With the departure of Ruth Plumly Thompson, Reilly & Lee decided to turn to someone who had had 35 years of experience in Oz: illustrator John R. Neill. Neill had made up stories for his children, and had written a number of comic strips on his own. Anyways, he'd illustrated for Baum and Thompson, so surely he must have picked up on their style, right?
His first book was published in 1940: The Wonder City of Oz.
Let me warn you: if you thought Thompson's stories could get disjointed, you haven't seen ANYTHING yet!
We open in the New Jersey home of a 15 year old Jenny Jump, who spies Siko Pompous the leprechaun about to steal her pepper cheese. (Pepper cheese? Pepper jack cheese? Jenny and I must have something in common!) She catches him, and promises to let him have the cheese if he will make her a fairy. He makes her half a fairy. (And eats all her cheese!) One ear, one eye, eight fingers, and her ears are fairy. He refuses to do more so she won't get into trouble.
I'm assuming trouble is her middle name, because soon Jenny's fairy foot sends her flying high into the air, far away from her New Jersey home!
Meanwhile, in the Emerald City (which is the titular "Wonder City"), a celebration is being prepared for Ozma's birthday. Neill already begins to exhibit his new take on Oz. He dips into nonsense by having Jellia accidentally sew her mouth shut, and so she can still talk, Ozma enchants her so she can talk through her ear.
During a parade for the birthday, Jenny crash lands in Ozma's carriage. Introductions are made, and Jenny is made welcome. When Jenny spots a Munchkin boy who accidentally sends himself soaring through the air (don't ask), she uses her fairy foot to rescue him, and the boy, who calls himself Number Nine, promises to be her servant.
Jenny wants to stay in Oz, and Ozma welcomes her to do so, but when she expresses the desire to be a queen, she asks when the next election is. Ozma does not know what an election is, but decides, for the fun of it, they will have an Ozlection, and she and Jenny will run against each other.
Jenny spends the night with Number Nine and his family, where he is one of fourteen children. The next morning, the two head out together. Quickly, Jenny shows how their relationship will be. She threatens Number Nine (can I call him #9 for short? I'll do that) to accompany her to the ruins of a wicked magician's home that had exploded (and THAT is why Ozma banned unauthorized magic). Jenny goes through a turn-style she finds and discovers her clothes have changed somewhat. Discovering how to use this magic turn-style that turns styles, she and #9 take it to the Emerald City to set up a style shop!
You might think a magic clothing store would be a terrible idea, but somehow, Neill writes about it with enough enthusiasm and energy that it somehow works.
#9 is made to wear "whistlebreeches" by Jenny, as a reminder not to loaf, because when he stops working, the whistles whistles sharply and loudly.
Meanwhile, Ozma and her court decide, through a series of homophones, that the votes in the Ozlection will be counted by people depositing their right shoes.
And #9 is having no luck with the whistlebreeches, making too much noise. Scraps notices and chases #9 into Jenny's shop, accidentally running through the turn-style, which changes her classic patchwork dress into a boy's bathing suit. And there's a bit where the houses in the Emerald City fight...
Jellia gives Jenny her shoe as thanks for freeing her lips by completing the dress that Jellia had been working on. Jenny receives many more shoes, before #9 points out that people are leaving left shoes, which are invalid as votes.
The votes are to be dropped off at Jack Pumpkinhead's home, which is a decommissioned Ozoplane. It's not clear why Jack is living in the Emerald City instead of his pumpkin home in the Winkie Country. Maybe this is where he's begun to stay while visiting the Emerald City. But during the night, the Heelers, creatures who enjoy eating votes (or shoes?) sneak in, but Jenny and the unwitting Cowardly Lion manage to defeat them.
Quickly, #9 is befriended by a mysterious magical man who readers will quickly guess is the Wizard of Oz. He makes himself a pair of whistlebreeches, much to Jenny's anger. When #9 tells him that Jenny would be much nicer if she was younger, the Wizard gets Siko Pompus to make Jenny de-age to 11 years old, but in the process, she will lose her fairy powers.
Jenny notices herself getting smaller as she helps a red box-like man find a job. She then runs into Scraps, who, after a little fight, is willing to let bygones be bygones, and they visit Jack. But then Jenny accidentally sets off his Ozoplane home. (Those things are really touchy, aren't they?). The three wind up prisoners on a planet of some sort inhabited by chocolate soldiers who take them prisoner and intend to invade and conquer Oz.
Meanwhile, #9 is running the style shop alone, letting his family all get new clothes, and then the aid of a dragonette must be enlisted to rid the shop of two nomes intent on stealing the magic turn-style. Surprisingly, Sir Hokus of Pokes appears, which is odd, as we thought we'd seen the last of the bluff old knight in The Yellow Knight of Oz. But here he is, willing to give the dragonette a merry chase.
As the chocolate soldier's planet is cold (if it was too warm, they would melt), the guard guarding the prison freezes solid. Jenny manages to "eat" her way out of prison (the chocolate is bitter, and she couldn't stomach a lot, so she bites and spits). She is unable to rescue Jack and Scraps before the guards are changed, so she decides to head straight for the Ozoplane and get back to Oz to warn Ozma of the invasion.
Back in Oz, #9 has begun to worry about the lack of Jenny, and takes the Sawhorse to look for her, heading first for the Quadling Country, which proves to be a wise move, because it is there that Jenny crash lands the Ozoplane! They hurry back to the Emerald City, noting the chocolate soldiers are moving in. Finding that Ozma is visiting Glinda, Jenny does the only thing she can do: open the gates to the invaders. Except that the magic turn-style has been placed in the gates, so when the soldiers march through, they come out as tiny tin soldiers, who are then made the playthings of some local children.
#9 is sent to the palace to find the Wizard so he can rescue Scraps and Jack, but #9 doesn't know the Wizard, so when he sees him, he thinks he is just a crazy old man. (Neill's illustrations show him looking a little different as well, which doesn't help, either.) But the Wizard uses a tell-all scope to find them, and uses a golden ray to bring the two prisoners home. Shortly, the Wizard finally introduces himself to #9.
The Woggle-Bug finds the rules of the Ozlection must be amended and he suggests that all voters be weighed, and whoever has the most weight on their votes, wins. But when the weights are counted, they come up equal, until they realize Siko Pompus has not voted. He makes his vote... for Ozma.
Jenny is furious, and goes on a rampage, releasing tigers from tiger-lilies, bulls from bullrushes, lions from dandelions, and other such animals. She soon regrets her anger, but is knocked unconscious. The animals are rounded up by #9's father and General Jinjur, who are both farmers, and they take the animals home.
The Wizard finds Jenny and sees that she desperately needs her bad attributes removed, so he does so, and these take the form of a black wasp (bad temper), a green snake (envy), and a fat red toad (ambition?). When Jenny awakes in the palace, she finds a surprise: Ozma has decided to make her a duchess and Chief Stylist of Oz.
Jenny and #9 return to the shop where Siko Pompus awaits with some gifts for Jenny. An eyeglass with an ivory handle, a gold slipper, a pair of gloves with no thumbs, and a pair of ear-muffs. Trying these, Jenny discovers that they will restore her fairy powers while she uses them. She decides to be kinder to #9, only having the shop open half the day now, and bringing in his "Sister 6" to help, and the two begin their relationship over again as friends.
I hadn't heard very nice things about Neill's Oz books, so my expectations were low when I read The Wonder City of Oz. But there is an upside to the unevenness of Neill's first Oz book: an overenthusiastic editor rewrote and added much of the plot, including the ridiculous Ozlection and the Wizard performing what we'd identify today as a lobotomy on Jenny. (The Ozlection was likely thought of as 1940 was an election year, and perhaps the editor wanted to help children understand it better through the fantasy of Oz.) Apparently, Neill wasn't crazy about these changes. There are no illustrations of the Ozlection proceedings at all, and those that are there could easily have been for other purposes.
If this is completely true, even with Neill's silliness, the story as he wrote it takes on a different tone than what comes across in the finished book. Sadly, it is unclear as to why Jenny was letting the animals run wild in the Emerald City, but we would have seen her go from a contrary teenager to a young girl, a member of the nobility of Oz, who would manage to have a better control of her temper, with magic tools. Jenny even becomes a hero by saving Oz using her magic tool and her wits.
While Neill might not have been a masterful storyteller, knowing this about his books, I can't write Wonder City off as "bad." Look at the character development for Jenny, and the wonderful character of #9. Frankly, I like Jenny Jump. Thompson, in all her books, had failed to add any new child characters to Ozma's court, so it was refreshing to see one with a twist: unlike Dorothy, Betsy, and Trot, Jenny does not live in the palace, and she runs her own business.
So, Neill wasn't a completely poor choice to succeed Thompson, but his first book was hampered with silly one-note characters (I didn't mention them all) and an editor who was not working with the author's intentions. (Most of the nonsensical logic seems to be from those additions.) Neill would write three more Oz books, so let's see how he did there before passing final judgement.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
EXCLUSIVE: Interviews with 'Witches of Oz' cast
This week, Angelo got to interview Paulie Rojas and Barry Ratcliffe, who both star in The Witches of Oz.
First up, Paulie Rojas!
What was your reaction when you were cast?
Paulie: There have been a few times in my life where I have been stunned for what seems an eternity. I couldn’t quite believe it, nor did I know just how to process it. All I heard was Eliza Swenson say on the other side of the phone, “So, do you think you can tackle the Wicked Witch of the West?” Then I sort of floated about world with an irrevocable smile. It’s funny how life works sometimes. Within a few days I had received the most painful news of my life and the happiest. The latter being I would get to play Dorothy, the former, my dad (my hero) was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. Words cannot describe how meaningful this film was and is to me. It was as if the universe gave me a gift-what was the hardest time of my life was complemented by my dreams becoming true and my dad bearing witnessing to that. I drove to my parent’s house to give them the good news. I’ll never forget telling them in the kitchen, my mom was ecstatic and my dad burst into song and dance, grabbed me and twirled me around. He didn’t know that with that celebration, he gave me all I needed. Faith and trust in myself. My dad never got to see the film in its entirety, but I’m positive he’s still singing and dancing for me wherever he is. I did what he taught me to do: always give my best. I gave my whole heart and being to “Witches of Oz.” How could I not? They blindly put their faith in me and gave me a chance.
Did you feel like you had to step into anyone's shoes, or did you sort of recreate your role?
Paulie: Judy Garland has been called the “greatest entertainer that ever lived” over and over again. I have high standards, but if I had to uphold that title I think I would have gone mad! There has never been another like Ms. Garland so it was never my intention to even try to be like her. With such an iconic part, I could’ve either shriveled with fright or saddle up and held on tight. I had two great guides: always be genuine and always be enthusiastic. Whatever “recreation” was made, I did it with ardent conviction to the author, to the story, and to my own humanity. And it was one hell of a fun ride!
When the cameras weren't rolling, did you and the rest of the cast get along?
