Tag Archives: halidom

Rings and Things

A lot of jewelry appears in the Oz books, but I can only think of a few magic rings. I believe the first one mentioned in the expanded Oz universe, albeit not in an official Oz book, is the one … Continue reading

Posted in Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Jared Davis, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Melody Grandy, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Princes Proving Their Prowess, Whatever That Means

Since the main theme of this year’s OzCon International was Rinkitink in Oz, with Captain Salt and Ozmapolitan sidelining, it’s not too surprising that the subject of boy protagonists in the Oz books would come up. And yes, there are … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Dick Martin, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Fairy Tales, Families, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bah! There’s Always a War!

In addition to Glinda’s army, there are a lot of armed forces that show up in minor Ozian countries. Many are simply palace guards, but there are some more specific military units as well. Utensia has the Spoon Brigade, made … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Dick Martin, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Gina Wickwar, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Melody Grandy, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Some Bunny Special

According to the McGraws’ Merry Go Round in Oz, the Easter Bunny lives in the Munchkin Country of Oz, and is a loyal subject of Ozma. Edward Wagenknecht is quoted in the most recent Baum Bugle as having said that … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Easter, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Holidays, L. Frank Baum, Magic Items, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Free Ride, Whee Ride, Spree Ride, Glee Ride

The latest issue of The Baum Bugle has an article by David Maxine about Eloise Jarvis McGraw’s writing process for Merry Go Round in Oz, one of the most tightly plotted books in the Oz series. Indeed, it’s so well … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Dick Martin, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Gender, Jack Snow, L. Frank Baum, Magic Items, Onyx Madden/Jim Nitch, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Poets Who Know It

One of the characters introduced in the 1902 stage play of The Wizard of Oz who wasn’t in the book was Sir Dashemoff Daily, the Poet Laureate of Oz. I’m not sure if it was L. Frank Baum or someone … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Plays, Poetry, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

No Money, Mo’ Problems

As I said back in this post, whether or not Oz uses some form of money is no more consistent than many other aspects of the series. Certainly the earlier books show money in use, with children paying for green … Continue reading

Posted in Communism, Dick Martin, Economics, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Jack Snow, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Socialism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Pauper, on the Other Hand, Is Ruling, Strong and Wise

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s three companions all end up as rulers: the Scarecrow of the Emerald City, the Tin Woodman of the Winkie Country, and the Cowardly Lion of the Quadling Forest. In later books, only Nick … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, L. Frank Baum, Onyx Madden/Jim Nitch, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who, What, When, Where, Wyvern

While the wyvern is now fairly standard in fantasy fiction, its exact origins are difficult to trace. It seems to have first appeared in medieval bestiaries, and to have been used heavily in heraldry. While often used to represent war … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Dragon Quest, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Games, Greek Mythology, Monsters, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Real Horses of Oz

L. Frank Baum tells us in a few different books that there are no horses in Oz, aside from the magically animated wooden Sawhorse. This seems to be an idea that he developed over time, however. In The Wonderful Wizard … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Oz | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments