Zappa in Oz???

Zappa, first name Frank, was a God of music, in my opinion and I was honored to have seen him in concert back in 1979.

However, I have always wondered how Frank Zappa would have fared in Oz. He probably would have fit right in.

Had he made it into Oz, he would have put together a fine band.

By the way, I'm moving to Montana soon, gonna be a dental floss tycoon!


James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Omza

Yellow Brick Road or road of yellow brick?

You may be asking yourself  what does he mean by Yellow Brick Road or road of yellow brick? Well, in the MGM 1939 movie Wizard of Oz, we all know the Yellow Brick Road and there are few people who don't know the words to that famous song; "Follow the Yellow Brick Road."

 However, in L. Frank Baum's 1st book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), there is a "road of yellow brick" that runs through Oz and leads to the Emerald City. Another difference between the movie and the book is that in the book, there are two places where deep crevices split the road of yellow brick, as well as a river that cuts through it. The movie never shows these.

Even Elton John wrote a song called "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road."

There is also a movie from 2010 called "Yellow Brick Road." It was not a movie I would recommend.

One more post using the letter Z and I will have completed the A to Z Blog Challenge. It was actually easier than I thought it would be.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Xavier in Oz?

Xavier is one of the few names I can't find in Oz. It does turn out there was a Jesuit Missionary who introduced Christianity to Japan in 1549. His name was St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552).

This was the hardest letter of the alphabet to do a blog post on, especially since I'm blogging about Oz. 

Perhaps I can create a new character named Xavier Draziw, Wizard of the Heavens? 

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Wicked Witches Galore!

Witches in Oz are well known, though not always as we think of them. For example, the Wicked Witch of the East is the 1st witch we meet in MGM's 1939 Wizard of Oz (1939). She's not having a great day!!!

Yet in L. Frank Baum's first book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), she looks more like this.

In the movie, the Wicked Witch of the West looked like this.

Yet once more, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), she has a more imposing look, though she ain't green!

There was even a Wicked Witch of the South, though she was only mentioned in passing in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908) and there are no images of her. I think this witch might do just fine as the Wicked Witch of the South!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Victor Columbia Edison; MIA!

Victor Columbia Edison is a phonograph that once belonged to Dr. Pipt. It has a large gold-colored horn, and is screwed to a tall, round, four-legged table, which it uses for movement. It speaks with a brazen, scratchy voice.

The phonograph was inadvertently brought to life when the Powder of Life was spilled on it. Once alive, it continued to bother the magician by playing loud and offensive "classical" music, until he forced it from his home.
It then tried to endear itself to Ojo and his friends in much the same way, (first with classical, then jazz music), but was finally scared off by the Shaggy Man, who threatened to smash it and scatter its pieces across the country, as a favor to the people of Oz. The Phonograph has never been seen since.

This strange contraption was mentioned only once in L. Frank Baum's 7th book, The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913).

I wonder where it is now? I do believe the next time I visit Oz, I'll look around for it.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

LiveNation and/or Ticketmaster Possible Fraud Alert!

Last Friday, I got word that Jimmy Buffet tickets were to go on sale through Ticketmaster the next day (Saturday, April 21) at 10am. These are REALLY hard to get! I was just grateful to get word ahead of time.

My 10 year old granddaughter, who it turns out is a Parrothead (a big Jimmy Buffet fan) was really thrilled that grandpa was going to grab some seats to see her favorite musician!

So I looked up the local Ticketmaster outlet through their website to verify they would be open and found the location at the Hulman Center, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana had open hours at 10am, which is when Buffet tickets were to go on sale.

 http://www.ticketmaster.com/h/retaillocations.html

Hulman Center Store Hours

Monday-Saturday: 10:00am-8:00pm
Sunday, 11:00am-7:00pm

So I got up, got my money ready (cash only), and headed down to grab a pair of pavilion seats as close as possible to the stage. Experience has shown me that if you don't try at the moment they go on sale, chances are you don't get great seats, so I felt I had a good chance at getting in the first few rows. Much to my dismay, when I got there, the office was closed, locked and the hours posted did NOT say open on Saturday.

Angry is a mild way of putting how I felt at the moment. I felt I had been lied to by Ticketmaster, LiveNation, Hulman Center and even Indiana State University.

Now I'm sure ISU will place blame elsewhere, then Hulman Center will allocate blame elsewhere, then LiveNation and Ticketmaster will shunt blame elsewhere.

