"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated January 30, 1910:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (JANUARY 20, 2021):
This strip continues what I've dubbed the "Heroics Series" of the #LittleNemo strips! Here, Nemo and the airship save a sinking ship, saving many, many lives! - 1/22
Compared to last strip, where we witnessed what must have been a catastrophic loss of life (pirates though they were), this strip, if not redeems, at least offers Nemo the chance to "balance the scales", as it were. - 2/22
I'll admit, that I had no idea what CQD (distress signal) meant until I looked it up. That said, I was able to infer that the ship was in distress through iconic solidarity. - 3/22
I thought this was interesting; I wonder, would kids of 1910 have known what CQD was? Was it much more common than it is today? IS it just me who had no idea about it? These questions were interesting… - 4/22
Nemo, again, carries himself not just with bravado in this strip, but also a very commanding presence. In panel 4, he threatens to throw a Slumberlandian overboard who he feels isn't pulling his weight. - 5/22
I think that this is the first time he's been outright called "Captain", as well (though I might be mistaken about that). I wonder if the whole "Captaincy" isn't going a wee bit to his head… - 6/22
It does seem as though he's a bit harsh to the fella he chastises… it seems as though he's actually *ahead* of the others; his ladder is down. The Princess even tries to calm Nemo's uncharacteristic temper, which is quite a thing to see. - 7/22
That said, Nemo certainly is the type of leader who gets his hands dirty, which is an endearing quality. We see, in panel 5, that he is reaching down to try and help the people climbing from the life boats. - 8/22
Of note is the gentleman's comment, "This is Little Nemo!"… like yesterday, it would seem as though Nemo is well-known, here… his reputation clearly precedes him. - 9/22
It also reinforces the idea that, though they are in what seems to be America, it is a different America than the one Nemo lives in when awake… I've started calling it (Dre)America. - 10/22
In (Dre)America, Nemo isn't the only well known character; the Princess, and King Morpheus, are also recognized by the group in panel 7. This supports the idea that Slumberland is a place of power within the dreaming. - 11/22
It also seems to bring together a lot of what we've been talking about in the past couple of days… the geography of the dreaming, Slumberland's identity as a colonial power in it, Nemo as superhero *and* as a specific and meaningful choice for the Princess' playmate… - 12/22
If Nemo was selected as her playmate because he unlocked Slumberland's access to these special areas of the dreamscape otherwise inaccessible, then is Nemo unconsciously an accessory to the colonization? - 13/22
(Dre)America is certainly not in a position of power within the dreamscape… it isn't reified like the King's palace, or Jack Frost's palace, or Santa's Workshop, have been. More often than not, it's either a place of class struggle/inequality or middle-class suburbia. - 14/22
It does make me wonder if there is some political commentary on the part of McCay here about the things we idolize versus the things/people that we should be prioritizing… but I'm just not sure. - 15/22
Alternatively, maybe he was trying to use (Dre)America to reveal to his young readers the parts of the world (and real America) that they were less likely to see? The readership was largely upper-middle class… - 16/22
How often would wealthy children have to fear their single-family residence going up in flames because their downstairs neighbour left the stove on? Or the ship, carrying men, women, and children across the sea in search of a better life, sinking? - 17/22
Or pirates for crying out loud! - 18/22
Sure, I've taken some narrative liberties, but we aren't left with much information about how the fire two strips ago started or where these people are sailing to, so what can we do? - 19/22
Either way, both readings, reveal, for sure, a political act by McCay. Maybe the second is more likely… but I'm not sure that I fully believe in either. I'm still working this out for myself (and would, as always, welcome collaboration)! - 20/22
It could just be my wildly unsupportable readings (one born from a mind whose thought maybe a little too much about it), and I'd accept that criticism. But I'm interested to hear others' thoughts. - 21/22
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #225. What's yours? - 22/22