"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated April 26, 1908:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (OCTOBER 7, 2020):
I really, really like this strip. The side-by-side technique works really well, in my opinion, to reinforce the temporal simultaneity while also emphasizing the spatial difference. - 1/18
It's also great to finally know what's become of Flip and Impy since they went tumbling off the spinning platform! Not only did they end up together, but they found the Princess and (seem to have) made it back to the palace! - 2/18
I love the right side of the page. We start with just Impy framed while an off panel conversation is going on to the right… Soon, all our favourites come piling in… Flip, Dr. Pill, the Princess… they're all together! - 3/18
This moment is so perfectly reminiscent of their characters. Flip and Dr. Pill are fighting (typical), Impy is expressive through his body language (happy to hear Nemo's been found), and even the Princess is chastising Flip (oh, the good old days). - 4/18
All this to say that the spatial design of the page really works well for a telephone conversation. Compositionally, they are so close to one another, but we know how far away they actually are. - 5/18
As we cross that simple, thin vertical gutter running the length of the page, we are simultaneously traveling a great distance (narrative) and barely going anywhere (visually/dream logic). - 6/18
Speaking of geography, Nemo has Mary call "Slumberland", not the palace… Does this mean Shantytown isn't in Slumberland? Is it it's own section of the dreamscape? - 7/18
I know we've talked about how the dreamscape shifts in response to Nemo and the needs of the story (which I'm very ok with as an explanation given the liquidity of dreams), but this makes me wonder again about what Morpheus actually reigns over. - 8/18
I've wondered for the past few strips whether Nemo would want to reunite with his friends or if he would be content acting as the saviour of Shanty town and this seems to provide my answer. - 9/18
Though I don't know if it's as clear cut as that… the only reason he seems to be having Little Mary (who is healed) call the Princess is because he wants her to have the reward… - 10/18
Then again, in panel 7 he says, "When you get the reward you can make everybody in Shantytown happy the rest of their lives", which might suggest that he's trying to pass on his responsibilities to her so that he can return to his friends. - 11/18
But he doesn't seem at all concerned with the fact that his friends are on the other line… maybe he can't hear them? It does seem like Mary is having some trouble communicating with the others. - 12/18
Though, it could also be because he is consumed with transforming Shantytown into a bunch of palaces… He doesn't get on the phone until right at the end, which seems strange to me. - 13/18
To finish this off, I'll mention that the final tier is my absolute favourite. - 14/18
On the far left, Nemo is looking across the gutter to the Princess who is looking at a fight happening off panel between Flip and Dr. Pill, but because we can't see it happening, it looks like she's looking across the gutter to Nemo's dad pulling the covers off the bed. - 15/18
Their gaze emphasizes the readers gaze across the page and I think it's a neat effect. As the covers swoosh up, it's almost like a magician revealing the trick; lifting the veil of the dream to reveal the reality of the waking world. - 16/18
It's a small detail that really doesn't do much beyond punctuate the moment, but it's affective and it stands out to me as one of the most memorable parts of this strip. - 17/18
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #133. What's yours? - 18/18