Paulie: When the cameras were rolling and when they were off we were a family. Blackthorn not only gave me the role of a lifetime but they gave me the greatest gift a human could ever ask for: love. There was so much love on set, from Leigh to Eliza to Ari to Billy Boyd to Rajah, who plays Toto, to makeup, DP and AC (everyone!). As for Christopher Lloyd, he is brilliant! I remember contemplating him from afar. He was quiet, observant and very, very giving. In many ways he reminded me of my own father. Both, men of great stature that evoke wisdom and experience and exude immense depth and humor. I felt honored to co-star with such a master of our times. The set ran on kinship and selflessness. Not once was there a note of hostility. Almost every night after filming, whoever was at the hotel would powwow in the lobby, laugh until it hurt, then bid each other a good night. How fortunate that we have sequels in the horizon! I would relive “Witches” over and over. It was a dream to be there.
What was your first reaction from reading the script?
Paulie: Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh god, yes!! (Is that too much? I really couldn’t help myself). I also thought, wow, this is ambitious!
Would you consider The Wizard of Oz a childhood favorite?
Paulie: I don’t know which was my first movie, Bambi or The Wizard of Oz. I can recall the sepia beginning of the film with such affinity. So, yes, it was a huge part of my childhood and therefore a childhood favorite. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is synonymous with care-free, unabashed childhood happiness if you ask me. I can remember being so crazy about “The Wizard of Oz” that I forced my little kindergarten friends to do the “We’re off to see the wizard” skip. I should be so lucky to have a bit of my own history connected to something as lovable and inspiring as the original entity. I can also remember my dad bringing out the newly-bought film that had a brochure of the “making of” on the cassette cover. I was obsessed with it and I didn’t understand the concept that it was a movie. To me it was real life and oh, how I wished I could be Dorothy. Interesting how things work out. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Did you read any of the original L. Frank Baum books prior to your role in The Witches of Oz?
Paulie: Absolutely! It was less than a week between the time I got hired and getting on the plane to New York to begin shooting. I devoured all I could regarding the background on L. Frank Baum and his time. There are 14 books and I couldn’t possibly have read them all by the time we started shooting. However, I did read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz many times. I found it the closest parallel to the journey I would go through as Dorothy in this story. In both stories she discovers herself and her friends. Furthermore, in our story her discovery happens as if it was the first time because so much has been forgotten. The only difference between the classic Dorothy and our Dorothy is that time has passed by and the present is now our modern time. Otherwise, her curiosity, good heart, and youth have all remained.
When the cameras weren't rolling, did you and the rest of the cast get along?
Paulie: I fell in love with everyone. Really! I became the closest to the actors that played my loyal friends in the movie. Life truly imitates art. I got on beautifully with Barry Ratcliffe, Ari Zagaris, Noel Thurman, Billy Boyd the way Dorothy gets on with them. I found true friends so what’s on the screen is genuine. I also got to spend a lot of time with Eliza Swenson and Leigh Scott. I’d love to share with you how great all of these brilliant human beings are. As well as some other amazing cast mates!
Eliza Swenson is the ideal woman: strong, fierce, opinionated, intelligent, funny, sensitive, creative, mesmerizing, talented (or rather gifted), tireless, and inspiring. I got to spend a lot of time with her. I believe I get the most screen time with her, lucky me! Words cannot express how much Eliza means to me. From the beginning she was my go-to person. She would always call me to give me her thoughts, ideas, to check in. There is something intangible about Eliza, almost god-like. She’s perfect, everything about her is immaculate! She co-wrote, co-produced, co-starred, co-edited, wrote the soundtrack, and did a million other things on this movie. On top of that, she is a loyal, unbelievably wonderful person. Her ambition, her creativity and her willingness are astounding. There is something about Eliza that I’m sure will be felt for a long time. Eliza is the type of person that you are so grateful to have on your side. She’s a fighter and a poet and a gift to have in my life. Eliza, if you read this, I love you so much!
Leigh Scott is an eminence in his own right. He is a walking encyclopedia of ideas, creativity, and movies. I believe his mastery comes from a deep-rooted passion for storytelling. He is a committed man, a hard-working, thought-provoking, giant of a man. Leigh was very direct and transparent with what he wanted. It was easy to work with him. I wanted to give Leigh exactly what he wanted and he knew how to get it out from us. He’s a very respectful director. Anything is possible with Leigh and everyone had huge admiration for him on set. Leigh also has no ego which was the key to having a most delightful set. He was easy to talk to, so human and grounded. This movie has been in the works for 10 years! In spite of the many set backs that could’ve done the movie in, he stayed with it and now has his most ambitious and anticipated work in the can. To be around Leigh is an adventure. What Leigh puts it out is exactly what he gets, respect, faithfulness, hard-work, good work, great imagination, ingenuity, artistry. He is a great one to behold. I’m sure his movies will resonate and live on forever. With Leigh, anything is possible. I’ll stand by him until the very end.
Barry Ratcliffe is a dynamic power house. He’s as well rounded a human being as can be. At first glance, Barry is this hysterical, hyper-active, mile-a-minute, southern man who has you belly laughing all day! Then you get to know him and see he is a professional to the bone, early on set, enthusiastic, always giving, knows his lines inside out, has great instincts, a sensational listener, and always humorous. Then you get to know him a little bit more and his intelligence is undeniable. The root of his humor is the wealth of knowledge he knows about everything!! He knows everything and has done everything! Sometimes I think Barry really works for the CIA and this “acting” career is his decoy. He’s been all around the world, he is savvy not only in this industry, but the NASA and science industry, racing, WWF, UFC, business, anthropology, everything! I have to say, he’s one of those Facebookers that I get a huge kick out of. He’s either in Sweden talking to Simon Cowell, or on Lifetime because they’re running one of his many movies on repeat, or in Kentucky hosting a show. Barry also has this thing where he makes you feel like you are the most important person on earth. He takes care of people that way. I was also blown away by his close friendship to Al Snow. They are like two kids at Disneyland when they’re together, it’s beautiful. Al Snow and Barry are amazing to be around. Two grown men playing pranks on each other. It’s like nothing else! I’m humbled by Barry and I consider him a treasure amongst my friends. He’s taught me a lot and he really has inspired me. I hope I’m a shadow of what he is as I grow more and more in this place. Everyday on set was glorious! If we were on set for 14 hours, he was still cracking jokes and telling insane stories as if we had just gotten there. He’s a rarity, to be so genuine and so good. He’s got a special place in my heart. Oh! And he’s actually related to General Ratcliffe, as in Pocahontas and John Smith, Virginia Gold Ratcliffe. Barry never ceases to amaze me.
Noel Thurman is a wickedly funny angel. Noel and I bonded on so many things. She innately understood me and I felt enormous love for her. I think Noel will forever have the spirit of a 21 year old. She is youthful beyond belief, so much fun, outgoing and has the biggest heart. Noel had gone through a similar experience as I did with her dad. Noel was the only one I told about my dad being sick during our time filming because her dad had recently beat cancer. She gave me hope. I owe her so much for being a reminder that miracles do happen. Did I mention how mischievous she is? One time on set, she volunteered to be an extra, but not just any extra, she was her alter-ed ego, Starla, I think it was. She put on this Captain Hook meets Jenna Jameson wig and there she was, being the most fabulous extra in the world! There’s a little easter egg for you, try to find raven- haired Starla! Noel brought so much life to the set! She’s perfect as Glinda the Good Witch. She’s pure raucous, delicious fun, my kindred spirit and a friend ‘til the end.
Ari Zagaris is a tornado of energy! He’s 6’4” and every inch of him is covered by tomfoolery and amazing mental agility. He was a professional baseball player so he’s stronger than batman, he went to George Washington University so he’s a smart cookie, and on days off, he introduced me to amazing films. Ari was the greatest company on and off set. Our hotel rooms were a few rooms apart so we would hang out A LOT! He’s also an amazing husband and a wonderful father. He would talk about his family all the time. It was awesome! Ari can talk about anything with anyone. It’s one of the things I admired about him the most. He’s a huge reader and so am I so we talked about books a lot. I love classics and he loves the more contemporary stuff so we had a lot to discuss. I looked forward to ending our long days of shooting with a glass of wine or beer with Ari in the hotel lobby. We would talk about the day on set, the next day, what we thought, and it was always good. Ari and I still have great camaraderie. We bonded about being two unknown actors in two larger-than-life leading roles in this movie with an unbelievable cast.
Jessica Sonneborn and I have been friends for years! I kinda owe her and Billy McAdams everything. Truly! Jessica and Billy I think are going to be the next power couple, they’re certainly on their way. Jessica is a brilliantly witty writer, an ingenous actress and a top comidienne. Destiny brought me to her and I’m beyond fortunate that we got matched up. She’s smart, loves history (my inner nerd screams with delight!), looks SO good in this movie, and she had a pet goat! I’ve got so much love for her and Billy. For years they’ve been nothing but supportive, giving and all sorts of inspiring. It was Billy who introduced me to Leigh and made history happen. I have no doubts in my mind that we will have this beautiful friendship for the rest of my life.
Lance Henriksen: master artist. I felt very close to him. He came up with a scene to shoot for Uncle Henry and Dorothy. He wrote it up, shared it with me and Leigh said yes. I learned spontaneity and what it’s like to be a true creative soul. He brought the life around him into the character of Uncle Henry. There’s a clip where he gets attacked by the moody cat on the farm. It was amazing to see how he worked with it! He’s an actor’s actor and a tremendous presence. Not to mention, my whole family is a fan of the “Alien” saga so I went gaga over getting to work with him!
Billy Boyd is one charming Scot. My very first scene on my very first day was with Billy. Praise the lord! It was at the zoo when Nick and Dorothy go out on their first date and get to know each other. There really was no acting there. We had just met a few minutes ago. It went smoothly and he was really great to work with. I love Scots! My best friend in the whole world is from Scotland so I felt an immediate affinity with him. As time went by we got to know each other better. I was reminded of what a newcomer I was one time after Billy and I went to go see “The Road” starring Viggo Mortensen while we were off. We were on our way back to the hotel and we were both devastated by the film. Billy gets on the phone and calls Viggo to tell him how great he did. Of course he knows Viggo Mortenson from Lord of the Rings! I was tickled by this, first because I was walking with a respected veteran with a world-class trilogy under his belt, and secondly because I felt like such a giggly fan. As we were crossing the street we hear a car coming and inside they were screaming, “AHH, Billy Boyd, I love you! AHHH!” Then the car stopped, a grown man got out of the car and gave Billy a hug. I was in terror! But then I realized it was Barry being Barry! So many good times! Billy is a divine actor and so much fun on set. Once, Billy, Barry, Ari and I (all of Dorothy’s friends together) were on set it was brilliant mayhem. I had never laughed so hard with these three illustrious guys! I had to take a minute to realize, wow, I am living my dream. I’m having the time of my life doing what I love.
Mia Sara is a beauty. That’s all I could think of. She’s a splendid beauty who looks beautiful even when she is playing kookie. Rumor has is she came out of retirement because she really loved this project! I get bullied by her, but I was enjoying every second. She’s so humble and shared so many great stories with us.
Sasha Jackson was a treat. I got to work with her for a day and she was awesome! She exudes sex appeal, fun, confidence! I’m excited to see her in everything that she does. I really hope I get to work with her again!
