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(For more Oz news, check out [http://ozmapolitan.spaces.msn.com/PersonalSpace.aspx The Daily Ozmopolitan]. For the latest Oz not-quite-news, see the Rumor Control section of this page.)
(For more Oz news, check out [http://ozmapolitan.spaces.msn.com/PersonalSpace.aspx The Daily Ozmopolitan]. For the latest Oz not-quite-news, see the [[#Rumor Control|Rumor Control]] section of this page.)
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'''May 17, 2012'''
==''Wicked'' and ''Wicked: For Good'' Accolades and Awards==
[[File:bbspring12.jpg|left]]'Tis spring, and in years past, that would have meant that the previous year's Autumn issue of ''The Baum Bugle'' was due. But now that the International Wizard of Oz Club's journal has actually managed to stick to its own timetable, Club members should be finding the Spring 2012 issue arriving in their mailboxes any day now. (If you're not a member for 2012, it's not too late to [http://shop.ozclub.org/category.sc;jsessionid=76688A88A1E8564A683CB8E847A850CD.qscstrfrnt03?categoryId=8 join or renew], and your membership will include this issue.)
With high profile movie releases, naturally ''Wicked'' and ''Wicked: For Good'' will receive acclaim during the film award seasons. Here, then, we will keep track of awards presented to the ''Wicked'' movies and their cast and crew, plus nominations for awards to be given later. Keep an eye on this list or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accolades_received_by_Wicked_(2024_film) the Wikipedia page] as more news comes in.
<br clear=all>
 
The awards are presented here in the chronological order they were presented:
* September 27, 2024: International Cinematographers "Manaki Brothers" Film Festival, SUMOLIGHT Creative Energy Award: Alice Brooks (Cinematographer) and Dave Smith (Gaffer)
* November 18, 2024: Heartland Film Festival, Truly Moving Picture Award: ''Wicked''
* November 23, 2024: The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage, Production Designer Award: Nathan Crowley
* December 4, 2024: National Board of Review
** Best Film: ''Wicked''
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Spotlight Award: the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
* December 5, 2024: American Film Institute Awards, Top 10 Films of the Year: ''Wicked'' (alongside nine other movies)
* December 8, 2024: Washington DC Area Film Critics Film Critics Association
** Best Feature: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* December 8, 2024: Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards
** Best Picture: ''Wicked''
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Zoe Saldaña for ''Emilia Pérez'')
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Casting: Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Marketing Campaign: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* December 9, 2024: Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, Actress Award—Film: Cynthia Erivo
* December 9, 2024: Michigan Movie Critics Guild, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* December 9, 2024: Atlanta Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* December 9, 2024: San Diego Film Critics Society
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* December 13, 2024: African-American Film Critics Association, Innovator Award: Paul Tazewell
* December 13, 2024: Las Vegas Film Critics Society
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Family Film: ''Wicked''
* December 15, 2024: St. Louis Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* December 16, 2024: Phoenix Film Critics Society
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* December 16, 2024: Seattle Film Critics Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* December 16, 2024: Iowa Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Isabella Rossellini in ''Conclave'')
* December 16, 2024: Southeastern Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* December 21, 2024: Nevada Film Critics Society
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Visual Effects: Pablo Helman
* December 30, 2024: TiBS Editors Choice Awards:
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Ensemble: ''Wicked''
* January 2, 2025: Capri Hollywood-International Film Festival Award, Best Sound: ''Wicked''
* January 2, 2025: Critics Association of Central Florida
** Best Cast: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Sound Design: ''Wicked''
* January 3, 2025: Palm Springs International Film Festival
** Creative Impact in Acting Award: Cynthia Erivo
** Rising Star Award: Ariana Grande
* January 3, 2025: Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* January 4, 2025: DiscussingFilm Global Critic Award, Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
* January 5, 2025: Golden Globe Awards, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement: ''Wicked''
* January 10, 2025: Music City Film Critics Association, Best Music Film: ''Wicked''
* January 10, 2025: Minnesota Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* January 12, 2025: Puerto Rico Critics Association
** Best Comedy/Musical: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* January 13, 2025: North Dakota Film Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* January 13, 2025: Hawaii Film Critics Society
** Best Art Direction: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Visual Effects: ''Wicked''
* January 14, 2025: Portland Critics Association, Best Supporting Performance (Female): Ariana Grande
* January 16, 2025: North American Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* January 24, 2025: Denver Film Critics Society, Best Supporting Performance by an Actor, Female: Ariana Grande
* January 26, 2025: Satellite Awards
** Best Supporting Actress—Motion Picture: Ariana Grande
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Sound: ''Wicked''
** Make-Up Award: ''Wicked''
* January 27, 2025: Online Film Critics Society, Technical Achievement Award — Choreography: ''Wicked''
* February 6, 2025: Costume Designers Guild Awards, Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: Paul Tazewell
* February 7, 2025: Set Decorators Society of America, Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film: Lee Sandales and Nathan Crowley
* February 7, 2025: Critics' Choice Movie Awards
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* February 7, 2025: AACTA Awards, Audience Choice Award for Favourite Film: ''Wicked''
* February 9, 2025: Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Virtuoso Award: Ariana Grande
* February 9, 2025: AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Best Screenwriter: Winnie Holzman
* February 12, 2025: Artios Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy): Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, Ryan Bernard Tymensky, Tamsyn Manson
* February 13, 2025: Dorian Awards
** Supporting Film Performance of the Year: Ariana Grande
** "We're Wilde About You" Rising Star Award: Jonathan Bailey
** Galeca LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer: Cynthia Erivo
* February 15, 2025: Art Directors Guild Awards, Excellence in Production Design for a Fantasy Film: Nathan Crowley
* February 15, 2025: Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild
** Best Period and/or Character Make-Up in a Feature-Length Motion Picture: Frances Hannon, Alice Jones, Nuria Mbornio, Johanna Nielsen, Branka Vorkapic
** Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling in a Feature-Length Motion Picture: Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Sim Camps, Gabor Kerekes
* February 16, 2025: BAFTA Film Awards
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* February 17, 2025: Black Reel Awards
** Outstanding Soundtrack: ''Wicked''
** Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* February 17, 2025: Latino Entertainment Journalists Society
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* February 22, 2025: NAACP Image Awards
** Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album: ''Wicked: The Soundtrack''
* February 23, 2025: Online Film and Television Association
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Adapted Song: "Defying Gravity"
* February 23, 2025: Golden Reel Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing–Feature Motion Picture: Catherine Wilson, Robin Baynton
* February 28, 2025: International Cinematographers Guild Publicists Awards, Maxwell Weinberg Award for Motion Picture Publicity Campaign: ''Wicked''
* March 2, 2025: Academy Awards
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
* March 11, 2025: Queerties
** Drama Movie: ''Wicked''
** Film Performance: Jonathan Bailey
** Next Big Thing: ''Wicked: For Good''
* March 14, 2025: American Cinema Editors Awards, Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical: Myron Kerstein
* March 17, 2025: iHeartRadio Music Awards, Favorite Soundtrack: ''Wicked: The Soundtrack''
 
