Smitty — Grab Bag

In this four-panel Sunday strip, a character presents an oversized box as a gift, promising something special inside. Each panel escalates the mystery and anticipation—the recipient grows curious, peers into the box, and in the final panel, the punchline arrives as something emerges unexpectedly. The strip demonstrates the visual storytelling techniques that defined newspaper comics: sequential panels advancing narrative, speech balloons carrying dialogue, and character expressions that guide readers through the gag. *Smitty* ran as both a daily and Sunday strip, exemplifying how newspaper comics developed the visual grammar that would anchor the emerging comic book medium. The artist's crisp linework and clear panel layouts were typical of the era's most popular strips.