"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated December 21, 1924:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (SEPTEMBER 07, 2021):
This holiday, it's all about Slivvers. - 1/12
There really isn't much visually going on with this strip… there is a heavy repetition of the background (fireplace; although the wreaths aren't always the same…) and the gag is about the ever-increasing number of Santa's that appear. - 2/12
While the *real* Santa never appears, we do get four friends dressed up imitating him! First, Nemo, then Flip, then Dr. Pill, and finally Prof. Figures. - 3/12
All of these fellas get themselves deck in boughs of holly so that they can bring a gift to a deserving young boy that, they say, never gets any gifts: Slivvers! - 4/12
It's actually very kind of them all to think this way… We've discussed before how Slivvers family (if it remains the same) is of low socio-economic status, so their claims that Santa never visits him could be accurate. - 5/12
They each desire to provide their friend with a memorable and nice holiday beginning with a surprise of a gift from Santa! Of course, only the Princess thinks to give Slivvers her gift as herself, which I find funny. - 6/12
In the end, Slivvers ends up with five gifts (one from each of the Santas and one from the Princess) and the penultimate panel is a celebration! - 7/12
As Slivvers plays his harmonica, our friends dance (Impie on his own, Pill with Figures, and Nemo with the Princess), Flip is seen giving gifts to (presumably) Slivvers' siblings while his parents look on in the background. - 8/12
It's a really nice holiday moment. - 9/12
It is upsetting that the friends ignore poor Impie here and no one thinks to provide him a gift. He participates in the gift giving only in presence when the Princess gives Slivvers his gift. - 10/12
Finally, McCay's old formal panel edges of holly are back! We haven't seen them in quite some time and I was actually pleasantly happy to see them return. - 11/12
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #442. What's yours? - 12/12