The Complete Little Nemo in Slumberland, Vol. 2: 1907-1908

The Complete Little Nemo in Slumberland #2

by Winsor McCay, Richard Marschall (Editor)

Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo in Slumberland" is a beautiful and imaginative comic strip from the early 20th century. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Little Nemo enters Slumberland each night when he falls asleep and dreams. There, he embarks on crazy, spectacular adventures Fantagraphics' Books award-winning series reprinting Winsor McKay's masterpiece has set the standards for classic comics reprints. McKay was an amazing draftsman, an incisive social commentator, and one of the most ingenious creative minds in any art form. This magnificent series is a glorious testament to his genius, and includes extensive biographical information on McKay as well as much rare art .

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Art, Fantasy, Fiction, Comics Bd, Comic Book

96 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1989

About the author

Was an American cartoonist and animator, best known for the comic strip Little Nemo (begun 1905) and the animated cartoon Gertie the Dinosaur (1914). For legal reasons, he worked under the pen name Silas on the comic strip Dream of the Rarebit Fiend.
A prolific artist, McCay's pioneering early animated films far outshone the work of his contemporaries, and set a standard followed by Walt Disney and others in later decades. His comic strip work has influenced generations of artists, including creators such as William Joyce, André LeBlanc, Moebius, Maurice Sendak, Chris Ware and Bill Watterson.

Reviews

[Philip Athans · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art continues to be second to none, McCay’s imagination takes Little Nemo to new levels of delightful strange, but this one will challenge contemporary readers with depictions of people of color that should have read as retrograde even in 1908, especially the retinue of literal slaves in service to the otherwise charming Princess of Slumberland. It’s like finding a dirty Band Aid in an amazing dish from a master chef.

[ISMOTU · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second volume furthers the adventures of Little Nemo in the land of his dreams. We see a variety of stories and exotic locales from an island of racially insensitive cannibals to "Shantytown" where Nemo uses a wishing stick to give some street urchins and their hovels a makeover. Windsor McCay's art is spectacular but this strip is very much a product of its time and parts are very jarring to modern sensibilities. An interesting look into the (fantasy)world of 110 years ago, worth checking out but being mindful of historical context.

[Michael A. Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

An upward tic in imaginative storytelling, although the supporting cast pulled it down a bit.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

His ability and possibility in drawing perspectives is incredible. Some of the subject matter is pretty dated, racist, bizarre... but man could the guy draw. This volume has both the famous bed with elastic legs strip and the 'shanty town' sequence.