Tag Archives: the queen of quok

The Rest of Nonestica

The International Wizard of Oz Club’s map of the countries surrounding Oz includes a few places, mostly in the southeastern part of the continent (which most likely isn’t technically a continent), that were never directly linked with Oz. They are, … Continue reading

Posted in Cults, Dick Martin, Fairy Tales, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Maps, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Religion, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sorcerous Servitude

I don’t know where the idea of supernatural beings assisting magicians originated, but perhaps the most prominent example are the jinn that will serve anyone who releases them from bottles. King Solomon is said to have had a ring that … Continue reading

Posted in Arabian, Atticus Gannaway, Fairy Tales, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Prejudice, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

How to Succeed in Ozian Politics

When Benny, the living statue from Boston in Ruth Plumly Thompson’s The Giant Horse of Oz, arrives in Oz, he asks the Scarecrow if the country is a republic. The straw man replies, “Indeed not! We are a magic monarchy … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Dick Martin, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Politics, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Santa’s Ho-Ho-Home Turf

When L. Frank Baum wrote about Santa Claus, he was describing a distinctly American figure, but one who was American by way of Europe. The fat, jolly, bearded man in the red suit who slid down chimneys to give gifts … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Christmas, Holidays, Oz, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Fairy Tales for Our Times

Anyone who shares my interest in fairy tales might want to check out this article. I’ve come across Jack Zipes’s name a few times before. I know he edited a collection of fairy tales through the years (starting with “Cupid … Continue reading

Posted in Fairy Tales, Mario, Video Games, Zelda | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments