"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated March 19, 1911:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (MARCH 23, 2021):
Welcome to Toledo, OH, Little Nemo! - 1/20
One thought that came to mind when looking at the intricacy and detail of that top panel is that McCay has really earned his keep over the last few dozen strips… - 2/20
Tracing or not, the work that must have gone into the rendering of all of these cities the way that he has is very commendable. Especially knowing that his time at the Herald would soon be coming to an end… - 3/20
Again, we have a strip where Impie is included as minimally as possible. By now, I think the potential reading that Impie was previously remaining on board because of the cold can be dismissed. - 4/20
I'm starting to wonder if it is nothing more than a representation of systemic racism in Canada/US at that time… it's entirely possible that Impie just wasn't welcome on the tours with Nemo (which is despicable, but might be historically accurate) - 5/20
If this reading holds up, then even (Dre)America has roots in systemic racism… and what's worse (at least in this case) is that it would be upheld by children… they are the ones giving the tours, right? - 6/20
That said, it does do something positive for Slumberland proper and that is to make it feel more tolerant by comparison. - 7/20
If Impie isn't allowed on these tours in Canada/America, but has been a member of Slumberland adventures (even been in the palace) then, by comparison, Slumberland is more tolerant. - 8/20
This does not (and should not) excuse the awful examples of systemic racism that we've seen from/within Slumberland (we must always remember that even Impie's rendering is a harmful racial caricature)… - 9/20
…but it does propose an interesting commentary about the way that these two dream nations (this isn't the waking world America, of course, but a dreamscape simulacra) exist within the early 20th century landscape. - 10/20
Toledo itself, and the tour that we see, is, ultimately, rather uninteresting. That said, tere is plenty of interesting history on the Miami Canal (or, colloquially, the Rhine, after the great German river): - 11/20
Now, Flip doesn't really attend this tour because he jumps on a boat that had just come in from two places that we've been previously: Cleveland and Buffalo. - 12/20
It turns out that Flip has decided to stowaway on the boat, bound for Detroit, England and send a message to Nemo to meet him there… - 13/20
The Owl guffaws at Flip's poor understanding of geography; One would assume that they are bound for Detroit, Michigan in the next strip and that they will find Flip there. - 14/20
But, I remembered a friend who had visited England describing a city there as the "Detroit of England", so I did some digging… - 15/20
…and came up with this: - 16/20
Now trying to map/compare this article to a 1911 comic strip would be entirely anachronistic (I'm not suggesting that we'll find Flip in Birmingham, England), but I find it really interesting that these two works can speak to each other across time. - 17/20
McCay's "Detroit, England" joke in 1911 and Jonathan Todd's "Detroit of England" comment in 2018 are separated by over 100 years and yet, somehow, they can be placed in conversation with one another. - 18/20
I love these sorts of strange connections if for no reason beyond their simple existence. - 19/20
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #284. What's yours? - 20/20
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