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==March 18, 2025: Saliterman, Ruby Slipper Thief, Dies==
Charges against Jerry Hal Saliterman, who had pled guilty to playing a part in the 2005 theft of the Ruby Slippers from the Judy Garland Museum, have been dismissed when prosecutors informed the court that he had died the day before. Saliterman's defense attorney, John Brink, confirmed the passing. The 77-year-old Saliterman had been hospitalized with lung disease and other ailments, and his most recent court appearance, in January, had been a remote feed from his hospital room. At that time, he changed his initial plea to guilty of charges of theft of a major artwork and witness tampering.
 
(Information courtesy [https://apnews.com/article/stolen-ruby-slippers-wizard-of-oz-death-b82e6ed5049d2f11cf9a38b38e5eb463 The Associated Press].)
 
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==January 3, 2025: Saliterman to Plead Guilty to Hiding Ruby Slippers==
Jerry Hal Saliterman, accused of theft of a major artwork and witness tampering in connection with the 2005 theft of the Ruby Slippers in Minnesota, now plans to plead guilty to the charges in a court appearance on January 10. It is not currently known how Saliterman is connected to Terry John Martin, who pled guilty to stealing the slippers in 2023. Saliterman originally pled not guilty when first charged in March of 2024, but his age (77) and poor health may have resulted in a deal that allows him to stay out of jail like Martin.
 
(Information courtesy [https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/minnesota/articles/2025-01-03/man-accused-of-hiding-stolen-wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers-plans-to-plead-guilty-attorney-says ''U. S. News and World Reports''].)
 
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==December 13, 2024: The Baum Bugle's Celebratory 200th Issue==
[[File:Bbautumn24.jpg|center|800 px]]
The Autumn 2024 issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz, has come back from the printers and is on its way to members' mailboxes. This is the two hundredth issue of the ''Bugle'', so the journal celebrates itself, for once.
 
In this issue:
In this issue:
* The wraparound cover pays tribute to the first illustrated cover of the ''Bugle'' (for the May 1959 issue), showing many different illustrators' versions of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman
* The inside front cover reproduces Maxfield Parrish's cover for the January 1917 issue of ''Metropolitan''.
* In "Letters", Oz Club President Ryan Bunch reflects on winning the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award during a hurricane, while ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Krotzer looks at the production of this issue within the overall history of the journal.
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
** The Club opens its archive with reprints of selected articles from past issues of [https://www.ozclub.org/publications/the-baum-bugle/ ''The Baum Bugle''].
** The town of Salina, New York breaks ground on a new community center at the site of Rose Lawn, the Baum family estate. The center will include a Baum-themed museum.
** Gregory Maguire's writing another book set in his version of Oz. [https://bookshop.org/p/books/elphie-a-wicked-childhood-gregory-maguire/21025444 ''Elphie''], coming out March 25, 2025, will recount tales of the childhood of Elphaba, who will later become the Wicked Witch of the West.
** The stolen pair of Ruby Slippers, now recovered, are on tour and will go up for auction in December.
** The latest revival of ''The Wiz'' surpasses one hundred performances on Broadway.
** The release of the first ''Wicked'' movie is moved up to November 22, 2024.
** ''Marvelous: A Musical Opera'' based on ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'' premieres in Sisterville, West Virginia on April 5, 2025
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" recognizes the passing of Ken Page, who understudied for Ted Ross in the original Broadway production of ''The Wiz'' before taking over the role himself.
* One of the original charter members of the International Wizard of Oz Club, Ruth Berman, looks back on how it all started in "A Gleam in Justin's Eye: Oz Club Origins".
* In "In Search of Snow White: The Unrealized Dream of Maxfield Parrish and L. Frank Baum", Scott Cummings looks at a second Parrish-Baum collaboration that ultimately never came to be, a book and stage play of ''Snow White'' in the late 1910s.
* Peter E. Hanff looks at how one man changed the ''Bugle'' from a humble newsletter to a comprehensive journal in "Martin's Marvels: Dick Martin's Graphical Contributions to the History of ''The Baum Bugle''". Accompanying this article is a color supplement of ''Bugle'' covers Martin contributed to, including examples of color separations; and "A Checklist of Cover Art for ''The Baum Bugle'' by Dick Martin".
* J. L. Bell examines the development of cartography in the Oz books in the award-winning "The Inspiring Maps of Oz".
* "Keepers of the Record" presents reminiscences of three previous ''Bugle'' editors:
** "A Brief Reminiscence of My ''Bugle'' Editorship, 1996-2000" by William Stillman.
** "Notes from an Old ''Bugle'' Editor" by Michael Gessel.
** "The Call of a ''Bugle''—and Where It Led" by John Fricke.
* "How It Began (Again)" looks at some mocked-up dummy pages, created by Dick Martin, for the Spring 1979 issue of the ''Bugle''.
* The inside back cover reproduces the earliest known map of Oz, a slide from the 1908 multimedia show ''The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays''.


