History ComicStrip / LittleNemo

The music video to the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' song "Runnin' Down A Dream'' is an homage to the strips, as is the Music/{{Genesis}} song "Scenes From A Night's Dream".

A Live-Adaptation was made in 1984, titled ''Film/{{Nemo}}'' or ''Dream One'', and a feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Anime/LittleNemoAdventuresInSlumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties. A video game adaptation, ''[[VideoGame/LittleNemoTheDreamMaster Little Nemo: The Dream Master]]'', was released by {{Capcom}} for the NES in 1990.

'''''Little Nemo''''' (originally '''''Little Nemo in Slumberland''''', much later renamed for copyright reasons to '''''In the Land of Wonderful Dreams'''''), was a weekly Sunday comic strip written by {{Winsor McCay}}, which ran from 1905 to 1914. It featured the strange and surreal dreams of a young boy named Nemo. Strips often ended with Nemo waking up from terrifying situations his dreams had led him to.

A Live-Adaptation was made in 1984, titled ''{{Film/Nemo}}'' or ''Dream One'', and a feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Anime/LittleNemoAdventuresInSlumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties. A video game adaptation, ''[[VideoGame/LittleNemoTheDreamMaster Little Nemo: The Dream Master]]'', was released by {{Capcom}} for the NES in 1990.

* CyclicTrope: [=McKay=] enjoyed a publishing environment that allowed an extravagant art style that subsequent generations of sequential artsits would be unable to approach until WebComics became practical.

A Live-Adaptation was made in 1984, titled ''{{Film/Nemo}}'' or ''Dream One'', and a feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Anime/LittleNemoAdventuresInSlumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties. A video game adaptation, ''[[VideoGame/LittleNemoTheDreamMaster Little Nemo: The Dream Master'', was released by {{Capcom}} for the NES in 1990.

A Live-Adaptation was made in 1984, titled ''{{Film/Nemo}}'' or ''Dream One'', and a feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Anime/LittleNemoAdventuresInSlumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties. A video game adaptation, ''LittleNemoTheDreamMaster'', was released by {{Capcom}} for the NES in 1990.

A Live-Adaptation was made in 1984, titled ''{{Film/Nemo}}'' or ''Dream One'', and a feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Anime/LittleNemoAdventuresInSlumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties. A video game adaptation, ''Little Nemo: The Dream Master'', was released by {{Capcom}} for the NES in 1990.

A Live-Adaptation was made in 1984, titled ''{{Film/Nemo}}'' or ''Dream One'', and a feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Anime/LittleNemoAdventuresInSlumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Little_Nemo.jpg

''Little Nemo in Slumberland'' (much later renamed for copyright reasons to ''In the Land of Wonderful Dreams''), was a weekly Sunday comic strip written by {{Winsor McCay}}, which ran from 1905 to 1914. It featured the strange and surreal dreams of a young boy named Nemo. Strips often ended with Nemo waking up from terrifying situations his dreams had led him to.

A feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties, in Japan, where it was released in 1989 with limited release in the US. In 1992 a re-cut edition was released in the US. This film also served as the basis for ''Nemo'' and ''Little Nemo: The Dream Master'', two {{Capcom}}-developed video games for the arcade and {{NES}}, respectively, in 1990. The latter ultimately became [[AdaptationDisplacement more well-known than the both the film and the comic itself.]] A Live-Adaptation was made in 1984, titled ''Film/{{Nemo}}'' or ''Dream One''.

Years and years of Sunday strips, now in the PublicDomain in the US, can be found [[http://www.comicstriplibrary.org/ here]].

[[NamesTheSame Not to be confused with]] [[FindingNemo a certain CGI clownfish]].

!!The original comic provides examples of:

* AbusiveParents: Nemo's parents threaten to spank him for things that he does in his sleep that he really has no control over, like falling out of bed, yelling in his sleep, and even kicking the covers off his bed.
** [[ValuesDissonance Pretty standard parenting for 1905]].

* CigarChomper: Flip. It carried into the film as well.

* DreadfulMusician: [[http://www.comicstriplibrary.org/display.php?id=419&full=1 This comic]]

* FrameBreak: Among it's many fourth-wall gags.

* HaveAGayOldTime: In one comic there's a giant named Boob. Hearing someone say "Wait until I see that Boob!" can make modern readers chuckle.

* HeelFaceTurn: Flip does one in the comic, starting out as the main antagonist by waking Nemo up from his dream to eventually becoming Nemo's friend. Though he was never really 'evil' per se, but more of a nuisance. Much later in the comic, he [[FaceHeelTurn went back to being a nuisance again.]]
** Being a nuisance was only the beginning for Flip. His vindictiveness was what caused the real damage. Whenever the people of Slumberland took measures to keep him from ruining their events by being a major nuisance, he retaliated, often ending up wreaking havoc on parts of Slumberland (or having his uncle melt them). At one point, he has his uncle melt down the whole city. Oddly enough, this same tendency is what also what starts his HeelFaceTurn as he saves the group after they're captured by pirates.

* MediumAwareness: In [[http://www.comicstriplibrary.org/display.php?id=417&full=1 one installment]], Nemo, Flip and Imp are so hungry that they begin tearing off lines from their comic panels and knocking down letters from the ''Little Nemo In Slumberland'' logo, eating them. Nemo worries that this will upset the artist but Flip maintains that it will [[RageAgainstTheAuthor teach the person who draws them a lesson.]] When Flip asks what's in the letters they're eating Nemo replies that it's printer's ink as far as he knows.

* TheTrickster: Flip.
* TheUnintelligible: Imp.

!!The film provides examples of:

