"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated July 31, 1910:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (FEBRUARY 15, 2021):
McCay most certainly has a knack for creating wonderful, brilliant, and inventive animals! This strip is no exception and features seven new dreamscape creatures! - 1/17
The Secretary tells us that Zoos on Mars are unlike Zoos on Earth; they do not use cages for their animals, but rather "tame" them in some other way. - 2/17
The techniques to accomplish this range from music and hypnotism to humiliation and (in the case of the Freckled Chump) even physical restraint. - 3/17
It's interesting that the techniques are so varied… some are more humane than others, but either way, it speaks again to the level of control that Mr. Gosh exerts on the planet. - 4/17
It isn't enough to just capture and cage the animals, they must be bent to his will in some way, shape, or form. - 5/17
Panel 5 is fascinating… I'm intrigued by the fact that music on Mars is the same as music on Earth… it even seems to be coming from a gramophone! - 6/17
The fish creature is also striking. He is being hypnotized into believing that he is swimming in water… this speaks to the power of the monkey's hypnotism; the physiological needs of the fish are superseded by the trick! - 7/17
I think the Freckled Chump, having entered into the popular consciousness surrounding #LittleNemo, is the most recognizable creature from this strip. He is also the only one being restrained in some physical way. - 8/17
The spike driven through his tail is so upsetting… he just stares at it. We learn he's been like this for 600 years, which only makes it more tragic. - 9/17
The Rubber Necked Bazzoo is also an unsettling tale… he stands, with his neck in knots, and cries from humiliation… it really is upsetting to see. - 10/17
Beyond the narrative though, the creatures are all beautiful. As we've come to expect from McCay by this point, they are so detailed, colourful, and dynamic that they almost come alive off the page! - 11/17
I also really enjoy the way McCay uses scale so affectively here. Tier two depicts some large animals, but nothing enormous. Tier three changes that. - 12/17
The group become incredibly small in comparison to the gigantic creatures presented and, having had the comparison in tier two, it reads incredibly well. - 13/17
I'll just end by mentioning that I find it interesting that it is Flip that decides they'll go to the Zoo in the first place. - 14/17
Nemo would rather head back off to Slumberland, claiming to have seen all Mars has to offer, but Flip encourages him to stick around and see the zoo/let the Captain rest. - 15/17
He's "down and out" as a result of all the air he took last strip and is, apparently, in some shape… I suppose we'll have to wait until next strip to see how he's doing. - 16/17
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #251. What's yours? - 17/17