"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated June 21, 1925:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (OCTOBER 13, 2021):
Well, this is a really fun meta strip! I really enjoyed it and even though it was very uneventful (we never do make it to the personificiation of Spring and Summer's wedding), it was enjoyable! - 1/15
Before we get to the major events, I just want to say that I'm very happy to see so many of the gang were invited to the wedding! - 2/15
We have nearly everyone except Morpheus (who likely went on his own) and Blutch (who I guess we just have to understand not being invited because he's a dog). - 3/15
I'm especially happy to see Impie having been invited; the inclusion is meaningful here and his absence would have been, while not shocking, hurtful. - 4/15
But even the Candy Kid, who has been pretty MIA for quite some time, is back with us! Whether this is the *same* Candy Kid that we used to know is unknowable, but I'd wager that it is (at least, he is for me). - 5/15
Now, the primary joke of this strip comes from the characters meta-awareness that they are Sunday Supplement characters who require the active participation of real-world creators (in this case a colourist) to look their best. - 6/15
Since they're going to a wedding, it behooves them to get dolled up and fancified for the celebrations… only, our colourist isn't behaving. - 7/15
Frankly, I adore the joke because it involves such a complicated process from the colourists! As we know, the New York Herald Tribune's colour process was lightyears ahead of other printers at the time and this really shows that off! - 8/15
I am by no means an expert in the process of making early comics, but let me assure you… it was a complicated one. Here is a wonderful reproduction of a 1940's article that explored the process with one of George McManus' #BringingUpFather strips: - 9/15
Bottom line? It feels to me as tough the creation of this strip marks a monumental flex from the Herald Tribune because it demonstrates a profoundly virtuosic production approach to storytelling. - 10/15
Not only do the characters recognize through metanarrative their existence, but it is facilitated by the production capabilities of the paper. It really is tremendous. - 11/15
I immediately said to myself, "Well done, Mr. Hunt". As you might remember, Alfred Benjamin Hunt was one of the pioneers in the Herald's colour printing process and collaborator of Winsor McCays. - 12/15
Except… Mr. Hunt retired the year earlier. We've learned more about Hunt thanks to John Canemaker's recent research on the man. It suggests that his 28 years as head of the colour work department ended in 1924. - 13/15
I'm glad to see that those who carried on Hunt's legacy did such a remarkable job with it. This is one of the most impressive strips, from a production standpoint, that I can remember. I'm interested in your thoughts! - 14/15
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #469. What’s yours? - 15/15