As a customer willing to spend my money, I don't care who's to blame! I don't care for lame excuses!!!  All I know is that the Ticketmaster retail outlet locator stated hours for the Hulman Center location which were a lie! As such, I headed home and found another location at our local Walmart. I got there just in time to get a pair of lawn seats. Not quite what I wanted. I was willing to spend good money only to be a victim of fraud and/or deception on the part of Ticketmaster, LiveNation, Hulman Center and even Indiana State University.

Now, when I attend this show with my granddaughter, while she will have a great time, I will only recall how I was decieved by Ticketmaster and LiveNation, along with the Hulman Center and Indiana State University.
I ashamed to say that ISU is my alma mater.

James C. Wallace II

Utensals of Untensia Are Certainly Not Ubiquitous!

Unusual, ain't it? I used the word ubiquitous, and it feels unusually unintentional. Hmm, I can't seem to stop using U words. Must be Oz at work!


According to L. Frank Baum in his 6th book, Emerald City of Oz (1910), Utensia is a nation near the Fighting Forest of Quadling Country in the south of Oz. That's where the Council of Trees reside. Turns out Utensia has an army!

Dorothy seems to be holding her own against Captain Dipp of the Spoon Brigade. I've yet to write about them... but someday~


I wonder where the fork in the road is (Cue Johnny Carson)?


James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Tik-Tok and his new pet!

Tik-Tok, by design, is a mechanical man who apparently has a guarantee of 1000 years. I wonder if they have a warranty renewal card you send in when it's time? I guess we won't know that for another 895 years... or so.

That's some fine hair and mustache he's sportin' there! I suppose its painted on. L. Frank Baum first mentions him in Ozma of Oz (1907) but it would seem he was such a compelling character that he needed his own book; Tik-Tok of Oz (1914).

Reminds me of Aadon Blu and Nicholas Pickleless, two characters I met in Family of Oz who compelled me to write their story.

Disney, of course, did what I felt was a fine rendition of Tik-Tok in Return to Oz.

When I wrote Family of Oz, Tik-Tok played a major role, especially since he got himself a new mechanical pet named Cobbler the Dog.

He's one fine hot dog!!!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Shadow Demon or Dark Shadow!

Shadow Demon of Oz was to be the conclusion of what I had originally planned to be a single book entitled Magician of Oz. The story was greater in depth and the message I was conveying was greater in strength following the first book. As such, I felt compelled to write Shadow Demon of Oz, though I hadn't planned on it being so dark, as I saw it. It even started at night. The title was named for the villain, not the hero. Most unusual, but then again, nothing I do is. I felt compelled to end on a high note and so Family of Oz completed the trilogy and completed my message.

Now, The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu leads me astray and leaps beyond the boundaries of the world I have known in my mind. It is a spin-off of Family of Oz and has allowed me to expand as a writer... for which I will be eternally grateful.

On another note, Jonathon Frid, better known as Barnabas Collins on the old, B/W tv show, Dark Shadows passed away on Friday the 13th of April, 2012. How ironic!
I always liked that show, though we had a church in Huntington, West Virginia where I was certain his coffin resided.

Ahhh... The innocence of youth!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Rainbow Connection Makes Me Green With Envy!

Really, it does! No, not really, but it does make me quite happy to hear it. I also use it in my Weather & Climate class since rainbows are part of my curriculum.

I'm also finishing up my latest Oz novel, The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu, which involves the Great Rainbow of Oz being turned to glass. As such, here's my own work related to rainbows.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Quixotic is Never the Queen of the Field Mice!

Quietly I have never been as I proclaim my fondness for the Queen of the Field Mice. She is tied for the lead as my favorite Oz character from the world of Oz created by L. Frank Baum!

 

One of the things  that tends to irritate me is when reprints of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) leave out Her Majesty; Queen of the Field Mice and Her subjects. While Dorothy finds the Ozian mice pleasant enough, Toto always had issues!

It was by Her grace and gratitude that the Cowardly Lion was saved from the Field of the Poppies.

 

I guess it was easier to make it snow and put Dorothy to sleep as well rather than put mice onscreen in 1939.

Gotta love the poppies!

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Polychrome; Daughter of the Rainbow and a Fairy of Many Colors!

Polychrome is a Sky Fairy whose father is the Great Rainbow of Oz and one of the most ethereal and wonderful characters within the lands and skies of Oz. Here She is with Her companions, the Mist Maidens.

