"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated July 26, 1908:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905; Guest Curated by @explodingarrow (OCTOBER 23, 2020):
A typical Little Nemo strip begins where it ends—in bed. The first and last panels mirror each other in content, perspective, and size. - 1/10
The bed is the place from where Nemo must depart to begin his short adventure, and it’s also the place to which he must return so he can conclude it. In this way, Nemo’s bed represents reality & the world of Nemo's daytime life that we never get to see. - 2/10
In the #WalkingBed strip, Nemo doesn’t get out of bed to begin his adventure. He doesn’t get called away by people in strange outfits or even pulled out of bed by a big turkey. Instead, it’s his bed that moves. - 3/10
Subsequently, the event that propels us into Slumberland in this episode is Nemo waking up to find Flip in his room. Over the course of five panels (the first row), Nemo and Flip chat as the bed grows legs and begins to walk straight for the door and out into the world. - 4/10
At this point, it’s clear that the bed is no longer a place that represents safety. Nemo immediately clocks the danger, telling Flip, “We’d better not go.” - 5/10
As the legs of the bed continue to grow, Flip’s argument “Why not? Certainly we’ll go” seems to illustrate the only viable choice. What else can they do? There’s no way for them to reach the ground safely. Still, Nemo wants to get down. - 6/10
These next panels vary between portraying a fairly steady walking experience and a gallop that has Nemo and Flip barely hanging onto the bedframe. But Flip refuses to acknowledge any danger or any reason to adopt a different perspective on the situation. - 7/10
Even when the bed trips and flings them out into the sky, Flip comments “Just as I thought it would do!” and urges Nemo to not make a sound until he is really hurt (something that, of course, will not happen). - 8/10
Slumberland is not a place where Nemo can choose to escape even if, in this case, he can spot a way to get home and to safety (by getting off the bed). He must be launched out of it. He must wake up to find himself back (safely) in bed. - 9/10
But when Nemo returns to “reality” in the last panel, he isn’t in his bed. Following the movement of the panel directly above (Nemo falling), he’s deposited onto the floor next to the “real life” bed, though it no longer seems quite as safe as it had in the first panel. - 10/10