Tag Archives: ruth berman

They’re Gonna Put Me in the Movies

The 1979 Oziana starts out by saying three stories “seems to be a typical number,” which is generally true, although the previous one had four. The cover illustration by Rob Roy MacVeigh shows the Scarecrow in a cornfield, with a … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Characters, Chris Dulabone, Comics, Dennis Anfuso, Humor, Jeff Rester, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Names, Oz, Oz Authors, Poetry, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jinnicky’s Body

We’re now up to the Oziana from the year I was born, 1977. The front cover shows the royal palace of Oogaboo, as drawn by Albert Chronic. The introductory page has a political cartoon by Bill Eubank that isn’t really that … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Art, Characters, Comics, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Melody Grandy, Monsters, Names, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Poetry, Politics, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pearls Before Nomes

I was thinking about doing an Oziana reread, as I know there were aspects of some of the stories I wanted to explore further. Last year was the fiftieth anniversary of the journal, and the International Wizard of Oz Club … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Art, Characters, L. Frank Baum, Magic, March Laumer, Monsters, Oz, Oz Authors, Poetry, VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Bringing the Magic Back

The Spellcasters of Oz, by Philip John Lewin – Following up on Lewin’s earlier Master Crafters, this book shows the Ozites dealing with most of the magic that sustains their country disappearing, making beings like the Scarecrow inanimate and animals … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Authors, Book Reviews, Characters, Christianity, Eric Shanower, Feminism, Greek Mythology, History, J.R.R. Tolkien, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Maps, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Phil Lewin, Prejudice, Religion, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Technology, Theosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

If Wishes Were Streetcars

The Wish Express, by Ruth Plumly Thompson – This could essentially be considered the author’s first book, although it wasn’t published in that form during her lifetime. Before she took over the Oz series from L. Frank Baum, she serialized … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Authors, Book Reviews, Fairy Tales, History, Humor, L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Politics, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Literary History Drags On

I shared this article on the history of dragons in Western literature on Facebook, and there was a comment about how Oz wasn’t represented in it. It does, however, quote Ruth Berman, a long-time Oz fan; and I think she’s … Continue reading

Posted in Authors, Characters, Humor, J.R.R. Tolkien, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Monsters, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Gnomic Utterances

I recently read Ruth Berman’s Dunkiton Pamphlet on Gnome Matters, including a history of gnomes, touching on their use in the Oz books. I’ve written about this topic before, like how the name might well have originated with Paracelsus, who … Continue reading

Posted in Chris Dulabone, Eric Shanower, Fairy Tales, German, Gina Wickwar, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Melody Grandy, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Phil Lewin, Plays, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sissajig-Saw Puzzle

Two of Ruth Plumly Thompson’s non-Oz fantasies that still have a fairly Ozzy feel are the Sissajig tales, Adventures in Sissajig and Tommy and the Flying Slippers. Originally serialized in Jack and Jill between 1942 and 1943, and later the … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Fairy Tales, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Green Witch Village

The MGM movie of The Wizard of Oz popularized the idea of the Wicked Witch of the West having green skin, something she didn’t have in the book. And at this time of year, it’s common to see witches with … Continue reading

Posted in Cartoons, Celtic, Characters, Fairy Tales, Halloween, Holidays, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Monsters, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 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