Do not arouse the wrath of the Great and Powerful Oz! The Great and Powerful Oz knows why you have come!Do not arouse the wrath of the Great and Powerful Oz! The Great and Powerful Oz knows why you have come!
But if you are thinking that MGM's famous movie, The Wizard of Oz, is what Oz is all about, you are sadly mistaken. There is so much more to the Marvelous Land of Oz than any movie can display.
It was May 15th, 1856, when Lyman Frank Baum was born. He was an actor, a salesman, a newspaper editor, and a family man. On his birthday, in the year 1900, the printing was completed on the most important book ever written. Two days later, on May 17th, Baum assembled the first copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The book was illustrated by a chap named William Wallace Denslow, who also became heavily involved in a highly successful stage show which was loosely based on the story. The musical extravaganza starred Fred Stone as the Scarecrow and David Montgomery as the Tin Woodman. The play was remarkably popular in its day and ran for many years. Of course, many more stories were written about the Marvelous Land of Oz. In fact, the second volume was actually CALLED The Marvelous Land of Oz. While obviously written with the intention of its becoming a stage show, it has never been as well-loved as the original Wizard of Oz. The famous MGM masterpiece borrows elements from that original play, but is a unique production unto itself with completely different songs and humor of its own.
There are Oz stories still being written to this very day. Some are written by commercial authors, but most are by young Oz fans who want to see the magic continue. I, for one, hope that it will never stop. For a complete list of Oz books to date, click here. The best Oz books are non-commercial in nature and cannot be ordered via Amazon or any other commercial bookstore. But most can be located at Tails of the Cowardly Lion and Friends. No, that is supposed to be "Tails" and is not a typo.
The Great Oz has spoken!
You can speak back by sending E-Mail to
The Wizard's Mailbox
Always remember, whenever sending e-mail, to include the word "Oz" in the subject field, so that I know it is solicited. Thank you.
Here is a link to another place that has information on the Wonderful Land of Oz. This link is not under my control.
Now GO! You may come back later to see what new stuff I've added
here. But first you must prove yourselves worthy by performing a
very small task. Bring me the broomstick of the Wi...Oh, yeah.
That's already been done. Just bring me a Pepsi. Last updated 10/31/08
Oz Encyclopedia A guide to some of your favorite people, places, and things of Oz, courtesy of Piglet Press!
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