* AccidentalPervert: Flip.
* AdultChild: Nemo first meets King Morpheus when he's playing with a toy train in a playroom atmosphere.
* AmbiguousGender: In the original comics, Bon Bon (also known as The Candy Kid) [[http://postcardcollector.org/forum/extensions/InlineImages/image.php?AttachmentID=3740 was male]]. In the movie...it's a little less clear. S/he's voiced by a female, but that's quite common for young male characters as well. The longer hair and pastel clothes mean nothing in this film. Fandom [[ViewerGenderConfusion tends to be split on this]] as well.
* AmplifierArtifact: The Royal Scepter.
* BigGood: King Morpheus, who incidentally shares the name of another [[Film/TheMatrix Big Good]].
* BigNo: Many times, mostly by Nemo.
* ButYouWereThereAndYouAndYou: Nemo sees people very similar in appearance and mannerisms to the characters he meets in Slumberland at the beginning when he goes to watch a circus parade.
* CanonForeigner: Professor Genius, who seems partly based on Dr. Pill from the comics though his appearance is different. Also, Icarus, Nightmareland and the Nightmare King are unique to the film.
* CatapultNightmare: Coupled with a BigNo. And it turns out to be a DreamWithinADream.
* CompressedAdaptation: It took Nemo months to finally reach the Princess in the comics, and yet in the film Nemo dreams everything that happens to him in Slumberland in a single night. Of course, doing a plot like the movie has as a weekly comic would probably translate to about one or two years worth of storyline.
* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Execution in Slumberland is carried out by firing the convicted into space from a giant cannon.
* CoolTrain: King Morpheus rides around in a toy one.
* CuteBruiser: Princess Camille, seen when she punches Flip straight in the jaw.
* DefrostingIceQueen: Princess Camille.
* DisneyDeath: Nemo at the end.
* DreamWithinADream: Happens to Nemo twice. Both times he realizes he's still dreaming when, after waking up from a CatapultNightmare, he finds the Royal Scepter in his bed.
* EtTuBrute: Nemo breaks his promise not to open the Forbidden Door, releasing the Nightmare King and getting King Morpheus kidnapped.
* EverythingsNuttierWithSquirrels
* FantasyWorldMap: Flip is the only one who has a map of both Slumberland and Nightmareland. Not only that but he's also the only one who can understand it.
* FlatCharacter: Nemo is pretty much the blandest character in the movie.
** He's really not all that different from how he was in the comics though.
* FunPersonified: Flip.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: So, Princess Camille orders Nemo to her palace from his bed in order to become her 'playmate'?
** Princess Camille to Nemo: "Your underwear is rather cute."
** The 'sitting in a tree inside cloud/dandelion/cotton candy puffs with clothes strewn about' snippet is certainly worth mentioning, as Nemo and Camille would ''probably'' have had to have seen each other naked at some point for them to end up like that.
** Flip accidentally grabbing Camille's chest. See ThanksForTheMammary.
* HeroesWantRedheads
* HeroismIncentive: Nemo initially refuses to go with the Professor to Slumberland because [[GirlsHaveCooties the Princess being a girl makes him uneasy]]. But when he gets the Princess' gift of cookies, he gladly accepts the invitation.
* InsistentTerminology: Nemo is '''NOT''' in his underwear. He's in his pajamas.
** And Icarus is ''not'' a rat.
* {{Jerkass}}: Flip.
* LastMinuteHookup: Nemo and the Princess finally kiss at the end....too bad Nemo wakes up from his dream immediately afterward.
* MagicalIncantation: "Jazama Pajama! Pajama Jazama!!"
-->'''The Nightmare King''': "Ooo, pajamas do ''scare'' me so! Mwahahaha!"
* MaleGaze: Flip eying and attempting to flirt with the obviously underage Princess Camille.
* MarshmallowHell: A dance teacher pushes Nemo into her buxom bosom, much to his dismay.
* {{Mordor}}: Nightmare Castle
* MustHaveNicotine: Flip continues to sneak cigars even after the princess banned him from smoking any.
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: The Boomps, who are 'good goblins' and are just misunderstood by the other residents of Nightmareland.
* NiceHat: Both Flip and the Professor have nice top hats.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Nemo is the one who unleashes the Nightmare King, after Flip talks him into opening the forbidden door.
* NightmareSequence: Pretty much the whole second half of the movie, plus the first dream he has.
* OrWasItADream: A couple times Nemo wakes up in his bed, thinking that the whole adventure was a dream; only to find the Royal Scepter under the covers of his bed.
* OurGoblinsAreDifferent: The Boomps.
* PajamaCladHero
* TheProfessor: Professor Genius.
* TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation
* SayMyName: By Nemo most of the time, although Princess Camille does her share of it too.
* SceneryPorn: If you like Studio Ghibli's penchant for prettiness, you'll like this.
* ScoobyDoobyDoors: Slight variation. Flip and Nemo run between two rows of large pillars while being chased by guards.
* SealedEvilInACan: The Nightmare King was being imprisoned behind a giant door beneath Slumberland, and King Morpheus decides to entrust the only key that can open the door to Nemo.
* SealedWithAKiss
* SmallAnnoyingCreature: Icarus, the flying squirrel, in the film only.
* SpeechImpairedAnimal: Icarus.
* StationaryWings: Icarus, the flying squirrel, who can hover and stay aloft while gesticulating wildly.
* TechnicolorDeath: [[spoiler: The Nightmare King's death is very colorful.]]
* ThanksForTheMammary: Flip accidentally grabs Princess Camille's breasts shortly after they rescue her from water goblins in Nightmareland and gets elbowed for it, in the film.
** Then again, she wasn't old enough to really have much in the way of breasts.
* ThroughHisStomach: Nemo initially doesn't care to meet Princess Camille...until Bon Bon presents the cookies she'd prepared as a gift for him, at which point he's all for it.
* VileVillainSaccharineShow: The movie seems pretty lighthearted and happy until the Nightmare King is unleashed.
* VillainProtagonist: Flip, somewhat.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs

* BigGood: King Morpheus, who incidentally shares the name of another [[TheMatrix Big Good]].

* TroubledProduction: It took eight years to make, going through all kinds of writers and animators, both of whom thought the other side was really in charge. Hayao Miyazaki has said it's easily the worst experience he's ever had making a movie.

** Being a nuisance was only the beginning for Flip. His vindictiveness was what caused the real damage. Whenever the people of Slumberland took measures to keep him from ruining their events by being a major nuisance, he retaliated, often ending up wreaking havoc on parts of Slumberland (or having his uncle melt them). At one point, he has his uncle melt down the whole city.

A feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties, in Japan, where it was released in 1989 with limited release in the US. In 1992 a re-cut edition was released in the US. This film also served as the basis for ''Nemo'' and ''Little Nemo: The Dream Master'', two {{Capcom}}-developed video games for the arcade and {{NES}}, respectively, in 1990. The latter ultimately became [[AdaptationDisplacement more well-known than the both the film and the comic itself.]] A Live-Adaptation was made in 1984, titled ''{{Nemo}}'' or ''Dream One''.

