"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated April 05, 1908:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (OCTOBER 4, 2020):
Fresh off of performing a few miracles and giving some folks a new set of threads, Nemo is transforming carriages into a horseless 6-tiered sight-seeing vehicle. - 1/20
What's most interesting about this is the fact that… well… the people he is giving the tour to are the people of Shanty Town. - 2/20
Now, for sake of clarity, let's be really clear; he never calls himself a tour guide… but the vehicle *does* say "Seeing Shanty Town" on the side of it which make me wonder… - 3/20
Is this a suggestion that the people need to *see* Shanty Town as Nemo sees it? That Nemo is going to show them a *new* Shanty Town of his own making? The second would at least explain the tour/Nemo-as-guide conceit. - 4/20
Either way, what we witness in this series of strips is nothing short of the gentrification of Shanty Town through magic… this staff of Nemo's is really causing some havoc whether he intends it to or not… - 5/20
Yesterday, @AlexxKay brought up the idea that Nemo's heart is in the right place, he just doesn't understand the damage he's causing to the people, and I think that really resonates here. - 6/20
Particularly in panels 5 & 6… we see (at least) 8 buildings (that look like tenements) replaced by one massive building reminiscent of Morpheus' palace architecture (I'm assuming the colonnade in the back is part of this building)… - 7/20
It looks liked to me as though those were homes that Nemo replaced, not broken and beat up businesses… where will the people of Shanty Town live now? Do they live in the new building rent free? 'Cuz I'd be willing to bed that they can't afford it otherwise… - 8/20
They could, of course, sell the beautiful clothes that Nemo transforms theirs into in panel 4 and that might help… hardly a long term fix, though. - 9/20
My larger point (ragging on Nemo notwithstanding) is that I, like @AlexxKay, think Nemo is genuine in wanting to help these people and that he's doing what he thinks is right. He does promise to visit all of the sick in Shanty Town to heal them. - 10/20
He begins this mission by transforming the "park" where the kids of Shanty Town play (which causes them to get sick) into a beautiful park/garden (again, reminiscent of the palace). Now, the kids can play and *not* get sick! - 11/20
But there's something that makes me uncomfortable in this strip… a simple phrase uttered by one of the Shanty Town children in panel 1… if you'll permit me, I want to toss out a whack-ball theory… - 12/20
I think Morpheus intended for Nemo to end up in Shanty Town and gave him the wish staff because he knew that Nemo's kind nature would cause him to want to help the people of the city thereby gentrifying it for him and not making him the bad guy. - 13/20
Ok, I know what you're thinking, but hear me out… the little girl says in panel 1, "Dats what moved us out yistady of our house". - 14/20
You mean… the people were pre-emptively removed/displaced from their homes before Nemo's arrival… well, that's strange isn't? Why would they and all their belongings have been moved out of their homes so suddenly? - 15/20
Well, now, as Nemo goes around "improving" and "beautifying" Shanty Town, the places that he remodels and renovates are… tenant-less. Since they were moved out before the transformation, they can stake no claim to the new building. - 16/20
The park/garden could simply be a way to drive up the value of the area… increase it's worth and make it so unaffordable for the Shanty Town residents that they have to move on. - 17/20
I mean… is there really any other explanation for the way that Nemo received that magical wand then this? As King of Slumberland, Morpheus CLEARLY has ways to get what he wants… I think manipulating Nemo is just one of them. - 18/20
Sure, it's far fetched… go ahead and tear apart my completely indefensible conspiracy theory… seriously, please. What do you all think? - 19/20
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #130. What's yours? - 20/20