"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated February 10, 1907:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (AUGUST 5, 2020):
This strip is peppered with many interesting juxtapositions, which I find quite peculiar, but also very fascinating. - 1/13
First, there is the juxtaposition between seriousness and fun… In tier 1, we learn that the events of the last strip have put Mr. Sleet in a bit of jeopardy! If he doesn't get Nemo and the gang to the rotunda, he might lose his job! - 2/13
But this is juxtaposed against a strip that is filled with snowmen having a snowball fight… a children's winter game filled with play and joviality; not anything serious at all! - 3/13
Even the concept of snowball fight is an oxymoron! The game is about tossing snow at one another in a playful way (though I recognize a snowball fight can get out of hand quickly…), which contradicts the very nature of a "fight". - 4/13
There is also the juxtaposition between fascination and danger depicted in this strip. Nemo and Flip are quite interested in the battle brewing just below them and eagerly watch as the snowballs fly! - 5/13
Flip tells us that "They are trying to knock each others heads off", suggesting to us that this battle is dangerous too! Indeed, Mr. Sleet also reminds us that "they can't get hurt! We can!", which only further emphasizes the point. - 6/13
It's a bit too late at this point though; Nemo has been socked in the face with a snowball, knocking him off his feet onto his back… - 7/13
When he lands though, it is softly in his bed, waken from the shock of the "impact". - 8/13
Aside from the plethora of juxtaposition within this strip, I'm also pleased that Flip is just a member of the gang here. Sure, he takes a snowball to the face early on, but all of them get hit at some point. - 9/13
This strip doesn't pick on him, or centre him out, or treat him differently. I wonder if this is a turning point for Flip? Could it be the moment that we've officially left behind the games of the past? - 10/13
Finally, I'll end by mentioning that McCay's attention to detail in this strip is magnificent and it pays off extraordinarily! The snowmen and their battle is depicted so far off into the distance that it looks as though the skirmish is a massive one! - 11/13
It further demonstrates McCay's mastery with perspective; whether it's the details of the snowmen in the front or the arcing arm of a snowman way in the distance, there is so much here for our eye to take in that the scope of the battle is undeniably evident. - 12/13
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #70. What's yours? -13/13