*The cover features Professor Nowitall, as illustrated by Pedro Moran, for the forthcoming [http://www.orionsbell.com/ Card Game of Oz].
Also included with this issue:
*In "From the Editor", Scott Cummings discusses some topics that the ''Bugle'' hasn't explored, and encourages members to do so.
* The craft project is a map of Oz to color.
*Club President Carrie Hedges talks about the Club's special premium memberships, and their rewards, for 2012.
* In Issue No. 20 of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger Oz fans (of all ages):
*In "Oz and Ends":
** Editor-in-Chief Katie Jones and Number Nine outline efforts to clean up the Emerald City after the Nome King's recent occupation, and reveal the Gump as the new Head of Security.
**[http://thetoyshoppe.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Oz+Mark+Dennis&x=18&y=12 New Oz dolls by Mark Dennis].
** Polychrome reveals a puzzle where weather-related clues help you to unscramble Oz place names.
**[http://www.philosophersguild.com/Oz-Passport-Notebook.html An Oz Passport notebook].
** Scraps opines on issues of writing Oz poetry.
**The new Oz-themed [http://newhollandbrew.com/blog/beer-news/four-witches-black-saison/ Four Witches Brew] beer from the [http://newhollandbrew.com/ New Holland Brewing Company] in Holland, Michigan.
** The Scarecrow gives story recommendations:
**New audiobooks of [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007IEHNMO/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' read by Anne Hathaway], and the forthcoming (and long awaited) Colonial Radio Theater adaptations of [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1469208601/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Emerald City of Oz''] and ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz''.
*** [https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Meg-McLaren-illustrator-Sam/dp/1405286296/ ''The Wizard of Oz'', adapted by Meg McLaren and Sam Hay]
**[http://www.moondreamartstudio.com/tin-man-sculpture.html Moon Dream Art Studio's Tin Man sculpture] (to go along with their previously released [http://www.moondreamartstudio.com/oz-scarecrow-sculpture.html Scarecrow sculpture]).
*** "Dorothy and the Mushroom People" by Eric Shanower, from [https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/salt-sorcerer-stories/author/shanower-eric/used/ ''The Salt Sorcerer of Oz and Other Stories].
**New Oz-themed cards: [http://www.looneylabs.com/games/oz-fluxx Oz Fluxx], [http://www.orionsbell.com/ The Card Game of Oz], and [http://www.betweenthecovers.com/btc/item/69391 Classic Book Cards].
*** [https://bookshop.org/p/books/snow-queen-hb-hans-christian-andersen/6431554?ean=9780062209504 ''The Snow Queen'' by Hans Christian Andersen].
**[http://www.facebook.com/Dorothyandthewitchesofoz ''Dorothy and the Witches of Oz''] and its [http://dorothyandthewitchesofoz.ning.com/ theatrical release].
** And throughout the issue, mysterious figures seem to be scouting out the country for nefarious purposes. But is someone scouting them out in turn?
**[http://disney.go.com/movies/new-upcoming ''Oz, the Great and Powerful''], coming from Disney next spring.
**The world premiere of the ballet ''Oz&mdash; The Wonderful Wizard'' in Berlin, combining elements of both Oz and Volkov's Magic Land.
**A currently-in-production computer animated adaptation of [http://www.elibucho.blogspot.com/p/urfin-jus.html ''Urfin Jus and His Wooden Soldiers''].
**[http://www.ipwatchdog.com/2011/07/11/ill-get-you-my-pretty-and-your-little-copyright-too/id=18053/ The current legal wrangling between Warner Bros. and Disney] about ''The Wizard of Oz'' and copyright.
**The forthcoming new stage play [http://wwozanewmusical.webs.com/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A New Musical''], based closely on the book and incorporating elements of the original 1902 stage adaptation.
**The all-Oz online [http://www.live365.com/stations/hungrytigerpress Emerald City Radio].
**A gallery of [http://www.thefoxisblack.com/2012/01/17/re-covered-books-the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-by-l-frank-baum/ new covers for] [http://www.thefoxisblack.com/2012/02/16/re-covered-books-the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-the-runners-up/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''] (please note that there are two different links there).
**The "Visionaries" series of plays at the Nakano Theatre in Torrance, California, presents [http://www.torrancelive.us/index_files/Page1125.htm a one-man show on the life and works of L. Frank Baum] (coming June 27).
**[http://www.aberdeen.sd.us/index.aspx?NID=284 The Land of Oz Park in Aberdeen, South Dakota] will soon be the home of a Tin Man slide.
**[http://kansas.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/kansascity/ LEGOLAND Discovery Park] in Kansas City has an Oz-themed Miniland.
**An Oz-themed playhouse used to raise money for homeless Californians in 2011.
**Oz shoes in the news include the pair bought for two million dollars ad donated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their anticipated [http://www.oscars.org/academy/moviemuseum/index.html museum]; the Smithsonian removing and repairing their pair in anticipation of the opening of [http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1795 "American Stories" at the National Museum of American History]; and artist [http://www.mannycastro.com/ Manny Castro] hanging "ruby slipper" stilettos over power lines in Miami Beach as a holiday gift in December 2011.


*Angelica Carpenter looks at how the popular [http://www.renlearn.com/ar/ Accelerated Reader] education program handles Oz in (naturally) "Acclerated Reader in Oz".
----
*"Yellow Brick Philosophy" by Ellen Handler Spitz (reprinted from [http://www.tnr.com/book/review/baum-wizard-oz-movie ''The New Republic'']) digs under the surface of the story of ''The Wizard of Oz'', as first told in the original book, and finds hidden depths.
*The ''Bugle'' announces the search for a new Editor-in-Chief.
*Peter E. Hanff looks at the Ozzy theme of the 1930 Burbank (California) High School yearbook in "Greetings from Oz".
*In "The Borrowing Artist of Ix", Dennis Anfuso and Alan Lindsay reveal that Henry L. Miller, an early twentieth century children's book illustrator, probably copied some of Frederick Richardson's illustrations from ''Queen Zixi of Ix''.
*"Ignotum per Ignotius" by Patrick Maund asks some of those imponderable questions about the famous 1939 movie version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' that one only notices after watching it many, many times with a small child.
*Blair Frodelius talks to the writer of the ''Wicked'' books in "American Fairy Tales: A Conversation with Gregory Maguire".
*"Adventures in Oz" has [http://feliciaricci.com/ Felicia Ricci] recall her first experience as Eden Espinosa's understudy as Elphaba in ''Wicked'' in "It's Not That Easy Being Green".
*Greg Hunter tells the tale of "The Discovery of 'John'", a previously unknown short story by L. Frank Baum; Michael Patrick Hearn writes an introduction; and, finally, "John" by L. Frank Baum, first published in 1898.
*Resting on "The Oz Bookshelf":
**[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0762437715/thewonderwizardo/ ''Judy: A Legendary Film Career'' by John Fricke], his latest book on Judy Garland, reviewed by Mark Griffin.
**[http://www.bccbooks.org/pubs.htm ''Cyclone on the Prairies: ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and Arts & Crafts of Publishing in Chicago, 1900''by Peter E. Hanff, and ''A Bookbinder's Analysis of the First Edition of'' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Michael O. Riley], reviewed by Cindy Ragni.
**[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060548940/thewonderwizardo/ ''Out of Oz'' by Gregory Maguire], the finale of his "Wicked Years" series, reviewed by Stephen J. Teller.
**[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/146286368X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Adolph Hitler in Oz'' by Sam Sackett], reviewed by J. L. Bell.
**A new edition of [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0615412246/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of Oz'', illustrated by Thea Kliros] and reviewed by Eric Shanower.
**[http://sites.google.com/site/cowardlylionsite/lionlist/bucketheads ''Bucketheads in Oz'' by Greg Gick, Melody Grandy, Greg Hunter, Phyllis Ann Karr, Chuck Sabatos, Deen Shumate, Jim Vander Noot, and Chris Dulabone], reviewed by Mari Ness.
**Richard R. Rutter reviews two new Italian editions of ''The Wizard of Oz'': [http://www.amazon.it/Il-meraviglioso-Mago-Oz-Classici/dp/8804565454/ ''Il meraviglioso Mago di Oz''], a novel illustrated by Giuliano Lunelli; and [http://www.amazon.it/mago-Oz-Libro-pop-up-Melodie/dp/8847444047/ ''Il Mago di Oz''], a pop-up adaptation with sound.