* ToyShip: Nemo and the Princess, in-universe.

* AnimeAnatomy: There are a surprising amount of nude scenes, but both Nemo and Princess Camille lack anything resembling genitals or nipples.

* FloorboardFailure: In Little Nemo in Slumberland, Nemo and Flip are served a new kind of breakfast food that gives them a Balloon Belly. The chairs start to collapse underneath their weight, and then the floors, leading to the entire house being demolished.

** Then again, she wasn't really old enough to really have breasts.

* RecurringDream: The entire comic. Suffice to say, if your dreams keep continuing every night as an ongoing story arc, it's time to see a shrink.

''Little Nemo in Slumberland'' (much later renamed for
oken up at the end of each comic.

''Little Nemo in Slumberland'' (much later renamed for copyright reasons to ''In the Land of Wonderful Dreams''), was a weekly Sunday comic strip written by {{Winsor McCay}}, which ran from 1905 to 1914. It featured the strange and surreal dreams of a young boy named Nemo. Strips often ended with Nemo waking up from terrifying situations his dreams had led him to.

In 1911 [=McCay=] produced a short animated film entitled ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcSp2ej2S00 Winsor McCay, the Famous Cartoonist of the N.Y. Herald and his Moving Comics]]'', featuring characters from ''Little Nemo''.

A feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties, in Japan, where it was released in 1989 with limited release in the US. In 1992 a re-cut edition was released in the US. This film also served as the basis for ''Nemo'' and ''Little Nemo: The Dream Master'', two {{Capcom}}-developed video games for the arcade and {{NES}}, respectively, in 1990. The latter ultimately became [[AdaptationDisplacement more well-known than the both the film and the comic itself.]] A Live-Adaptation was made in 1984, titled ''{{Nemo}}'' or ''Dream One''.

Years and years of Sunday strips, now in the PublicDomain in the US, can be found [[http://www.comicstriplibrary.org/ here]].

The music video to the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' song "Runnin' Down A Dream'' is an homage to the strips, as is the Music/{{Genesis}} song "Scenes From A Night's Dream".

[[NamesTheSame Not to be confused with]] [[FindingNemo a certain CGI clownfish]].
----
!!The original comic provides examples of:

* AbusiveParents: Nemo's parents threaten to spank him for things that he does in his sleep that he really has no control over, like falling out of bed, yelling in his sleep, and even kicking the covers off his bed.
** [[ValuesDissonance Pretty standard parenting for 1905]].
* AllJustADream
* AnimatedAdaptation: [=McCay's=] "Little Nemo" short could be considered one of the first.
* AnimeAnatomy: There are a surprising amount of nude scenes, but both Nemo and Princess Camille lack anything resembling genitals or nipples.
* AprilFoolsDay
* BanisterSlide: Nemo and Flip slide down a very long and winding banister in one issue, which ends up going in zig-zags, wavy bumps, and cork screws. It was later also done in the movie.
* BedmateReveal: There was one installment of the comic strip where Nemo wakes up, thinking his dream has ended, and to his suprise sees Flip in bed next to him, meaning he's still dreaming.
* BlackBeadEyes
* CapturedByCannibals: During the Candy Island story arch this happens to Nemo and Flip.
* CatapultNightmare
* ChristmasEpisode: There was one just about every year.
* CigarChomper: Flip. It carried into the film as well.
* ComicBookTime: Although it's also heavily {{Lampshaded}} at times, with characters complaining they feel like they've waited "for weeks" for something to happen.
* DreadfulMusician: [[http://www.comicstriplibrary.org/display.php?id=419&full=1 This comic]]
** It also happens with Flip in [[http://www.comicstriplibrary.org/display.php?id=698&full=1 this comic]]
* DreamLand
* DreamWithinADream
* TheEdwardianEra
* EveryEpisodeEnding: Nemo either falling out of bed or being woken up at the end of each comic.

* DisneyDeath

* SaveTheVillain: When Flips was still the antagonist Nemo did save him a few times, most notably when King Morpheus' firing squad was about ready to execute Flip, and Nemo ran in front of him to stop it. Of course Flip was less than grateful, because in the next installment he convinces his Uncle Dawn to bring forth the sun and ruin the King's Thanksgiving dinner by waking everyone up.

