History Main / FarSideIsland

* The trope maker may be ''Animation/{{Ostrov}}'', a 1973 Russian cartoon in which a little man with a thick beard sits on a Gary Larson-style Far Side Island, barely big enough for him and one palm tree. Some pointed satire ensues as all sorts of people cruise by the island and harass or take advantage of the man, or just ignore him, but no one ever bothers to help him.

* There is a well-known research site leased by Sydney University near the Great Barrier Reef that doesn't quite fit this trope perfectly as it's 5.5 km across at its widest point, but it's named [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Tree_Island_%28Queensland%29 One Tree Island]].

** One showed that the island was actually a SeaMonster, with a stalk eye disguised as the tree.

* Regularly featured in ''Series/TheNewYorker'' cartoons, such as one that has the palm tree replaced by a wind turbine and one castaway saying to another, "I miss the palm tree too, but at least we can have a refrigerator."

* Creator/GahanWilson did a bunch of tragic 'stock cartoons' for the ''Magazine/NationalLampoon'', including a little desert island with a bleached skeleton on it.

* This is the setting for ''[[WesternAnimation/{{W}}''.

* This is the setting for [[WesternAnimation/{{W}}''.

A comedic DesertedIsland[[note]]And also, by loose definition, a desert island[[/note]] that is circular with a radius of two metres or so and a single palm, coconut or pineapple tree[[note]]Pineapples don't actually grow on trees, but [[ArtisticLicenseBiology that's a different trope]].[[/note]] in the centre. Usually has a single inhabitant. If there's more than one, they'll either be constantly arguing or one will be slowly driving the other insane in a comedic manner (MeatOVision may also occur). Often features a MessageInABottle. If the stranded are ''really'' unlucky, there will be a [[ThreateningShark pack of sharks]] circling the island.

** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in [[http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/Ignore-them-They-re-cartoonists-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8479432_.htm this one]].

* Desert Island Dick from ''ComicBook/TheTopper'' was just a whole comic strip about this trope: one guy lives on a deserted island by himself and never seems to be able to get off or starve. He is friends with the wildlife though. This trope has also been occasionally used in ''The Topper''[='=]s more well known stablemates ''Comicbook/TheBeano'' and ''ComicBook/TheDandy''.

* Played completely straight (and not for comedy, for once) in the Creator/StephenKing story ''Survivor Type''. An unscrupulous, sociopathic surgeon is stranded on a tiny island with no supplies other than some water and a large amount of heroin he had been smuggling. A self described "survivor type", he tries to keep himself alive first by catching seagulls, and after accidently breaking his foot, cannibalising parts of his own body. [[AndIMustScream His last diary entries suggest he's eaten everything below his waist.]]

* There is a well known research site leased by Sydney University near the Great Barrier Reef that doesn't quite fit this trope perfectly as it's 5.5 km across at its widest point, but it's named [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Tree_Island_%28Queensland%29 One Tree Island]].

A comedic DesertedIsland[[note]]And also, by loose definition, a desert island[[/note]] that is circular with a radius of two metres or so and a single palm, coconut or pineapple tree[[labelnote:*]]Pineapples don't actually grow on trees, but [[ArtisticLicenseBiology that's a different trope]].[[/labelnote]] in the centre. Usually has a single inhabitant. If there's more than one, they'll either be constantly arguing or one will be slowly driving the other insane in a comedic manner (MeatOVision may also occur). Often features a MessageInABottle. If the stranded are ''really'' unlucky, there will be a [[ThreateningShark pack of sharks]] circling the island.

!!Examples

A comedic DesertedIsland[[note]]And also, by loose definition, a desert island[[/note]] that is circular with a radius of two metres or so and a single palm, coconut or pineapple tree in the centre. Usually has a single inhabitant. If there's more than one, they'll either be constantly arguing or one will be slowly driving the other insane in a comedic manner (MeatOVision may also occur). Often features a MessageInABottle. If the stranded are ''really'' unlucky, there will be a [[ThreateningShark pack of sharks]] circling the island.

* In an animated ''Sesame Street'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asRFJ-4Zxe8 sequence]], the letters H, E, L, and P are stranded on an island and miss two opportunities to be rescued by being in the wrong order.

* SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker and Harley Quinn end up stranded on one after the Joker sinks Greenbeard's ship in ''Webcomic/LilGotham'' #8. It turns out this was the one time Harley hadn't packed her escape balloon, because [[AllWomenLoveShoes she needed to make room for all her shoes]].

* Played completely straight and not for comedy in the Creator/StephenKing story ''Survivor Type'', where a sociopathic surgeon is stranded on a Far Side island with no supplies other than some water and a large amount of heroin he had been smuggling. A self described "survivor type", he tries to keep himself alive first by catching seagulls, and after accidently breaking his foot, cannibalising parts of his own body.

* The ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'' episode "Jumping the Shark" has this as the main plot.

* [[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/danmazur/palindramas/series.php?view=archive&chapter=35235 This]] ''WebComic/{{Palindramas}}'' strip ends up on one.

* One of these showed up on ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad''. Originally it was a quite spacious desert island with many luxuries installed, until a tidal wave submerged something like 95% of the island underwater. Stan and Roger survive by eating mostly seagulls. They attempt to escape with a raft made from seagull carcasses which immediatly sinks, but then discover that Rogers body is bouyant enough to function as a makeshift flotation device.

* A viewer of ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' once asked Strong Bad what it would be like if he and Homestar were stranded on such an island. Strong Bad first mentioned the [[MeatOVision usual tropes]] for such a situation, but figured the reality would actually be more dull and unpleasant. In another episode, we see a flashback of him being saved by The Paper from a sinking version of one.