*"Oz Behind the Footlights" reviews [http://www.secrettheatre.com/home.html ''A Mermaid's Tale''], a new dramatization of L. Frank Baum's ''The Sea Fairies''.
==December 7, 2024: Ruby Slippers Auction Sets New Movie Memorabilia Record==
*"In Memoriam" sees Peter E. Hanff remembering longtime Oz researcher Patrick Maund.
[[File:Ruby_Slippers_2024.jpeg|right|400 px]]
*"Ozmusements" has "Professor Wogglebug's Pop Quiz: Pills in Oz".
The most notorious pair of Ruby Slippers used during production of the famous 1939 film version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' went up for auction today, and the final price shattered all records for the price paid for a piece of movie memorabilia. Of the four known pairs of Ruby Slippers known to still exist, this pair, "The Traveling Shoes", were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005 and recovered in 2018, when they acquired a new nickname, "The Stolen Pair". They were ultimately returned to owner Michael Shaw who decided it was time to sell them. Estimated to go for at least $3,000,000, online bidding reached $1,550,000 before live bidding on site at Heritage Auctions began. The estimate was quickly surpassed, and when bidding ended, the final bid was $28,000,000, far outpacing any previous price for movie memorabilia. With commission and other fees, the total final price paid was $32,500,000. The Ruby Slippers alone surpassed the previous record for an entire movie memorabilia auction, the $22,800,000 that Debbie Reynolds' collection was sold for in 2011.
*And the back cover shows an Oz-themed hide-and-seek poster, created by Ed Gazsi in the 1980s (the answers are inside the issue).


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
Other Oz items available in the auction:
* One of Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West hats, and the only one known to carry Hamilton's name inside, earned the second highest price for an item from ''The Wizard of Oz'', $2,930,000
* Producer Mervyn LeRoy's script from the MGM art department, $50,000
* The screen door from the Gale farmhouse, $37,500
* Judy Garland's blonde wig from the first week of shooting, $30,000
* The MGM contract for songwriters Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg, $23,125
 
Other items of interest at the auction included a sceen-used Jumanji board game from the eponymous movie; a crate used to hold bombs in the original 1933 version of ''King Kong''; a hoverboard from ''Back to the Future II''; Kevin's scarf, coat, hat, and mittens from ''Home Alone''; Wilson, Tom Hanks' volleyball co-star in ''Castaway''; and a screen-used golden ticket from '' Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory''.


'''February 22, 2012'''
(Information and image courtesy [https://www.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/dorothy-s-ruby-slippers-from-the-wizard-of-oz-sell-for-32.5-million-at-heritage-auctions-to-become-world-s-most-valuable-movie-memorabilia.s?releaseId=5122&ic=hero-www-dorothyRubySlippers-resultsLearnMore-7388-120724 Heritage Auctions].)
<br><img src="pics/Patrick%20Maund.jpg" width="377" height="500" align="right" alt="Patrick Maund" />Patrick Maund, one of the premier Oz scholars and researchers of the last three decades, passed away today in his hometown of San Francisco after a brief illness. He was fifty-six years old. He was a regular attendee for many years at the Winkie Convention, and also made frequent appearances at the Ozmopolitan and Munchkin Conventions as well. He spearheaded new research into Oz and Baum bibliography, contributed to ''The Baum Bugle'', and served the International Wizard of Oz Club as director, treasurer, and auctioneer. He was also instrumental in setting up the Club's headquarters in the San Francisco Bay area. For his contributions to Oz and the Club, he was awarded the 1996 Winkie Award, and the 2004 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award. Patrick is survived by his wife, Rita; their three children, Veronica, Catherine, and Christopher; his brother, Peter; and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to: The Maund Children Donation Fund c/o St. Brendan School 940 Laguna Honda Blvd. San Francisco, CA 94127.


(Information courtesy Peter Hanff, [http://ozclub.org/Munchkin_Country_-_2004.html The International Wizard of Oz Club], and [http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/obituary.aspx?n=patrick-maund&pid=156092274 SFGate/the ''San Francisco Chronicle'']. Photo courtesy Jane Albright.)
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'''<u>January 24, 2012</u>'''
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<br><img src="pics/Williamson%20Nome%20King.jpg" width="400" height="217" align="right" alt="Nicol Williamson as the Nome King in "return to oz" (1985)" />Nicol Williamson, the acclaimed Scottish actor who was probably best known for playing Merlin in ''Excalibur'', passed away last month in Holland of esophigal cancer. He was seventy-five. Born September 14, 1936 in Glasgow, he quickly found a place in acting and made his London stage debut in 1961. He made his name in ''Inadmissible Evidence'' in 1964 (a part he reprised in the 1968 movie adaptation) and as Hamlet in the 1970s, both of which he played in both the West End and Broadway. He did not enjoy making movies, but used the salary to finance his stage career. Among the movies he appeared in were the 1969 version of ''Hamlet'', ''Robin and Marian'' (as Little John), ''The Seven-Per-Cent Solution'' (as Sherlock Holmes), ''The Exorcist III'', and ''Spawn'', which turned out to be his final film. He is best known to Oz fans, however, as the dual character of Dr. Worley and the Nome King in the 1985 Disney film ''Return to Oz''. In later years, he abandoned acting in favor of music, and eventually settled in Holland. He passed away on December 16, 2011, and made it clear that he did not want a fuss to be made over him. He is survived by a son, Luke.
 
