Day #150: The Peculiar Predicament of Nemo's Grandpa

"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated August 23, 1908:

Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (OCTOBER 29, 2020):

I don't have much to comment on here, besides the interesting connection that can be made with F. Scott Fitzgerald's #TheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButton. - 1/13

Fitzgerald's short story, about a man aging in reverse in much the same way that Nemo's grandpa does, was originally published in Collier's Magazine in 1922. - 2/13

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button_(short_story)

In a review of the 2008 movie directed by David Fincher, I found this comment: - 3/13

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button/article1068008/

[INSERT IMAGE]

I found it interesting that this strip came out 14 years before Fitzgerald's Button and has seemingly gone unrecognized for it's fairly impressive use of the same conceit. - 4/13

Could Twain have influenced McCay here, as well? It's certainly possible; timing would likely make sense. Twain died 2 years after this strips publication, so it's possible McCay'd heard the same quote… - 5/13

I also find it curious that (at least in my opinion) the comics medium is much better suited than the novel/short story to tell a tale like this… - 6/13

We want to visualize the aging; see it occur in real time. And that's exactly what McCay gives us. - 7/13

Each panel transition from tier two forward involves Nemo's Grandpa becoming younger… it creates a great temporal juxtaposition to the boys (no change) that is accomplished through the visual and spatial. - 8/13

Now, Dr. Pill's inclusion in this strip is also curious… mainly because I thought he was melted alongside the rest of Slumberland. Yet, he doesn't even react to anyone (aside from Flip), nor does Nemo react to him. - 9/13

This would've been a great time to ask him what happened to his other friends… and yet he chooses not to. Strange… - 10/13

Nor does Nemo even really seem surprised that Dr. Pill shows up… it reminds me of how, when dreaming, random people from your life might appear and, no matter how peculiar, you don't question it. - 11/13

I had a dream just like this recently where a person that I hadn't seen in years appeared in a dream and my dream logic just totally accepted it as normal… maybe I'm projecting a bit here haha - 12/13

This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #150. What's yours? - 13/13