"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated December 04, 1910:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (MARCH 6, 2021):
Formally, this is a very simplistic strip. Besides the final tier, which features the now expected final two panel layout design, it's regular panels in a regular grid. - 1/18
There is some visual fun built in with panels 6-9, but we all know where they're heading; the gag is sort of given away panels before. - 2/18
I suppose the police and firefighter's description of a "riot" would be the best explanation of Flip's shenanigans, but it really is just a fight, isn't it?… - 3/18
Technically, sure. But I think McCay depicts it as something more than that pretty well. - 4/18
He sets the quarrel up well; Flip stops for directions and the boys he speaks to decide to insult him… We know Flip won't stand for that, but these kids don't know him like we do… - 5/18
So, the fight ensues. Panel 4 shows Flip furiously swinging and kicking (so much as to create his own fight cloud), just walloping the kids that challenged him. - 6/18
My reading is that, the police knocked over in panel 11 simply got dragged into the fight unintentionally. I think Flip got carried away and just didn't stop to think about who he was walloping. - 7/18
Then again, there's always the possibility that Flip mistook the police's identifier for him ("green faced kid") as an insult… he had just been called a pejorative/racial slur moments ago… - 8/18
Speaking of the "g-word" in panel 2, I'm getting many mixed messages from my online research. I've seen it defined as a "foolish or socially inept person" all the way to a racial slur for Indigenous, Asian, or Irish Americans. - 9/18
If anyone has anymore solid information about this, it would be appreciated… if it's an insult that's one thing, but if it's a racial/ethnic slur that's entirely another. - 10/18
All this said, it is interesting to see how the first responders (and the army) discuss what they're walking into. It really builds up and supports the idea that Flip is causing a *serious* disturbance… it isn't *just* a street fight. - 11/18
Not only this, but the visuals really help. The build up of seeing police, firefighters, ambulances, and the army on their way to Flip's location, plus all the smoke in the background… they add up. - 12/18
Honestly, when I saw that the worst Flip had done was knock down/beat up some police officers, I was pretty relieved… it could've been *much* worse and I was prepared for it… - 13/18
Even Nemo was desperate to see what was going on… so desperate, that he was willing to leave Flip out there just a little longer (they thought a war was starting). It's only by chance that the two are one in the same. - 14/18
This doesn't even really feel out of character for Nemo at this point; he's acted this way in the past. For this reason, it doesn't really read as out of place to me in the moment (though it should, it is pretty selfish and a terrible way to treat your friend). - 15/18
Finally, the penultimate panel references the Owl as a "dove of peace". Is there something I'm missing here… a NYC allusion that I don't know about? - 16/18
It struck me as odd when I read it… I mean, I suppose since it's a bird who is interrupting the fighting and calming things down, the connection isn't outlandish. Still struck me as awkward, though. - 17/18
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #269. What's yours? - 18/18
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