"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated October 21, 1906:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1906 (JULY 20, 2020):
The arrival to King Morpheus' inner palace is anything but celebratory as Nemo and the Princess are informed that Flip has snuck inside by sliding down a moonbeam and is now being entertained by the King out of fear that he will call on the Dawn to melt Slumberland! - 1/20
This strip starts off with the landing of the cannonball parachute from last week which acts as a nice visual callback to remind readers of the "explosive" events of the last strip. - 2/20
Unfortunately, the citizens of Slumberland are less than happy… I like the foreshadowing in panel 2; both Slumberlandians hint that there is something amiss. We're left wondering what… - 3/20
Even in a full-sized newspaper spread, Flip is small enough in the large fifth panel, that his inclusion could be missed when taking in the very busy page (iconic solidarity), which I think further enhances the effectiveness of the moment. - 4/20
We don't wait long to find out the cause of everyone's sadness (panel 4 has many Slumberlandians shout out their dismay), but I thought that it was a very well-done moment while it lasted. - 5/20
That said, I knew what was coming because I've read this strip before. I'd be VERY interested to hear thoughts about it from anyone who hasn't.. Did you assume it was trouble caused by Flip worrying everyone, or did you think there was another reason? Why? - 6/20
One of the most impressive features of this strip is the marvellous architectural detailing that we see in panels 3 and 5. - 7/20
Panel 3 displays the gorgeous stylized pillars and painted ceiling and panel 5 shows us the King's throne room and it's decorative finishes. - 8/20
Both rooms are detailed and crafted in an Art Nouveau architectural style that we've come to expect from McCay and they're mesmerizing to look at. I personally adore the long staircase in panel 3! - 9/20
Panel 5 is a very well-composed panel. As previously mentioned, Flip is small enough so as not to give away the foreshadowing too soon to the reader and this is accomplished mainly because of the angle from which the panel is designed. - 10/20
The viewer is positioned in the garden off to the side of Nemo and the Princess on the staircase. As we know from past strips, Nemo and the Princess are similarly sized to Flip; that they look larger here is because of the angled design. - 11/20
Flip is also dwarfed by the size of King Morpheus sitting in his chair. As a visual element, he draws our eyes away from everything else in panel 5; one could be forgiven for missing Flip even when they are supposed to see him because Morpheus is so visually eye-catching. - 12/20
His scowl is the only thing that directs our eye away from him. As we follow it, Flip may be one of the last details we take in while reading this strip. Literally, everything is designed to keep our eye away from him until the exact moment that McCay wants us to see him. - 13/20
Panel 5 also has two important comments in it, as well: a) King Morpheus is fearful of the Dawn Guard and b) Flip is more furious at Nemo than he is with anyone else. - 14/20
It seems obvious that Morpheus would worry about the power that the Dawn Guard has in Slumberland (since he can call upon the sun to melt the kingdom) and we've seen him acquiesce to his nephew and do just that in the past! - 15/20
It makes me wonder about the Dawn Guards position in the social hierarchy of the kingdom… is he "begrudgingly" upper-class because of his power? This might help explain why Flip is treated so poorly despite being of some noble lineage? - 16/20
It shouldn't surprise readers that Flip is furious at Nemo, specifically. If we recall strip #47 (Sept. 2, 1906), we talked about how Flip could see Nemo's attempt to save him as a backhanded and cruel way to ditch him. - 17/20
This, and other slights that he may have felt were Nemo's fault, combine to suggest that it's unsurprising to hear that Nemo has become the focus of his frustration… - 18/20
Finally, I have to ask about the Slumberlandian in panel 2… is he a living clock? Or is he holding a clock? We haven't seen any cyborg Slumberlandians yet (that I can recall), but whenever I look at him I can't help but think… - 19/20 [INSERT IMAGE]
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #54. What's yours? - 20/20