Brionne Davis, Monti Dominguez, Elizabeth Masucci, Marissa Smoker, Reza Garakani, Rebecca Lovett, Liz Douglas…all extraordinary delights! As for Sean Astin, Ethan Embry, Jeffery Combs, Al Snow, and Sarah Lieving, there couldn’t be a better cast! Could a girl be more lucky? I’m eternally grateful for this experience.
And as far as the crew…best crew in the world! We were family. Sarah Hindsgaul doing makeup and hair, Regina Amato did wardrobe, Chris Campbell, Laura Hill and Nick Everhart on the producing end, Joe Pfeil on sound, Ian Woolston-Smith and Evan Wilhelm on camera, Robert Francis, Shannon Murphy, Kyrstal Phillips, Krysta Gall, Ross Edgar, Jay Garrison, Luis Reyno, Michael Nikitin, Trenton McRae, Ryan Beasecker, Bali Bock, Kyra Doumlele, Nick Doumlele, Scott Self, and everyone at Imaginarium. It’s been the ride of a lifetime! See you on the next one!
Thanks, Paulie! Next up, Barry Ratcliffe!
How was your overall experience working on The Witches of Oz?
Barry: Simply a once in a lifetime exerience, the people, the project, the outcome, rarely do you find a perfect combination of cast, crew, energy, and passion for a project. For me , it wasn't just the character, of course , it was an honor beyond words to get a part made famous by the incredible Bert Lahr, and certainly you can never replace that indelible performance, but for me, to work with old friends and make new lifetime friends, is the end of the "yellow brick road" . I have been best friends with Eliza Swenson for a long time, and have worked with her in the past. She is the true definition of "UBER" talented. She produces, writes, directs, composes, sings, and I don't mean at an amateur level. I have had the good fortune to work with some of the best directors and actors from Don Johnson to Kevin connor, in Hollywood, and she is the BEST! To top it off, she is truly one of the most giving actors and human beings on the planet. And as for the director Leigh Scott, holy mackerel, he can direct. Commercially successful for years, now he will show the world what I have known since the first time I worked with him. He is an "actor's" director and a passion and phenomenally talented film maker.
What was your reaction to reading the script for the first time?
Barry: I laughed and had a tear. I get so many scripts every week, I tend not to read them until I have been booked on a job. I COULD NOT PUT THIS ONE DOWN! Of course I laughed because the inside joke is , Eliza asked me to guess who they wanted me to play. As soon as I saw "cherubed cheeked southerner", it was a no brainer! But the characters, the archs, the relationships, it is easy to simply say something is good, and to be technically impressed by the writing, but to actually feel emotion from the page, I was overwhelmed with pride, happiness, and energy for the project!
When cameras weren't rolling, did you and the rest of the cast get along well?
Barry: I am very shy and don't like to socialize between takes, I of course, am laughing as I write this. Let me say a few things about a few people. I LOVE PAULIE ROJAS! She is truly an angel put on earth to make the world a better place, and has certainly made my life better. She is a warm, wonderful, passionate, beautiful, incredible person, and for the record, DAMN FUNNY! We have built a friendship for life, that I am more thankful for than anything. And Billy Boyd, he is beyond wonderful. His humor, style, and pure talent, was awe inspiring to work with, laugh with and share, on and off set. And I know I mention my best female friend Eliza, obviously I have way too many stories about the behind the scenes with her (none that can be repeated, ok, maybe in a future interview), but I also got to be there with my best male friend, former WWE superstar Al Snow. And behind the scenes, he is one of the funniest, most intelligent people you will ever meet, so needless to say, there was plenty of laughter, hi jinx, and mischief. The list never ends, Ari Zagaris is a wit and a talent to be reckoned with, never thought I would meet anyone with more energy than me. Noel Thurman is sexy, hot, funny, and did I mention, crazy! And I don't want to start rumors, but I think she wanted to date me, or I wanted to date her, I get confused easily. Don't let that good witch fool you! Lance Henricksen, unbelievable, Sasha Jackson, just funny, the always incredible sexy, gorgeous, funny, kind, and talented Jessica Sonneborn, Monti Dominique, Brionne Davis, Ethan Embry, Sean Astin, Mia Sara, Ashley Ellington, Ashe Parker, Chanel Ryan, EVERYONE WAS INCREDIBLE. I have never been on a film set or enjoyed one as much!
How did it feel to be on the same set as Back to the Future legend Christopher Lloyd?
Barry: Is this a trick question? The first night I got there, I was grabbing a cup of coffee from craft services in 23 degree temperatures, and up walked Chris in his tennis shoes and said hi. He introduced himself and I think I babbled like an idiot. I actually introduced my self as the character Bryan. Christopher Lloyd is a true actor. He knew his lines, and everyone elses. He did not take a moment or a single actor for granted. He is about performance, passion, and the journey. He has achieved more than most can only dream, yet he is humble and true to his craft and his talent. Let this be a public thank you to him, for sharing his time, his gift, and his legacy.
Barry was busy filming a separate project in New York at the time Angelo contacted him for an interview. Thank you so much for taking the time to do the interview, Barry!
First up, Paulie Rojas!
What was your reaction when you were cast?
Paulie: There have been a few times in my life where I have been stunned for what seems an eternity. I couldn’t quite believe it, nor did I know just how to process it. All I heard was Eliza Swenson say on the other side of the phone, “So, do you think you can tackle the Wicked Witch of the West?” Then I sort of floated about world with an irrevocable smile. It’s funny how life works sometimes. Within a few days I had received the most painful news of my life and the happiest. The latter being I would get to play Dorothy, the former, my dad (my hero) was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. Words cannot describe how meaningful this film was and is to me. It was as if the universe gave me a gift-what was the hardest time of my life was complemented by my dreams becoming true and my dad bearing witnessing to that. I drove to my parent’s house to give them the good news. I’ll never forget telling them in the kitchen, my mom was ecstatic and my dad burst into song and dance, grabbed me and twirled me around. He didn’t know that with that celebration, he gave me all I needed. Faith and trust in myself. My dad never got to see the film in its entirety, but I’m positive he’s still singing and dancing for me wherever he is. I did what he taught me to do: always give my best. I gave my whole heart and being to “Witches of Oz.” How could I not? They blindly put their faith in me and gave me a chance.
Did you feel like you had to step into anyone's shoes, or did you sort of recreate your role?
Paulie: Judy Garland has been called the “greatest entertainer that ever lived” over and over again. I have high standards, but if I had to uphold that title I think I would have gone mad! There has never been another like Ms. Garland so it was never my intention to even try to be like her. With such an iconic part, I could’ve either shriveled with fright or saddle up and held on tight. I had two great guides: always be genuine and always be enthusiastic. Whatever “recreation” was made, I did it with ardent conviction to the author, to the story, and to my own humanity. And it was one hell of a fun ride!
When the cameras weren't rolling, did you and the rest of the cast get along?
Paulie: When the cameras were rolling and when they were off we were a family. Blackthorn not only gave me the role of a lifetime but they gave me the greatest gift a human could ever ask for: love. There was so much love on set, from Leigh to Eliza to Ari to Billy Boyd to Rajah, who plays Toto, to makeup, DP and AC (everyone!). As for Christopher Lloyd, he is brilliant! I remember contemplating him from afar. He was quiet, observant and very, very giving. In many ways he reminded me of my own father. Both, men of great stature that evoke wisdom and experience and exude immense depth and humor. I felt honored to co-star with such a master of our times. The set ran on kinship and selflessness. Not once was there a note of hostility. Almost every night after filming, whoever was at the hotel would powwow in the lobby, laugh until it hurt, then bid each other a good night. How fortunate that we have sequels in the horizon! I would relive “Witches” over and over. It was a dream to be there.
What was your first reaction from reading the script?
Paulie: Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh god, yes!! (Is that too much? I really couldn’t help myself). I also thought, wow, this is ambitious!
Would you consider The Wizard of Oz a childhood favorite?
Paulie: I don’t know which was my first movie, Bambi or The Wizard of Oz. I can recall the sepia beginning of the film with such affinity. So, yes, it was a huge part of my childhood and therefore a childhood favorite. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is synonymous with care-free, unabashed childhood happiness if you ask me. I can remember being so crazy about “The Wizard of Oz” that I forced my little kindergarten friends to do the “We’re off to see the wizard” skip. I should be so lucky to have a bit of my own history connected to something as lovable and inspiring as the original entity. I can also remember my dad bringing out the newly-bought film that had a brochure of the “making of” on the cassette cover. I was obsessed with it and I didn’t understand the concept that it was a movie. To me it was real life and oh, how I wished I could be Dorothy. Interesting how things work out. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Did you read any of the original L. Frank Baum books prior to your role in The Witches of Oz?
Paulie: Absolutely! It was less than a week between the time I got hired and getting on the plane to New York to begin shooting. I devoured all I could regarding the background on L. Frank Baum and his time. There are 14 books and I couldn’t possibly have read them all by the time we started shooting. However, I did read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz many times. I found it the closest parallel to the journey I would go through as Dorothy in this story. In both stories she discovers herself and her friends. Furthermore, in our story her discovery happens as if it was the first time because so much has been forgotten. The only difference between the classic Dorothy and our Dorothy is that time has passed by and the present is now our modern time. Otherwise, her curiosity, good heart, and youth have all remained.
When the cameras weren't rolling, did you and the rest of the cast get along?
Paulie: I fell in love with everyone. Really! I became the closest to the actors that played my loyal friends in the movie. Life truly imitates art. I got on beautifully with Barry Ratcliffe, Ari Zagaris, Noel Thurman, Billy Boyd the way Dorothy gets on with them. I found true friends so what’s on the screen is genuine. I also got to spend a lot of time with Eliza Swenson and Leigh Scott. I’d love to share with you how great all of these brilliant human beings are. As well as some other amazing cast mates!
Eliza Swenson is the ideal woman: strong, fierce, opinionated, intelligent, funny, sensitive, creative, mesmerizing, talented (or rather gifted), tireless, and inspiring. I got to spend a lot of time with her. I believe I get the most screen time with her, lucky me! Words cannot express how much Eliza means to me. From the beginning she was my go-to person. She would always call me to give me her thoughts, ideas, to check in. There is something intangible about Eliza, almost god-like. She’s perfect, everything about her is immaculate! She co-wrote, co-produced, co-starred, co-edited, wrote the soundtrack, and did a million other things on this movie. On top of that, she is a loyal, unbelievably wonderful person. Her ambition, her creativity and her willingness are astounding. There is something about Eliza that I’m sure will be felt for a long time. Eliza is the type of person that you are so grateful to have on your side. She’s a fighter and a poet and a gift to have in my life. Eliza, if you read this, I love you so much!
