"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated February 14, 1909:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (NOVEMBER 23, 2020):
This strip, landing right on Valentines Day, is part holiday strip and part operetta advertising! - 1/8
In Act One of the Herbert's #LittleNemo, there's actually a whole little portion dedicated to the holiday! - 2/8
The Valentine Fairy (?) makes an appearance, "The March of the Valentines" occurs, and the Princess asks Nemo to be her Valentine before whisking him off to Slumberland! - 3/8
I think McCay actually did a pretty excellent job blending the two together here. The seamlessness with which he transitions from Nemo's bedroom to the operetta stage is pretty impressive! - 4/8
Sure, it happens in a very quick panel transition from 11 to 12, but it works for me. The abruptness with which Nemo's costume change is mitigated by the enjoyment I get from seeing the conductor and orchestra appear! - 5/8
The fact that it mimics exactly a scene from the musical would likely have excited the children who had been able to see it live, and encourage the ones who hadn't with a tease of some pomp and circumstance! - 6/8
It also features another cool title card, which I'm quite happy to see more frequently again! - 7/8
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #175. What's yours? - 8/8