Yet another LIttle Nemo book!  The highlight of this particular 294 page, full color, oversize hardcover volume is the prelude featuring the clearly (looking back from today's point of view) unfortunate, yet -- presuming that it is viewed from the proper perspective -- instructive adventures of the Jungle Imps in which skewed versions of traditional African legends are given the Winsor McCay treatment.  Obviously, McCay, a product of a Victorian  upbringing, is ill-equipped to properly perceive this material, yet it is in precisely this nexus point -- of the collision of white Victorian culture and black African culture -- that much of modern American culture was born.  The comics apotheosis of this fertile union is found in the work of George Herriman, and McCay's 1903 strip (which ran, we believe, only in Cincinnati) is clearly a wrong-headed failure, but it remains a valuable document of the sunset of 19th century perspectives.  As for Little Nemo, what more can be said?  It's the single most spectacular work in the history of comics, and certainly among the most influential.  We offer several alternatives to this volume, all of which have their merits.  It's up to you to decide which one is the best fit for you.  It's best if you come in and compare.  If you have yet to take the plunge, this volume has several things going for it, not the least of which is that, when taken together with the forthcoming second volume, it purports to be the most complete collection of Little Nemo ever published.  We'll let you know our opinion of that claiom as soon as we get our hands on volume two.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

ONE NEW COPY

Tons of great early Winsor McCay is on hand in these pages, most notably a heaping helping of Dreams of a Rarebit Fiend, along with Hungry Henrietta, A Pilgrim's Progress, assorted editorial cartoons and a giant pile of very early baseball illustrations cum cartoons from Cincinnati.  All in all a great selection that shows McCay developing his language that makes for a highly enjoyable read!

PLEASE NOTE:  The reproductions are of varying quality; most are fairly crisp and sharp, but a number substantially reduced in size, and a few are taken from microfilm and leave something to be desired, quality-wise, but still readable.  

Published in 2003 and out of print.