"In the Land of Wonderful Dreams" dated December 14, 1913:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (AUGUST 7, 2021):
Here we go again, Winsor… dragging out a gag that *was* funny so long that it begins to lose its glimmer. I really hope this is the last fountain strip because they're beginning to wear on me. - 1/13
That isn't to say I dislike this strip (I don't), but I feel as though these fountains #5 and #6 are probably good enough… the gag works here because of the way they juxtapose one another, but I think we must've reached the end of this one's usefulness… - 2/13
I do find it particularly interesting how relax Doctor Pill becomes once he showers himself in the waters from the fountain of rest. The tension towards Flip and Impie seem to melt away and he is happy to let them have fun! - 3/13
It is also worthy of note that Flip and Impie don't do anything particularly mischievous in this strip (unless you count ruining Pill's mellow). That said, of all the character's who need to bathe in the restful waters, it's Flip and Impie. - 4/13
The fountain of work, the one that fire's them up, really get's them going and, rather than hype Nemo up, they choose to bring Pill to the fountain. - 5/13
Of particular fascination is that when Pill becomes rejuvenated he immediately uses a racist allusion to describe his energy. - 6/13
The "great white hope" (as we've discussed before) alludes to the fight between Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion boxer, and Jim Jeffries, the white boxer that was to unseat Johnson. - 7/13
During the Jim Crow era, a black champion boxer unsettled many white folks and the "hope" was that Jeffries would be able to win the championship title back and prove Johnson's win a fluke. - 8/13
Pill is known for his racism and abuses towards Flip and Impie so to reference the "white hope" (colloquially someone who is meant to win and be successful) is characteristic. - 9/13
Particularly since the two characters that he is now energized alongside are ethnic "others" (Black American and Irish American, respectively) it feels like there is a meaningful commentary to Pill's terminological choice, here. - 10/13
I also wonder if the connection to competition is here, as well… is Pill, after the fountain of work had changed him, suggesting that he would use his energy more productively than Flip and Impie? - 11/13
If so… he doesn't. He just begins running in circles in the same way that Flip and Impie do. So, if that is part of the intention or suggestion here, just like Jim Jeffries, he fails to live up to the expectation placed upon the "white hope". - 12/13
This is my reading of "In the Land of Wonderful Dreams" #412. What's yours? - 13/13
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