What Are Cow Tools?

[@LIMC]

If you use cow tools, please consider supporting LIMC on Patreon or becoming a member If you don't use cow tools, please consider supporting LIMC on Patreon or becoming a member www.patreon.com/LIMC

[@lotus_flower2000]

Cool.

[@melonater3273]

I love cpow tols 😍😍😍

[@tkm7152]

LIMC tools

[@weed884]

@@Niki43377 nft pfp All based users of the website named yourselfchannel, please rise to point, and laugh at this unfortunate user.

[@webbiergoose2032]

U looking submissive and breedable no homo

[@jovenotjoe]

I love this comic so much. I also love the full quote from Gary Larson about Cow Tools: “Inevitably, I began thinking about cows, and what if they, too, we’re discovered as tool makers. What would they make? Primitive tools are always, well, primitive-looking-appearing rather nondescript to the lay person. So, it seemed to me, whatever a cow would make would have to be even a couple notches further down the “skill-o-meter”. I imagined, and subsequently drew, a cow standing next to her work bench, proudly displaying her handiwork (hoofiwork?). The “cow tools” were supposed to be meaningless artifacts-only the cow or a cowthropologist is supposed to know what they’re used for. The first mistake I made was thinking this was funny. The second was making one of the tools resemble a crude handsaw-which made already confused people decide that their only hope in understanding the cartoon meant deciphering what the other tools were as well. Of course, they didn’t have a chance in hell.”

[@Watch-0w1]

Your right the saw 🪚 really what mess with people. I thinking the long stick is backscratcher. the second is a rock hammer with it handler And the third is a stone ( maybe a paper weight)

[@diamondmemer9754]

Ok but it's not funny

[@igl0bruh693]

@@diamondmemer9754 on god

[@SangreFriasBack]

@@diamondmemer9754Honestly, it’s humor comes from the unintended negative reaction. On its own, it’s not even a joke.

[@_pixelmation_]

One of my favorite Far Side comics is "God at his computer", where on the screen there's a piano about to fall on a guy and God has his finger over a button that just says "Smite"

[@revilno]

Mine is just one of a school of the special where there’s a pull door and he tries to push

[@owenbillo5513]

Nothing beats the co-pilot saying to the pilot "what's a mountain goat doing way up here in the cloud bank?" So much of Larson's work is that perfect kind of seconds from disaster

[@wittymchitty]

Mine is when the 2 spiders make a web at the end of a children's slide and they say "If our traps work, we'll eat like kings"

[@Zapperdawg8k]

Mine is the fear of chickens

[@StressLevel100]

Lol

[@ArcadeAssassin]

No way we got a Gary Larson meme as one of the firsts of 2022, far gallery was big part of my childhood as well 😳

[@BùiHiểuĐông]

*Arcade😳*

[@napoleon96420]

Assassin

[@WEEDnoser]

Amogus pfp

[@snackeries]

cheeseburger contains cheese

[@weed884]

Plez frea nitero ish bin ein subscribble

[@allisonsmall4253]

I remember the first time I saw Cow Tools, it was a while back, probably a year or two ago. It was being held up as an excellent example of world building in a Tumblr post, as since one of the tools looks like a saw, we assume that the other tools also have a specific purpose we non-cows just don't understand. The bottom line was, "give your audience just enough things that make sense and the rest of the crazy sci-fi or fantasy stuff will fall into place and make sense"

[@weed884]

Ratio

[@BaldskiTheIII]

@@weed884 *Shut*

[@Jeff_isAverage]

@@weed884 eww Twitter user

[@bazookasniper5167]

@@weed884 Ratio

[@weed884]

Ratio moment numero dos

[@coopahtroopah1175]

I almost see the Far Side as the prehistory of the modern internet meme. The bizarre, stupid, sometimes sick sense of humor in a one-panel format heavily foreshadows the type of humor that the internet meme would typify. Man, do I love the Far Side

[@diamondmemer9754]

It's more like a precursor to facebook humor

[@soulubilityofficial6635]

My favorite Far Side cartoon is one of a cymbal player in an orchestra who only has one of the cymbals he’s supposed to bang together. There’s a thought bubble over his head that reads “This time I WON’T screw up. I won’t I won’t I won’t I won’t…” and then the caption at the bottom says “Roger screws up.”

[@Buttington_Headerson]

lol

[@thegrapethief5514]

Memes went from being a reflection of millennial culture and are now in the Gen Z era are gradually resurrecting properties that used to be popular and getting that generation into said properties, and I could not be happier about that.