Leigh Scott is an eminence in his own right. He is a walking encyclopedia of ideas, creativity, and movies. I believe his mastery comes from a deep-rooted passion for storytelling. He is a committed man, a hard-working, thought-provoking, giant of a man. Leigh was very direct and transparent with what he wanted. It was easy to work with him. I wanted to give Leigh exactly what he wanted and he knew how to get it out from us. He’s a very respectful director. Anything is possible with Leigh and everyone had huge admiration for him on set. Leigh also has no ego which was the key to having a most delightful set. He was easy to talk to, so human and grounded. This movie has been in the works for 10 years! In spite of the many set backs that could’ve done the movie in, he stayed with it and now has his most ambitious and anticipated work in the can. To be around Leigh is an adventure. What Leigh puts it out is exactly what he gets, respect, faithfulness, hard-work, good work, great imagination, ingenuity, artistry. He is a great one to behold. I’m sure his movies will resonate and live on forever. With Leigh, anything is possible. I’ll stand by him until the very end.
Barry Ratcliffe is a dynamic power house. He’s as well rounded a human being as can be. At first glance, Barry is this hysterical, hyper-active, mile-a-minute, southern man who has you belly laughing all day! Then you get to know him and see he is a professional to the bone, early on set, enthusiastic, always giving, knows his lines inside out, has great instincts, a sensational listener, and always humorous. Then you get to know him a little bit more and his intelligence is undeniable. The root of his humor is the wealth of knowledge he knows about everything!! He knows everything and has done everything! Sometimes I think Barry really works for the CIA and this “acting” career is his decoy. He’s been all around the world, he is savvy not only in this industry, but the NASA and science industry, racing, WWF, UFC, business, anthropology, everything! I have to say, he’s one of those Facebookers that I get a huge kick out of. He’s either in Sweden talking to Simon Cowell, or on Lifetime because they’re running one of his many movies on repeat, or in Kentucky hosting a show. Barry also has this thing where he makes you feel like you are the most important person on earth. He takes care of people that way. I was also blown away by his close friendship to Al Snow. They are like two kids at Disneyland when they’re together, it’s beautiful. Al Snow and Barry are amazing to be around. Two grown men playing pranks on each other. It’s like nothing else! I’m humbled by Barry and I consider him a treasure amongst my friends. He’s taught me a lot and he really has inspired me. I hope I’m a shadow of what he is as I grow more and more in this place. Everyday on set was glorious! If we were on set for 14 hours, he was still cracking jokes and telling insane stories as if we had just gotten there. He’s a rarity, to be so genuine and so good. He’s got a special place in my heart. Oh! And he’s actually related to General Ratcliffe, as in Pocahontas and John Smith, Virginia Gold Ratcliffe. Barry never ceases to amaze me.
Noel Thurman is a wickedly funny angel. Noel and I bonded on so many things. She innately understood me and I felt enormous love for her. I think Noel will forever have the spirit of a 21 year old. She is youthful beyond belief, so much fun, outgoing and has the biggest heart. Noel had gone through a similar experience as I did with her dad. Noel was the only one I told about my dad being sick during our time filming because her dad had recently beat cancer. She gave me hope. I owe her so much for being a reminder that miracles do happen. Did I mention how mischievous she is? One time on set, she volunteered to be an extra, but not just any extra, she was her alter-ed ego, Starla, I think it was. She put on this Captain Hook meets Jenna Jameson wig and there she was, being the most fabulous extra in the world! There’s a little easter egg for you, try to find raven- haired Starla! Noel brought so much life to the set! She’s perfect as Glinda the Good Witch. She’s pure raucous, delicious fun, my kindred spirit and a friend ‘til the end.
Ari Zagaris is a tornado of energy! He’s 6’4” and every inch of him is covered by tomfoolery and amazing mental agility. He was a professional baseball player so he’s stronger than batman, he went to George Washington University so he’s a smart cookie, and on days off, he introduced me to amazing films. Ari was the greatest company on and off set. Our hotel rooms were a few rooms apart so we would hang out A LOT! He’s also an amazing husband and a wonderful father. He would talk about his family all the time. It was awesome! Ari can talk about anything with anyone. It’s one of the things I admired about him the most. He’s a huge reader and so am I so we talked about books a lot. I love classics and he loves the more contemporary stuff so we had a lot to discuss. I looked forward to ending our long days of shooting with a glass of wine or beer with Ari in the hotel lobby. We would talk about the day on set, the next day, what we thought, and it was always good. Ari and I still have great camaraderie. We bonded about being two unknown actors in two larger-than-life leading roles in this movie with an unbelievable cast.
Jessica Sonneborn and I have been friends for years! I kinda owe her and Billy McAdams everything. Truly! Jessica and Billy I think are going to be the next power couple, they’re certainly on their way. Jessica is a brilliantly witty writer, an ingenous actress and a top comidienne. Destiny brought me to her and I’m beyond fortunate that we got matched up. She’s smart, loves history (my inner nerd screams with delight!), looks SO good in this movie, and she had a pet goat! I’ve got so much love for her and Billy. For years they’ve been nothing but supportive, giving and all sorts of inspiring. It was Billy who introduced me to Leigh and made history happen. I have no doubts in my mind that we will have this beautiful friendship for the rest of my life.
Lance Henriksen: master artist. I felt very close to him. He came up with a scene to shoot for Uncle Henry and Dorothy. He wrote it up, shared it with me and Leigh said yes. I learned spontaneity and what it’s like to be a true creative soul. He brought the life around him into the character of Uncle Henry. There’s a clip where he gets attacked by the moody cat on the farm. It was amazing to see how he worked with it! He’s an actor’s actor and a tremendous presence. Not to mention, my whole family is a fan of the “Alien” saga so I went gaga over getting to work with him!
Billy Boyd is one charming Scot. My very first scene on my very first day was with Billy. Praise the lord! It was at the zoo when Nick and Dorothy go out on their first date and get to know each other. There really was no acting there. We had just met a few minutes ago. It went smoothly and he was really great to work with. I love Scots! My best friend in the whole world is from Scotland so I felt an immediate affinity with him. As time went by we got to know each other better. I was reminded of what a newcomer I was one time after Billy and I went to go see “The Road” starring Viggo Mortensen while we were off. We were on our way back to the hotel and we were both devastated by the film. Billy gets on the phone and calls Viggo to tell him how great he did. Of course he knows Viggo Mortenson from Lord of the Rings! I was tickled by this, first because I was walking with a respected veteran with a world-class trilogy under his belt, and secondly because I felt like such a giggly fan. As we were crossing the street we hear a car coming and inside they were screaming, “AHH, Billy Boyd, I love you! AHHH!” Then the car stopped, a grown man got out of the car and gave Billy a hug. I was in terror! But then I realized it was Barry being Barry! So many good times! Billy is a divine actor and so much fun on set. Once, Billy, Barry, Ari and I (all of Dorothy’s friends together) were on set it was brilliant mayhem. I had never laughed so hard with these three illustrious guys! I had to take a minute to realize, wow, I am living my dream. I’m having the time of my life doing what I love.
Mia Sara is a beauty. That’s all I could think of. She’s a splendid beauty who looks beautiful even when she is playing kookie. Rumor has is she came out of retirement because she really loved this project! I get bullied by her, but I was enjoying every second. She’s so humble and shared so many great stories with us.
Sasha Jackson was a treat. I got to work with her for a day and she was awesome! She exudes sex appeal, fun, confidence! I’m excited to see her in everything that she does. I really hope I get to work with her again!
Brionne Davis, Monti Dominguez, Elizabeth Masucci, Marissa Smoker, Reza Garakani, Rebecca Lovett, Liz Douglas…all extraordinary delights! As for Sean Astin, Ethan Embry, Jeffery Combs, Al Snow, and Sarah Lieving, there couldn’t be a better cast! Could a girl be more lucky? I’m eternally grateful for this experience.
And as far as the crew…best crew in the world! We were family. Sarah Hindsgaul doing makeup and hair, Regina Amato did wardrobe, Chris Campbell, Laura Hill and Nick Everhart on the producing end, Joe Pfeil on sound, Ian Woolston-Smith and Evan Wilhelm on camera, Robert Francis, Shannon Murphy, Kyrstal Phillips, Krysta Gall, Ross Edgar, Jay Garrison, Luis Reyno, Michael Nikitin, Trenton McRae, Ryan Beasecker, Bali Bock, Kyra Doumlele, Nick Doumlele, Scott Self, and everyone at Imaginarium. It’s been the ride of a lifetime! See you on the next one!
Thanks, Paulie! Next up, Barry Ratcliffe!
How was your overall experience working on The Witches of Oz?
Barry: Simply a once in a lifetime exerience, the people, the project, the outcome, rarely do you find a perfect combination of cast, crew, energy, and passion for a project. For me , it wasn't just the character, of course , it was an honor beyond words to get a part made famous by the incredible Bert Lahr, and certainly you can never replace that indelible performance, but for me, to work with old friends and make new lifetime friends, is the end of the "yellow brick road" . I have been best friends with Eliza Swenson for a long time, and have worked with her in the past. She is the true definition of "UBER" talented. She produces, writes, directs, composes, sings, and I don't mean at an amateur level. I have had the good fortune to work with some of the best directors and actors from Don Johnson to Kevin connor, in Hollywood, and she is the BEST! To top it off, she is truly one of the most giving actors and human beings on the planet. And as for the director Leigh Scott, holy mackerel, he can direct. Commercially successful for years, now he will show the world what I have known since the first time I worked with him. He is an "actor's" director and a passion and phenomenally talented film maker.
What was your reaction to reading the script for the first time?
Barry: I laughed and had a tear. I get so many scripts every week, I tend not to read them until I have been booked on a job. I COULD NOT PUT THIS ONE DOWN! Of course I laughed because the inside joke is , Eliza asked me to guess who they wanted me to play. As soon as I saw "cherubed cheeked southerner", it was a no brainer! But the characters, the archs, the relationships, it is easy to simply say something is good, and to be technically impressed by the writing, but to actually feel emotion from the page, I was overwhelmed with pride, happiness, and energy for the project!
When cameras weren't rolling, did you and the rest of the cast get along well?
Barry: I am very shy and don't like to socialize between takes, I of course, am laughing as I write this. Let me say a few things about a few people. I LOVE PAULIE ROJAS! She is truly an angel put on earth to make the world a better place, and has certainly made my life better. She is a warm, wonderful, passionate, beautiful, incredible person, and for the record, DAMN FUNNY! We have built a friendship for life, that I am more thankful for than anything. And Billy Boyd, he is beyond wonderful. His humor, style, and pure talent, was awe inspiring to work with, laugh with and share, on and off set. And I know I mention my best female friend Eliza, obviously I have way too many stories about the behind the scenes with her (none that can be repeated, ok, maybe in a future interview), but I also got to be there with my best male friend, former WWE superstar Al Snow. And behind the scenes, he is one of the funniest, most intelligent people you will ever meet, so needless to say, there was plenty of laughter, hi jinx, and mischief. The list never ends, Ari Zagaris is a wit and a talent to be reckoned with, never thought I would meet anyone with more energy than me. Noel Thurman is sexy, hot, funny, and did I mention, crazy! And I don't want to start rumors, but I think she wanted to date me, or I wanted to date her, I get confused easily. Don't let that good witch fool you! Lance Henricksen, unbelievable, Sasha Jackson, just funny, the always incredible sexy, gorgeous, funny, kind, and talented Jessica Sonneborn, Monti Dominique, Brionne Davis, Ethan Embry, Sean Astin, Mia Sara, Ashley Ellington, Ashe Parker, Chanel Ryan, EVERYONE WAS INCREDIBLE. I have never been on a film set or enjoyed one as much!