==December 2, 2024: Paul Maslansky 1933-2024==
Longtime Hollywood producer Paul Maslansky died today in a hospital in San Robles, California. He was 91. His first credit was for the 1964 horror film ''Castle of the Living Dead'' with Christopher Lee, and he worked on many films in the 1970s and '80s. His biggest success was the ''Police Academy'' series, beginning in 1984 with the first movie which spawned several other movies, a television series, and an animated series. Another of his credits at the time was ''Return to Oz''. He is survived by his long-time partner Sally Emr, three children, and two grandchildren.
 
(Information courtesy [https://variety.com/2024/film/news/paul-maslansky-dead-police-academy-1236242106/ ''Variety''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Maslansky Wikipedia].)
 
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==November 3, 2024: Quincy Jones, 1933-2024==
[[File:Quincy_Jones.jpg|center|Quincy Jones in ''The Wiz''.|800 px]]
 
Quincy Jones, the EGOT-winning musician and producer, passed away today at the age of 91. Born in 1933 in Chicago, Jones graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle (where the performing arts center is named for him). He soon started working with jazz bands all over the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He also worked in the early days of television with such artists as Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and Elvis Presley. He worked with Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra on an album, and then broke into the movies when he composed the music for ''The Pawnbroker''. He would go on to work on movies such as ''In the Heat of the Night'', ''In Cold Blood'', ''The Italian Job'', ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'', ''Cactus Flower'', and both versions of ''The Color Purple''. For television, he composed music for the original ''Ironside'', ''Sanford and Son'', and the original ''Roots'' (for which he earned his Emmy Award). Later, as a producer, he oversaw shows including ''The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'' and its successor, ''Bel Air'', and ''MadTV''. He won 28 Grammy Awards, the most for any producer and the third most of all time, including Album of the Year in 2023 for ''Harry's House''. He won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2016 as a producer for ''The Color Purple'', and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have given him two of their highest honors, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995 and the Academy Honorary Award in 2024 (which will now be presented posthumously). Other accomplishments have included the Grammy Legend Award, the Kennedy Center Honors, the BET Humanitarian Award, the National Medal of Arts, and the Grand Commandeur de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the government of France.
 
In comparison to everything else, his contributions to Oz may not have had as much impact, but he was a crucial part of the 1978 film version of ''The Wiz'', where he was musical supervisor and producer. He also contributed new music, including for the songs "Can I Go On?" and "Is This What Feeling Gets? (Dorothy's Theme)". He also appeared onscreen in an uncredited cameo as the pianist in the Emerald City. It was during ''The Wiz'' that Quincy Jones first met with Michael Jackson, and he was so impressed with Jackson's work ethic playing the Scarecrow that Jones agreed to produce Jackson's forthcoming solo album ''Off the Wall''. They would later work together on two more Jackson albums, ''Thriller'' and ''Bad''. Jones would also produce and conduct on a song Jackson co-wrote, the 1985 charity anthem "We Are the World".
 
(Information courtesy [https://apnews.com/article/quincy-jones-dead-a9e31c7e39c448d8971519f47a22dd21 The Associated Press] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Jones Wikipedia]. Photo courtesy [https://www.facebook.com/@ozclub The International Wizard of Oz Club's Facebook page].)
 
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==September 30, 2024: Ken Page, 1954-2024==
[[File:Ken_Page.webp|left]]Ken Page, the character actor known for his work on stage and television, and in movies and video games, passed away in his sleep today at his home in St. Louis. He was 70. Soon after graduating college, he started his acting career at the famed Muny outdoor theater of St. Louis. He made his Broadway debut as Ted Ross's understudy as the Cowardly Lion in the original production of ''The Wiz'', a role he then took over after Ross left the show. He went on to play roles in shows such as ''Guys and Dolls'', ''Ain't Misbehavin' ''and ''Cats'' (as Old Deuteronomy) on Broadway, and playing the Cowardly Lion again in the Madison Square Garden production of ''The Wizard of Oz''. He would later return to the Muny to play both the Cowardly Lion and the Wizard in different productions of ''The Wizard of Oz''. He was also the voice of Oogie Boogie in ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'', a role he reprised in video games, concerts, and other presentations. He won a Theatre World Award in 1976, and a Drama Desk Award in 1978.
 
(Information courtesy [https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Ken_Page The Oz Wiki] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Page Wikipedia].)


(Information courtesy of [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9039245/Nicol-Williamson.html ''The Telegraph''].)
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'''<u>January 21, 2012</u>'''
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<br><img src="pics/bbwinter11.jpg" width="250" height="321" align="left" alt="The Baum Bugle, Winter 2011" />The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, has now been printed and is making its way to members' mailboxes. Cover dated Winter 2011, this is the final issue of members' 2011 memberships, so get those renewals in soon!


<br clear=all>In this issue:
==September 28, 2024: Ryan Bunch Receives 2024 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award; Oz Club Contest Winners==
Tonight, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, the highest honor that the International Wizard of Oz Club bestows, went to Ryan Bunch. Currently President of the Club, he has also served on the Board of Directors and as Vice-President. He has also chaired conventions and written for the Club's journal, ''The Baum Bugle''. His recent book, [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0190843144/thewonderwizardo/ ''Oz and the Musical''], examines how different dramatic interpretations of Oz on stage demonstrate the evolution of musical theater.


