"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated November 28, 1926:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (JANUARY 19, 2022):
Well, I found this strip a little strange… mainly because it's a lot of re-treaded ground (hair tonic, Flip becoming rich, etc.), but also because it reveals some interesting elements… - 1/11
First, I have to say that the hair tonic/fountain of hair tonic narrative was previously used during McCay's time at the NY American: - 2/11
I guess the twist here is that the hair falls out again, which requires repeated applications of the tonic… of course, this is the perfect product from a capitalist standpoint, right? - 3/11
The oil that Flip finds works and because the consumer must reapply every day, it keeps them coming back for more! This makes Flip RICH as is evidenced by panels 8 and 10! - 4/11
Of course, it also has the side effect of revealing interesting things about our characters… - 5/11
So, Pill and Figures had red hair prior to it falling out… is this McCay coding these gentlemen as Irish? If so, what does that mean? - 6/11
It isn't a surprise to see Flip and Slivvers' red hair because they've always maintained their position as coded Irish… but Pill and Figures is interesting… - 7/11
Also, we have a sea of other characters (Slumberlandian or American?) receiving the tonic and a large number of them also have red hair! - 8/11
I may very well be overthinking this (maybe the choice was one of colour since the black and brown might not have looked nearly as nice when coloured), but regardless it creates an interpretive moment for us here… - 9/11
In truth, there are plenty of different avenues one might take for readings of this strip. I'm interested to hear what you all discuss! - 10/11
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #543. What's yours? - 11/11