Tag Archives: speedy

The Need for Speedy

The 1996 Oziana is unusual in that it contains only one story, Umbrella Island in Oz, by Ruth Waara. As such, it’s kind of weird that the cover picture has nothing to do with it, instead being a Dick Martin … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Art, Characters, Dick Martin, John R. Neill, Magic, Magic Items, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Relationships, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Technology, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Companimals

Animal companions are a recurring theme in the Oz books, starting with Dorothy’s dog Toto. Kids reading the books were likely used to pets, so it makes sense. Since animals talk in Oz, however, some animal characters are more equal … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Characters, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Relationships, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Space Ozyssey

I’ve examined the possible location of the Land of Oz and its surrounding fairylands in the past. To sum up, the earlier books seem to place it in some hidden part of our Earth, while more recent ones tend to … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Chris Dulabone, Gina Wickwar, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Perfectly Petrified

Writing about the legend that Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos was turned into a marble statue and buried near the Golden Gate of Constantinople got me thinking of the mentions of such statues in the Oz books. For some reason, L. … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Comics, Eric Shanower, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Oz, Oz Authors, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A Child’s Garden of Curses

While children’s media obviously tend not to contain many actual curse words, characters in them do often use milder swears. Sometimes they’re as simple as minced oaths like “darn” and “heck,” but other writers get much more creative. I’m sure … Continue reading

Posted in Cartoons, Characters, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Language, Magic Items, Melody Grandy, Nursery Rhymes, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Super Mario Bros. Super Show, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Everybody Gets a Crown

Someone recently asked me whether Betsy Bobbin and Trot were ever made princesses within the Oz series. L. Frank Baum never gives them this title, and neither does Ruth Plumly Thompson in her earlier books, but she does in later … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Melody Grandy, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Royal Ships of Oz

While I don’t think shipping has ever been quite as common for Oz as for many other fandoms, it’s definitely been gaining prominence as of late. Not surprisingly, one of the main targets is the beautiful and powerful Ozma, who … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Chris Dulabone, Gina Wickwar, Jared Davis, Jeff Rester, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, March Laumer, Marcus Mebes, Melody Grandy, Oz, Oz Authors, Phyllis Ann Karr, Relationships, Ron Baxley Jr., Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Like Father, Unlike Son

You may know that L. Frank Baum had four sons, so did any of them try to follow in the family business, if you consider writing Oz books to be the family business? Actually, yes, two of them did. Unfortunately, … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews, Characters, Chris Dulabone, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Oz, Oz Authors, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Oz-Crossed Lovers

L. Frank Baum was known to have said that he didn’t want romance or “mawkish sentimentality” in his children’s stories. Of course, Baum was also known for breaking pretty much every writing rule he came up with, but he was … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Chris Dulabone, Fairy Tales, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Melody Grandy, Oz, Oz Authors, Relationships, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

This Is Fairyland, Speak Ozish

I’ve written before about how everyone in Oz at least seems to speak English. Ruth Plumly Thompson apparently thought Ozish and English were the same language, while Sherwood Smith’s books give some hints of an automatic translation spell of sorts. … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Language, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Television, The Simpsons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments