Winsor McCay’s strip “Little Nemo is Slumberland” is justly celebrated and has been the subject of a number of prestigious reprint projects. But, as much of a Nemo fan as I am I’ve always pined for a reprint of MCay’s earlier dream explorations, “Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend”. “Rarebit” has a darker side and is often more inventive, each strip uber creatively tackling a different subject. These aren’t prettified reaccuring dreams of a boy in fairytale land, but edgy adult dream dramas. To put it simply, Nemo is a dream, the Rarebit is a nightmare. And, as a result, “Rarebit” is, for me, far more visually compelling.

Checker Publishing undertook a well-meaning attempt to reprint the “Rarebits” recently. While we can acknowledge that they were unearthing totally unseen material and getting it in print, the project was sadly, frankly a bit of a bad dream. There was terrible reproduction from primarily microfilm. The many horizontal strips of the series greatly suffered in the small and vertical format. The paper quality wasn’t great. And, worst of all, there were a number of missing episodes.

Two years before the Checker volumes appeared a German fellow, Urlich Merkl, had started virtually the same project. When Checker appeared with their books Urlich didn’t give it up, but redoubled his efforts to make this everything the Checker reprints weren’t. Urlich’s reprints would be complete, would be reprinted from original art and newspaper tearsheets and would be lovingly, painstakingly restored. In fact, Urlich has spent nearly 6000 hours in restoration work and invested 90,000 dollars of his own money in this. And Urlich’s reprint gloriously has every known Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend strip carefully printed and hand bound in Egypt by consumate skilled craftsmen.

The result is breathtaking and, for me, the absolute without question greatest and most valued comics reprint project in the history of publishing. You’ll be relieved that the price is unbelievably low-a mere 114 measly dollars US! What will give you horrifying nightmares is that there is only 1000 copies printed so you must act immediately to snag this rare treasure for your collection. If ever the phrase “act now to avoid disappointment” applies this is it. Here is the website. (BTW, in case you’re wondering, my effusive praise of this book is “pure”: I had nothing to do with it’s preparation, I have no financial involvement of any kind and I don’t know Urlich from Adam, though I’d like to meet him someday and shake his hand).

This amazing book is going on my bedroom nightstand. I go to sleep each night with original “Rarebits” on the walls and an original “Nemo” above the bed. But, my fave McCay “Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend” original that I own is the one below as it pictures McCay at the drawing board right after he debuted his groundbreaking Gertie the Dinosaur cartoon. I thought I’d share this original with you to help celebrate this stupendous publishing event. (Thanks to my pals Patrick  McDonnell and Karen O’Connell who generously sold this, my favorite piece in my collection, to me).

(click to read this comic)