T H E W O N D E R F U L W I Z A R D O F O Z F A Q L I S T = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = - - - - - - - - - Maintained by Nate Barlow, wiz@CMU.EDU Initially compiled by Nate Barlow, wiz@CMU.EDU, July 1994 Hello! This FAQ covers all things dealing with L. Frank Baum's wonderful world of Oz. It is divided into four parts: More Info, Books, 1939 MGM Movie, and Other. At the start of the FAQ is a list of questions answered. Any suggestions, additions, deletions or corrections should be sent to: Nate Barlow wiz@CMU.EDU Thanks! Nate ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions Answered: ------------------- 1. More Info: 1.1. What is Oz? How did Oz get started? 1.2. What is The International Wizard of Oz Club (IWOC)? How can I join? 1.3. What is The Baum Bugle? The Oz Observer? The Oz Gazette? 1.4. What is The Ozian Times? How can I subscribe? 2. Books: 2.1. Who wrote the Oz books? How many did each author write? 2.2. What are the titles? 2.3. Who illustrated them? 2.4. How can I acquire them? 2.5. Who wrote the IWOC published books? How many are there? What are the titles? How can I acquire them? 2.6. Are there any other Oz books? 2.7. What is _Oziana_? How can I acquire it? 2.8. What is _Bibliographia Oziana_? How can I acquire it? 2.9. Did the Oz authors write any other works? 2.10. Did Baum write under any pseudonyms? 3. 1939 MGM Movie: 3.1. Which cast members are still alive? 3.2. I've heard that there is a scene where a body can be seen hanging in the background. Did someone really hang oneself? 3.3. How many releases have there been of the movie? 3.4. What year did the movie first appear on TV? How many times has it been shown on TV? 4. Other: 4.1. What other Oz movies have there been? 4.2. Is is true that there is a series of Russian Oz books? ******************************************************************************* Answers: -------- 1. More Info: -------------- 1.1. What is Oz? How did Oz get started? Oz is fairyland originally created by L. Frank Baum as stories he told his four sons and their friends. There are many stories as to how Mr. Baum came up with the name of Oz, one being that when asked by one child what the name of this marvelous land was, his eye happened to catch sight of his filing cabinet, which read "O-Z". Baum proceeded to write 14 Oz books, the first of which, _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_, was published in 1900. 1.2. What is The International Wizard of Oz Club (IWOC)? How can I join? Official International Wizard of Oz Club announcement: The International Wizard of Oz Club was founded in 1957 to bring together all those interested in Oz, its authors and illustrators, film and stage adaptions, toys and games, and associated memorabilia. From a charter group of sixteen, the club has grown until today it has pretty near 3,000 members of all ages throughout the world. It's magazine, _The Baum Bugle_, first appeared in June of 1957 and has been published continuously ever since. The _Bugle_ appears three times a year and specializes in popular and scholarly articles on Oz and its creators, biographical and critical studies, first edition checklists, research into the people and places within the Oz books, etc. The magazine is illustrated with rare photographs and drawings, and the covers are in full color. The Oz Club also publishes a number of other Oz associated items, including full color maps; an original collection of original Oz stories; books; and essays. Each year, the club sponsors conventions in different areas of the United States. These gatherings feature displays of rare Oz and Baum material, an Oz quiz, showings of Oz films, an auction of hard-to-find Baum and Oz items, much conversation about Oz in all its aspects, and many other activities. The International Wizard of Oz Club appeals to the serious student and collector of Oz as well as to any reader interested in America's own fairyland. For further information on the International Wizard of Oz Club or _The Baum Bugle_, please send a long self addressed stamped envelope to: Fred M. Meyer 220 North Eleventh Street Escanaba, Michigan 49829 Additional Information: If you don't want to wait, yearly dues are $15.00 third class, $20.00 first class and overseas air shipment, $30.00 contributing membership; $50.00 sustaining membership. For the lack of space and time, I will not include a list of what else you can order here and now; you'll get one soon enough. Bye, and enjoy! 