"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated September 08, 1907:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (SEPTEMBER 4, 2020):
Welcome to the 100th #LittleNemo strip! It's been a long journey, but we're finally here! - 1/19
Interestingly, I find this strip to be a turning point in the series. From now on, the main focus of the strip is squarely on Nemo, Flip, and Impy; they completely take over. - 2/19
Obviously, the 100th strip is a good time to do something like this! We're moving into a new phase of #LittleNemo and it's an exciting one! Some really great strips await us in the near future! - 3/19
To facilitate this shift in the narrative dynamic, McCay does a good job "sending off" the Princess. The top tier sees her bereft and filled with sadness that she hasn't been able to see her father the King since her return! - 4/19
So upset is she that Flip and Nemo (and Impy by extension) decide to stay outside so that she can go see him. This, to me, is really important. - 5/19
We've seen how long and arduous a journey with Nemo can be… it took him 20 strips just to reach the gates of Slumberland the first time; going anywhere with Nemo is an exercise in patience and the withholding of closure… - 6/19
Most recently, it's been Impy and Flip that have caused the problems and slowed down the party/wake Nemo up. Combined with the traditionally slow progress that takes place with Nemo, the Princess likely recognizes that seeing her father (together) might be a ways off… - 7/19
That she chooses to go on her own to see him is telling and maybe even signals her recognition that her playmate and his companions are part of what's holding her back, here? - 8/19
Sure, she thinks she'll see them again very soon, but clearly that isn't what the strip has in mind. In fact, we won't see the Princess again for OVER A YEAR! Her return won't be until October 18, 1908… - 9/19
I'm not totally sure what to make of the Slumberlandian's comments in panel 3. Part of me thinks that he is intentionally sending the trio into the Colonnade in order to get lost… but I'm not sure. He may be genuinely trying to help, it just doesn't seem that way. - 10/19
Part of this has to do with the way the Colonnade is designed… I know it was a common practice in classical architecture, but I haven't found many examples of Colonnades that are quite so… forest like? - 11/19
Is this particular Colonnade a way for Slumberlandians to deal with pests? That it so quickly transforms into a forest is visually quite appealing, but also suspicious. - 12/19
While Nemo and Flip bicker, Impy seems to be recognizing the changing surroundings. Though it looks as though they are standing still (the panel content is visually similar in all three tier two panels), they're presumably getting deeper in with each passing panel. - 13/19
By the time panel 7 comes around, they are no longer even in the palace; the columns are now trees and red-skinned Giants peek out from behind them. - 14/19
By now, they've completely gotten lost. The question for me is: Was getting lost inevitable simply by entrance into the Colonnade, or did they really just happen to get lost by coincidence? - 15/19
The latter suggests that, at some point, the Colonnade of the palace ceases and the forest begins… it seems odd (especially considering where they end up in the next strip), but this is a dreamscape and through the magic of surrealism anything is possible. - 16/19
That said, I kinda lean towards the former reading… I think the Slumberlandians were tired of the shenanigans and wanted to have a bit of time without Nemo and the two trouble makers. It seems logical to me that this was the way to achieve that goal indirectly. - 17/19
Couple this with the fact that they are in clown costumes (as though they've been made the fool…) and even if it wasn't McCay's subtle intention, the reading is there. - 18/19
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #100. What's yours? - 19/19