* ShoutOut: The music video for TomPetty's "Running Down a Dream" is taken straight out of the Little Nemo in Slumberland comics, complete with a LawyerFriendlyCameo from Flip, by using a cigar smoking little imp who looked vaguely similar to Flip but different enough.

* DeletedScene: The DVD release has some extra scenes that weren't on the old VHS release, which patch up some minor holes in the plot.
* DevelopmentHell: [[http://www.telecom-anime.com/telecom/sakuhinreki/nenpyo1_i.html Work began on this film in 1978, but it didn't get released until 1989]].
** One reason was that the directors were being switch around, very early on [[WhatCouldHaveBeen the film was going be directed by]] ChuckJones and HayaoMiyazaki, Jones found issues with the script and Miyazaki did not want the movie to be just a dream.
** Another reason was that the shows from Dic and Disney were taking TMSEntertainment's production time away from Little Nemo.

* HeyItsThatVoice: Mickey Rooney is Flip, and the opening song is sung by Melissa Manchester. Other big-name voice actors like JuneForay, Alan Oppenheimer and TressMacNeille also have minor roles. [[LegacyOfKain Raziel]] even plays one of the Boomps.
** Nemo once [[TheLandBeforeTime traveled to look for the Great Valley]].
** Professor Genius would go on to give more practical application of his intellect [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender as the Machinist]].
** The Hungarian dub also features the narrator of {{11eyes)) as the Nightmare King.

* OldShame: HayaoMiyazaki briefly worked on this film, and has gone on record saying that it was THE worst experience he's had in his professional career.

* OurGoblinsAreDifferent: The Boomps

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The (now-)famed director HayaoMiyazaki, was planning on making the film, you can see Yoshifumi Kondo's pilot [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbPJmxIQqKc on YouTube]]. However he later left the project as he went off to {{Topcraft}} to do Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind, and left the film in the hands of someone else.
** George Lucas was approached with the story but refused it; ChuckJones was also attached at some point, but left.

* IHitYouYouHitTheGround: The(possible) TropeMaker.

* NonIronicClown: Though Flip's being a [[CigarChomper cigar-chomping]] {{Trickster}} is somewhat ironic, he's far from a MonsterClown.

* SkyPirates: They attack the royal airship in one installment.

* TheEdwardianEra
* TheImp: The Imp (yeah that is his name too)

* TheUnintelligible: Imp

* {{Trickster}}: Flip

** Another reason was that the shows from Dic and Disney were taking {{TMS}}'s production time away from Little Nemo.

* FunPersonified: Flip

** Professor Genius would go on to give more practical application of his intellect [[AvatarTheLastAirbender as the Machinist]].

* SpeechImpairedAnimal: Icarus

* TheProfessor: Professor Genius
* TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The (now-)famed director HayaoMiyazaki, was planning on making the film, you can see Yoshifumi Kondo's pilot [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbPJmxIQqKc on Youtube]]. However he later left the project as he went off to {{Topcraft}} to do NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind, and left the film in the hands of someone else.

A feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties, in Japan, where it was released in 1989 with limited release in the US. In 1992 a re-cut edition was released in the US. This film also served as the basis for ''Nemo'' and ''Little Nemo: The Dream Master'', two {{Capcom}}-developed video games for the arcade and {{NES}}, respectively, in 1990. The latter ultimately became [[AdaptationDisplacement more well-known than the both the film and the comic itself.]]

* LesYay: Princess Camille and her "attendant" Bon Bon.
** Although, see AmbiguousGender above.

* MaleFrontalNudity: In an installment where Nemo is taking a bath and ends up swimming through the sea, climbing onto an iceberg and getting chased by a polar bear. Of course, [[PeekaBoo we don't actually ''see'' anything]], but he is naked the entire time.

A feature-length AnimatedAdaptation, ''Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland'', was produced in the late Eighties, in Japan, where it was released in 1989, and in the US in 1992. This film also served as the basis for ''Nemo'' and ''Little Nemo: The Dream Master'', two {{Capcom}}-developed video games for the arcade and {{NES}}, respectively, in 1990. The latter ultimately became [[AdaptationDisplacement more well-known than the both the film and the comic itself.]]