1.3. What is The Baum Bugle? The Oz Observer? The Oz Gazette? The Baum Bugle is The International Wizard of Oz Club's magazine. It comes out three times a year and is included as part of one's membership. The Oz Observer and The Oz Gazette are two newsletters that IWOC also puts out three times a year. The two newsletters are sent out together but separately from the Bugle. They, too, are part of one's membership. 1.4. What is The Ozian Times? How can I subscribe? The Ozian Times is an email digest currently run by Nate Barlow, who can be reached at wiz@CMU.EDU. This digest is for any and all interested in Oz in any of aspects. To subscribe, send email to: wiz@CMU.EDU ******************************************************************************* 2. Books: ---------- 2.1. Who wrote the Oz books? How many did each author write? The author of _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ and its first 13 sequels was L. Frank Baum. The following authors also wrote books considered to be part of what is widely considered the "canonical" 40 book series (number written by that author follows the author's name): Ruth Plumly Thompson, 19; John R. Neill, 3; Jack Snow, 2; Rachel C. Cosgrove, 1; Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Lauren Lynn McGraw (Wagner), 1. 2.2. What are the titles? The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Baum, 1900) The Marvelous Land of Oz (Baum, 1904) Ozma of Oz (Baum, 1907) Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (Baum, 1908) The Road to Oz (Baum, 1909) The Emerald City of Oz (Baum, 1910) The Patchwork Girl of Oz (Baum, 1913) Tik-Tok of Oz (Baum, 1914) The Scarecrow of Oz (Baum, 1915) Rinkitink in Oz (Baum, 1916) The Lost Princess of Oz (Baum, 1917) The Tin Woodman of Oz (Baum, 1918) The Magic of Oz (Baum, 1919) Glinda of Oz (Baum, 1920) The Royal Book of Oz (Thompson--although R&L editions say Baum, 1921) Kabumpo in Oz (Thompson, 1922) The Cowardly Lion of Oz (Thompson, 1923) Grampa in Oz (Thompson, 1924) The Lost King of Oz (Thompson, 1925) The Hungry Tiger of Oz (Thompson, 1926) The Gnome King of Oz (Thompson, 1927) The Giant Horse of Oz (Thompson, 1928) Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz (Thompson, 1929) The Yellow Knight of Oz (Thompson, 1930) Pirates in Oz (Thompson, 1931) The Purple Prince of Oz (Thompson, 1932) Ojo in Oz (Thompson, 1933) Speedy in Oz (Thompson, 1934) The Wishing Horse of Oz (Thompson, 1935) Captain Salt in Oz (Thompson, 1936) Handy Mandy in Oz (Thompson, 1937) The Silver Princess in Oz (Thompson, 1938) Ozoplaning With the Wizard of Oz (Thompson, 1939) The Wonder City of Oz (Neill, 1940) The Scalawagons of Oz (Neill, 1941) Lucky Bucky in Oz (Neill, 1942) The Magical Mimics in Oz (Snow, 1946) The Shaggy Man of Oz (Snow, 1949) The Hidden Valley of Oz (Cosgrove, 1951) Merry Go Round in Oz (McGraw and Wagner, 1963) 2.3. Who illustrated them? W. W. Denslow--The Wonderful Wizard of Oz John R. Neill--The Marvelous Land of Oz through Lucky Bucky in Oz Frank Kramer--The Magical Mimics in Oz and The Shaggy Man of Oz "Dirk" [Dirk Gringhuis]--The Hidden Valley of Oz Dick Martin--Merry Go Round in Oz Several of the books (most notably The Wizard and Land) have been illustrated by several different illustrators. Some of these editions are available; others are not. 2.4. How can I acquire them? All of the books have been reprinted at some point in recent years. However, several of those reprints are now out-of-print themselves. The Baums are still available, along with several of the others. Publishers who have Oz books available: The International Wizard of Oz Club, Dover, Del Rey (I believe their Baums are still available, but I could be wrong), Books of Wonder, Easton Press, and others. The Wizard and Land are available from countless publishers. If you are only interested in first and older editions, the search becomes exponentially harder. Used book stores, flea markets and tag sales are all good places to check. There are several dealers who specialize in Oz and related works. Auctions are also very useful. IWOC periodically sends out an "Oz Trading Post", where club members can post their sell/trade/want lists. A major feature of IWOC conventions is an auction, which is followed by dealers setting up their tables. Good luck, and enjoy the search! 