1, 2008 — by Shira Gregory

Hail and Farewell, Far Side and Calvin and Hobbes

Twelve years since the Midvale School for the Gifted closed

Ah, the new year. A time to freshen up, begin anew and reflect upon the past. For some of us, this means looking back to a fateful new year's day in 1995, when after exactly 15 years of service to the absurd and hilarious, Gary Larson finally put The Far Side to rest.

Who can forget those restless chickens, philosophical cows and people whose brains were full? They were the iconic markers of an era with a drier, if odder sense of humor.

We still miss those odd phone calls from God. However, Far Side products still exist, from the giant omnibus edition to a new DVD release of their really strange Halloween special from a few years back. Here's a look:

Yesterday was also the anniversary of another sad day in comics, as a year after The Far Side went off the rails for the last time, a boy and his tiger sledded off into the sunset as Calvin and Hobbes came to a close.

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