How did it feel to be on the same set as Back to the Future legend Christopher Lloyd?
Barry: Is this a trick question? The first night I got there, I was grabbing a cup of coffee from craft services in 23 degree temperatures, and up walked Chris in his tennis shoes and said hi. He introduced himself and I think I babbled like an idiot. I actually introduced my self as the character Bryan. Christopher Lloyd is a true actor. He knew his lines, and everyone elses. He did not take a moment or a single actor for granted. He is about performance, passion, and the journey. He has achieved more than most can only dream, yet he is humble and true to his craft and his talent. Let this be a public thank you to him, for sharing his time, his gift, and his legacy.
Barry was busy filming a separate project in New York at the time Angelo contacted him for an interview. Thank you so much for taking the time to do the interview, Barry!
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Borderlands status 6/8/2011
The publication of The Borderlands of Oz may be just a few months away! The illustrator, Shawn Maldonado, has turned out some nice illustrations already! Seriously. I show them off to my proofreaders and we're all impressed together.
I sent the text off to be proofread again, making this the fourth proofreader we've had, as well as the editor! Once that's done, I'll get it ready for a special format that very few new Oz books have been treated to: an audio book version. I've mentioned in the past that too many Oz writers want their books made into movies before they've tried translating it to another language or offering a version for the blind to enjoy. While I'm not sure how my story would work as a film, I don't know anyone who could help get it translated to another language, but I can do an audiobook.
Once Shawn is done with his illustrations, the book will go to layout, which a friend knows how to do well, and I've requested it be done in "classic Oz book style." Not because I feel my story should be considered part of the official Oz series, but because it is an attractive layout.
I plan to have my book available in five formats: hardcover, paperback, digital edition, CD audiobook, and mp3 audiobook. (I've looked into publishing on the big audiobook sites. It can't be done for a first time writer.) It's not that I'm trying to be a capitalist or anything, but some people will want an affordable paperback, while others will want a nice hardcover, while others may be satisfied with the digital versions. My story might not please everyone, but there will be a format for everyone. I feel that as a self-published writer, I owe that to my audience.
I'm still seeking an alternate title, as Borderlands was actually just the working title, but we've yet to find a nice alternative.
I sent the text off to be proofread again, making this the fourth proofreader we've had, as well as the editor! Once that's done, I'll get it ready for a special format that very few new Oz books have been treated to: an audio book version. I've mentioned in the past that too many Oz writers want their books made into movies before they've tried translating it to another language or offering a version for the blind to enjoy. While I'm not sure how my story would work as a film, I don't know anyone who could help get it translated to another language, but I can do an audiobook.
Once Shawn is done with his illustrations, the book will go to layout, which a friend knows how to do well, and I've requested it be done in "classic Oz book style." Not because I feel my story should be considered part of the official Oz series, but because it is an attractive layout.
I plan to have my book available in five formats: hardcover, paperback, digital edition, CD audiobook, and mp3 audiobook. (I've looked into publishing on the big audiobook sites. It can't be done for a first time writer.) It's not that I'm trying to be a capitalist or anything, but some people will want an affordable paperback, while others will want a nice hardcover, while others may be satisfied with the digital versions. My story might not please everyone, but there will be a format for everyone. I feel that as a self-published writer, I owe that to my audience.
I'm still seeking an alternate title, as Borderlands was actually just the working title, but we've yet to find a nice alternative.
The Cheerful Citizens of Oz and other things by Thompson
Thompson's Oz work was not limited to her novels. She also wrote a play, songs, and several poems about Oz, as well as a partial story for a contest called "The Enchanted Tree of Oz." I have yet to read Thompson's play A Day in Oz, which the International Wizard of Oz Club reprinted in Sissajig and Other Surprises, but they did include "The Enchanted Tree" and a couple Oz poems in The Wizard of Way-Up and Other Wonders, which I do own.
More importantly, in 1992, the Club issued a 32 page booklet of a selection of Thompson's Oz poetry entitled The Cheerful Citizens of Oz, illustrated by the late Rob Roy MacVeigh.
Thompson's Oz poems are definitely cheerful and jolly, sometimes describing a character, and sometimes telling a story. Quite a bit of fun to read, and my only dislike of Cheerful Citizens was that it was so short, it was easily finished in a half hour.
I can't say much about "The Enchanted Tree of Oz," because while it did have an interesting premise, it doesn't have an ending. The contest was to finish the story. In it, the Scarecrow, Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion find a tree and the Lion and Dorothy disappear once they attempt to climb it. What happened next was for the contest entrants to decide. The contest was revived years ago by the Oz Club when they reprinted it in the Baum Bugle.
Thompson made Oz her own in her books and other writings, deftly taking over from Baum. She made some odd story choices and even got quite wacky in some of her descriptions of events, leaning more to nonsense than Baum ever did. Her earlier work suffered at times of this. But as she began to create her own leads, she became more confident in her writing and her work improved vastly. Her contribution to Oz might not be universally loved, but it definitely cannot be ignored.
But speaking of that, who took over the Oz series after Thompson left Reilly & Lee?
More importantly, in 1992, the Club issued a 32 page booklet of a selection of Thompson's Oz poetry entitled The Cheerful Citizens of Oz, illustrated by the late Rob Roy MacVeigh.
Thompson's Oz poems are definitely cheerful and jolly, sometimes describing a character, and sometimes telling a story. Quite a bit of fun to read, and my only dislike of Cheerful Citizens was that it was so short, it was easily finished in a half hour.
I can't say much about "The Enchanted Tree of Oz," because while it did have an interesting premise, it doesn't have an ending. The contest was to finish the story. In it, the Scarecrow, Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion find a tree and the Lion and Dorothy disappear once they attempt to climb it. What happened next was for the contest entrants to decide. The contest was revived years ago by the Oz Club when they reprinted it in the Baum Bugle.
Thompson made Oz her own in her books and other writings, deftly taking over from Baum. She made some odd story choices and even got quite wacky in some of her descriptions of events, leaning more to nonsense than Baum ever did. Her earlier work suffered at times of this. But as she began to create her own leads, she became more confident in her writing and her work improved vastly. Her contribution to Oz might not be universally loved, but it definitely cannot be ignored.
But speaking of that, who took over the Oz series after Thompson left Reilly & Lee?
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
The Enchanted Island of Oz
1976 brought Thompson's twenty-first and final Oz novel. The reason being it was published posthumously. She died of bowel problems (don't laugh, it's more serious and painful than it sounds) at the age of 84 in April.
David Perry is a little boy going to the circus, when his grandmother insists on replacing a button on his shirt. He is surprised at the circus that his wish for a camel to talk comes true. However, he also wished that they could go SOMEWHERE.
It's an Oz book, where else would they wind up?
Yes, there's a place in the Gillikin County called Somewhere, and this begins a series of disjointed adventures for David and Humpty the Camel. They go to Dwindlebury where everything shrinks to pint-size. They are rescued by an eagle who wanted them for dinner, but has to drop them off in the Winkie Country. They land in Lake Lily and meet a water nymph named Water Lily.
David and Humpty continue in a southeast direction until they meet the Tin Woodman, who gives them a jumping stick to help them get to his palace so they can rest there. They accept this offer and we meet his maid Makebel Eva. They spend the night in his palace and then head through Dog Wood, but just after leaving it, they spot an island in the sky!
And no, it's not Sky Island or Umbrella Island. It is, in fact, the kingdom of Kapurta, a little country set afloat by a wish made with a magic button on a vest. But after a couple moves, the button was lost and the people face the possibility of eventual starvation.
However, when David and Humpty visit, it turns out David's new button is the missing button. The king promises to use it to send David home, but first, they decide to visit the Emerald City and the Cowardly Lion's birthday party.
The Cowardly Lion picks up the name "Cowy," but it didn't stick.
Anyways, after a jolly celebration, David returns home.
The only problem with The Enchanted Island of Oz is that it doesn't feel like an Oz book. And there's a reason. It was not originally an Oz book. When Fred Meyer heard of the story of a boy and a camel and a magic wishing button, he told Thompson that the International Wizard of Oz Club would publish it if she made it into an Oz story. As it turned out, many of the last days of her life were spent fine-tuning the book.
Thompson somehow knew this would be her last Oz story, even though she hinted that she had some notes in her desk. As it turned out, it was. It's a really good, fun story, but the Oz connection feels so light. The Emerald City visit and the run-in with the Tin Woodman could easily be excised, and that would leave us with no Oz connection.
Now, this would be Thompson's last Oz story, but would it be her last Oz book?
David Perry is a little boy going to the circus, when his grandmother insists on replacing a button on his shirt. He is surprised at the circus that his wish for a camel to talk comes true. However, he also wished that they could go SOMEWHERE.
It's an Oz book, where else would they wind up?
Yes, there's a place in the Gillikin County called Somewhere, and this begins a series of disjointed adventures for David and Humpty the Camel. They go to Dwindlebury where everything shrinks to pint-size. They are rescued by an eagle who wanted them for dinner, but has to drop them off in the Winkie Country. They land in Lake Lily and meet a water nymph named Water Lily.
David and Humpty continue in a southeast direction until they meet the Tin Woodman, who gives them a jumping stick to help them get to his palace so they can rest there. They accept this offer and we meet his maid Makebel Eva. They spend the night in his palace and then head through Dog Wood, but just after leaving it, they spot an island in the sky!
And no, it's not Sky Island or Umbrella Island. It is, in fact, the kingdom of Kapurta, a little country set afloat by a wish made with a magic button on a vest. But after a couple moves, the button was lost and the people face the possibility of eventual starvation.
However, when David and Humpty visit, it turns out David's new button is the missing button. The king promises to use it to send David home, but first, they decide to visit the Emerald City and the Cowardly Lion's birthday party.
The Cowardly Lion picks up the name "Cowy," but it didn't stick.
Anyways, after a jolly celebration, David returns home.
The only problem with The Enchanted Island of Oz is that it doesn't feel like an Oz book. And there's a reason. It was not originally an Oz book. When Fred Meyer heard of the story of a boy and a camel and a magic wishing button, he told Thompson that the International Wizard of Oz Club would publish it if she made it into an Oz story. As it turned out, many of the last days of her life were spent fine-tuning the book.
Thompson somehow knew this would be her last Oz story, even though she hinted that she had some notes in her desk. As it turned out, it was. It's a really good, fun story, but the Oz connection feels so light. The Emerald City visit and the run-in with the Tin Woodman could easily be excised, and that would leave us with no Oz connection.
Now, this would be Thompson's last Oz story, but would it be her last Oz book?
Monday, June 06, 2011
100th Anniversary of The Sea Fairies, need a copy?
