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<big><center>'''Infrequently Asked Questions</center></big>
<big><center>[[Oz_IAQ|'''Infrequently Asked Questions''']]</center></big>


As an April Fool's Day treat, today I have answered some ''infrequently'' asked questions, with answers that should not be taken at all seriously. Just remember, it's all in fun. Enjoy!
As an April Fool's Day treat, today I have answered some ''infrequently'' asked questions, with answers that should not be taken at all seriously. Just remember, it's all in fun. Enjoy!

Revision as of 05:19, 1 April 2020

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Website
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Welcome to the incredible world of Oz. There is much to know about this wonderful land, and on these pages I hope to tell you a lot about it, and help you find out where to find out more. Oz first started as a book, which grew into an entire series. They were first written by one man, but others wrote more books after him, and more books are being added to the series even now. There have also been many movies (maybe you've seen one of them on television?), plays, television productions and videos, toys, games, dolls, clothes, conventions, clubs, and an international fan following. I hope all Oz fans and those who want to learn more can find something they like here. Just scroll down to see what is available for you.

This site is maintained by me, Eric Gjovaag, and is a continuous work-in-progress. Therefore, I will be changing and adding things all the time. Please keep coming by to see what I've done.

This is a wiki, but not one available to the public. Only users authorized by myself are allowed to update this website.

All material on this site and the code to create it are copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Eric P. Gjovaag. All rights reserved.

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Infrequently Asked Questions

As an April Fool's Day treat, today I have answered some infrequently asked questions, with answers that should not be taken at all seriously. Just remember, it's all in fun. Enjoy!

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Direct Links
For those who already know where they're going.
[The International Wizard of Oz Club] [Questions and Answers] [Links] [The Hanging Man] [The Meaning of Oz] [Oz News] [Oz Events Page] [Oz Blog] [Words from the Wizard] [Oz Lesson Plans] [Oz Party Ideas] [Oz Bookshop] [Reviews] [Oz Dolls] [T-shirts, Cards, and Posters] [About This Site] [Awards and Accolades] [How to Help]
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Join the International Wizard of Oz Club
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The International Wizard of Oz Club has been uniting and educating Oz fans around the world since 1957. Members receive three annual issues of the Club's journal, The Baum Bugle, plus deals on the Club's literary journal, Oziana, and other publications, and news on Club conventions and other events. Come join your fellow Ozmatologists!

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Frequently Asked Wizard of Oz Questions
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Illustration by John R. Neill from Kabumpo in Oz, © 1922 The Reilly and Lee Co.

Who wrote the Oz books? What was Dorothy's last name? Can you really see a man hanging himself in the movie? These and many, many other questions are answered here, in an extremely comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about The Wizard of Oz—and their answers as well. If you have an Oz question, this is the place to look first!

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Links to Other Oz Sites
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Illustration by John R. Neill from The Road to Oz, © 1909 L. Frank Baum.

Here you can find other Wizard of Oz and related websites that I have found and that I hope you will enjoy. If your question isn't answered in the question-and-answer section above, maybe someone else has an answer for you here. Click on the picture to visit some of them. This is also the place to look for sites devoted to Oz pictures, Oz sounds, Oz shopping, Oz personal pages, Oz fun, online Oz books...

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The "Hanging Man"
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Image from the movie The Wizard of Oz, © 1939 Loews, Inc., © renewed 1966 MGM.

Far and away, this is the most frequently asked question I get from those who view this page: Is there a man (or Munchkin) hanging himself in the background in The Movie? In fact, I got so sick and tired of answering this question that I wrote my FAQ and set up this website mostly so I wouldn't have to explain it all the time! Yet even though the answer is readily available here on my website, people continue to ask me. Many were the days when I had more than one note asking me about this in my e-mail inbox. Well, to satisfy all of you who have sought out this website just to ask me this question, this link to the question and answer in my FAQ should make the answer clear. For other points of view, you can check out any of the links listed below.

[Link 1] [Link 2] [Link 3] [Link 4] [Link 5] [Link 6] [Link 7: Part 1Part 2Rebuttal]

Since I feel that these links adequately answer the question, any questions I receive pertaining to this topic will no longer be answered.

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The Meaning Behind The Wizard of Oz
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Cartoon by Herblock, first appeared in the Utica Observer Dispatch, August 31, 1939.