*The front cover is a reprint of Dick Martin's art for the August 1961 issue, announcing the Club's first convention. For this issue, Marcus M&eacute;b&egrave;s colored and slightly redesigned the art to commemorate fifty years of Oz Club sponsored and supported conventions. The rear and inside covers reprint convention photos from all five decades.
Also tonight, the winners of the Oz Club's annual writing and art contests were announced:
*Scott Cummings writes of Oz (and other) conventions in his "From the Editor" column.
* The Fred Otto Prize for Fiction:
*The list of winners of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award is updated to include the 2011 winner, Margaret Pellegrini.
** First place, "The Fairy King of Oz" by Jesse Jury
*In "Oz and Ends":
** Second place, "The Final Fate of the Phanfasms" by Aaron Solomon Adelman
* The C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction:
** First place, "Ozma's Enduring Appeal 120 Years Later" by Leighton Suen
** Second place, "Puzzle Adventures in Oz" by Tyler B. Wright
* The Rob Roy MacVeigh Prize for Art:
** First place, "A Gathering of Ozians" by Rob Lauer
** Second place, "Glinda" by David Valentin


*Bill Campbell's Oz character paintings and the merchandise you can find them on, at [http://www.zazzle.com/ozshop www.zazzle.com/ozshop].
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*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486481174/thewonderwizardo/ ''Literary Greats Paper Dolls''] a new book from Dover that includes L. Frank Baum.
*John R. Neill's old house, that he and his family lived in during the early 1900s, is for sale.
*A new French card game simply called [http://fr.asmodee.com/ressources/jeux_versions/oz.php ''Oz''].
*Interactive app versions of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' from [http://itunes.apple.com/app/oz/id473632069?mt=8 Boluga], [http://slypot.com/e-books/ozbook/ Slypot Games], and [http://wizardofozapp.com/ wizardofozapp.com], plus Eltanin's e-reader versions of [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004T5NI8S/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Marvelous Land of Oz''] and [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0050Q9EI8/thewonderwizardo/ ''Ozma of Oz''].
*In auction news, Pacific Book Auctions sold what is now believed to be the earliest known copy (the inscription is dated May 23, 1900) of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' for
422,800, and a copy of ''Kabumpo in Oz'' autographed by author Ruth Plumly Thompson for $420. Profiles in History, meanwhile, had several items from the 1939 movie version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' up for auction at their December 16 Hollywood memorabilia sale, but nobody met the reserve on neither their Cowardly Lion costume nor a pair of Ruby Slippers. Several other Oz items did sell, however, including one of Dorothy's dresses (282,900), a Munchkin soldier jacket ($36,900) and hat ($15,990), a Winkie guard spear ($36,900), and a cast-signed copy of the book ($55,500).
*The closure of the Oz Club's message board is announced, alongside the new [http://www.facebook.com/ozclub Club], [http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Baum-Bugle-a-journal-of-Oz/204803745304 ''Baum Bugle''], and [http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002867757467 ''Oziana''] pages on Facebook, and the new [http://www.oz.dorothyandozma.com/ Royal Forums of Oz], run by Jared Davis.
*Two new online Oz comics, [http://delusionarystate.com/ ''Delusionary State''] (about a scientific expedition to Oz) and [http://www.namesakecomic.com/ ''Namesake''] (an examination of the nature of the choldren who visit Oz and Wonderland).
*New museums and exhibits include [http://cartoonart.org/2011/10/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' at the Cartoon Art Museum] in San Francisco (now through April 15), and [http://www.oz-stravaganza.com/home/history-of-l-frank-baum/all-things-oz All Things Oz] in L. Frank Baum's home town of Chittenango, New York. Also, Sony Pictures announced the construction of a permanent giant metal rainbow to commemorate ''The Wizard of Oz'' being made there back when it was part of the MGM studios in 1938-9.
*The formation of the Lyman Frank Baum Foundation to benefit charities in upstate New York, formed in Chittenango.
*The forthcoming American premiere of the play [http://www.guthrietheater.org/plays_events/plays/end_rainbow ''The End of the Rainbow''] in Minnesota, before it moves to Broadway later this year.


*"Death Valley and the Deadly Desert: A Discovery in a Western Newspaper" by Marilyn Strasser Olson shows parallels between Baum's creation of the Deadly Desert and an 1890 humor column about Death Valley from ''The Los Angeles Times''.
==July 20, 2024: The 2024 Winkie Award==
*Nathan M. DeHoff takes a closer look at the evolution and nature of the Deadly Desert in "'Great dates and deserts!' Some Thoughts on the Deadly Desert of Oz".
Tonight, the 2024 edition of the Winkie Award was presented by OzCon International to Cindy Ragni. Cindy has been a long-time supporter of OzCon, presenting on many topics. In recent years, she has also coordinated the dealers' room (all while also running her own space in it). Her contributions were recognized by her fellow OzCon members, who voted that she receive the convention's highest award.
*"Three is a Magic Number: Trinitarianism and Numeric Instability in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''" by Walter Squire looks at the nature of how the number three appears in the first Oz book &mdash; and how it changes to other numbers in unexpected ways.
*"From Bass Lake to Beech Mountain: Fifty Years of Oz Club Conventions" is an illustrated look back at Oz conventions in the 1960s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and the twenty-first century, interspersed with remembrances from several Oz Club members.
*"Adventures in Oz" presents stories from Peter E. Hanff ("''Cyclone on the Prairies'': A Leaf Book") and Michael O. Riley ("A New Look at ''The Wizard''") about their collaboration on two new books looking back at the original publication of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' in 1900, both of which were published by the [http://www.bccbooks.org/">Book Club of California].
*"The MGM Scrapbook" presents the third and final part of the 1939 publicity article, "The Story Behind ''The Wizard of Oz''".
*In "The Oz Bookshelf":


