Tag Archives: maps

Oz in Four Parts

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Nathan

It seems that the division of Oz into separate countries is rather too neat, with all four countries being roughly the same size and shape, and each one color-coded. Is this just part of its being a magical fairyland, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Eloise Jarvis McGraw, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Putting Superman on the Map

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Nathan

The well-known back story of Superman is that he was born on the planet Krypton, grew up in Smallville, and now lives in Metropolis. Do these places have any real-world analogs, though? Where, exactly, is Metropolis located? I did a … Continue reading →

Posted in Comics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Where’s Where in Wonderland

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Nathan

Yes, it’s more of my ongoing obsession with maps of fantasy lands. This time, we’re returning to Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland. As I mentioned here, it’s difficult to map a dream, as everything keeps changing around. Still, I came across some … Continue reading →

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Misadventures in Mapping Mario

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Nathan

With my fondness for maps of fantasy lands, I’ve long had it in my head to make a map of the Mushroom World. I’m apparently not alone in this, as I’ve found a few such maps online. Not really that … Continue reading →

Posted in Mario, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Imagi-National Studies

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Nathan

Just as Middle-Earth is a European fantasy land, Oz is an American one. That said, does its geography have any basis in that of the United States? I would say there’s some. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the eastern … Continue reading →

Posted in L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Notes from Middle-Earth

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Nathan

There can be no doubt that Middle-Earth is a very European fantasy land. It’s based primarily on European mythology, particularly Norse and Teutonic as viewed through the lens of old England. The name “Middle-Earth” comes from Midgard, the world of … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, British, Celtic, German, Greek Mythology, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mythology, Norse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

A Geographic Wonderland

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Nathan

I’ve always liked maps of imaginary lands. They satisfy both my love of maps in general and my fondness for verisimilitude in fantasy. So it’s kind of a shame that two of my favorite books that don’t have “Oz” in … Continue reading →

Posted in Board Games, Chess, Games, Lewis Carroll, Playing Cards | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Guardia Through the Ages

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Nathan

When dealing with fictional worlds, I tend to be fairly analytical and very detail-oriented. I like to know how an imaginary world works, and what its history and geography are. As the actual creators are not always as careful about … Continue reading →

Posted in Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest, Mario, Video Games, Zelda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Drifting Off to Dreamland

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Nathan

If you look at the map of the countries surrounding Oz from the endpapers of Tik-Tok of Oz, you’ll notice that the area just to the east (which is left on this map for some reason) of the Growleywogs’ territory … Continue reading →

Posted in Dreams, Oz, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments