Little Nemo
From January 2, 1910 until (the contributor has access to a badly translated (German) collection of Little Nemo in Slumberland sunday comics up to December 25, 1910 only and the database in this link appears to be incomplete) probably mid-1911, Little Nemo's adventures are taking place while he and his pals are travelling on an airship (blimp) - another inspiration for the Chums of Chance's means of transportation, their everlasting youth and a few of the Chums adventures?
Here‘s some similarities found at first glance:
- Right in the first episode of the airship adventures (January 2, 1910) Little Nemo and the Princess (King Morpheus‘ daughter) take off from Slumberland to the Northpole (ATD 9; 114) in search of Dr. Pill, whom they hope to have a remedy for King Morpheus‘ pain.
- On February 27, 1910 they finally get close to the Pole and realize that there is no ice left on the sea just to find Dr. Pill (who is in "ice-business" by now) in some kind of a tower of Babel made out of all the arctic ice (recalling the "peak...far too regular to be the nunatak you imagine it" (ATD 139)) by his Eskimo-Workers.
- On April 10, 1910, the airship, having arrived on the moon, descends into a crater to explore the inside of the moon (ATD 114ff) but the crater turns out to be the mouth of a snoring giant, who starts coughing because the blimp feels like a fly in his throat. Arriving on Mars on April 24, 1910 they find the planet‘s essentials, including air and words, to be owned by a Scarsdale-Vibe-type plutocrat named B Gosh.
Against the Day Alpha Guide