*New adaptations of L. Frank Baum's [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0762427965/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus''] (illustrated by Charles Santore) and [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0046LUFC2/thewonderwizardo/ ''A Kidnapped Santa Claus''] (adpated and illustrated as a graphic novel by Alex Robinson), both reviewed by Eric Shanower.
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*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446583774/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Reading Promise'' by Alice Ozma], reviewed by Angelica Carpenter.
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0973483717/thewonderwizardo/ ''Shadows of the Emerald City'', an anthology edited by J. W. Schnarr] and reviewed by Joe Bongiorno.
*The Magician of Oz trilogy ([http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0578023539/thewonderwizardo/ ''Magician of Oz''], [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0578053853/thewonderwizardo/ ''Shadow Demon of Oz''], and [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0578070898/thewonderwizardo/ ''Family of Oz'']) by James C. Wallace II, reviewed by Margaret Berg.
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0803734638/thewonderwizardo/ ''Fantasy Baseball'' by Alan Gratz], reviewed by Carpenter.
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/146286368X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Adolf Hitler in Oz'' by Sam Sackett].
*Dover's reprint of [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486484661/thewonderwizardo/ ''Denslow's Mother Goose''].
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1453596046/thewonderwizardo/ ''Emerald City: The New Adventures of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz'' by Arnold Schildkret].
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0980064228/thewonderwizardo/ ''From Tennessee to Oz: The Amazing Saga of Judy Garland's Family History'' by Michelle Russell].
*[http://www.itsallaboutdorothy.com/ ''It's All About Dorothy'' by Tony Rizzo, illustrated by Warden Neil, with a music CD by Jack Allan Allocco].
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0762437715/thewonderwizardo/ ''Judy: A Legendary Film Career'' by John Fricke].
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1456522531/thewonderwizardo/ ''Lefty Visits Oz: The Adventures of Lefty: Vol. 1'' by James L. Fuller].
*[http://bigdogink.com/?page_id=1159#ecwid:category=1808108&mode=category&offset=0&sort=normal ''The Legend of Oz: The Wicked West'' by Tom Hutchison, Alison Borges, and Kate Finnegan].
*Dover's reprint of [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486476448/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Little Wizard Stories of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum].
*[http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/lost-in-oz-temple-of-the-deadly-desert/15932814 ''Lost in Oz: Temple of the Deadly Desert'' by Joshua Patrick Dudley], the conclusion of his ''Lost in Oz'' trilogy.
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060548940/thewonderwizardo/ ''Out of Oz'' by Gregoary Maguire], the final volume in the ''Wicked Years'' series.
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0983077444/thewonderwizardo/ ''Oz Odyssey II'' by Roger Stanton Baum] (the title was misprinted in the ''Bugle'' as ''Oz Odyssey III)''.
*[http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62366 ''Oz Squad: March of the Tin Soldiers'' by Steve Ahlquist and David Ingersoll].
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1616630205/thewonderwizardo/ ''Remembering Oz'' by Christianna Rickard], a remembrance of Ray Bolger by his niece.
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1105220664/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Talking City of Oz'' by Ron Bexley, Jr.].
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1241566615/thewonderwizardo/ ''An Unofficial Guide to L. Frank Baum and the Oz Books'', edited by Kaelyn Smith].
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0810877511/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked: A Musical Biography'' by Paul R. Laird].
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0761163735/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wizard of Oz Scanimation: 10 Classic Scenes from Over the Rainbow'' by Rufus Butler Seder].
*The [http://www.woeisoz.com/issues.html ''Woe Is Oz'' comic book series by Ethan Tarshish and Kelly Brown].
*And finally (whew!), a new edition of [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1402775466/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', illustrated by Robert Ingpen].


*"Oz Behind the Footlights" presents a review by David Moyer of the 2011 TheaterWorks USA Latin America-infused production of ''The Yellow Brick Road''.
==June 25, 2024: Bill Cobbs 1934-2024==
*John Fricke remembers movie Munchkin Karl Slover in "In Memoriam".
[[File:Master_Tinker.png|left]]Bill Cobbs, the Emmy Award-winning character actor passed away today at his home in Riverside, California. He was 90. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1934, Wilbert Francisco Hobbs was an Air Force radio technician for eight years, then went on to sell office supplies for IBM and cars. In 1970, at the age of 36, he went to New York City to try his hand at acting. Like most in the profession he struggled at first, but eventually he broke into small theatrical productions. He also started getting small roles in films and on television. His films included ''Air Bud'', the ''Night at the Museum'' series, ''The Hudsucker Proxy'', and ''That Thing You Do''. On television, he was a regular on ''I'll Fly Away'' and ''Go On'', and had guest appearances on such shows as ''The Drew Carey Show'', ''Jag'', ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' (where he played the inventor of the transporter), ''One Tree Hill'', ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' and ''Rugrats''. He won an Emmy Award in 2020 for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program for ''Dino Dana''. But to Oz fans, he will be remembered as Master Tinker in ''Oz the Great and Powerful''.
*"The Magic Picture" reports on the 2011 Winkie Convention (written by Sam Milazzo) and the 2011 IWOC National Convention in Beech Mountain, North Carolina (by Scott Hedley and Mike Penick).
*And finally, "Ozmusements" presents an Oz Want Ads puzzle, first given at the 1967 Ozmopolian Convention.


(information courtesy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cobbs Wikipedia].)
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'''<u>November 15, 2011</u>'''
==June 3, 2024: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2024==
<br>The number of living cast members of ''The Wizard of Oz'' continues to dwindle, as Karl Slover, the lead Munchkin trumpeter, died today at age 93 in Dublin, Georgia. He was the last living member of the Singer Midgets, and at three feet tall, one of the shortest Munchkin actors. (He later grew another foot and a half.) Born September 21, 1918 as Karl Kosiczky in eastern Europe in what is now the Czech Republic, his father put him in show business at an early age (he was only two feet tall at the age of eight.) He eventually became part of the Singer Midgets, which led to him getting a part in ''The Wizard of Oz'' at the age of 21. By that time, however, he was already a Hollywood veteran, having appeared in the all-midget Western ''The Terror of Tiny Town'', as well as ''Block-Heads'' with Laurel and Hardy, ''Bringing Up Baby'' with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, and ''They Gave Him a Gun'' with Spencer Tracy. He became an American cistizen in 1943, when he changed his last name to Slover. After ''Oz'', he appeared in one more movie, ''The Lost Weekend'', before retiring from show business. He settled in Tampa, Florida, before moving to Georgia in recent years. He appeared at many ''Wizard of Oz'' events, including this year's Chesterton Oz Festival.
[[File:Bbspring24.jpeg|left|400 px]]
The first issue of the year of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now making its way into members' mailboxes. This issue celebrates Oz in the 1950s, a decade not usually known for being terribly Ozzy.  


