Tag Archives: waddy

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

Sorting Out Sorcery

One running theme in Glinda of Oz is that there are several different types of magic in Oz, all of which have their specialties, but none of them can do everything. L. Frank Baum contrasts the fairy magic of Ozma … Continue reading

Posted in Alchemy, Characters, Etymology, Games, Jack Snow, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Language, Magic, Magic Items, Oz, Oz Authors, Politics, Religion, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Technology, Theosophy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sizing Up and Down

Characters changing in size is a pretty frequent occurrence in the Oz books. It’s sort of a transformation, but not entirely, as someone exposed to such magic keeps the same shape. At least, that seems to be the case for … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Eric Shanower, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, March Laumer, Melody Grandy, Oz, Oz Authors, Phyllis Ann Karr, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

To the Cosmic with My Ozmic Ray!

I’ve always been interested in how L. Frank Baum introduced science fiction elements in the Oz books, and his successors followed suit to a certain extent. I don’t recall any directed energy weapons in Baum’s Oz books, although The Master … Continue reading

Posted in John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Magic Items, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Science, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Leave the Real World Far Behind

If you’ve watched the DiC Super Mario Bros. 3 cartoons, you’ll know that the inhabitants of the Mushroom World are always referring to the Earth we know as “the real world.” Wouldn’t their own world be more real to them? … Continue reading

Posted in Authors, Harry Potter, L. Frank Baum, Mario, Oz, Oz Authors, Piers Anthony, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Television, Xanth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Before the Umbrella

Much of the plot of Speedy in Oz takes place on Umbrella Island, a land that flies through the air under the power of a magical umbrella. We’re told that this was not always the case, however. According to Waddy, … Continue reading

Posted in Magic Items, Oz, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Peter vs. Speedy

Most of the young Americans who journeyed to Oz in L. Frank Baum’s books were girls, with Button-Bright being the major exception. In Ruth Plumly Thompson’s books, however, more American boys made their way into Oz. The first such was … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Oz | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Wide World of Wizards

A while back, I wrote a series of posts on the witches and other female magicians of Oz. Now, I think it’s about time to do the same for the men. So, here are the male magicians of Oz and … Continue reading

Posted in Characters, Oz | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments