https://www.thefarside.com/2026/11/05/4
Caption:
Appliance healers
Alt text:
I command the foul demons that have clogged this vacuum cleaner to come OUT!
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That is clearly a displeased machine spirit. A proper adept of the omnisiah would be better rather than one of his more… charismatic ecclesiarchic followers, I shall get Alpha-sextus-septum to light the incense.
Some background on this comic:
Transcript (top sketch):
Foul spirits of the duodenum, be go̲n̲e̲!
Faith Surgeons
Transcript (middle sketch):
Foul and evil spirits that have jammed this saxophone, Begone!
Faith Repairmen
Fair Repairers
Instrument healers
Appliance healersTranscript (commentary):
I started thinking about faith healers one day and how much obvious humor potential just exuded from these people. I played with these two versions before ending up with the final, as shown.
There is a comedic show called Children’s Hospital with a physician character that heals with the power of laughter. It works as well as one might expect.
That was a play on Patch Adams as well.
Comic strip 1986. Patch Adams movie 1998.
As other commenters said, I was talking about children’s hospital, the far side comic doesn’t have anything to do with Patch Adams anyway, he was a real doctor, not a faith healer scammer.
Patch Adams started doing his thing in the 70’s. I’ve met him in real life!
Also I think they’re referring to Children’s Hospital.
I think I had that vacuum cleaner. It must have weighed 40lbs.
