"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated March 10, 1907:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (AUGUST 9, 2020):
Well, this strip brings us both good news… and bad news… - 1/25
The good news is that Flip has returned to the group and, let's be honest, things have been pretty dull without him… - 2/25
Considering the shenanigans that we've been witnessing since Flip joined the group, Nemo and the Princess' little moment in the garden (panel 1) just reminds us of how boring life if without him! - 3/25
It's reminiscent of the earlier strips when Nemo and the Princess had just met… the mundane things that they did (like walking in a different garden) simply don't compare to the fun had with Flip (imo). - 4/25 [INSERT IMAGE]
Before I move on though, I will take a moment to note that, at @Totter87's suggestion, I've recently begun reading @exlarson's #TheDevilinTheWhiteCity to learn a little more about the Colombian Exposition and it's main architect, Daniel Burnham. - 5/25
It's fortuitous that my reading of this strip coincides with my reading about Frederick Law Olmsted and his contributions to the White City. - 6/25
As the project's landscape architect, Olmsted assisted Burnham in transforming 686 acres of land into beautifully manicured parks and waterways that evoked a "Neoclassical harmony" in combination to the Exposition's main buildings. - 7/25
All this to wonder if McCay's fascination with gardens, trees, flowers, bushes, shrubbery, and other plant life stems from Olmsted's work on the fairgrounds? - 8/25
In his book, Larson (2003) says that "Olmsted valued plants, trees, and glowers not for their individual attributes but rather as colors and shapes on a palette" (p. 50). I get the same sense from McCay here. - 9/25
This strip features a very different garden than we're used to seeing… one that is totally frozen. Sure, it fits for Jack Frost (who has an ice palace) to have an ice garden, but I feel as though there is more going on here than that. - 10/25
The way that the plants which bookend the tier are so meticulously coloured in tri-tones and centre Nemo and the Princess to the eye, the thicket behind them seems dense and (as a Canadian) I can picture branches frozen in an encasing of ice… - 11/25
It instantly reminds me of the beauty that I see in winter time and though it is a somewhat dull moment, it is also filled with tranquility and peace… That is until Flip comes in and it all goes to Hell! - 12/25
Tier 2 brings that bad news that I mentioned a few tweets ago… the Princess kicks it off for us when she asks Flip why he is so excited… remembering that he left a few strips back because he had a "scheme" reminds the reader that, whatever it is, probably isn't good… - 13/25
That Nemo mistakes the fast moving horse and carriage as a Fire Department is fair considering the reason Flip left in the first place was because they wouldn't let him smoke… it makes sense that Nemo would think the two events were related. - 14/25
As the three run out of the way of the speeding carriage, we begin to see illegible writing on a yellow wagon… by the third panel, after narrowly missing them, the driver yells out the window and we can now read the writing on the side… - 15/25
The High Price Ice Company becomes one of the last things you read before we witness a horde of men tearing down Jack Frost's Palace and hauling away the ice… - 16/25
As Flip proudly stands and watches the tower come down, we're left to wonder at least a couple of things… - 17/25
First, are these men Slumberlandians? Are they sleeping/dreaming men who Flip recruited to the dreamworld? What logical business names their company the "High Price Ice" company? - 18/25
I don't think I read the fellas of the High Price ice Company as Slumberlandians, but rather like remnants of Nemo's day finding their way into the dreamscape… construction? Speeding carriages? Normal everyday things Nemo's subconscious might be dragging up… - 19/25
I mean, the name of the company alone is so ludicrous that it could only be imagined by the sleeping mind of a child just filling in the necessary blanks to make the dream construction hold up, right? - 20/25
Second, wasn't the palace said to be made of ice cream? A little different than the blocks of ice that seem to the coming off in chunks from the palace… how is this possible? - 21/25
Like @AlexxKay and I were discussing yesterday, I'm wondering if this has anything to do with Nemo's memory and the fluidity that the dreamscape is capable of… - 22/25
Take the palace for example. Sure, maybe it was ice cream a couple weeks ago, but now it's ice because is a) fits the story and b) can be explained as Nemo's young dream brain. - 23/25
It's actually an explanation that I'm ok with… It makes some of the minor inconsistencies fun to look out for and meaningfully integrated into the narrative. Again, intended or not, this is head canon for me now… - 24/25
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #74. What's yours? - 25/25