"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated May 10, 1925:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (OCTOBER 6, 2021):
Another day, another example of Flip fighting to be included and finding himself on the outs anyway. - 1/21
The humour in this strip is meant to derive from Flip's willingness to take Slivvers in drag to the party thinking that he's fooled the gang… except they all know its Slivvers. - 2/21
This results in someone (the chaperone of the party, maybe) getting so frustrated that he boots them out. - 3/21
This strip could very probably be read in a myriad of ways… I see interesting queer, feminist, and critical angles that one could use to approach the text. - 4/21
A feminist reading might force one to challenge the male-centric dynamics of the party (girls can attend as extensions of the boy that brings them?) and the expectations that the crowd/chaperones have about how a girl behaves. - 5/21
A queer reading could challenge one to explore the relationship dynamic created by Flip and Slivvers (in drag). Flip is more than happy to bring Slivvers to the party, and dance with him, because it gets him in, but is there more? - 6/21
Furthermore, how do we read Slivvers' silent acceptance of the plan here? He doesn't argue or fight back in anyway, but rather goes along with the plan willingly. What are his motives? - 7/21
So, while Flip and Slivvers fight for inclusion because of their non-traditional situation, Nemo and the Princess have no trouble being included in this party because their friendship/relationship conforms to hegemonic, heterosexual ideals of the time. - 8/21
Finally, there is something to be said about the power dynamics created here in this strip. The unknown Professor (chaperone?) policing children's relationships is highly problematic (though admittedly very common in 1925). - 9/21
The adults Pill and the new Professor especially, seem to wield their power as a weapon. Pill asks, "Are you going to let this go on in here?" in panel 5 before Flip and Slivvers are accosted by the angry-faced Professor in panel 7. - 10/21
The superiority of the adult authority is ultimately demonstrated in the penultimate panel when not only Flip and Slivvers have been shoved out of the party, but Nemo and the Princess have left, as well. - 11/21
I like that this demonstrates a support from Nemo and the Princess. It feels almost like an act of defiance or activism on their part and I enjoy the penultimate image of the group together. - 12/21
Even when societal expectations try to tear them apart, the group remains intact. - 13/21
Well… not really. - 14/21
The final troubling observation that I see here is that Impie is nowhere to be found. - 15/21
How are we to read this? Was Impie excluded from the party by different unspoken criteria? - 16/21
In recent strips, we've seen Impie defy the commonplace societal segregation of the Jim Crow-era. He has been included in fancy dinners and parts, he's been given a room in the palace, he's frequently been inside the palace. - 17/21
Yet, he's not here. There are plenty of explanations that one could fabricate off the top of their head, but the text offers none, so I'm not entirely sure whether we can come up with a satisfactory answer as a result. - 18/21
It probably safe to assume that, even given the strips progressiveness in some ways of late, it has something to do with racial prejudice though. How disappointing. - 19/21
Again, this strip seems to be rife with interpretive possibilities, so I'm eager to hear what others think. There are doubtless other readings one could apply here (maybe even a class-based reading?) so let's hear them! - 20/21
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #462. What's yours? - 21/21
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