Hey, I've been having problems with Hotmail's mail service. Any e-mail with attachments that are not pictures do not get to me. This is making me very upset! Particularly because I'm going to have to wait another week to get the narration for The Wonders of Oz episode 1... Yeah... they blocked THAT e-mail...
SO, if you have a submission for The Wonders of Oz, please send it to my Yahoo e-mail address at scarecrowandtinman2002@yahoo.com. Not only will I get it, but Yahoo now has unlimited e-mail storage, meaning that I can keep your submissions online without worrying about my space being depleted.
If you already have it bookmarked, you can drop me a line (but just a message) at dorothyandozma@hotmail.com, I'm still going to check it, as Sam sends his e-mail to that one.
Wow, looks like I'm getting a good start to beating June's record...
Monday, July 02, 2007
Sunday, July 01, 2007
The Baum Bugle : : Winter 2006
Well, I got the latest Baum Bugle yesterday, and per tradition, here's my look at it...
The colorful cover is a picture from L. Frank Baum's John Dough and the Cherub. This specific picture depicts John, Chick, and Para Bruin and their escape from the Isle of the Mifkets. The original version of the book had the picture colored with black dots and shades of red and yellow. Here, however, it has been produced wonderously as a full-color picture. (Unfortunately, Hungry Tiger Press' new edition will not use color except for the cover, so we will not be seeing a complete collection of beautifully colored illustrations from John Dough soon.)
(Picture from original edition. Taken from scan at http://www.archive.org/details/johndoughthecher00baumrich)
(The picture recolored on the latest Baum Bugle.)
Oz and Ends covers many recent topics, many of which you may already know. Oz Park's new Dorothy statue, the Madame Alexander Happy Meal toys (they mistakenly believed Eric Gjovaag's April Fool's joke!), Chik-fil-A's give away abridgement of Ozma of Oz, Wicked opening in Australia next year, MANY new books, The Sword of Oz e-book, which I looked at last night, two new DVDs, and other news.
J. L. Bell looks at John Dough & The Cherub and does his usual excellent and well-researched job of it. There are also reviews of John Dough from 1906, and Ruth Berman relates how the map of surrounding countries (and oceans and islands) around Oz have changed. Atticus Gannaway relates the possible origins of Ruth Plumly Thompson's Pigasus.
Jane Albright reviews the Your Host, Walt Disney DVD collection, and the books Toto of Oz, the new Discontented Gopher picture book, Roger S. Baum's The Oz Odyssey, Time in Oz, and reprints of two books by the first two Royal Historians of Oz and a translation of Ozma of Oz are reviewed as well.
Tricia Trozzi takes us to the Munchkin Convention, Marcus Mebes lets us know what went down at the first Tex-Oz convention, and Blair Frodelius gives us a peek at the Wonderful Weekend of Oz.
Then we come to something very sad: memoriams for Pete Cerevnak and Mark Haas, two Oz fans who passed away earlier this year.
We also get a few treats: a list of quiz questions (answers in the back, no peeking!), John R. Neill's original pencil sketch for his picture of John Dough, Chick the Cherub and Para Bruin arriving at Ozma's party in The Road to Oz. Also, the 2006 winner of the L. Frank Baum memorial award is revealed. Congratulations, David Moyer!
On the back cover, we see Lau Shu Fan's cover artwork for Opium Book's 1966 reprint of John Dough & the Cherub. It looks a little too cartoonish for my taste, and is no competitor for Neill. BUT, it is nice to see.
If you don't have this, join the Club. Or, if you are a member, hope this has whetted your appetite for it!
People Being Rude In Public
Let me regale you with a story about reading a book in a library...
One day, I was at the library. I would normally go to use the Internet, mainly because most books I wanted to read I would buy so I could read them at my own pace without having to worry about an overdue fine or renewing. (So, after I got home internet access, I haven't really been to the library...)
I would usually take the bus. This specific day, I missed it, so I went back inside the library so I could read the book I bought in peace. The book happened to be Sky Island by L. Frank Baum. (My copy!)