Now that the issue of the hanging man has been dealt with, this is the next biggest question I get asked about: What is the meaning behind The Wizard of Oz? Is it a fantasy quest where the goal is to get out of the fantasy? Is it a search for courage, intelligence, and passion, or a search for the true self? Is it the story of fraudulent politics in a media age, or a coming of age story where a girl finds her real power in her shoes? Is it the story of incomplete men in a post-feminist age, or a quest for home, for wholeness, for magic—things we already have but just don't see? The most gripping answer, which most people seem to have heard about, seems to be that Baum wrote it as some sort of political manifesto—except no one can agree as to which turn-of-the-century politics the story is talking about! The answers, such as they are, are here in this website, but below are some additional links.

[From the FAQ] [Link 1 (the article that started it all] [Link 2] [Link 3] [Link 4] [Link 5] [Link 6]

Any questions I now receive dealing with this topic will not be answered.

And in case you were wondering about the above cartoon, it's considered to be the very first cartoon to use the characters from The Movie in a political context. The Tin Woodman is France, the Cowardly Lion is Great Britain, the Scarecrow is Poland, Dorothy is European Civilization, the Wicked Witch is Adolf Hitler, and the Winged Monkey is Benito Mussolini. The Monkey is saying, "Hey, Boss—Maybe that lion isn't so cowardly!"

The long list of interpretive questions above is taken from an episode of the radio show Connections, copyright © 1998 WBUR, Boston, Massachusetts.

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The Latest Oz News
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Illustration by John R. Neill from The Patchwork Girl of Oz, © 1913 L. Frank Baum.

All the latest news about Oz, updated whenever there is something to add. News is archived for the past year.

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Events Page
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Illustration by Frank Kramer from The Shaggy Man of Oz, © 1949 The Reilly and Lee Company.

Wizard of Oz performances and other events are held all over the world. Go here for a listing and more information on many of them, including television broadcasts.

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The Wonderful Blog of Oz
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Illustration by John R. Neill from The Giant Horse of Oz, © 1928 The Reilly and Lee Co.

Just a little web log where I can jot down little Ozzy thoughts, bits of news, and anything else that comes to mind.

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Words from the Wizard
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Illustration by John R. Neill from The Lost Princess of Oz, © 1917 L. Frank Baum.

This was an occasional column on Ozzy issues of all types, written by Eric Gjovaag, this website's Webwizard. They have been archived here.

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Wizard of Oz Lesson Plans for Teachers
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Illustration by John R. Neill from Kabumpo in Oz, © 1922 The Reilly and Lee Co.

For teachers of all subjects and levels, here are some ideas for incorporating Oz into your classes. (Students can always let their teachers know about this part of the website, too...)

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Wizard of Oz Party Planner
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Illustration by John R. Neill from The Road to Oz, © 1909 L. Frank Baum.

Want to host an Oz party? This page will give you some ideas of what to do, plus help you find party supplies and favors.

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Online Wizard of Oz Bookshop
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Illustration by John R. Neill from The Scarecrow of Oz, © 1915 L. Frank Baum.

You can buy many Oz books and other Ozzy items here, and go straight to sources for other merchandise.

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Reviews
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Illustration by John R. Neill from Kabumpo in Oz, © 1922 The Reilly and Lee Co.

Reviews of all kinds of Ozzy merchandise. See what the users of this site recommend.

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Oz Dolls
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Photo courtesy Karyl Carlson.

One-of-a-kind handmade dolls of many, many Oz characters are available for sale here.

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Oz T-shirts, Cards, and Posters
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Oz T-shirts, Cards, and Posters are now available through our own shop at Zazzle.com. Images are public domain images from the early Oz books. Show the world how much you like Oz!

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About This Website

"Hmm, who is this guy who's telling everyone about us here in Oz?"

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Illustration by John R. Neill from The Marvelous Land of Oz, © 1904 L. Frank Baum.

All about me, why I have this site, and other things you might want to know.

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Awards and Accolades
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Image from the movie The Wizard of Oz, © 1939 Loews, Inc., © renewed 1966 MGM.

Despite my modesty, and maintaining this site solely for my own pleasure and the education of others, people and organizations have given me nice awards and other outlets. This page shows them.

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How to Help

If you enjoy this site and want to help keep it going, or just want to help improve the world, go to this page and see what links are there.

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Still not sure where to start looking? Search this website!

Custom Search

  Site search Web search

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This webpage, its contents, and the code used to create it are copyright © 1996-2020 Eric P. Gjovaag. All rights reserved.