When I saw my first Far Side comics, I thought here at last was a worthy successor to Kliban (best known for his Cats book) and I was glad to hear later that Gary Larson has named Kliban as one of his major influences in a New York Times article:
‘The Far Side’ Is Back. Sort Of. Gary Larson Will Explain.
I was an assiduous collector of Far Side galleries until I finally broke down and got the Complete Far Side and I never tire of perusing its pages!
Gary Larson published a fascinating and hilarious memoir:
In this book (page 170), Larson includes a letter he received from an entomologist wanting to name a newly discovered species of owl louse after him:
Larson, an ardent nature lover was thrilled, and wrote in his memoir:
"I considered this an extreme honor. Besides, I knew no one was going
to write and ask to name a new species of swan after me. You have to
grab these opportunities when they come along."
The PreHistory of THE FAR SIDE, p.171
Larson louse (Strigiphilus garylarsoni)
And so the entomologist Dale H. Clayton named a new variety of owl louse for Gary Larson in his paper: "Host Specificity of Strigiphilus Owl Lice (Ischnocera: Philopteridae), with the Description of New Species and Host Associations"
In this paper Clayton writes:
This species is named in honor of cartoonist Gary Larson, in appreciation of the unique light he has shed on the workings of nature.
I was also an avid collector of Kliban books and have five of his collections, other than Cats.
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