I sat down at one of the little reading tables they have (with a lamp in the middle, so your book is completely illuminated). By and by, an elderly looking chap walked up. He looked at me, so I looked back at him.
"Excuse me," he said, "is that a Christian book?"
Now, as I have mentioned before, I am a Christian as well as an Oz fan, not a perfect one, but struggling to get things right.
"No," I replied. Why would I need (or even want) to lie to this guy?
"Well, I heard that there's a Christian college near here, and figured this would be the library for it."
I ignored him and he left.
Yes, there is a Christian college near that library. In fact, there are five! CBC, BBC, SBU, SVU, and Evangel, where my mom went and later told us about the spiders and gigantic insects. In fact, Springfield has many colleges. In addition to these Christian colleges, there is also Drury and MSU, formerly SMS (where Kendra Kassebaum, one of Wicked's Galinda/Glindas, attended), and two night school colleges whose names often change.
BUT... Evangel, BBC, SBU, SVU, Drury and MSU all have their own libraries...
Why did this guy feel a need to ask me if I was reading a Christian book? Did he think it was his right to know? Christians are not banned from reading non-Christian books, by any means.
Although, there are some Christians who feel it is their duty to overdo their responsibilities. There was this one radio preacher who was so against anything non-Christian, he told people not to drink tea because of fortune teller's use of tea leaves, and medicinal herbal teas sometimes used in non-Christian religions. I also remember he proudly told a girl in a hospital that she need to read the Bible after tearing up a magazine she was perusing. That guy is now dead, but he was promised his program would be re-aired until Jesus returned. (They're in for a wait...)
Anyways... it was very rude of this guy to ask me that.
Whatever.
This is hardly Ozzy.
One day, I was at the library. I would normally go to use the Internet, mainly because most books I wanted to read I would buy so I could read them at my own pace without having to worry about an overdue fine or renewing. (So, after I got home internet access, I haven't really been to the library...)
I would usually take the bus. This specific day, I missed it, so I went back inside the library so I could read the book I bought in peace. The book happened to be Sky Island by L. Frank Baum. (My copy!)
I sat down at one of the little reading tables they have (with a lamp in the middle, so your book is completely illuminated). By and by, an elderly looking chap walked up. He looked at me, so I looked back at him.
"Excuse me," he said, "is that a Christian book?"
Now, as I have mentioned before, I am a Christian as well as an Oz fan, not a perfect one, but struggling to get things right.
"No," I replied. Why would I need (or even want) to lie to this guy?
"Well, I heard that there's a Christian college near here, and figured this would be the library for it."
I ignored him and he left.
Yes, there is a Christian college near that library. In fact, there are five! CBC, BBC, SBU, SVU, and Evangel, where my mom went and later told us about the spiders and gigantic insects. In fact, Springfield has many colleges. In addition to these Christian colleges, there is also Drury and MSU, formerly SMS (where Kendra Kassebaum, one of Wicked's Galinda/Glindas, attended), and two night school colleges whose names often change.
BUT... Evangel, BBC, SBU, SVU, Drury and MSU all have their own libraries...
Why did this guy feel a need to ask me if I was reading a Christian book? Did he think it was his right to know? Christians are not banned from reading non-Christian books, by any means.
Although, there are some Christians who feel it is their duty to overdo their responsibilities. There was this one radio preacher who was so against anything non-Christian, he told people not to drink tea because of fortune teller's use of tea leaves, and medicinal herbal teas sometimes used in non-Christian religions. I also remember he proudly told a girl in a hospital that she need to read the Bible after tearing up a magazine she was perusing. That guy is now dead, but he was promised his program would be re-aired until Jesus returned. (They're in for a wait...)
Anyways... it was very rude of this guy to ask me that.
Whatever.
This is hardly Ozzy.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
June had 18 Blog Entries
Yay! Over a week after everyone else, I have the latest Baum Bugle! I didn't think I was going to get it!
But I'll still be renewing my membership next week!
Wow! In June, I posted 18 blog entries, counting this one! Let's try to beat that soon, shall we?
