"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated July 27, 1910:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (FEBRUARY 13, 2021):
There is certainly a long tradition where writers of fiction create their own types of sporting events. Some of these sports are incredibly inventive and fun! - 1/25
There's been Rowling's Quidditch, Star Wars' Podracing, Huxley's Electro-Magnetic golf, and (my personal favourite) Adams' Brockian Ultra-Cricket where you score based on the quality of your apology (apologies and Canadians, eh?). - 2/25 [INSERT IMAGE]
But McCay's "Ball Game" might just take the cake… It's got a big long-armed alien (interestingly named a Whang Doodle; Freud would have a field day) who tosses a ball at players who get ripped up to shreds if they don't catch the ball. - 3/25
As with all of Mars, Mr. Gosh seems to have a death grip on the sports of the planet, as well. He tells the kids that the game is silent because he won't stand for any remarks during the game. - 4/25
He doesn't say what would happen if a fan slips up, but we can assume that it wouldn't be good. I don't think I could survive; I'm a pretty vocal fan! - 5/25
For almost the entire strip our characters are foregrounded as they, and the reader, act as spectators of the action! I actually really like the simplicity here and McCay succeeds at making the game feel exciting. - 6/25
The pastel backdrop depicting all the pods of fans watching the action is also quite wonderful. It's quite detailed and provides some support to the idea that this is a popular sporting event on Mars. - 7/25
Of course, Mr. Gosh could just be forcing everyone to be there… wouldn't put it past him. - 8/25
Now, we don't end the strip on the best of notes… it seems as though one of the Flap Jack's players missed the Whang Doodle's toss and the ball ended up right in Mr. Gosh's chest. - 9/25
First off, this was a very satisfying moment. I actually laughed quite hard when I saw the large tyrant fall over. - 10/25
That said, as Nemo points out in the penultimate panel, it likely means that poor player's days are numbered, which is quietly macabre… - 11/25
Though the game and the boys first real interaction with Mr. Gosh takes up the majority of the strip, it isn't all of it. - 12/25
Continuing directly from the last strip, the police inform the Secretary where the boys are and are informed to let them free. - 13/25
One of the officers mentions that he was given a black eye by one of the boys… my odds on favourite for whose punch landed on this officer's orbital socket is Flip. Anyone else? - 14/25
There isn't any mention of it, but I wonder if these officers will be punished? They… sort of really screwed up and slowed the boys down from getting to Mr. Gosh by a week. - 15/25
The whole incident seems to be forgotten about quite quickly, and they do apologize to the boys when they release them, but it doesn't seem like Mr. Gosh to forgive and forget… - 16/25
Finally, I just want to mention the final panel's wake up moment this week. - 17/25
As we continue to explore that blurring between the dream/waking world, there's really two potential readings here… - 18/25
Either he falls out of bed because of the dream impact of the ball/the impact of the ball imitates the fall or he falls because Gosh knocks him down/Gosh knocks him down because he's fallen out of bed. - 19/25
The latter would seem to make the most sense; Gosh does take the boys down with him as he falls and Nemo's position is very similar in both the final two panels. - 20/25
The former reading is a bit more interesting because it suggests that Mr. Gosh and what happens to him, as an extension of some part of Nemo's consciousness, effects Nemo's waking world body. - 21/25
We've seen this in the past where his waking seems to imitate a character *other* than Nemo in Slumberland, so it is possible… - 22/25
I think that McCay likely just intended for Gosh to knock him over, but I do think that the other reading is possible and that it presents some fascinating extensions to previous conversations that we've had. - 23/25
I'm really interested to hear what others have to say about this strip! It has some fun elements, some disturbing elements, and a lot of detail to discuss. - 24/25
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #249. What's yours? - 25/25
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