Old Doc Yak Boulevard Cut Up

Sidney Smith's *Old Doc Yak* strips exemplified the physical comedy and automotive humor that dominated early newspaper comics. This Sunday page follows the titled character through a series of escalating vehicle collisions and traffic mishaps, each panel propelling the narrative forward through visual gags and escalating chaos. Smith's panel layout, speech balloons, and recurring cast of characters—including Doc Yak himself and his hapless human associates—demonstrate the visual conventions that newspapers had established by 1913. The strip's dependence on sequential art, sight gags, and the automobile as subject matter reflects how comics had evolved as a distinct medium within the Sunday pages, entertaining readers through pure visual storytelling.