"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated May 05, 1907:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (AUGUST 17, 2020):
This strip begins a 10-strip adventure taking place in the Candy Islands (supposedly one of the most beautiful places in all of Slumberland) and features the return of McCay's earlier comic strip characters, the Jungle Imps. - 1/34
I find these strips difficult to read today, primarily because of the Jungle Imps roots in blackface minstrelsy, African-American stereotype, and caricature. - 2/34
"A Tale of the Jungle Imps by Felix Fiddle" (1903) was a collaboration with George Randolph Chester that was published in the Cincinnati Enquirer in the Sunday comics section (though it less a comic and more a series of illustrated poems). - 3/34
Alexander Braun (2014) has described the strips as a "black-humour commentary on how certain animals came to look the way they do today" (p. 17). In each instance, Chester would write the verse, and McCay design the layout and art. - 4/34 [INSERT IMAGE]
In each comic, the Jungle Imps would torture a particular animal until a group of helpful monkeys modified them so that they could better defend themselves from the terrorizing imps. In the above example, the porcupine gains the ability to launch his quills, for instance. - 5/34
Obviously, the Imps depictions, built upon "underlying racist clichés" (Braun, 2014, p. 17) were not an uncommon practice in the early 20th Century and, like other contemporary representations, McCay's imps are immediately suggestive of blackface minstrelsy (Braun, 2014). - 6/34 [INSERT IMAGE]
These characters, that undeniably represent early 20th Century exploitation of Otherness are uncomfortable additions to #LittleNemo, but one that must be grappled with both socio-culturally and for the reality of Impie's impending addition to the group (Braun, 2014). 7/34
The early 20th Century was a much different time and place than today so, when engaging with it's material, it behooves us to consciously challenge the prejudices that allowed for these types of representations to exist by acknowledging the friction they cause us today. - 8/34
This is, of course, something that I hope will be a point of continuous discussion as we continue forward in the project! - 9/34
Beyond the racial caricatures that dominate this strip (and the rest of the series) there is quite a bit more to discuss… - 10/34
First, the progression of the imps from the Candy Islands towards the battleship (occurring in panels 2, 3, 4, and their arrival at 5) is really well done. There is a natural sense of temporal progression. - 11/34
This is enhanced by Flip's insistence that the group stay on the boat as the imps come to them. A "stand your ground" sort of mentality? Possibly. An "I got this; we go back" sort of mentality? Also possible. - 12/34
While it's entirely possible that Flip just wants to stay put on the deck so as not to seem afraid (both he and Nemo mention that they aren't afraid of the imps in panel 4), there's also the possibility that Flip has encountered them before. - 13/34
In panel 5, Flip greets the first imp aboard with a handshake: "Hello Jake! How's your health?". Is Jake the imps name? The arbitrary name Flip has given him? Just a sort of general salutation? - 14/34
The Slumberlandian in panel 4 says that the imps are "mischievous" and if anyone would be acquainted with other mischievous fellows in the dreamworld, it would be Flip. - 15/34
It might also explain why he changed his mind so quickly about getting off/staying on the boat. He saw the imps coming and, knowing that he had a past relationship with them, used it as an opportunity to position himself as the brave and courageous member of the group? - 16/34
Both readings could be supported, I think, but I like the relationship/play-acting one myself. It seems just like Flip to leverage a situation to his benefit. - 17/34
From this point on though, Flip's involvement in the strip is largely just as a fun side-plot. He has his cigar taken from him by the imp and rolls up his sleeves in preparation to do something about it! - 18/34
Again, this is perfect for Flip; the trickiest trickster that we've seen so far in Slumberland meets another trickster of comparable (?) skill and gets a bit of his own medicine. This time, Flip is the butt of a joke. - 19/34
Whether there is any conscious commentary intended by the fact that this battle of wills is played out between the racially (Black) and ethnically (Irish) stereotyped characters, I'm not sure… though it is certainly a possibility. - 20/34
Nemo seems to have come back to the braver side of the boat in this strip. Though the Princess is eager to heed the warning of their Slumberlandian guides, Nemo claims not to be afraid and wants to meet the imps as they come aboard. - 21/34
As the Chief climbs into the ship, he could care less what the Slumberlandians have to say, he has squared his attention on meeting Nemo: the one that he has "heard of so much". - 22/34
In the final panel, as he lifts Nemo up off the ground, the Chief mentions that he wants to show Nemo his "kingdom". This got me back to thinking about the political landscape of Slumberland. - 23/34
We haven't spoken about it in many weeks, but so far we've seen 4 separate Kingdoms, I think… Slumberland, Santa's Workshop, Jack Frosts Palace, an unnamed Fairy Kingdom, and now the Candy Islands (am I missing any? Do the Glass Caves/Crystalette or Pirate Ship count?). - 24/34
So, does Morpheus rule Slumberland (which encompasses all of these kingdoms) with Wardens who govern each area (I'm thinking #GameOfThrones Westeros here…) or is Slumberland just one of many kingdoms within the dreamscape? - 25/34
I know this isn't an answerable question (though we can certainly infer based on the evidence, however contradictory), but (at least) I think that it's a fun one to consider. - 26/34
It's also worth mentioning that this is the first "King" that isn't a direct replica of Morpheus (or at least very similarly designed), which further emphasizes the imps' "otherness". - 27/34
Nemo's being lifted by the Chief become the waking world stimuli that bleeds into his dream prior to waking and, again, I like these moments so much more than him falling out of bed. - 28/34
This one in particular gives us a rare glimpse at Nemo's father. I was interested to see if maybe the Slumberland dupes that we’ve been previously discussing were of his father's image, but it doesn't seem so; the noses are quite different. - 29/34
Finally, I'll just mention the frustrating word balloon/compositional situation in panel 2. As you can see, Flip (who has the left balloon) is responding to the comment of the Slumberlandian (the right balloon). - 30/34
This is just bad spatial composition… A reader is most likely to engage with Flip's balloon before the crewman and then have to double back to Flip's comment a second time, newly contextualized. (Red Arrows: natural, but wrong // Green Arrows: unnatural, but correct). - 31/34 [INSERT IMAGE]
It's an easily correctable mistake; the crewman should simply be on the left with Flip on the right. He somehow ends up on the right in panel 6 anyway… this compositional design would've made that a little more natural. - 32/34
McCay had probably already drawn the characters though leaving no way to fix it… plus we've already talked about how little McCay cared for lettering and balloon placement. That said, I think it would undoubtedly catch almost any modern reader off-guard. - 33/34
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #82. What's yours? - 34/34