Sam just revealed he's trying to find a good copy of The Sea Fairies to read. Let's give you all a hand to get a copy to read, because 2011 marks the centennial anniversary of the book. So far, there has been no announcement of a special centennial edition, so let's look at our options.
There are two very good editions out there at the moment. Ignore all the print on demand editions. These contain only the text. The two editions out there are by Books of Wonder and Dover Publications. Books of Wonder reprinted both The Sea Fairies and Sky Island in hardcover and paperback, but they dropped the color plates. Dover only publishes paperbacks. I do not own the Dover editions, but their Sea Fairies had the color plates reproduced in grayscale. (Their Sky Island had a color insert. Thanks Eric Gjovaag for the information!)
If you want to get the Dover edition, it can be affordably obtained on Amazon. You may want to pick up their Sky Island, too.
You can try your luck on Abebooks. The Sea Fairies and Sky Island turn up a wide variety of editions, from these paperbacks to Print on Demand editions to antiquarian.
If you're after Books of Wonder, you can look around on Amazon, Abebooks, or eBay, or you can order straight from Books of Wonder themselves:
The Sea Fairies hardcover
The Sea Fairies paperback
Sky Island harcover
Sky Island paperback
Finally, if you just want to read the book and don't mind resorting to digital media, you can do so without spending any money whatsoever.
Project Gutenberg offers a text only version that is available in a variety of formats. Yes, they offer Sky Island as well.
Archive.org has a complete set of scans of the book, complete with color plates. This is also available in a variety of formats. Sadly, there is no similar presentation of Sky Island.
Audio books are available for free online. The people at Uvula Audio are big Baum fans, and offer free audio books of many of his books, including The Sea Fairies and Sky Island. Librivox offers many of Baum's books as audio books. At the time of writing, the Librivox site is having troubles, so here's the Archive.org page of The Sea Fairies audio book, read by Oz fan Judy Bieber. And yes, she's also done Sky Island.
There are other audio books and other sources for the text (including a couple I've set up), but I think these will suit your purposes quite well.
Oh, if you're going to Winkies, better hurry, because The Sea Fairies will be one of the major topics this year, and wouldn't it be nice to know what they're talking about?
There are two very good editions out there at the moment. Ignore all the print on demand editions. These contain only the text. The two editions out there are by Books of Wonder and Dover Publications. Books of Wonder reprinted both The Sea Fairies and Sky Island in hardcover and paperback, but they dropped the color plates. Dover only publishes paperbacks. I do not own the Dover editions, but their Sea Fairies had the color plates reproduced in grayscale. (Their Sky Island had a color insert. Thanks Eric Gjovaag for the information!)
If you want to get the Dover edition, it can be affordably obtained on Amazon. You may want to pick up their Sky Island, too.
You can try your luck on Abebooks. The Sea Fairies and Sky Island turn up a wide variety of editions, from these paperbacks to Print on Demand editions to antiquarian.
If you're after Books of Wonder, you can look around on Amazon, Abebooks, or eBay, or you can order straight from Books of Wonder themselves:
The Sea Fairies hardcover
The Sea Fairies paperback
Sky Island harcover
Sky Island paperback
Finally, if you just want to read the book and don't mind resorting to digital media, you can do so without spending any money whatsoever.
Project Gutenberg offers a text only version that is available in a variety of formats. Yes, they offer Sky Island as well.
Archive.org has a complete set of scans of the book, complete with color plates. This is also available in a variety of formats. Sadly, there is no similar presentation of Sky Island.
Audio books are available for free online. The people at Uvula Audio are big Baum fans, and offer free audio books of many of his books, including The Sea Fairies and Sky Island. Librivox offers many of Baum's books as audio books. At the time of writing, the Librivox site is having troubles, so here's the Archive.org page of The Sea Fairies audio book, read by Oz fan Judy Bieber. And yes, she's also done Sky Island.
There are other audio books and other sources for the text (including a couple I've set up), but I think these will suit your purposes quite well.
Oh, if you're going to Winkies, better hurry, because The Sea Fairies will be one of the major topics this year, and wouldn't it be nice to know what they're talking about?
Friday, June 03, 2011
EXCLUSIVE: L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
This week, we've got another blog exclusive! This is from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, an independent film that is often mentioned on the blog. Look below for the exclusive photo from the film's production!
Next week, I'll post my interview with Paulie Rojas and Barry Ratcliffe, who both star in The Witches of Oz.
Next week, I'll post my interview with Paulie Rojas and Barry Ratcliffe, who both star in The Witches of Oz.
The Bradford Exchange reprints Oz!
I'd say volume one, but I won't make any promises to do them all.
For some reason, there's a big push to get Oz books in either the first edition (understandable) or resembling their first editions. This makes sense, as the original editions are quite colorful and gorgeously designed. When The Wonderful Wizard of Oz began to reach later editions (as The Wizard of Oz or the short-lived The New Wizard of Oz), color plates were dropped, and the original color scheme was simplified and eventually dropped, also causing a large number of illustrations to be cut. (This is one of the reasons why the book quickly saw new illustration.) Reilly & Britton (later Reilly & Lee) also had to drop color plates from reprints of Oz books, sometimes cutting a few, and with Captain Salt in Oz, color plates were dropped from their Oz books altogether.
Dover Publications was one of the first publishers to attempt to present the Oz books with their original illustrations. I have not seen all of their reprints, but I know at least one of their editions of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz had an incorrect color scheme. The color plates were gathered into groups, and so were not in their original positions. Other Oz reprints were reprinted in grayscale, and sometimes the color plates would also meet the same fate. Also, the original covers might not even be used.
Books of Wonder teamed up with William Morrow and Company in the 1980s and began to publish new editions of the Oz books, very close to the original editions and they were mistakenly marketed as "facsimiles." Sometimes the copyright pages were altered to accommodate information specific to that edition. Other alterations have been made, such as the original endpapers of The Marvelous Land of Oz being dropped. Some alterations in the text of The Patchwork Girl of Oz were made and an illustration was deleted from it and Rinkitink in Oz in light of politically correct sensibilities. The metallic green ink used in the color plates of The Emerald City of Oz proved to be too expensive and was replaced with green ink and gold glitter. In at least the first three Oz books, the original dust jackets were not reproduced. Later, when Morrow was taken over by Harper Collins, they began reprinting and issuing this line of Oz books under their own imprint. Instead of a faux cloth binding to simulate the original cloth binding and stamping, the books switched to a slick casebound. When their Wonderful Wizard was reissued for the centennial anniversary, it was made taller to match the other Oz books.
And up until now, this has been the nicest set of Oz books for fans who are not interested in collecting antiquarian books.
The Bradford Exchange has begun to offer "The Complete Wizard Of Oz First Edition Library Book Collection." Never mind the redundancy of the last three words there. To be honest, the title sounds more impressive than it should. They are, of course, not offering first editions of all the Oz books, but replicas created by Charles Winthrope & Sons. Considering the first installment was only $20 plus a roughly $7 shipping fee, I, and a number of other Oz fans, decided to check it out.
Now, my experience with a first edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has been extremely limited. I do not own one, but Peter Hanff did show one to me when I attended the Winkie Convention last year. He didn't offer to let me hold it, and frankly, I didn't ask or expect him to. So, my almost novice eyes didn't see a problem with the interior at all at first. The cover looks very nice, and the artwork is definitely stamped on and not just printed on. Fellow Oz blogger Bill Campbell seems to share the same opinion.
The biggest qualm I have right away is the dust jacket. It is a completely new design. To be honest, I have not seen the original dust jacket for Wonderful Wizard. Fred Trust has a photo that suggests the same cover design for the cover was carried over to the jacket. This new jacket is underwhelming. It looks like they used a landscape image that was never meant to be used for the purpose of being printed, because it's blurred and looks pixelated. A yellow brick road is clearly Photoshopped on, because it is much clearer. I can't see the Emerald City on the front as seen in the promotional photographs, as it shows an image of the front cover. On the back is a list of the 15 books they will be reprinting: Baum's fourteen Oz novels and the Little Wizard Stories collection. I am rather surprised that an attempt was not made to create an historically accurate jacket, as this line is aimed at collectors and not your regular fan who would likely be satisfied with the readily available Books of Wonder edition.
David Maxine of Hungry Tiger Press is far more critical of the interior, sharing his views on Facebook in comments on a photo I posted of my copy.
As for retaining printer's errors, I agree as well. This is not what the author, illustrator or publisher intended to happen, and I should not be surprised if all three would request these errors be corrected. (Maxine noted above that Denslow objected to two blobs of black ink appearing on a color plate.) An included letter from publishers Robert Graham proudly indicates errors that are retained. I must ask the question: why? Unless you are attempting to sell me a forgery of the first state of the first edition that I can pass off as such, I would prefer an edition that reflects what the creators wanted you to see. It is especially baffling that Robert A. Baum and Paul Bienvenue are mentioned to be involved with this reprint endeavor, yet the errors remain.
I have neglected to mention that with the set is three bookends. (Three? Yep...) These are included in the second and final shipments of this Oz reproduction series. Frankly, as a fan of the books, I don't really care about these. Collectors of Oz memorabilia have expressed the desire to get the bookends without the books. And if I follow through on this, yes, I'd be interested in selling these bookends to such a collector. The bookends depict the Tin Woodman and the Lion, the Wicked Witch and a Winged Monkey, and the Scarecrow and Dorothy. Bogglingly, the designs for the characters do not seem to be based on Neill, Denslow, or MGM. (The Wicked Witch has two eyes and her skin has a greenish hue.)
My question is, though, do I want to continue with this series given the jump in price (with shipping, the later books will cost about $57 each) and these baffling choices in how to reprint the first editions? John R. Neill's artwork displayed an even more elaborate use of color than Denslow, making the jump to full watercolor color plates in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz and The Emerald City of Oz. If this is represented poorly, when the more affordable Books of Wonder edition has reproduced them just fine, then I may very well be dissatisfied at this expensive edition. For $50 each, I'd better be getting a nice edition! (A friend who ordered when they were first announced has confirmed that the original endpapers of Marvelous Land are retained.)
I have also not mentioned my troubles in ordering the set. It took me awhile to decide to purchase the set, and I placed my order online, as that seemed the easiest way to do so, as well as the only way. An order confirmation e-mail appeared, and also e-mails trying to sell me a women's jacket arrived in my inbox. (... Women's jacket? HELLO!) Attempting to check order status online, my order was not listed in my account.
A poster to an e-mail list I'm on explained that this was because the orders were actually being handled by the Bradford Exchange Press, and not the Bradford Exchange themselves and suggested that you call them up. I did so and was assured everything was going fine. Then the estimated time for the shipping came and went without a deduction to my bank balance, which I monitor closely. I attempted to call again, only to make the baffling discovery that my order was no longer on file, and they suggested I try ordering again.
This time, my bank account was billed about three business days after the order was placed... and then I got a mysterious refund. I called them again and was informed that the initial stock had sold out and they were awaiting a second batch. This was about May 6th. I resisted calling again, and eventually saw another billing for the price. This was May 25th. I received no shipping confirmation, which a representative had told me I would receive. My copy arrived on June 2nd.
