What happened with Gary Larson and Jane Goodall? The Far Side cartoon controversy almost led to the cartoonist being sued

American cartoonist Gary Larson once found himself amid controversy after he used British primatologist Jane Goodall’s name in his iconic single-panel comic series, The Far Side.

In August 1987, Larson published a cartoon showing a female chimpanzee perched on a tree branch, plucking blonde hairs from the back of a male chimp. The latter was seen calling out her mate for frolicking around with the “tramp” Jane Goodall. In response to this comic strip, the conservationist’s fundraising nonprofit, The Jane Goodall Institute, sent Larson a cease-and-desist letter, according to Screen Rant. He was also warned of a lawsuit.

“Well, well – another blonde hair… conducting a little more ‘research’ with that Jane Goodall tramp?” the cartoon was captioned.

However, the cartoon quickly drew backlash from an employee at Goodall’s Institute. According to Cracked, Gary Larson later recalled his syndicate receiving a “very indigent letter” from this employee (who was later revealed as an attorney) who called his comic and its message “inexcusable” and “absolutely stupid.”

He also claimed the letter had a “vague implication that litigation over this cartoon might be around the corner.” However, Larson mentioned he wasn’t worried about being sued but was rather upset to learn that his cartoon might have hurt Goodall, for whom he had “deep respect” as well as her “well-known contributions to primatology.”

When Jane later returned to the United States from her research in Africa, she asked her institute to drop the matter, and, in fact, she seemed to love the cartoon.

Jane Goodall, 91, died of natural causes in Los Angeles, California, while on a U.S. speaking tour, on October 1, her institute announced on Wednesday. Now, in the wake of her demise, let's explore the controversy surrounding Goodall and Larson.

Jane Goodall and Gary Larson became friends following the Far Side cartoon controversy

According to Cracked, the editor of the Arizona Daily Star received a letter from The Jane Goodall Institute accusing Gary Larson of creating an “incredibly offensive” comic about the primatologist, adding it was in “poor taste.”

Meanwhile, the letter also claimed that readers might raise a question about the “editorial judgment of running such an atrocity.” The publication was also warned of legal consequences. However, Gary Larson didn’t mean to “offend” Goodall, according to his book, The Prehistory of The Far Side.

“The last thing in the world I would have intentionally done was offend Dr. Goodall in any way,” he wrote.

Larson also mentioned that he was writing an apology letter when his syndicate received a request from the National Geographic Society to reprint the cartoon in their magazine. However, Gary’s team refused and informed them about the warning letter from the Jane Goodall Institute, to which the NGS editor told the Seattle-based cartoonist:

“That doesn’t sound like the Jane Goodall we know.”

As for Goodall, she wrote in the foreword to The Far Side Gallery 5 that she didn’t know about the cartoon until much later, when she arrived in the USA from Africa for a lecture tour. The ethologist recalled that her institute’s executive director, Sue Engel, showed her the comic, which she thought was “real fame at last!”

Dame Goodall seemingly reacted, “Wow! Fantastic! Real fame at last! Fancy being in a Gary Larson cartoon!” Meanwhile, her institute considered it to be offensive and denounced it. Jane also mentioned developing a friendship with Gary and even using his cartoon on a Jane Goodall Institute t-shirt, adding that it was one of their “hottest numbers.”

In 1988, a year after the controversy, Gary Larson, his wife, and Hollywood actor Jack Lemmon travelled to Dr. Goodall’s Gombe Stream Research Center in Tanzania.

During the trip, a chimpanzee named Frodo attacked Larson while he was on a walk with Goodall. He later recalled in his book about being “terrified” as the “bully” chimp “pulled, pushed, and hit” Jane’s “illustrious visitor.” However, he remained calm and was soon let go by Frodo. The incident gave Gary a few “bruises and scratches.”

Reportedly, the same chimpanzee nearly broke Jane Goodall’s neck another year later, following which she “refused to enter Frodo's territory without a pair of bodyguards along for protection,” according to Cracked.

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Gary Larson is a comic creator and cartoonist who has worked with Seattle-based local publication, Pacific Search, for a strip titled Nature’s Way. He also worked as a journalist for The Seattle Times and an investigator for the Humane Society.

Later, he launched The Far Side comic series for the San Francisco Chronicle, which was also published in the Arizona Daily Star. It ran for 16 years until 1995. Before the Jane Goodall controversy, Gary Larson faced ire for his “Cow Tools” strip, according to Screen Rant.

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