Yet the author points out this fantasy world would “resemble effects seen in the illusion rooms and fun-house mirrors found at any good amusement park.” Be it a walking bed, mystical creature or giant insect or animal, “reams know no boundaries” in Slumberland. Braun also posits this analysis: “McCay stretched the possibilities of Slumberland to a point that allowed him to do almost anything.” There has been some debate about McCay’s actual state of mind when drawing Little Nemo. Braun’s credit, he has written an intellectually stimulating account (in the style of newspaper pages) of what makes this particular cartoonist stand out above others.įor instance, he notes the “similarities between McCay’s fantasy world on paper and the real attractions of the time are much more fundamental and symbiotic.” He believes it wasn’t “until McCay established a connection with his readers’ actual (entertainment) experiences that his dreamland became a true reflection of the state of American society at the turn of the 20th century and an accurate portrait of the times.” The second volume is a softcover edition examining McCay’s life and work. While there are occasional glimmers of literary prose and striking humor in the early strips, it’s almost nonexistent at the end. Alas, the dialogue in the weekly dreams tend to play a supporting role. Nemo’s adventures with his regular companions, the green-skinned, cigar-toting clown Flip and the ever-silent Jungle Imp, are easy enough to follow.

If there was one true weakness to McCay’s career, I’d say it was his writing style.

Little nemo comic book