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Day #270: Little Nemo is Off to Boston

"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated December 11, 1910:


Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (MARCH 9, 2021):


First off, I wanted to again apologize for my absence and thank you all for your kind messages regarding my arm! It's frustrating when things like these happen, but your understanding was much appreciated! - 1/19

So, back on track! Today, our group prepare to hear out of New York, see a few final sights, and make their way to Boston! - 2/19

It seems as though we've got a new member of the group! One of the famous Herald Square Owls looks to have joined the cast! Today, he acts as a tour guide almost. - 3/19

What's nice is that we don't have to guess what sights we're seeing today! Our Owl friend points it all out! Central Park, Ulysses S. Grant's Tomb, the Hudson Palisades, they're all pointed out for us! - 4/19

Of course, the gag of the strip occurs in the final tier of the strip when we land (not in Westpoint, but) in the yard of Sing Sing Penitentiary… - 5/19

Obviously, the guards are none too pleased… an airship *is* one of the worst possible things to land in a prison yard, that's for sure… - 6/19

Especially when it was the prison that held the execution chamber for New York State until it's abolition… -7/19

Now the formal components of this strip are fairly simple; more regular panels in regular grid. Except for the usual difference at the end, this strip has one other really interesting feature. Panel 2. - 8/19

This is the first (but not last) time that we will see a Nemo written postcard take up a panel of our strip! It's really quite cool, when you think about it's function. - 9/19

It functions to bring the reader into the world; create an intimacy that might not have been there while we are a passive observer of the action. - 10/19

All the excitement happening below the airship in Herald Square is so far away from us; we can't participate in the excitement. - 11/19

Yet, Nemo's postcard (addressed to "kids" who were the primary readers of the time) allows us to feel as though we are one of the young kids bursting with excitement at the prospect of seeing Nemo! - 12/19

Of course, it also functions to let us in on the travel itinerary once again. We're reminded where the journey is headed and what city we're going to be seeing next! - 13/19

As an educator, I see some cool cross-curricular potential here (Geography, History, English/Language Arts), which really excites me! - 14/19

Finally, I'll end with a bit of dour note… I cannot stand the Captain. He's an unlikable curmudgeon. - 15/19

His rudeness to Impie again rears its head, when he snaps at him for trying to look at the engine… he claims that Impie knows nothing about engines. But he can’t possibly know that for sure. - 16/19

Also, I mean… what the heck do an owl, a little boy, and Flip know about engines either? It's infuriating. - 17/19

Flip has, at times, acted quite hurtfully towards Impie, but the Captain seems to take it to a whole new level. Am I wrong? -18/19

This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #270. What's yours? - 19/19

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