Winsor McCay says to an incredulous John Bunny (the jovial comedy Vitagraph star) he will use four thousand drawings for a moving cartoon, and we see some of this process through the live action bit of this short: the best of course is the sequence where we watch the animated characters take on their own personalities, in turn disturbing, hilarious, poignant, and boisterous.
There have of course been many advances in animation over the years, but we can also learn from and appreciate what has gone before. If you only know 'Gertie the Dinosaur' you'll like 'Little Nemo'; if you're not familiar with McCay but like animation, give it a go. I reckon you'll be surprised how far techniques had progressed even ninety-plus years ago.
There have of course been many advances in animation over the years, but we can also learn from and appreciate what has gone before. If you only know 'Gertie the Dinosaur' you'll like 'Little Nemo'; if you're not familiar with McCay but like animation, give it a go. I reckon you'll be surprised how far techniques had progressed even ninety-plus years ago.