Oh, and I heard from the new host of The Wonders of Oz today. I should be getting his narration later today, so the final editing will begin very soon!
Anyone want to guess who the host is? I just revealed it's a he. But I'm not telling until the episode is released!
But I'll still be renewing my membership next week!
Wow! In June, I posted 18 blog entries, counting this one! Let's try to beat that soon, shall we?
Oh, and I heard from the new host of The Wonders of Oz today. I should be getting his narration later today, so the final editing will begin very soon!
Anyone want to guess who the host is? I just revealed it's a he. But I'm not telling until the episode is released!
Friday, June 29, 2007
June: Record Month!
Wow! In June, I posted about 15 blog entries, more than I've ever done in a month before!
Today is payday, but, due to this paycheck being for a somewhat shorter work week, I'm not expecting it to be very large. From it I will have to extract my half of the rent, and pay back a friend who loaned me $20 when the bank passed a bill to my account, and made it go a little negative again. My friend helped me out not only by loaning me the money, but by dropping off the deposist herself. We were able to beat the overdraft fee, so I just owe a friend $20 instead of owing the bank almost $50.
To help me survive until July 6, I have opted to sell some of my DVDs. No, I'm not getting rid of any Oz movies. I have selected three movies that I have bought, all in "Special 2-Disc" editions. I'm not fond of them at ALL. I usually buy my movies instead of renting.
Anyways, on July 6, I will be renewing my membership with the International Wizard of Oz Club.
Today is payday, but, due to this paycheck being for a somewhat shorter work week, I'm not expecting it to be very large. From it I will have to extract my half of the rent, and pay back a friend who loaned me $20 when the bank passed a bill to my account, and made it go a little negative again. My friend helped me out not only by loaning me the money, but by dropping off the deposist herself. We were able to beat the overdraft fee, so I just owe a friend $20 instead of owing the bank almost $50.
To help me survive until July 6, I have opted to sell some of my DVDs. No, I'm not getting rid of any Oz movies. I have selected three movies that I have bought, all in "Special 2-Disc" editions. I'm not fond of them at ALL. I usually buy my movies instead of renting.
Anyways, on July 6, I will be renewing my membership with the International Wizard of Oz Club.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Okay! I have a question!
Yes, that's right! I'm asking a question on my blog! (So I want comments!) It's a doozy!
Am I really that important in the Oz community?
Seriously! Some people e-mail me like I am. I, on the other hand, feel I am rather inferior there...
Am I really that important in the Oz community?
Seriously! Some people e-mail me like I am. I, on the other hand, feel I am rather inferior there...
- I've never had anything about Oz or Baum published anywhere, except online, all of it my own doing.
- I've never had an Oz story completed to where I feel it is suitable for publication.
- I have never attended an Oz festival or convention.
- I have never met any notable Oz fans, writers, etc. (Well, I have met Roger S. Baum, but...)
- I have never been mentioned in any important Oz item.
Would I like to change the truth of these points? Yes, I would! None of them are impossible. Points 1 and 5 could be done by contributing to The Baum Bugle. Points 3 and 4 could both be done at the same time. And if I had enough time to work out the bugs in my writing styles and stories, I could do point 2.
Here are the only things I have done that I can mention.
- Sharing information and items online via the Club's message board, my Oz website, this blog, YouTube, and MySpace.
- I HAVE contributed some very small bits to Eric Gjovaag that have been included in his FAQ. I've also submitted some reviews for his website.
- I was on Aaron Pacentine's Returning to Oz.
- I have e-mailed some more important Oz figures.
- I'm also currently working on two large Oz projects.
Now... give me your comments. Am I that important in the Oz community?
Monday, June 25, 2007
ВОЛШЕБНИК ИЗУМРУДНОГО ГОРОДА - 1974
Hmmm? What's that? You can't read the whole title? Well, ВОЛШЕБНИК ИЗУМРУДНОГО ГОРОДА means The Wizard of the Emerald City. Yep, here's another blog about Alexander Volkov's Russian spin on Oz.
