Runnin' Down A Dream

"Runnin' Down a Dream" is the title of a Tom Petty song released in July 1989. The video for the song was almost entirely animated and was a clear homage to Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland.The video features Petty and characters that bear more than a passing resemblence to Flip and Dr. Pill. Several of the animation sequences harken back to specific events in the strip, and the giant mosquitos seem to be a nod to McCay's own animation efforts. (Which I talked about a bit back here.)

I'm curious, though, if anyone's gone back and tried to annotate the video, finding the original strips that are referenced. I've read all the Nemo strips at one point, and many sequences here look very familiar but others only vaguely so. I don't have nearly the time/energy to try a research project like this at the moment, but I certainly would not mind seeing someone give it a shot. Any McCay enthusiasts out there with a bit of free time?

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