Oh, silly hat day...

[kseda]

...I wish I knew how to quit you.

Ahem. I've devoured three and a half of the Baum books in the past week: Wonderful Wizard of Oz, then a compilation which has Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz which I skimmed but need to get back to because the Nome King is hysterical, and now I'm working on Emerald City of Oz. This last one reads as most glorious

Comments

[oddsbobs]

Oh (and because i need to use silly hat icon) - I also now have an idea that might incorporate some of the original Ozishness into the OZ. If I ever get off my butt and write.

[gatechic]

I like to incorporate some of the Baum books into my fics (i.e. the Flatheads wore metal on their uniforms - like some Longcoats). That's why I have Zero from Gillikin Country. That's from Glinda of Oz.

I also use the works of other writers like Rachel R. Cosgrove. In one of the Oz books, it's hinted that Glinda defeated the Wicked Witch of the South (I don't recall which book). Cosgrove wrote a book called The Wicked Witch of Oz about Singra, the Wicked Witch of the South who awakens after a 100-year nap and wants to destroy the Emerald City. In my stories, the witch that possessed Az is the Wicked Witch of the South.

[ext_182955]

Okay I will admit that the Dorothy in Todd MacFarlane gave me some interesting kinky ideas that may never make it anywhere since I can't mesh a plot to go with them. The rest of it, eeeewwwww, must all the males you sculpt for the kinky fairy tales be grotesque? Seriously do not go look up the Hansel part of the Hansel and Gretal interpretation, and if you do anyway I warned you.

Baum, I have adored his output since the fourth grade when I discovered that the movie dream ending was bogus and Dorothy gets back to Oz. I think I teared up when Auntie Em and Uncle Henry got to immigrate. That was also the same time Return to Oz the movie came out. I also remember devouring the trivia about the movie (Disney have to pay to use the ruby slippers, the cast calling for Dorothy that was the right age from the books, etc.). Visually, it was a huge influence on Pirates of the NonesticHowever, I got disillusioned about Baum's capabilities as a writer after I started writing. The first four books are probably the best, before he got upset

[gkingsley]

When I was 2 years old (yes, 2) I taught myself to read using the Oz books. I blame L. Frank for the fact that I use words that are way too big. But I couldn't love those books any more if I'd written them myself. I went into TM with a great deal of trepidation - messing with my very first fandom? I thought I was going to have to firebomb SciFi (SyFy ... whatever.) I was so pleasantly surprised.

When I get my Ozma tattoo, I'll have to post the pic on this comm. If I can ever afford it, that is. :) I'm getting the large portrait in the front of Ozma of Oz on my upper back, if I can ever find an artist who can do the fine line work to my satisfaction.

[allronix1]

I went into it with less trepidation. Sci-Fi Original Movie usually means crap, but I read through the cast list and the character concepts, and it looked like someone did their homework. They also cast a dead-perfect "Scarecrow."

[shiftyjake]

I recently finished reading all Baum's Oz books (he wrote many non-Oz books but I didn't read them). I love them (except Tin Man of Oz, which has now traumatized me), but they've got more plot holes than the TM mini. Oh well.

I hear a lot of speculation about the political messages in the Oz books. In that spirit, I would like to point out that according to the books, Oz is non-capitalist (they have no currency and appear to make things just to give away to anyone who asks for it), has an absolute monarchy (Ozma can dictate where people live and appears to be judge and jury in criminal cases - few though they may be), Ozma can (and does) spy on anyone at any time, and the only example of democracy in the Oz books is a dictatorship. Just saying.

I fully intend to use Baum's dubious Oz politics for plot purposes. I'm even tempted to figure out a way to reconcile Baum's various contradictory histories of Oz and the mini, though I might be getting in over my head with that one.

Oh, and Return to Oz? Terrifyingly awesome.

[allronix1]

When I read through Tin Woodsman of Oz and got to Klu-Klip's projects, I was thinking "Well, that can explain Milltown!"