I mentioned that I now own the first screen adaptation of his first book (The Wizard...), which is a 1974 stop-motion animation version. The animation is not quite on the level of, oh, say, Rankin Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or (closer to topic) The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, but it is very good. This also seems to be a classic in Russia, but a total obscurity here.
I've never been able to read a translated version of the book, but the story does differ from the original Baum version. The story goes is that Volkov used The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to learn English, then later re-told it to his children, adding his own Russian spin on the story, as well as new adventures. He later wrote out his "translation" and had it published.
For one thing, many of the names are changed: Dorothy is now Elli, Toto is now Totoshka, the Scarecrow is Strasheela, the Tin Woodman is the Iron Woodcutter, the Wicked Witch of the East is named Gingemma (which was a Russian word for a mean woman, though I am unsure if it came from this story or if the character's name was came from the word), the Wicked Witch of the West is named Bastinda, and the Wizard becomes Goodwin.
The most notable new scene has Elli being captured by an ogre who wants to eat her. Her firends Strasheela, the Iron Woodcutter, and Totoshka must rescue her.
This animated version is a very interesting way to look at Oz, particularly for one familiar with Baum's books. However, this is not Oz: it's the Magic Land, or Goodvinia.
The DVD has two discs. Disc 1 has The Wizard on it, the entire story. But the second disc apparently animates the first sequel, Urfin Jus and his Wooden Soldiers. I haven't finished that one. It's an original sequel, but I have seen the Powder of Life and a live bear rug...
Want to know more about the Magic Land? Click here.
I mentioned that I now own the first screen adaptation of his first book (The Wizard...), which is a 1974 stop-motion animation version. The animation is not quite on the level of, oh, say, Rankin Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer or (closer to topic) The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, but it is very good. This also seems to be a classic in Russia, but a total obscurity here.
I've never been able to read a translated version of the book, but the story does differ from the original Baum version. The story goes is that Volkov used The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to learn English, then later re-told it to his children, adding his own Russian spin on the story, as well as new adventures. He later wrote out his "translation" and had it published.
For one thing, many of the names are changed: Dorothy is now Elli, Toto is now Totoshka, the Scarecrow is Strasheela, the Tin Woodman is the Iron Woodcutter, the Wicked Witch of the East is named Gingemma (which was a Russian word for a mean woman, though I am unsure if it came from this story or if the character's name was came from the word), the Wicked Witch of the West is named Bastinda, and the Wizard becomes Goodwin.
The most notable new scene has Elli being captured by an ogre who wants to eat her. Her firends Strasheela, the Iron Woodcutter, and Totoshka must rescue her.
This animated version is a very interesting way to look at Oz, particularly for one familiar with Baum's books. However, this is not Oz: it's the Magic Land, or Goodvinia.
The DVD has two discs. Disc 1 has The Wizard on it, the entire story. But the second disc apparently animates the first sequel, Urfin Jus and his Wooden Soldiers. I haven't finished that one. It's an original sequel, but I have seen the Powder of Life and a live bear rug...
Want to know more about the Magic Land? Click here.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The Ads are GONE!
Well, I decided the ads were NOT doing me any good, so good-bye ads! No more cluttering up my blog for you!
Oh, and I changed the layout to something greener and, I think, more Ozzy than before. You like?
Oh, and I changed the layout to something greener and, I think, more Ozzy than before. You like?
Thoughts & Opinions on AFI's new spot for OZ
Last night, AFI had it's 10th anniversary special.
Of note to Oz fans, MGM's classic The Wizard of Oz has been moved from #6 to #10.
Above it are nine movies that I haven't seen (except Singin' In The Rain, which has moved up 5 places).
I wonder... is America taking Oz for granted? That movie didn't come around easily, you know!
One thing Oz fans forget is that when MGM made their movie, the original stage musical was considered the "Ultimate" version. So, they had to live up to and exceed that. Instead of basing their movie on the play, they went back to Baum's book and based it mainly on that. The play had set a high bar for Oz adaptations, MGM had to set the bar even higher, and so far, none have been able to completely surpass it. Disney's Return to Oz and The Wiz are now cult classics.
