"Little Nemo in Slumberland" dated June 23, 1907:
Transcript of Tweets by @LittleNemo1905 (AUGUST 24, 2020):
Thankfully, it seems as though McCay has chosen *not* to continue the story from where it ended last strip, opting instead for all of the fall-out to have occurred off the page. - 1/18
Clearly, the trio was saved (presumably by the Slumberlandians), but since there is no further discussion about the cannibals in this strip, we can't be certain. That said, I'm grateful for this and am very content moving on. - 2/18
This strip *seems* much less offensive than the previous one, but I'm not entirely sure that we shouldn't be critiquing the Chief's "automobile" carefully. - 3/18
Truthfully, I'm not certain how to read this strip. It may possess zipcoon connections, but they aren't entirely cut and dry… I'd like to talk about this uncertainty with you all and see what people think. I'm genuinely unsure here; all input is appreciated. - 4/18
The zipcoon caricature was designed to represent Black American's "ludicrous failure to adapt to freedom" (Riggs, 1987) and his buffoonish attempts to imitate Whites "mocked the notion of racial equality" (Riggs, 1987). - 5/18
Here, we see the Chief trying to "keep up with the Jones'" (as it were) with his own version of an automobile. Of course, this is no true automobile, but a clownish carriage that replaces horsepower with goat power… - 6/18
A 20th Century reader *might* see this zipcoon-automobile as laugh out loud evidence of the Chief's failure to adapt to Slumberlandian culture (though I'm not positive we've seen cars in Slumberland yet, have we?). But that's leaving out an important element of the strip… - 7/18
At first, Flip is aghast at the warped, animal-powered vehicle and claims "This is no automobile. It's took slow!" in panel 2. But, his disappointment soon disappears as the Chief's automobile begins to pick up speed. - 8/18
By the time it reaches the panel 7, Flip is trying to purchase the vehicle from the Chief… he's gone from disdain to utter admiration in merely 5 panels. - 9/18
So, how are we to take this? Has the Chief actually taken the concept of the automobile and *improved* it? - 10/18
If we were meant to read this purely as a zipcoon caricature, then the auto would have to be a dud (as Flip and, presumably, the reader may have thought it would be at the start), but instead we see it move at incredible speeds. - 11/18
Considering how prominent this zipcoon caricature was in the early 20th Century, replicating it here in the strip was likely an easy way to get laughs out of the young children who were amused by the strange and silly automobile (or the frog honks). - 12/18
But I don't think that we can leave it at that; Flip's recognition in the impressiveness of the Chief's auto should play into our reading here. We could say that, even if it was unintentional, this strip presents Black innovation in a very positive way. - 13/18
The speeds at which the auto can travel reminds me of strip #71 (February 17, 1907)'s unimaginably fast sleigh ride… sure, there is the element of surrealism to account for, but the auto *seems* to be moving faster than even the Slumberlandian vehicles have in the past. - 14/18
To see the Chief possess something that was clearly made by him (or the Jungle Imps as a group) and is superior to the work of Slumberlandians is, I think, a meaningful and potentially positive display of Black innovation. - 15/18
Flip's change of heart here might signal an important moment for us; one that sees the strip acknowledge Black Americans in a positive light as possessing unique knowledge and skill. Again, intended or not, I think the reading is there. - 16/18
Of course, it's hard to see all of this when the strips are still visually depicting Black caricature, but it's something worth noting. I'd be very interested to hear what others thought about this? - 17/18
This is my reading of "Little Nemo in Slumberland" #89. What's yours? - 18/18
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