Barnacle Press: Old Doc Yak

Old Doc Yak
Sidney Smith

Before introducing us to Andy and Min Gump, Sidney Smith rose to fame with Old Doc Yak. Doc Yak is a doctor, and a yak. He's a "beauty specialist," what we'd call today a plastic or cosmetic surgeon. But instead of wealthy dowagers getting chin lifts and Botox injections, Doc Yak's patients were ducks who want long necks, giraffes who want short necks, and ostriches who want their baldness cured. This was the pattern for a while, with Doc fixin' up animals in the dailies, and attempting to collect his bills on Sundays. But this constraint wasn't to last long. Soon, he steals a monkey from an organ grinder, and things really get strange. From that point on, the thrust of the strip changes, and the strip revolves around Doc Yak's quest to make a million dollars. It's easy to see Doc Yak as a surrogate for Smith in this regard, and Smith must have been pretty happy to have finally earned his million when he became the highest paid cartoonist in the world for his work on the Gumps.

Sadly, it wasn't to last. In 1935, Smith had earned another pay raise, to $150,000 a year, but he was killed when his Rolls-Royce crashed on the way home from signing the new contract.

Happily, his work lives on, and we're proud to bring to you what we believe to be the Complete Old Doc Yak.

1912

February 05 February 06 February 07 February 08 February 09 February 10 February 12 Old Doc Yak Open For Business! February 13 February 14 February 15 February 16 February 17 February 19 February 20 February 21 February 22 February 23 February 24 February 26 February 27 February 28 February 29 March 01 March 02 March 03 March 04 March 05 March 06 March 07 March 08 March 09 March 10 March 11 March 12 March 13 March 14 March 15 March 16 March 17 March 18 March 19 March 20 March 21 March 22 March 23 March 24 March 25 March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 March 30 March 31 April 01 Old Doc Yak Prescription April 02 April 03 April 04 April 05 April 06 April 07 April 08 April 09 April 10 April 11 April 12 April 13 April 14 April 15 April 16 April 17 April 18 April 19 April 20 April 21 April 22 April 23 April 24 April 25 April 26 April 27 April 28 April 29 April 30 May 01 May 02 May 04 May 05 May 12 May 19 May 26 June 02 June 03 June 04 June 05 June 06 June 07 June 08 June 09 June 10 June 11 June 12 June 13 June 14 June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 June 21 June 22 June 23 June 24 June 25 June 26 June 27 June 28 June 29 June 30 July 01 July 02 July 03 July 04 July 05 July 06 July 07 July 08 July 09 July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 July 15 July 16 July 17 July 18 July 19 July 20 July 21 July 22 July 23 July 24 July 25 July 26 July 27 July 28 July 29 July 30 July 31 August 01 August 02 August 03 August 04 August 05 August 06 August 07 August 08 August 09 August 10 August 11 August 12 August 13 August 14 August 15 August 16 August 17 August 18 August 19 August 20 August 21 August 22 August 23 August 24 August 25 August 26 August 27 August 28 August 29 August 30 August 31 September 01 September 02 September 03 September 04 September 05 September 06 September 07 September 08 September 09 September 10 September 11 September 12 September 13 September 14 September 15 September 22 September 29 October 06 October 13 October 20 October 27 November 03 November 10 November 17 November 24 December 01 December 08 December 15 December 22 December 29

1913

January 05 January 12 January 19 January 26 February 02 February 09 February 16 February 23 March 02 March 09 March 16 March 23 March 30 April 06 April 13 April 20 April 27 May 04 May 11 May 18 May 25 June 01 June 08 June 15 June 22 June 29 Now in the movies! July 06 July 13 July 20 July 27 August 03 August 10 August 17 August 24 August 31 September 07 September 14 September 21 September 28 October 05 October 12 October 19 October 26 November 02 November 09 November 16 November 23 November 30 December 07 December 14 December 21 December 28

1914

January 04 January 11 January 18 January 25 February 01 February 08 February 15 February 22 March 01 March 08 March 15 March 22 March 29 April 05 April 12 April 19 Sports Cartoon Appearance April 26 Another Sports Appearance May 03 May 10 May 17 May 24 May 31 June 07 June 14 June 21 June 28 July 05 July 12 July 19 July 26 August 02 August 09 August 16 August 23 August 30 September 06 September 13 September 20 September 27 October 04 October 11 October 18 October 25 November 01 November 08 November 15 November 22 November 29 December 06 December 13 December 20 Movie Review December 27

1915

January 03 January 10 January 17 January 18 January 24 January 31 February 07 February 14 Automobile Club Minstrel Show February 21 February 28 March 07 March 14 March 21 March 28 April 04 April 11 April 18 April 25 May 02 May 09 May 16 May 23 May 30 June 06 June 13 June 20 June 27 Old Doc Yak Interview July 04 July 11 July 18 July 25 August 01 August 08 August 15 August 22 August 29 September 05 September 12 September 19 September 26 Old Doc Yak at Motor Pageant October 03 October 10 October 17 October 24 October 31 November 07 November 14 November 21 November 28 December 05 December 12 December 19 December 26

1916

January 02 January 09 January 16 January 23 January 30 February 06 February 13 February 20 February 27 March 05 March 12 March 19 March 26 April 02 April 09 April 16 April 23 April 30 May 07 May 14 May 21 May 28 June 04 June 11 June 18 June 25 July 02 July 09 July 16 July 23 July 30 August 06 August 13 August 20 August 27 September 03 September 10 September 17 September 24 October 01 October 08 October 15 October 22 October 29 November 05 November 12 November 19 November 26 December 03 December 10 December 17 December 24 December 31

1917

January 07 January 14 January 21 January 22 January 23 January 24 January 25 January 26 January 27 January 28 January 29 January 30 January 31 February 01 February 02 February 03 February 04 February 05 February 06 February 07 February 08 February 09 February 10 February 11 February 18 February 25 March 04 March 11 March 18 March 25 April 01 April 08 April 15 April 22 April 29 May 06 May 13 May 20 May 27