I have always considered Her to be one of my two favorite characters in Oz and as such, I have chosen to write about Her in my own stories of Oz. The other favorite character of mine comes up in a few postings when the Q comes up. Till then, I am content to feature Her here as part of my own meager attempts at showcasing just how beautiful She truly is.

I've always loved the pen and ink stylings of John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum's second illustrator. Somehow, he manages to capture Her stunning beauty in black and white. Even in color, She comes through with flying colors.

That is one lucky man there!!!

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs?

Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs was the name of the Wizard of Oz in L. Frank Baum's first book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). If you shorten his name to initials, it comes out as O.Z.P.I.N.H.E.A.D. No wonder he shortened it to O.Z. Diggs!

Even then, he was called a humbug by Dorothy when his true identity was discovered.

Though most people know him as Oz, the Great and Terrible!

And if you remember well enough, he spoke Latin.

Per Ardua Ad Alta!!!

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Nick Chopper; A Munchkin at Heart!

Now and again, I find odd little connections that transcend space and time in odd little ways. I wonder how L. Frank Baum would have reacted to all of this?

Here's an example. We all recall from the 1939 MGM film Wizard of Oz a happy couple of gents.

Charming, aren't they? And yet, they appear to have been friends before the advent of movies, if we are to believe in Oz... as we should. Just look in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). Turns out both of them are Munchkins, in one way or another. For the metal one, he was a Munchkin named Nick Chopper, and an enchanted axe went bad on him. The one made of nature was built by Munchkins in Munchkin Country, so he gets citizenship by default.

 Run Forest! Run!!!

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Magician of Oz and the Adultification of Oz!

When I set out to write Magician of Oz back in 2009, I had in mind a message of Love, family, friendship and the values they imply. These were the values I grew up with and I often found them within the pages of Oz.

Over the years, I have watched as Oz became something beyond what I believe L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) and 13 other books about Oz, had in mind. His stories were meant for children. The language, settings and magical lands were geared towards a child's perspective. Oddly enough, it not only worked for children, but for most adults as well, at least during his time and the years following .

During the post-war era of the 50's-60's, the Wizard of Oz became an icon of television and thus was transformed into legend. Nonetheless, as attitudes and perceptions changed, so did Oz. The need to make Oz more appealing to adults (they're the ones who spend the money) grew in leaps and bounds and soon, Oz had zombies, hookers and Death.

I found this appalling and decided that I would return Oz to a more simplistic, idealized vision more in line with what L. Frank Baum had in mind. To date, with the publications of Magician of Oz, Shadow Demon of Oz and Family of Oz, I feel that I have succeeded in putting forth the message I had intended, although it took 3 books to complete that message. I had only intended 1 book, but the story demanded 2 additional books in order to be more clear and concise.

Now, I have nearly completed The Ozian Adventure of Pickleless & Blu, a spin-off of Family of Oz, and the message of Love, family and friendship continues on without the Adultification of Oz.

I personally believe that the Royal Historian of Oz, L. Frank Baum, would be pleased.

James C. Wallace II
Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Lyman Frank Baum: Royal Historian of Oz!

Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856- May 6, 1919) is known worldwide as the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).

What most people don't know is that he wrote 14 books in all devoted to the Land of Oz.

2. The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904)

3. Ozma of Oz (1907)

4. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908)

5. The Road to Oz (1909)

6. The Emerald City of Oz (1910)

7. The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913)

8. Tik-Tok of Oz (1914)

9. The Scarecrow of Oz (1915)

10. Rinkitink in Oz (1916)

11. The Lost Princess of Oz (1917)

12. The Tin Woodman of Oz (1918)

13. The Magic of Oz (1919)

14. Glinda of Oz (1920) 

He also wrote a number of books related to Oz in odd ways.

• The Magical Monarch of Mo (1900)
• American Fairy Tales (1901)
• Dot and Tot of Merryland (1901)
• The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902)
• Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz (1904, newspaper comic)
• The Woggle-Bug Book (1905)
• Queen Zixi of Ix (1905)
• John Dough and the Cherub (1906)
• The Sea Fairies (1911)
• Sky Island (1912)
• Little Wizard Stories of Oz (1913, short stories)

 Not bad for a guy with a name like Lyman. No wonder he shortened it to L. Frank Baum. He also adopted the title of Royal Historian of Oz, which I believe he served as quite well. .

Of course, now he resides in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, in Glendale, California.