[@cosmicXtropics]

You could shit post anything you wanted people aren't actively trying to resurrect anything unless stated otherwise. People don't think like that these days, you're giving them too much credit their brains can't comprehend it they just see what others are posting and copy it. This will be dead in a week just like most other memes.

[@thegrapethief5514]

@@cosmicXtropics they’re not actively trying it, but they are inadvertently spreading stuff like The Far Side and even things like The Three Stooges to a new generation. Especially with this channel, people may look up the original source and potentially get interested in those things despite no longer being relevant.

[@DayzeeHeartwin]

@@thegrapethief5514 yeah your right, I couldn’t count on one hand how many old things I’ve gotten into because of memes

[@derpfluidvariant0916]

@@thegrapethief5514 you're right. I've gotten into so many franchises based on memes or wanting to understand that fanbases memes that it's kinda just part of me now

[@NukeOTron]

...actually, if I remember right, half the joke behind Cow Tools, besides being absurd, is the idea that humans are supposedly the only creatures who make and use tools. Gary Larson was into biology, if I remember right. He also accidentally came up with an official term for the spiky part of a stegosaurus' tail, called the Thagomizer.

[@aSmallGreenDot]

he also invented anatidaephobia, right?

[@NukeOTron]

@@aSmallGreenDot The fear that a duck is watching you? Yes.

[@silverhand9965]

Larson was a master shitposter long before shitposts even truly existed.

[@sergeantmarcusstackerM1903]

The Thagomizer, named after the late Thag Simmons

[@cajbajthewhite4889]

He also has several arthropods named after him.

[@zacharydechant1303]

Cow tools are a valuable asset in world building. If you have a wall of weapons and one is described, the audience just assumes the rest are just as useful, even if their use is never explained.

[@FreshTillDeath56]

You have no idea how happy it makes me to see an episode on The Far Side. Those books are absolute favorites of everyone and I mean EVERYONE in my family :D

[@bilal_Hadjlaoui907]

I love the art style of this,this is better than the most art styles now

[@ambrrt5895]

first

[@bilal_Hadjlaoui907]

@@ambrrt5895 oh my god ge genshin impact player !!!!! Go to touch grass !11 dew it 111 !!!

[@lotus_flower2000]

I definalty prefer it over the "calarts" style I see way too often.

[@saltysalt844]

not really, everyone's interests are different. I like cartoonist artstyles more than realistic ones

[@bilal_Hadjlaoui907]

@@saltysalt844 everyone has thier opinion

[@j.kearney484]

"I guess you guys weren't ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it"

[@oknice8117]

The comic is funny but the main fault he made was having a tool resemble a sawblade which made readers attempt to decipher what the other tools were, creating further confusion

[@zgra74]

Fault? No. Genius? Yes.

[@omargerardolopez3294]

Fault? No. Omen? Yes.

[@D.KlWA-aG]

@@omargerardolopez3294? No. AHUIAHSIDUHFJKSHGASGHAGSHFASIUGFIASUGF? Yes.

[@diamondmemer9754]

​@@zgra74it's literally the worst comic in existence

[@manoflego123]

I remember reading the special Far Side retrospective book featuring the response to Cow Tools as a kid, and even though I found the panel itself funny, thinkong about the fact that it drummed up national attention was hilarious.

[@diamondmemer9754]

Gary Larson going on record guilt tripping anyone who didn't get his nonexistent joke has gotta be my favorite part of this mess

[@yggdrasil2]

I remember reading an interview with Larson where he admitted that Cow Tools was a bit of a goof on his part. He thought it'd be funny to draw a cow with weird abstract tools, but made the mistake of drawing one that lookef too much like a saw, causing people to wonder what the others where supposed to be.

[@kaedilla2196]

The far side was truly ahead of its time

[@davidci]

Far Side has always had a special place in my heart. Everytime I see that anatidaephobia (fear of ducks watching you) meme, I can always go "I know the origin of that!"

[@user-rd2on3yg7w]

Imagine having a fear of ducks watching you, just walking in the park, and see a duck. The duck stares at you.

[@leduckduck]

@@user-rd2on3yg7wMr. johnson... your barn door is open

[@robin9321]

0:24 the world just wasn't ready for cow tools yet.

[@SRMkay]

Larson said his biggest regret with the panel was making one of the tools look like a saw, thus making it look less nonsensical that it was supposed to be

[@whales0ng]

I’d love to see you cover Horse Plinko, I haven’t had a meme simultaneously perplex and make me laugh so hard in a long time.

[@grimgrahamch.4157]

0:05 I had 3/4 of those books growing up. As well as the Bride of the Far Side. Ah memories...

