"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated August 29, 1909:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (DECEMBER 29, 2020):
This is a bit of a rollercoaster ride of a comic strip… again, the "training" of the boys remains front and centre, but this one changes tactics a little. - 1/17
I say this feels like a "rollercoaster" because we go back and forth from fairly positive training methods to potentially harmful ones… I was worried that the boys had been tricked when the ropes came in during panel 5. - 2/17
In the end though, it seems as though the monkeys have decided that less-antagonistic methods are the best way to work with their humans, as the use of positive reinforcement does the trick. - 3/17
By the end of the strip, the boys are allowing the monkeys to pet them and the Professor is even cradled in one of the monkey's laps! - 4/17
I'm very fascinated by the way that the strip continues to blur the boundary between human and animal, not so much in the strip (though it does that too), but for the reader. - 5/17
From the perspective of someone who has often trained animals (dogs) and thought about how they *feel* or what they're *thinking* during the process, this isn't overly unsettling… - 6/17
…but I can imagine that for young children, who are still developing empathy and understanding, being shown this alternative position (where *they* are the ones being trained) would be potentially unnerving. - 7/17
The disruption of what we normally see if a good thing (in my opinion) because it challenges the reader to see beyond their own limited world perspective. - 8/17
I know that McCay and his work have problematic elements (loads of 'em… we've talked about them all), but I do think that it is quite nice to see this type of story being told here. - 9/17
Though I won't hold my breath, it would be nice to see this newfound recognition and consideration for the perspective of others be extended to BIPOC humans within McCay's world. Something for us to keep an eye out for moving forward. - 10/17
Also of interest here is the potential implications of Flip's actions in Panel 8, which sees the monkey in charge hand Flip his cigar… and Flip accepts. - 11/17
Now, I get that things have been particularly stressful lately, and you can't blame Flip for maybe wanting some comfort after dropping the habit cold turkey a few months back, but… was it wise to accept it? - 12/17
I'm not challenging the character of the monkey here, but what if this was a test by the Princess to test the veracity of Nemo's claim to the Fairy or the fortitude of Flip's dedication to goodness? - 13/17
I don't think it would be entirely fair given everything that they've been through recently for this to be the case, but I also wouldn't put it past the Princess to pull something like this. - 14/17
I'll end just by mentioning another wonderful use of transitional closure from the penultimate panel to the final panel; Nemo's uncle positioned as the monkey was in panel 11. - 15/17
And, though sitting versus standing, even Nemo's facial expression is almost identical between the two panels. The blurring of the boundary line between dreaming and waking continues to function really well here. - 16/17
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #203. What's yours? - 17/17