Winsor McCay’s Little Nemo in Slumberland depicts a child named Little Nemo journeying through a fantastical dream before ultimately being woken up to reality in the end. As Little Nemo’s ventures through Slumberland, his dreams often take place in realistic settings such as cities, ships, buildings, or forests. Vivid colours, ornate architecture, and imaginative inhabitants are also included to compliment the setting. McCay produced a dream world brilliantly decorated in the art nouveau style that echoes the art nouveau movement of that time. The focus on natural forms, structures, and curves characteristic of the high art movement paralleled McCay’s own world, helping him create narrative art within Little Nemo. McCay’s impressive manipulation of backgrounds and panels in conjunction with his art nouveau …show more content…
A beautiful example can be found in Little Nemo in Slumberland released on November 17, 1907 (McCay, “Comic Strip Library” 6) where King Morpheus and his subjects are searching for Little Nemo who seems lost and very hungry in the enormous palace. McCay’s taste for the ornate is evident from the first panel to the last as art nouveau resonates from his world into Little Nemo’s dreamscape. From the second to fourth panels, the blend of art nouveau, length of the panels and moment-to-moment transition all assist in creating architectural movement which aid in changing the relationship between Nemo and the space of King Morpheus’ palace. McCay stretches the second to fourth panel’s length, visually depicting the height of the palace as lush detail is seen in the columns and chandeliers upon closer inspection. This perspective dwarfs Little Nemo and his companions as both