[@funkbuckle]

Ah, cow tools. I remember being 8 and staying up until two in the morning in order to understand it.

[@AWormsPurpose]

Weird how everyone just had far side books in their house that they read as kids

[@neoncentimane]

I loved those comics man! The library I go to had these huge "complete works" of book with massive pages that was split into two volumes, I'd lug these giant ten-pound books out of the reference section and just start reading.

[@mattreynolds3178]

i first saw this on the Depths of Wikipedia Instagram. Freaking loved it. Saw an Instagram meme that said "I just made tools" "Real or cow?" then the guy is sweating nervous and he had cow tools in front of him

[@danielnewton2390]

Gary Larson was making memes for decades, with no competition. Truly a king 👑 👑

[@beanmchocolate3900]

Cow tools was turned into a Minecraft splash text, and it just NOW got popular?

[@007megaoof]

I wasn't expecting a far side comic today

[@gian5063]

Congrats on 1mil subs limc!

[@enternamehere]

I saw this far side comic in my collection and bookmarked it

[@holymackerelthethird2478]

It's important to note the shade in Larson's apology after the Cow Tools controversy; *"I regret that my fondness for cows, combined with an overactive imagination, may have carried me beyond what is comprehensible to the average Far Side reader."*

[@thevoidanswerswithjazz2215]

I was bought the full collection and guess what the cover art is? Frikkin Cow black/white skin color, Gary's personal comments on the cow tools confusion were added, and he basically said "lmao beats me what it means"

[@aSmallGreenDot]

I love the Far Side so much, it was only a matter of time before it got memed. It's boomer humor but actually funny

[@JaydenJelly]

Part of the reason it hasn't was because Larson himself said he didn't want his work being spread on the internet until a couple years ago when he finally made a website.

[@Sanchlingernon]

The weird thing is, as a baby my brother used to say “cow tools” instead of “cow skulls” and so I think it’s funny how I opened KZbin and saw cow tools on my feed

[@thearjguy7241]

I'm sick of trying I'm tired of crying Yeah, I'm smiling But inside I'm cow tools

[@corik]

On Thanksgiving my Uncle went on a rant about how it was his worst one

[@Guhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

Cow tools: tools for cows. The cows made the tools. The tools are not for humans; they are for cows.

[@saladation]

I never expected Gary Larson's work to be turned into a meme, but the more I think about it, the more obvious it seems that this was gonna happen

[@orangenostril]

I remember when I was like 8 I read a far side comic where there was a bunch of dogs chasing a mailman except for one dog that had to stay inside and practice the violin, and my dad had to explain to me that the joke was that there was a bunch of dogs chasing a mailman but one dog that had to stay inside to practice the violin

[@Peeriemoot_]

I've been working on a disseratation about memes and comics for about a year and came across cow tools pretty early and had used it as one of the examples in analysing absurdist humour and how it's grown since the rise of the internet. However, the recent explosion of cow tools now gives me a shit more material to work with. Could not of come at a better time 😂

[@normanclatcher]

Good shit. Good cow shit. Very useful, yes.

[@AngelLopez-ok8qm]

"Deftones got me like" is starting to become popular, I'd love to see you do a video about it.

[@Hunt9916]

This video takes me back to when I would read my dad's far side comics for hours.

[@bloxyyt]

im so glad cow tools became a meme LOL

[@zach123101]

Imagine writing to a newspaper because you're so confused by cow tools

[@spectrum838]

“You may not like it but your kids are gonna love it”

[@iivvrryy]

This channel is honestly the first I even hear of some of these memes. Am I so behind?

[@ringodingo2587]

"Morshu tools" is literally the best thing i've seen so far

[@DamplyDoo]

Is there also a joke that they look like they're all made out of poop, like a "cow pie" being just a disc of poop?

[@sergeantmarcusstackerM1903]

The great thing about The Far Side is most of the comics you can remember just by reading the caption name

[@justinveron698]

Awesome to see a meme used from Gary Larson's work!

[@afroturtle2362]

I can't believe this came back as meme i really can't believe it...

[@rkjg666]

Your next video should be "Why Is Everyone Trying To Get Pizza From Spongebob?"

[@alexrawlings541]

I’m so glad cow tools is making a comeback

[@52flyingbicycles]

Larson is a genius. You can see one of his comics 100 times and still crack up

[@Ultrakilltree]

Those seem like high quality cow tools.

[@spongebobfan78]

Ngl, the Morshu one looks clean with the artstyle.

[@octopoos8443]

My man made 2021 memes in the 80's.