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Kalidahs! Or Was It Lions, Tigers and Bears? Oh My!!!

Kalidahs are one of the more unique creations that appear in L. Frank Baum's 1st book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900).

In fact, anyone who has ever seen the 1939 MGM Wizard of Oz movie will instantly recognize them, though not quite in the way you would normally think. They are described as having bodies like bears, heads like tigers, and claws long and sharp enough to tear a lion in two. Sound familiar? No wonder the Cowardly Lion was afraid of them!

Years later, when The Wiz came out, they made yet another appearance in an odd sort of way. 

And finally, The Muppets: Wizard of Oz gave us an even odder vision of the Kalidahs, though I thought it worked well.

In my third book, Family of Oz, the Kalidahs make an appearance and nearly scare the bejeezers out of the Queen of the Field Mice. But that's another blog posting...

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Jack Pumpkinhead; A Shell of a Man!

Jack Pumpkinhead made his first appearance in L. Frank Baum's  2nd book, The Marvelous Land of Oz
and secured his place in Ozian lore, long before the likes of Jack Skellington.

Like so many creatures in Oz, he came into being courtesy of the Powder of Life, which animates anything it comes into contact... providing of course that you speak the magic words.

When Disney produced Return to Oz in 1985, they did well in remaining faithful to Baum's vision of Jack.

It nice to see Jack has such fashion sense. 

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Inspirations of Interest!

I know It's an odd title, but It's the day of the I and today saw the birth of our 13th grandchild. 

We have our Bakers Dozen and It feels fine.

The Mrs. Is ecstatic. Hannah, as she will be called, looks pleased to be out and about!

James C. Wallace II

Grandfather

Hammer-Heads of Oz!

Having taken Sunday off, as is prescribed by the rules of the A to Z April Blog Challenge, I now return to the blogging madness with the letter H.

In L. Frank Baum's first book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), we are introduced to a race of people called Hammer-Heads... and sometimes they are called "Wild Ones."

It seems that they have no arms, flat heads and elastic necks. They attack people by swinging their heads at people, then retracting them afterwards. Here we see the Hammer-Heads in attack mode, with a cheering audience!

They seem happy about attacking the Scarecrow. He don't seem so happy. 

Here is a more contemporary view as drawn by Greg Hildebrandt.

This seems more in line with my own vision of how they might appear. They even make an appearance in the Broadway musical play, Wicked.

They're still quite happy, so it seems. In my books, Magician of Oz and Shadow Demon of Oz, I wrote about them, though young Jamie Diggs and his best friend, Buddy visit them only in passing. In my newest book, which is nearly complete, they make yet another appearance in name as trading partners with the Hoppers & Horners. Perhaps some day I may visit their mountaintop in another adventure in Oz.

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma

Glinda; Good Witch of Where?

Good Witch or not, Glinda was the first person Dorothy met in Oz after her deadly arrival. We all know her from the 1939 MGM movie, Wizard of Oz under somewhat false pretenses as the Good Witch of the North.

(I see Margarette Pellegrini in the background)

In reality, She first appeared in L. Frank Baum's first book; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) as Glinda: Good Witch of the South and Ruler of the Quadling Country, which encompasses the southern lands of Oz. In the movie, She was made the Good Witch of the North in order to make it snow, which is what wakens Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion... and Toto too!
It certainly was easier than trying to render the Queen of the Field Mice and Her subjects saving the Cowardly Lion from the deadly scent of the poppies, especially given the technology of 1939 Hollywood.

Here, we get a look at Billie Burke, the actress who played Glinda so well.

She looks pretty hot for a witch, although, by her own admission "only bad witches are ugly."

Here is our last look at Glinda from the book, Glinda of Oz (1920), which was published following L. Frank Baum's death the year before. This was the final chapter of the Royal Historian's work.

Earlier in Her career as Good Witch of the South, we find Glinda flying 1st Class with the Mist Maidens.

As Time marched onward, Glinda evolved, as all Oz folks do when our perceptions evolve. Be it in cartoons, 

or in the world of the Muppets

or even the Big Apple of The Wiz.

I did run across an image of Ozzy Osborne's daughter, Kelly Osborne, dressed up as Glinda; Good Witch of the South and Ruler of the Quadling Country.

This continues the trend of what I call the Adultification of Oz; although in this instance, I can live with it. 

James C. Wallace II

Royal Liaison to Princess Ozma