"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated April 28, 1907:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (AUGUST 16, 2020):
We need to start off by talking about the animal cruelty (a.k.a. whaling) that happens in this strip. - 1/27
Prior to doing some cursory research after reading this strip, I knew absolutely nothing about the history of whale hunting (whaling) in America. However, I think there is some important background to discuss for context. - 2/27
Though once a thriving commercial operation, thought to have started in the 1650s, the whaling industry was all but dead by the early 20th Century as a result of technological innovation that rendered the hunt unnecessary. - 3/27
Kerosene and petroleum-based lubricants were fast replacing the raw materials gained from whaling, which eventually led to the end of the practice in the east coast. - 4/27
I can't see any political commentary here about the whaling industry (if anything, it seems to almost glorify it [more on this below]), but it's worth bringing up the history of the industry as a way to think through capitalism and the treatment of animals historically. - 5/27
From another angle, the romance of whaling was something that seemed to be an intrinsic part of American culture, particularly in the industry's peak in the mid-1800s. We need only look to Herman Mellville's #GreatAmericanNovel "Moby Dick" (1851) for confirmation of that. - 6/27 [INSERT IMAGE]
According to Wikipedia, "going to sea was a young man's adventure, particularly when he wound up in the South Sea paradises…where a young American man might find himself…something he was unlikely to experience at home." - 7/27
Recall that the crew of the Slumberlandian battleship are on their way to the Candy Islands, said to be one of the most beautiful places in Slumberland. - 8/27
Though the insinuation made for the adult whalers is one of a much more sexual nature, for children, what could be more enticing than a "Candy Island"… the possibilities seem endless for what might be discovered there! - 9/27
In "Whaling and Old Salem" (1952), Frances Robotti claims that one of the three types of men who went whaling in America was the man seeking adventure. - 10/27
We could easily say that Flip is the one seeking adventure through the whaling experience, here! Though the crew try desperately to have Nemo be the one who harpoons the whale, Flip is ultimately the child who throws the harpoon. - 11/27
His eagerness to fill this role starts as early as panel 3 and, by panel 5, Nemo has given Flip his blessing to be the one who does the deed. - 12/27
It is unsurprising to see Flip in this role; he has, most recently, been a type of quasi-leader for the group and has played prominent roles in the narratives. But, why do the Slumberlandians so desperately want Nemo to do the harpooning? - 13/27
Is it so that they can give him his "heroic" moment (the one Ahab was denied)? Is it so that he can have an experience deemed by the Slumberlandians to be important? Clearly, Slumberland too romanticizes whaling. - 14/27
But, the fact that they are even engaging in the act of whaling, means that there is an industry that supports the practice. To return to the capitalistic angle, this strip suggests that Slumberland too is a sort of capitalism-driven society… - 15/27
…one where supply informs demand. Otherwise, what need would there be for the killing/hunting of this particular whale? It isn't threatening the ship, he is simply sighted in the distance and becomes a target. - 16/27
I really like the solid red background of panels 5 and 6. If we read the red as a colour of power (as I often do; Bellantoni, 2013), then panel 5 suggests it is Flip who has the power; he raises the harpoon high in the air. - 17/27
Panel 6 turns this on it's head as the sailor who accompanies them declares that Flip has thrown the harpoon prematurely. We know now that the power belongs to the whale! - 18/27
This is proved correct when, in panel 7, the whale tosses the boat and it's crew into the water! - 19/27
Though Flip claimed that Nemo didn't "know how to do it" (thus insinuating that he *did*), the blunder here costs Nemo his sleep (wake-up gag) and might suggest that, had Nemo been the one to do the deed, he'd have followed direction. - 20/27
This reinforces our recent conceptualization of Flip as Nemo's "id". If Nemo (ego) had been in control, he'd have followed directions & controlled his desire. But, since he gave the reins to Flip, we see the chaos uncontrolled instinctual desire can bring on the group! - 21/27
I'll end this strip discussion by asking how everyone reads the final panel… in particular, the cannonball microseconds away from pelting the poor whale in the head… - 22/27
The visual evidence would suggest that the Slumberlandian battleship has fired a cannonball directly at the whale (as well as Nemo and his friends directly in the line of fire…). - 23/27
We see the ship now blanketed by a massive puff of smoke and the black ball (that I can only read as a cannonball) streaking towards it's target… how is this a productive way to hunt the whale in order to capitalize on it as raw material? - 24/27
This moment seems to fly in the face of the concept of whaling as a capitalistic endeavour… did they simply want to punish the whale for mistreating the crew (a.k.a. for protecting itself?). - 25/27
I feel as though if this is an attack out of spite, it's one that really send a bad message about the Slumberlandians as petty and unmerciful. Not a good look, in my opinion. What do you all think? - 26/27
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #81. What's yours? - 27/27
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