I suppose that if I had ordered early enough the first time, I would have been all right, but the fact that the Bradford Exchange doesn't seem to clearly communicate the order status unless the customer contacts them is a little odd, considering how online purchasing has advanced in the past decade. Just about every eBay and Amazon purchase I've made has had clearer communication, a great way to ensure customer and merchant relations that has become so common, we often take it for granted. For me, $57 a month is going to be a big investment, and I want to know when it will be billed.
Anyways, I've laid out my case here. If you want to try your luck with the Bradford Exchange, be my guest. I would like to own a Marvelous Land with the original endpapers, especially as my Books of Wonder edition has seen so much love, the binding cracked on my last re-read, so I'll see how the Bradford Exchange Press handles that one.
Now, if only someone would cash in on that dust jacket debacle and offer a set of substitute jackets...
For some reason, there's a big push to get Oz books in either the first edition (understandable) or resembling their first editions. This makes sense, as the original editions are quite colorful and gorgeously designed. When The Wonderful Wizard of Oz began to reach later editions (as The Wizard of Oz or the short-lived The New Wizard of Oz), color plates were dropped, and the original color scheme was simplified and eventually dropped, also causing a large number of illustrations to be cut. (This is one of the reasons why the book quickly saw new illustration.) Reilly & Britton (later Reilly & Lee) also had to drop color plates from reprints of Oz books, sometimes cutting a few, and with Captain Salt in Oz, color plates were dropped from their Oz books altogether.
Dover Publications was one of the first publishers to attempt to present the Oz books with their original illustrations. I have not seen all of their reprints, but I know at least one of their editions of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz had an incorrect color scheme. The color plates were gathered into groups, and so were not in their original positions. Other Oz reprints were reprinted in grayscale, and sometimes the color plates would also meet the same fate. Also, the original covers might not even be used.
Books of Wonder teamed up with William Morrow and Company in the 1980s and began to publish new editions of the Oz books, very close to the original editions and they were mistakenly marketed as "facsimiles." Sometimes the copyright pages were altered to accommodate information specific to that edition. Other alterations have been made, such as the original endpapers of The Marvelous Land of Oz being dropped. Some alterations in the text of The Patchwork Girl of Oz were made and an illustration was deleted from it and Rinkitink in Oz in light of politically correct sensibilities. The metallic green ink used in the color plates of The Emerald City of Oz proved to be too expensive and was replaced with green ink and gold glitter. In at least the first three Oz books, the original dust jackets were not reproduced. Later, when Morrow was taken over by Harper Collins, they began reprinting and issuing this line of Oz books under their own imprint. Instead of a faux cloth binding to simulate the original cloth binding and stamping, the books switched to a slick casebound. When their Wonderful Wizard was reissued for the centennial anniversary, it was made taller to match the other Oz books.
And up until now, this has been the nicest set of Oz books for fans who are not interested in collecting antiquarian books.
The Bradford Exchange has begun to offer "The Complete Wizard Of Oz First Edition Library Book Collection." Never mind the redundancy of the last three words there. To be honest, the title sounds more impressive than it should. They are, of course, not offering first editions of all the Oz books, but replicas created by Charles Winthrope & Sons. Considering the first installment was only $20 plus a roughly $7 shipping fee, I, and a number of other Oz fans, decided to check it out.
Now, my experience with a first edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has been extremely limited. I do not own one, but Peter Hanff did show one to me when I attended the Winkie Convention last year. He didn't offer to let me hold it, and frankly, I didn't ask or expect him to. So, my almost novice eyes didn't see a problem with the interior at all at first. The cover looks very nice, and the artwork is definitely stamped on and not just printed on. Fellow Oz blogger Bill Campbell seems to share the same opinion.
The biggest qualm I have right away is the dust jacket. It is a completely new design. To be honest, I have not seen the original dust jacket for Wonderful Wizard. Fred Trust has a photo that suggests the same cover design for the cover was carried over to the jacket. This new jacket is underwhelming. It looks like they used a landscape image that was never meant to be used for the purpose of being printed, because it's blurred and looks pixelated. A yellow brick road is clearly Photoshopped on, because it is much clearer. I can't see the Emerald City on the front as seen in the promotional photographs, as it shows an image of the front cover. On the back is a list of the 15 books they will be reprinting: Baum's fourteen Oz novels and the Little Wizard Stories collection. I am rather surprised that an attempt was not made to create an historically accurate jacket, as this line is aimed at collectors and not your regular fan who would likely be satisfied with the readily available Books of Wonder edition.
David Maxine of Hungry Tiger Press is far more critical of the interior, sharing his views on Facebook in comments on a photo I posted of my copy.
The colors of the textual illustrations is pretty far off—much too acidy and bright. But the real disappointment is the color plates. They are just BAD! They are grainy and have a bad gray overcast to them—the light blues are all dingy gray and they are badly over sharpened in Photoshop. It's a big shame. The color plates CAN be reproduced well—without that much effort.I must agree with his points. He mentioned he accurately reproduced the relevant detail from a color plate on a CD cover. The color plates, to me, have an odd look about them, whereas their reproduction by Books of Wonder and in the centennial edition of The Annotated Wizard of Oz are clean and natural.
There are a few other oddities. The front endpaper has removed the white muzzle and white eyes from the Cowardly lion making the drawing a lot less lifelike. I can't imagine why this was done, unless it was reproduced from a state of the book I've never heard of before. Also, facsimile or no, I personally think leaving in printers errors like the ink blobs on the moon (in the color plate depicting Boq's party) is dumb! Denslow hated it and had the ink smudges fixed. Who is being served by reproducing defects and typos?
As for retaining printer's errors, I agree as well. This is not what the author, illustrator or publisher intended to happen, and I should not be surprised if all three would request these errors be corrected. (Maxine noted above that Denslow objected to two blobs of black ink appearing on a color plate.) An included letter from publishers Robert Graham proudly indicates errors that are retained. I must ask the question: why? Unless you are attempting to sell me a forgery of the first state of the first edition that I can pass off as such, I would prefer an edition that reflects what the creators wanted you to see. It is especially baffling that Robert A. Baum and Paul Bienvenue are mentioned to be involved with this reprint endeavor, yet the errors remain.
I have neglected to mention that with the set is three bookends. (Three? Yep...) These are included in the second and final shipments of this Oz reproduction series. Frankly, as a fan of the books, I don't really care about these. Collectors of Oz memorabilia have expressed the desire to get the bookends without the books. And if I follow through on this, yes, I'd be interested in selling these bookends to such a collector. The bookends depict the Tin Woodman and the Lion, the Wicked Witch and a Winged Monkey, and the Scarecrow and Dorothy. Bogglingly, the designs for the characters do not seem to be based on Neill, Denslow, or MGM. (The Wicked Witch has two eyes and her skin has a greenish hue.)
My question is, though, do I want to continue with this series given the jump in price (with shipping, the later books will cost about $57 each) and these baffling choices in how to reprint the first editions? John R. Neill's artwork displayed an even more elaborate use of color than Denslow, making the jump to full watercolor color plates in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz and The Emerald City of Oz. If this is represented poorly, when the more affordable Books of Wonder edition has reproduced them just fine, then I may very well be dissatisfied at this expensive edition. For $50 each, I'd better be getting a nice edition! (A friend who ordered when they were first announced has confirmed that the original endpapers of Marvelous Land are retained.)
I have also not mentioned my troubles in ordering the set. It took me awhile to decide to purchase the set, and I placed my order online, as that seemed the easiest way to do so, as well as the only way. An order confirmation e-mail appeared, and also e-mails trying to sell me a women's jacket arrived in my inbox. (... Women's jacket? HELLO!) Attempting to check order status online, my order was not listed in my account.
A poster to an e-mail list I'm on explained that this was because the orders were actually being handled by the Bradford Exchange Press, and not the Bradford Exchange themselves and suggested that you call them up. I did so and was assured everything was going fine. Then the estimated time for the shipping came and went without a deduction to my bank balance, which I monitor closely. I attempted to call again, only to make the baffling discovery that my order was no longer on file, and they suggested I try ordering again.
This time, my bank account was billed about three business days after the order was placed... and then I got a mysterious refund. I called them again and was informed that the initial stock had sold out and they were awaiting a second batch. This was about May 6th. I resisted calling again, and eventually saw another billing for the price. This was May 25th. I received no shipping confirmation, which a representative had told me I would receive. My copy arrived on June 2nd.
I suppose that if I had ordered early enough the first time, I would have been all right, but the fact that the Bradford Exchange doesn't seem to clearly communicate the order status unless the customer contacts them is a little odd, considering how online purchasing has advanced in the past decade. Just about every eBay and Amazon purchase I've made has had clearer communication, a great way to ensure customer and merchant relations that has become so common, we often take it for granted. For me, $57 a month is going to be a big investment, and I want to know when it will be billed.
Anyways, I've laid out my case here. If you want to try your luck with the Bradford Exchange, be my guest. I would like to own a Marvelous Land with the original endpapers, especially as my Books of Wonder edition has seen so much love, the binding cracked on my last re-read, so I'll see how the Bradford Exchange Press handles that one.
Now, if only someone would cash in on that dust jacket debacle and offer a set of substitute jackets...
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Yankee in Oz
After offering to return to Oz, Thompson vowed never to work with Frank O'Donnell again, especially when he opted to publish Oz books by Jack Snow, Rachel Cosgrove, and Eloise McGraw. But the International Wizard of Oz Club offered to publish a story Thompson had written in the late 1950s. They managed to get permission from Contemporary Books, the company Reilly & Lee had turned into, and works of fiction published by the Club could refer directly to the Famous Forty. (The process was not quite as simple as I made it sound, I'm sure, but it'll do.)
Yankee in Oz was published in 1972 in a large paperback illustrated by Dick Martin. The large size was so Martin could show his work off at a large size, and so that he wouldn't have to do as many. I guess he was a busy guy. A few years ago, the Club re-issued Yankee and other books published in this format in a hardcover uniform with recent Oz books. (This wouldn't be the last time the Club would publish a new Oz book by an author of the Famous Forty, not by a long shot!)
Yankee finds a young drummer boy named Thomas P. Terry (or "Tompy") washed away from his parade by a hurricane. He finds himself in Oz with a just crash-landed space dog named Yankee. They're in the northeast Winkie Country and soon come across the town of Wackajammy, who provide baked goods for Oz. However, Aunt Doffi, the princess of the town, is missing, and her useless nephew Jackalack doesn't know how to run the town in her place. He is sure that Tompy and Yankee are going to fulfill a prophecy to rescue Doffi. But when Yammer Jammer, the advizer, uses his copy of The Mind Reader to read their thoughts, he doesn't like what he sees and throws them in jail until they change their mind.
Yankee digs their way out of jail and they steal the Mind Reader. They head out to find their way across Oz (which Tompy has read about), and come across a series of misadventures. In earlier Thompson books, these would normally be silly and forgettable, but this time, Thompson isn't too silly. In fact, the misadventure in which they meet a man who has a neat and tidy city because he can constitute people out of powder is a little disturbing, but in a way that makes you think. When they meet a town of people made of lanterns who are lit with cold light, it is actually one of Thompson's most beautiful pieces.