2.5. Who wrote the IWOC published books? How many are there? What are the titles? How can I acquire them? There are five: Yankee in Oz (Thompson, Illus. Martin, 1972) The Enchanted Island of Oz (Thompson, Illus. Martin, 1976) The Forbidden Fountain of Oz (McGraw & McGraw, Illus. Martin, 1980) The Ozmapolitan of Oz (Martin, Illus. Martin, 1986) The Wicked Witch of Oz (Cosgrove Payes, Shanower, 1993) All are currently available and can be ordered from the club. 2.6. Are there any other Oz books? Yes, with more being published constantly. There are even other stories by the above authors. Baum had a newspaper series in 1904-1905 called _Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz_, which was later adapted into a book by Jean Kellog named _The Visitors from Oz_ and illustrated by Dick Martin. Baum also wrote a series of short tales called _The Little Wizard_ series (later _The Little Wizard Stories of Oz_) and _The Wogglebug Book_. The _Queer Visitors_ series and _The Wogglebug Book_ were recently compiled into one volume titled _The Third Book of Oz_ (since the stories originally came out between _Land_ and _Ozma_). As to the other authors, Thompson wrote several short stories. Supposedly John R. Neill had written a fourth title called _Runaway in Oz_. Jack Snow wrote a short story, "A Murder in Oz", and also _Who's Who in Oz_ (1954), a compendium of almost every character appearing in the Oz books published at that time (i.e. through Hidden Valley). The book is illustrated with pictures from the series. A few characters were overlooked, with the Bunny King from _Emerald City_ the most famous. The list of Oz apocrypha/pastiches by other authors is quite long. The most famous is _The Laughing Dragon of Oz_ by Frank Joselyn Baum, L. Frank's eldest son. It was published in 1935 (copyright 1934) by Whitman Publishing Co., as a Big Little Book. While its sequel, _The Enchanted Princess of Oz_, was reportedly in proofs, Reilly & Lee brought suit. Whitman agreed not to publish _Enchanted Princess_ or reprint _Laughing Dragon_. Reilly & Lee also claimed that "OZ" was its common-law trademark, winning that point in a separate case. I will not go into any of the other titles here, for the sake of brevity and the impossibility of completeness (I will however discuss the Russian Oz books in the "Other" section). 2.7. What is _Oziana_? How can I acquire it? _Oziana_ is an annual collection of short Oz stories published by IWOC. It, along with some back issues, can be ordered from the Club. 2.8. What is _Bibliographia Oziana_? How can I acquire it? _Bibliographia Oziana_ is the major work describing the various states, issues, printings, and editions of the Oz books (the canonical 40 and selected others, including the IWOC books, _Laughing Dragon_, _The Little Wizard Stories_, etc). It also includes a basic glossary of bibliographical terms and pictures of the book covers. The most recent edition is copyright 1988 and is available from IWOC. The book was written by Peter E. Hanff, Douglas G. Greene, Dick Martin, David L. Greene and James E. Haff, with contributions by many others. This is a must-have for anyone who is seriously collecting first and early edition Oz books. 2.9. Did the Oz authors write any other works? Yes, all of them, too many to list here (although if someone wants to compile a list, send it to me and I will gladly tack it on). Several of Baum's other fantasy works "connect" to Oz, with the cross-over of characters and lands bordering Oz: _Queen Xixi of Ix_, _The Magical Monarch of Mo_, _The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus_, _The Sea Fairies_ and _Sky Island_ are just a few of these. 