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Day #165: Little Nemo and the Case of Mistaken Identity

"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated December 06, 1908:


Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (NOVEMBER 13, 2020):


Well, there are certainly some interesting details in this strip that I think are worth discussing… Let's start from the top, shall we? - 1/18

Panel 1 is very interesting for a couple of reasons. -2/18

First, it suggests that this entire series is a ploy by Flip to keep Nemo away from Slumberland. Dr. Pill's "grab him when Flip isn't looking" sort of insinuates that Flip would prevent Nemo's return… - 3/18

Unless, it's demonstrating that they just don't want Flip to come back… which, if he did melt them (Even temporarily), I wouldn't exactly blame them for… - 4/18

Both are possible, and I'm not sure which I read as more likely… was this entire series an elaborate ploy by Flip or just the natural by-product of a mischievous characters actions? - 5/18

Another thing. Dr. Pill says "go to earth". Is this strange to anyone else? - 6/18

The use of the word "earth" rather than, I don't know, "America" just seems weird to me… like, Slumberland is a different planet, as opposed to a different state of consciousness… - 7/18

Maybe I'm getting caught up in the semantics, but it's repeated again in panel 5 by the Princess… I wouldn't be bothered if McCay had chosen "Nemo's home" or "the US", or pretty much any other term, but this one challenges me. - 8/18

It also suggests (particularly in panel 12) that Slumberland is a pretty unforgiving place… the Candy Kid fears that, had they not realized their mistake, they'd "have been put in irons" or imprisoned for their negligence. - 9/18

That sounds like quite an overreaction to a simple case of mistaken identity… but, hey, that's me. - 10/18

I will admit that I really love the final two tiers of the comic. They're a wonderful example of responsive layout; spatial design that changes in response to the panel contents. - 11/18

Panel 9 begins as a short square and, as each panel passes and Flip and the balloon get higher and higher, the panels stretch vertically in response. - 12/18

This permits the spatial and the visual to communicate in this moment. The design responds to the need to depict height. - 13/18

Though it's possible that it's reacting to the balloon, I think it's more likely that Flip, and his position in the sky, is dictating the spatial organization. - 14/18

As the fourth tier begins, we see the balloon way up in the background. We also see it in panel 16. Yet the panels are shrinking while the balloon remains high. - 15/18

But, Flip has been pushed out by now, and as he descends towards his eventual landing spot (Nemo) the panels begin to shrink as though to demonstrate his downward trajectory and movement. - 16/18

It culminates in Flip hitting him (the lowest point in the dream) and Nemo hitting the floor of his room (the lowest point in the waking world). I think it's highly effective! - 17/18

This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #165. What's yours? - 18/18

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