I get so sick of it when I see movies being labelled "The Wizard of Oz for our time." Harry Potter was quickly given that label, and so was some other recent movie, but I forgot what it was. (May have been Pan's Labyrinth.)
Why am I sick of it? Do these new movies convey all the same messages and lessons as Oz? I know Harry Potter has some fans in the Oz community (I am not one of them, I've only referenced it as an example of recent fantasy films), but still, I'm pretty sure that they aren't fans of Harry because it's a lot like Oz. I'm a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia and Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but both of these are different fantasies. And most of all, Oz is still relevant today.
Stop taking this classic for granted, America!
Of note to Oz fans, MGM's classic The Wizard of Oz has been moved from #6 to #10.
Above it are nine movies that I haven't seen (except Singin' In The Rain, which has moved up 5 places).
I wonder... is America taking Oz for granted? That movie didn't come around easily, you know!
One thing Oz fans forget is that when MGM made their movie, the original stage musical was considered the "Ultimate" version. So, they had to live up to and exceed that. Instead of basing their movie on the play, they went back to Baum's book and based it mainly on that. The play had set a high bar for Oz adaptations, MGM had to set the bar even higher, and so far, none have been able to completely surpass it. Disney's Return to Oz and The Wiz are now cult classics.
I get so sick of it when I see movies being labelled "The Wizard of Oz for our time." Harry Potter was quickly given that label, and so was some other recent movie, but I forgot what it was. (May have been Pan's Labyrinth.)
Why am I sick of it? Do these new movies convey all the same messages and lessons as Oz? I know Harry Potter has some fans in the Oz community (I am not one of them, I've only referenced it as an example of recent fantasy films), but still, I'm pretty sure that they aren't fans of Harry because it's a lot like Oz. I'm a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia and Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but both of these are different fantasies. And most of all, Oz is still relevant today.
Stop taking this classic for granted, America!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Plans Working Out Other Ways
Well, I'll be paying the bank off this Friday. Then my next check will mostly have to cover my share of rent. Then, after I get a bit of acumen, then I can finally order those books from Hungry Tiger Press. WOOT!
And, on June 15 and my birthday, I did not go see Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I'll be going tomorrow... alone. (Sigh.) And no one bought me what I did want for my birthday: a new pair of shoes, so I bought a pair today.
And thanks to Marc Berezin, I now have a copy of the stop-motion animated The Wizard of the City of Emeralds on DVD. Here's a tip... do NOT buy from DVDCENTERCLUB.com or their e-Bay account! I'd originally ordered this title from them, and there was a little mix-up, and eventually I was out $10 with nothing to show for it. (Let's shut them down!)
Sam Milazzo of Australia and I have also been doing some trading, and eventually, he'll be sending me a copy of Oz: A Rock and Road Musical. (Thank God that I have a DVD Player that could be hacked into a multi-region player... legal to do so, but will void your warranty, BTW.)
And the first episode of "The Wonders of Oz" will have a new host, but I'm still writing and editing it. Who's the new host? You'll have to wait and find out. (And no, it's not James Earl Jones... even he was beyond my budget.)
And, on June 15 and my birthday, I did not go see Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer. I'll be going tomorrow... alone. (Sigh.) And no one bought me what I did want for my birthday: a new pair of shoes, so I bought a pair today.
And thanks to Marc Berezin, I now have a copy of the stop-motion animated The Wizard of the City of Emeralds on DVD. Here's a tip... do NOT buy from DVDCENTERCLUB.com or their e-Bay account! I'd originally ordered this title from them, and there was a little mix-up, and eventually I was out $10 with nothing to show for it. (Let's shut them down!)
Sam Milazzo of Australia and I have also been doing some trading, and eventually, he'll be sending me a copy of Oz: A Rock and Road Musical. (Thank God that I have a DVD Player that could be hacked into a multi-region player... legal to do so, but will void your warranty, BTW.)
And the first episode of "The Wonders of Oz" will have a new host, but I'm still writing and editing it. Who's the new host? You'll have to wait and find out. (And no, it's not James Earl Jones... even he was beyond my budget.)
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