2.10. Did Baum write under any pseudonyms? Yes. Several, actually: Laura Bancroft--_Twinkle and Chubbins_ stories, _Policeman Blue Jay_ Edith Van Dyne--_Aunt Jane's Nieces_ series, _The Flying Girl_ series, _Mary Louise_ series Floyd Akers--_The Boy Fortune Hunters_ series Capt. Hugh Fitzgerald--_The Sam Steele's Adventure_ series John Estes Cooke--_Tamawaca Folks_ Suzanne Metcalf--_Annabel_ Schuyler Staunton--_The Fate of a Crown_, _Daughters of Destiny_ anonymous--_The Last Egyptian_ ******************************************************************************* 3. 1939 MGM Movie: ------------------- 3.1. Which cast members are still alive? Most, sadly, have passed away. The only remaining principal cast members are 19 of the 124 Munchkins. Several of these still make public appearances, especially at the Ozfests which occur in various parts of the country 3.2. I've heard that there is a scene where a body can be seen hanging in the background. Did someone really hang oneself? No. What is actually being scene is a bird which escaped from another set and just happened to wander onto the Tin Woodman's forest set. MGM had rented a large number of birds to be in the background of one of the scenes. 3.3. How many releases have there been of the movie? The initial release was in 1939, and full rereleases occured in 1949 and 1955. "In both 1970 and 1972, the film was used to successfully launch an MGM Children's Matinee series of family pictures...the first 'test reappearance'... drew capacity houses in 1976..." (Fricke/Scarfone/Stillman, _The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History_, pg. 212) 3.4. What year did the movie first appear on TV? How many times has it been shown on TV? The first TV appearance was on November. 3, 1956. The next was in October of 1959. It was then broadcast annually from 1960-1967 on CBS. NBC took it for 1968-1975, but then it returned to CBS in 1976, where it has been shown ever since. The makes 37 appearances! ******************************************************************************* 4. Other: ---------- 4.1. What other Oz movies have there been? There have been several Oz film adaptions. What follows is an incomplete list, taken from Allen Eyles'' book _The World of Oz_: 1910: The Wizard of Oz; Dorothy and Scarecrow in Oz; The Land of Oz (Selig Production Company) 1914: The Patchwork Girl of Oz; His Majesty, The Scarecrow of Oz (later called The New Wizard of Oz) (Oz Filme Manufacturing Co.) 1925: The Wizard of Oz (Chadwick, Distributor) 1939: The Wizard of Oz (MGM) 1960: The Shirley Temple Show--The Land of Oz (TV) 1963: Return to Oz (An original sequel to the book, TV, Rankin/Bass, animation) 1969: The Wonderful Land of Oz (Cinetron) 1971: Journey Back to Oz (Filmation, animation) 1976: Oz (Australian--shown in US as 20th Century Oz in 1977) (US Distributor--Inter Planetary) 1978: The Wiz (Production--Motown, Distributor--Universal) 1985: Return to Oz (Production--Oz Productions/Walt Disney Productions, Distributor--Buena Vista) 4.2. Is is true that there is a series of Russian Oz books? Yes. There are six books, the first a retelling of _The Wizard of Oz_ titled _Volsebnik Izumrudnogo Goroda_ (The Wizard of the Emerald City, 1939--the word Oz is never mentioned in any of the books). A revised version appeared in 1959, followed by five original sequels: _Urfin Dzjus i ego Derevjannye Soldaty (Urfin Dzjus and His Wooden Soldiers, 1963), _Sem' Podzemnyh Korolej_ (Seven Underground Kings, 1969), _Ognennyi Bog Marranov_ (The Fire God of the Maronnes, 1972), _Zeltyi Tuman_ (The Yellow Fog, 1974), _Zabrosynnovo Zamka_ (The Secret of the Deserted Castle, 1982). ******************************************************************************* I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this FAQ. The number is too great to list; you know who you are. Thanks. ;) My own sources inclue _Bibliographia Oziana_, _The World of Oz_ (Allen Eyles, 1985), _The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History_ (John Fricke, Jay Scarfone, William Stillman, 1989), _The Baum Bugle_, 8 1/2 years of membership in IWOC, seven Munchkin Conventions, and lots of great friendships. I hope everyone enjoys reading this as much as I did putting it together. Hope it helps. Nate Barlow wiz@CMU.EDU