[@TommyLikeTom]

It's pretty important to understand that even the "letters" are actually just jokes that are written by Larson and not actual letters sent into newpapers to ask about the meaning. I'm sure that there were letters like that, but if you actually read the page it's clearly a joke that escalates as you go down the page. The last letter starts "allow us to introduce ourselves"... "The fellowship of the unexplained"

[@KatSuYeah]

We've got an old far side panel on our fridge, i think it was 12-31-2001, it had a kid pushing on a pull door. The door led to a "school for the gifted"

[@epicdavid6180]

I think the meme gained traction in the r/worldbuilding subreddit. Where someone used cow tools as an example of good worbuilding. Which envtually led to subs like r/worldjerking making fun of it.

[@normanclatcher]

sounds like reddit

[@BlueJayz474]

To all my Canadians out there, you ever been to Jack Astors? Far Side cartoons line the walls of that restaurant.

[@luigiman2714]

I’m early and good job Lessons in Meme Culture I Love Your Videos So Much

[@amongusbals]

We had a TV and a VHS but I still read a bunch of The Far Side comics and comics about a kid and his stuffed tiger.

[@sejozwak]

Everyone asks what are cow tools, but nobody asks how are cow tools... smh

[@clydrexezekielalzate9707]

how da dog doin 😔✊

[@GimOA]

@@clydrexezekielalzate9707 how da dog tools doin' ?

[@AlexApol]

Weiner dog art was an excellent collection 👌

[@supersejkaj3093]

Fun fact: A crowbar is literally called a koben or "cows leg" in Danish.

[@reallocal]

glad to hear i wasn't the only one who would read these at my grandparents house

[@jacobinator4981]

Man, I loved those. I have gallery’s 2, 3, and 5. It was my favorite comic alongside Calvin and Hobbes.

[@yemi28983]

Me being an empath sensing that LIMC will cover the empath meme

[@LIMC]

It’s coming, but only an empath can tell when

[@towerdog4772]

that did go hard, definitely screenshotted

[@averagegummywormfan]

So humor _is_ randomly generated now

[@josipj705]

Man's really made a shitpost 30 years ago

[@chrislee3601]

You should analyze the Rocco vs elmo social media feud

[@garrettlong1273]

i have 3 massive books full of the far side comics, and I never did understand this comic for around 3 years, thank you lol

[@DetectiveStablerSVU]

Woopdie Doo... What does it all mean, Basil?

[@oneshotstudio]

Fun fact, my friends live on the same small island with Gary Larson lol

[@МирјанаАдамовић]

Can you make a video on Moskau meme?

[@MysticTrasher]

I never knew the far side was this big

[@DentalFloss]

I used to love that picture when I was a kid

[@meis0597]

If only more nfts were like cow tools

[@Cyber_P59]

*Potato Certified*

[@SejhaIsHere]

IM SO GLAD COW TOOLS IS RELEVANT AGAIN

[@ScorpionismZero]

I forgot far side existed until I saw this glad to see it become a meme

[@bepis_lord7883]

Man made 21st century humor before the 21st century

[@Na0uta]

I looked at it and said "huh, I don't really get it. Maybe that's the point?" Like at first i was trying to assume it was some kind of morbid thing. That they're all parts of a cow on the table. since the cow looked like he was missing his eyes. But with no other context it felt like a bit too much of a leap. So I came around to just shrug and say I don't get it and that's ok.

[@Boolymog]

i love the far side and Calvin and hobbs those where the books a read at my grandmothers

[@ricefieldenthusiast1785]

these books were the bomb to get at the school library

[@liluke395]

I literally have a Gary Larson page a day calendar. What a legend

[@howarddewing6617]

Most relatable limc to date

[@BruhMoment-yv9om]

Thank you for the lesson as always.

[@RegenerationOfficial]

an old joke of an ingroup of friends: 2 + 2 what are Ducks ? => two flying animals. it was hilarious

[@PoisonIvory088]

For me my dad and me he showed them to me when I was 6 I fell in love with it

[@jennyneon]

Who doesn't use cow tools? Thank you, LIMC. Thank you for making people more aware.

[@hardygal2]

“Cow Tools” wow that’s something I haven’t heard in years

[@formeryounglinkmain]

BRO, I LEGIT HAVE 2 HUGE BOOKS OF THE FAR SIDES

[@shawnnoblekai1495]

my dad likes far side i think this is a good combination of old humor being made into new humor

[@legoreddead]

The far side is the best comic strip of all time

[@pyxalated]

this meme was far beyond its time