Winsor McCay; Ulrich Merkl - The complete Dream of the Rarebit Fiend (1904-1913) - 2007-2007

This book is a monumental collection of the groundbreaking comic series Dream of the Rarebit Fiend by Winsor McCay, which he published between 1904 and 1913 under the pseudonym 'Silas'.
464 pages

Here is an overview of what you can expect content-wise in this specific edition of Ulrich Merkl:
The Concept of the Strip
Unlike McCay's more famous and kid-friendly creation Little Nemo in Slumberland, this series was aimed at an adult audience:
• The Recurring Plot: Each story follows roughly the same structure: a character experiences a bizarre, terrifying, or absurd nightmare.
• The Cause: At the end of the strip (in the final panel) the character wakes up in bed and blames the eating of a Welsh rarebit (a heavy dish of melted cheese on toast) right before going to sleep.
• Themes: The nightmares reflect the deep fears of the urban middle class at the beginning of the 20th century, such as public humiliation, bankruptcy, claustrophobia, being buried alive, or the fear of new technologies.
Content of this Specific Edition
Editor Ulrich Merkl has created one of the most comprehensive surveys ever with this book:
• Hundreds of Comics: It contains a gigantic collection of the original newspaper pages, many of which had not been reprinted for decades.
• Historical Context: The book offers in-depth essays on the cultural-historical background of the early 20th century, the psychology behind dreams, and the early history of comics.
• Graphic Mastery: McCay experimented extensively with perspective, distortion, and page layout in this strip, which is perfectly showcased in this large format.