(CNN) Nearly 25 years ago, when Gary Larson retired from drawing his iconic single-panel cartoon that ran daily in newspapers from 1980 to 1995, he didn't think much about what the budding internet might have to do with his work.

"I never once foresaw any connection between this emergent technology and my cartoons," Larson said in a letter posted to TheFarSide.com , the official website of the cartoon which launched Monday with a selection of classic cartoons, never-before-seen sketches from inside Larson's sketchbooks, and a letter from the cartoonist explaining why all these years later, his offbeat characters and comics have a home online.

And to celebrate 2020, the fortieth anniversary of "The Far Side," the site will occasionally premier brand new work from Larson.

Larson said changes in technology eventually convinced him the time had come for his cartoon creations to go digital.

"It's always been inherently awkward to chase down a Far Side--festooned website when the person behind it is often simply a fan. (Although not everyone is quite so uncomplicated in their motives; my cartoons have been taken and used to help sell everything from doughnuts to rodent control. At least I offer range.)," Larson wrote of his ongoing battle against copyright infringement.

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