"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated December 20, 1908:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (NOVEMBER 15, 2020):
Ok, I'm not gunna lie. I like this strip! Even in spite of it being a holiday strip! - 1/17
That said, there are a lot of things in here that just straight up confuses me… - 2/17
First, Santa in an airship? He never really answers Nemo when he asks him why his reindeer are gone and I'm wondering the exact same thing… - 3/17
Why not the reindeer? We saw them just last week and they could've accomplished the exact same goal… was it as simple as the airship is easier to draw? Didn’t want them featured two weeks in a row? - 4/17
Second, Nemo only realizes it's Santa Clause in panel 5!? He says: "Say: You are Santa Clause, aren't you? I thought so!" … Nemo? Why the hell'd you let some big dude steal you from your bed if you didn't know it was Santa? - 5/17
I mean, even letting Santa whisk you away might be questionable, but at least if you're a kid, I can forgive that one… but if you didn't know who it was? Didn't your mama and papa teach you about stranger danger!? - 6/17
Lastly, why, in the final panel, is Nemo saying he needs to go find out if he has a tree… last week we saw a very prominent Christmas tree near the foot of his bed. - 7/17
What happened over the course of this week? Where did that tree go? - 8/17
Putting all my confusion aside though, this strip has a lot to like, as well! - 9/17
Tier two gives us another really beautiful look at some architecture from a nice high vantage point; both NY building tops and Slumberland palaces! - 10/17
I really love the series of transitions from 6-8 as Nemo is tugged onto Santa's back, stuffed into the chimney and safely exits at ground level. - 11/17
At first, Nemo suggests that he might be a bit scared of this, but, remembering that it is Santa who's kidnapped… I mean, brought… him here, his fears quickly fade! - 12/17
By the final tier, my hypothesis that Nemo had been taken to Slumberland as Santa's gift to the Princess is confirmed. He stands (or hangs like an ornament) on the tree in a bowed position and fine suit! - 13/17
The two are so genuinely glad to see one another that I'm really affected by panel 12… In fact, it almost made me a bit frustrated with Flip that he's been preventing them from being together more. - 14/17
Sure, there is something potentially unnerving to say about the commodification of human life, here… but I'm largely ok with it because, in this moment, Nemo seems as happy to be there as the Princess is to see him. - 15/17
Ultimately, it might even suggest to the young children reading the strip that the best Christmas gift they could give the ones they love is to simply be there with them during the holidays! - 16/17
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #167. What's yours? - 17/17
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