Week 3:Little Nemo in the Palace of Ice by Windsor McCay

Hi! This week, I read Little Nemo in the Palace of Ice, by Windsor McCay. He is someone most of us know, because he is a pioneer in animation. Also, he is well known for his charming and whimsical art style, reminiscent of Art Nouveau .

Speaking of whimsy, Little Nemo in Slumberland is full of that. First of all, Little Nemo's adventures are set in his dreams, and that naturally gives rise to strange characters and settings. Moreover, it jumps from place to place often, disorienting the reader. After all, that's how most dreams are like; flashing between scene to scene. Anyway, back to the Palace of Ice, it is interesting to note that every panels is drawn in third person view. The readers are mere observers to Nemo and his friends' antics. While this technique certainly gives clarity to what is happening, it also feels emotionally distant. Flick and his new friend from the cannibal's island are constantly causing mischief and trouble, yet it is hard to fully experience the graveness of their act. We don't see close up shots of other characters' reactions, which usually help the readers to empathize with the characters immediately. 

Also absent are the sound effects like "WHAM!" "ZIP!" "SWOOSH!" "CRASH!!!" etc. There are so many things happening in each panels, many of which are meticulously illustrated, yet the world felt silent. I miss those sound effects in places where there is a huge impact. However, the silence works to its advantage during more mysterious moments, such as the part where the golden pillars from Morpheus' palace morphed into trees, and the red giants appear. It is surreal and eerie. Very nice.

One major hurdle for me while reading this was how crammed and tiny the written dialogues are. They are literally squashed in small speech bubbles, and made legibility difficult (especially painful for my sleep deprived brain)..... Whoops, looks like all I did was complain. But I am aware that Little Nemo is an early example of comic, therefore many other techniques which are commonly found in comics nowadays are absent. This goes to show how far the art of comic has come along. Little Nemo is charming and beautifully illustrated, with no shortage of fantastical settings. It is definitely a work of art and indispensable part of history...... Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I am less pressed for time, so that I can leisurely take in the scenery. Though, as the "Slumberland" in the title suggests, it is a great read before tucking in for the night. :)