A rather whimsical character Thompson introduces is Tim Ber, the trav-e-log who gives Tompy and Yankee a ride to his owner's home. To be sure, he looks like the Sawhorse without legs or ears, but he's a lot of fun. However, as he only gives one ride, his role is brief.
However, a much more fun (and familiar) character awaits us on Mount Upandup, where they run into Jinnicky, the jolly Red Jinn of Ev. Jinnicky is quick to befriend them, but they are attacked by Badmannah the giant. In retaliation, they whisk his cave keeper to Jinnicky's palace, only to discover that she was Aunt Doffi! Now Badmannah wants a new princess, so he captures Ozma, and even worse, her palace!
Jinnicky must return home to make preparations to fight Badmannah, and he executes his plan to capture Badmannah and send him to the Nonestic Ocean, wrapped in a net. They find Ozma's palace empty, but they use the Magic Picture to find Ozma in Badmannah's cave. Everyone else is inside a chest and made invisible. Together, Ozma with her Magic Belt and Jinnicky with his red magic, they restore the palace.
Tompy, Yankee, and Jinnicky celebrate with Aunt Doffi in the Red Jinn's palace, but Tompy and Yankee must return home, Jinnicky giving Tompy a little red jug to pull open should he ever need help.
The two Americans are sent home with Jinnicky's jinrikisha, and Tompy tells Yankee he wants to keep him, but Yankee (before his speech stops at leaving fairyland) is doubtful the space program would give him up. Tompy decides to ask his father to get Yankee honorably discharged, and his father makes the attempt. It seems hopeless, until Tompy opens the jug.
And so Tompy and Yankee live happily ever after, with one sweet little touch. For one hour, each afternoon, Yankee may speak to Tompy in plain English. And one day, Tompy brings home a copy of The Purple Prince of Oz (the first book in which Jinnicky appeared by name) and begins to read it aloud with his dog.
After my first reading I said it was a "good story, but it felt very brief. ... Thompson was still struggling for ideas for a good Oz story." To be sure, Yankee is shorter than her other Oz books, but I think this time it works in her favor. Rather than being all over the place, it has a tighter, concise plot. Tompy and Yankee make good protagonists, even though Tompy isn't as interesting as Speedy or Peter. And it's always fun to have Jinnicky around! He is definitely one of Thompson's best creations.
My only quibble is that Badmannah, for being so cruel, is disposed of rather quickly and easily. Sure, it sends the message that sticking to your principles and having good friends can get rid of your enemies, but it feels a little dissatisfying. However, Thompson quickly makes Jinnicky unsure if he did the right thing when Tompy wonders where the Magic Belt is, making Jinnicky wonder himself if he acted too quickly.
Now that Thompson had had a new Oz story published, would she do any more? Time would tell.
Yankee in Oz was published in 1972 in a large paperback illustrated by Dick Martin. The large size was so Martin could show his work off at a large size, and so that he wouldn't have to do as many. I guess he was a busy guy. A few years ago, the Club re-issued Yankee and other books published in this format in a hardcover uniform with recent Oz books. (This wouldn't be the last time the Club would publish a new Oz book by an author of the Famous Forty, not by a long shot!)
Yankee finds a young drummer boy named Thomas P. Terry (or "Tompy") washed away from his parade by a hurricane. He finds himself in Oz with a just crash-landed space dog named Yankee. They're in the northeast Winkie Country and soon come across the town of Wackajammy, who provide baked goods for Oz. However, Aunt Doffi, the princess of the town, is missing, and her useless nephew Jackalack doesn't know how to run the town in her place. He is sure that Tompy and Yankee are going to fulfill a prophecy to rescue Doffi. But when Yammer Jammer, the advizer, uses his copy of The Mind Reader to read their thoughts, he doesn't like what he sees and throws them in jail until they change their mind.
Yankee digs their way out of jail and they steal the Mind Reader. They head out to find their way across Oz (which Tompy has read about), and come across a series of misadventures. In earlier Thompson books, these would normally be silly and forgettable, but this time, Thompson isn't too silly. In fact, the misadventure in which they meet a man who has a neat and tidy city because he can constitute people out of powder is a little disturbing, but in a way that makes you think. When they meet a town of people made of lanterns who are lit with cold light, it is actually one of Thompson's most beautiful pieces.
A rather whimsical character Thompson introduces is Tim Ber, the trav-e-log who gives Tompy and Yankee a ride to his owner's home. To be sure, he looks like the Sawhorse without legs or ears, but he's a lot of fun. However, as he only gives one ride, his role is brief.
However, a much more fun (and familiar) character awaits us on Mount Upandup, where they run into Jinnicky, the jolly Red Jinn of Ev. Jinnicky is quick to befriend them, but they are attacked by Badmannah the giant. In retaliation, they whisk his cave keeper to Jinnicky's palace, only to discover that she was Aunt Doffi! Now Badmannah wants a new princess, so he captures Ozma, and even worse, her palace!
Jinnicky must return home to make preparations to fight Badmannah, and he executes his plan to capture Badmannah and send him to the Nonestic Ocean, wrapped in a net. They find Ozma's palace empty, but they use the Magic Picture to find Ozma in Badmannah's cave. Everyone else is inside a chest and made invisible. Together, Ozma with her Magic Belt and Jinnicky with his red magic, they restore the palace.
Tompy, Yankee, and Jinnicky celebrate with Aunt Doffi in the Red Jinn's palace, but Tompy and Yankee must return home, Jinnicky giving Tompy a little red jug to pull open should he ever need help.
The two Americans are sent home with Jinnicky's jinrikisha, and Tompy tells Yankee he wants to keep him, but Yankee (before his speech stops at leaving fairyland) is doubtful the space program would give him up. Tompy decides to ask his father to get Yankee honorably discharged, and his father makes the attempt. It seems hopeless, until Tompy opens the jug.
And so Tompy and Yankee live happily ever after, with one sweet little touch. For one hour, each afternoon, Yankee may speak to Tompy in plain English. And one day, Tompy brings home a copy of The Purple Prince of Oz (the first book in which Jinnicky appeared by name) and begins to read it aloud with his dog.
After my first reading I said it was a "good story, but it felt very brief. ... Thompson was still struggling for ideas for a good Oz story." To be sure, Yankee is shorter than her other Oz books, but I think this time it works in her favor. Rather than being all over the place, it has a tighter, concise plot. Tompy and Yankee make good protagonists, even though Tompy isn't as interesting as Speedy or Peter. And it's always fun to have Jinnicky around! He is definitely one of Thompson's best creations.
My only quibble is that Badmannah, for being so cruel, is disposed of rather quickly and easily. Sure, it sends the message that sticking to your principles and having good friends can get rid of your enemies, but it feels a little dissatisfying. However, Thompson quickly makes Jinnicky unsure if he did the right thing when Tompy wonders where the Magic Belt is, making Jinnicky wonder himself if he acted too quickly.
Now that Thompson had had a new Oz story published, would she do any more? Time would tell.
Let's Oz up June!
I'm a little proud of our blogging crew here at the Royal Blog of Oz for presenting 24 quality blog entries in May. That's the most this blog has seen since July 2007, and a lot of those weren't so good. (I went through those recently and wanted to delete some, but decided not to. They're part of my history now.)
I'm going to attempt to do more blogs about the "Famous Forty +," since they've kind of been slow in coming. During my Winkie Convention trip last year, I read a number, and then didn't make sure I caught up before reading more. But at least I've been able to present them in order! I was afraid I'd have to jump around a bit. Also I have a couple things I'm going to do special reviews about, and if I think of another topic to write about, I'll do it, as always.
Angelo's been keeping up on his news updates, and he's actually been doing a good job. I've only had to do minor editing to his posts. I hope Sam and Nathan grace us with more of their insightful blogs, but Nathan also has a Wordpress blog and Livejournal, and Sam is often busy.
Sam and I are both continuing our preparations for going to the Winkie Convention in July. This time around, I'll be leaving for it earlier than last year and returning a bit later than I did last year. So more time for me over in the beautiful Bay area! I joked that I wish I didn't need a ticket back, and it's not too far from the truth. From how it's looking, Sam and I may be traveling part of the way to Winkies together, but he'll have five extra days to kill in America, and I won't be around for them. He'll probably wind up taking over the country in those five days if we can't find something to occupy him with.
Oh, and writing? My illustrator has already sent me three illustrations for my book. I'd hoped I'd be able to bring some copies of The Borderlands of Oz (I seriously didn't want to stick with that title, but we've found absolutely no alternative, because Stranded Outside of Oz doesn't sound as fun) to Winkies, but I finished writing a month or two late. Well, I'll be loaded with plenty of stuff for the Winkie swap meet and some other things for show and tell, so I probably don't have room for any more! And anyways, as I said in a previous blog, I got a submission in to the Winkie Program Book, so all attendees will have some of my work in print.
There's also something I wrote that will be available in August that I'm sure many of my blog readers will want to get. I wish I could go ahead and spill the beans, but I can't. Not without getting someone mad at me. All I'll say is that I did it by commission.
Okay, back to that blog about Yankee in Oz!
I'm going to attempt to do more blogs about the "Famous Forty +," since they've kind of been slow in coming. During my Winkie Convention trip last year, I read a number, and then didn't make sure I caught up before reading more. But at least I've been able to present them in order! I was afraid I'd have to jump around a bit. Also I have a couple things I'm going to do special reviews about, and if I think of another topic to write about, I'll do it, as always.
Angelo's been keeping up on his news updates, and he's actually been doing a good job. I've only had to do minor editing to his posts. I hope Sam and Nathan grace us with more of their insightful blogs, but Nathan also has a Wordpress blog and Livejournal, and Sam is often busy.
Sam and I are both continuing our preparations for going to the Winkie Convention in July. This time around, I'll be leaving for it earlier than last year and returning a bit later than I did last year. So more time for me over in the beautiful Bay area! I joked that I wish I didn't need a ticket back, and it's not too far from the truth. From how it's looking, Sam and I may be traveling part of the way to Winkies together, but he'll have five extra days to kill in America, and I won't be around for them. He'll probably wind up taking over the country in those five days if we can't find something to occupy him with.
Oh, and writing? My illustrator has already sent me three illustrations for my book. I'd hoped I'd be able to bring some copies of The Borderlands of Oz (I seriously didn't want to stick with that title, but we've found absolutely no alternative, because Stranded Outside of Oz doesn't sound as fun) to Winkies, but I finished writing a month or two late. Well, I'll be loaded with plenty of stuff for the Winkie swap meet and some other things for show and tell, so I probably don't have room for any more! And anyways, as I said in a previous blog, I got a submission in to the Winkie Program Book, so all attendees will have some of my work in print.
There's also something I wrote that will be available in August that I'm sure many of my blog readers will want to get. I wish I could go ahead and spill the beans, but I can't. Not without getting someone mad at me. All I'll say is that I did it by commission.
Okay, back to that blog about Yankee in Oz!
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