(Information courtesy [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1581822693/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Munchkins of Oz''] by Stephen Cox and [http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/17c8a8a5cbf1490c8366eb5872dc0723/GA--Obit-Slover/ ''The  Republic'' of Columbus, Indiana].)
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'''<u>October 3, 2011</u>'''
<br><center><img src="pics/bbautumn11.jpg" width="389" height="497" alt="The Baum Bugle Autumn 2011" title="The Baum Bugle Autumn 2011" /></center>
The Autumn 2011 issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, has now been sent out, and is making its way towards members. Once again, timely disribution and a timely issue make this issue a treat.
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In this issue:
In this issue:
* The front cover assembles some of Dale Ulrey's artwork from her interpretations of ''The Wizard of Oz'', ''The Tin Woodman of Oz'', and ''Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies''.
* The inside front cover reproduces an original piece by Ulrey for Fred Meyer.
* "Letters" sees Oz Club President Ryan Bunch extoll [the upcoming 2024 Oz National Convention] in Charlotte, North Carolina, while ''Bugle'' editor-in-chief Sarah K. Crotzer tells about the happy coincidences that brought this issue together.
* News items from "The Bugle Bulletin":
** Brady Schwind of the Lost Art of Oz project reveals [https://www.lostartofoz.com/blog/lost-art-found-discovering-dorothy-and-the-wizard the discovery of five of the original paintings that became color plates in ''Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz''].
** Another suspect has been charged in the 2005 theft of the Ruby Slippers in Minnesota, and the now-recovered pair will be auctioned off in December.
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1dvX9Vs0ns The first teaser trailer for ''Wicked'' debuts during the Super Bowl broadcast].
** The current revival of [https://wizmusical.com/ ''The Wiz'' opens on Broadway].
** [https://movieworld.com.au/attractions/wizard-of-oz A new ''Wizard of Oz'' precinct] is opening later this year at the Warner Bros. Movie World amusement park in Gold Coast, Australia.
** Gregory Maguire is writing an eighth book set in his version of Oz, this time a prequel: ''Elphie: A Wicked Childhood'', due to be published in October.
** A decoupaged lion at [https://www.ucitylibrary.org/ the Universal City Public Library in Universal City, Missouri] includes pages from several Oz books on its hide.
** [https://hellorayo.co.uk/hits-radio/birmingham/news/comedian-joe-lycett-behind-birmingham-banksy-mural/ The perpetrator of Oz-themed graffiti in Birmingham, England comes forward].
** Oz has appeared recently in television shows such as [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYCzqMzQxd4 ''Saturday Night Live''], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd8TE1ytxbY ''The Masked Singer''], and ''Jeopardy!''
** A claim for the Judy Garland dress found at Catholic University of America has been denied, and the school can put it up for auction.
** The Dassel History Center in Dassel, Minnesota, [https://dassel.com/hs/page/changing-exhibits honors hometown girl Hildred Olson], a Munchkin in the famous film version of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
** Recently passed Oz luminaries remembered in "Beyond the Shifting Sands" are actor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinton_Battle Hinton Battle], who originated the role of the Scarecrow in ''The Wiz''; Sergey Stefanovich Sukhinov, who wrote a number of books continuing the saga of Russia's counterpart to Oz, Magic Land; and Oz Club member Virginia Fowler.
** Now available on YouTube:
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZmQlmQgSgI ''The Will.of.Oz''], an homage to ''The Wizard of Oz'' performed to the music of the Black Eyed Peas.
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxQKltWI0NA "Oh, my!" another musical tribute to Oz].
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq3M4tKhsRM "The Bricklayer"], a music video by indie rockers Mylo Bybee.
* In "Somewhere Over the Rainbow I Wake Up Screaming", Sarah K. Crotzer discovers an early use of "Over the Rainbow" as a movie leitmotif in one of the earliest examples of ''film noir'', 1941's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Wake_Up_Screaming ''I Wake Up Screaming''].
* In "Discovering Dale Ulrey", Jane Albright uncovers the life and career of the artist Reilly and Lee wanted to reillustrate the Oz books, and why she only did it for two of the books.
* Oz games collector and expert Sara K. Crotzer uses "Collectors' Corner" to examine [https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/17760/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' game] issued by E. E. Fairchild in 1957. (The board is reprinted in color on the inside back cover.)
* In "Oz in the Arts", Anthony Whitaker reviews [https://wizmusical.com/ the current national production of ''The Wiz''] during its Chicago stop last winter, before it made it to Broadway.
* "The Bugle Review" features:
** [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-witch-of-maracoor-gregory-maguire/19880153?ean=9780063094062 ''The Witch of Maracoor'' by Gregory Maguire''], reviewed by Alan Wise.
** After forty years, the updated and revised second edition of the bibliography [https://www.lulu.com/search?contributor=CJ+Hinke&adult_audience_rating=00 ''Oz in Canada'' by C. J. Hinke], reviewed by Cynthia Ragni.
** The graphic novel [https://bookshop.org/p/books/tin-man-justin-madson/17400871 ''Tin Man'' by Justin Madison], reviewed by J. L. Bell.
** The game [https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2148122827?UTM_Campaign=BGG_Shop_Now&awid=1292 ''Lands of Oz'', designed by Charlie Hoopes with art by Zachery Tullsen], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
* "Adventures in Oz" sees Jane Albright interviewing original Mousketeer Bobby Burgess about his life and career, including his role as the Scarecrow in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okKCRIMRLMQ&ab_channel=jeffsabu ''The Rainbow Road to Oz''].
* The back cover reprints a portrait of the Wizard from Dale Ulrey's dust jacket for Reilly and Lee's 1956 edition of ''The Wizard of Oz''.


*The front cover features John R. Neill's art for the front cover label of the 1920 reissue of ''The Sea Fairies''.
Also included with this issue:
*Scott Cummings shares the results of the ''Bugle'' survey in "From the Editor".
* An art project that allows you to create your own moving Oz pictures.
*Bill Beem, Judy Bieber, and Angelica Carpenter are announced as the winners of the elections for the Board of Directors.
* The latest edition of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newspaper of all that's happening in Oz:
*[http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/oziana-%2338/17975053 ''Oziana'' #38] is announced, now being published on demand through lulu.com.
** Ryan Bunch, the new President of the International Wizard of Oz Club, makes his first diplomatic visit to the Emerald City.
*In "Oz and Ends":
** Editor Katie Jones tells what's going on in this issue.
** Dorothy presents a brief history of Oz newspapers, on both sides of the Deadly Desert.
** Two editors meet as Katie Jones interviews Sarah K. Crotzer of ''The Baum Bugle''.
** "Emerald City Book Report" turns a page on [''The Ozmapolitan of Oz''].
** ''Ozmapolitan of Oz'' author and artist Dick Martin gets a write-up.
** The latest excerpt from ''The Royal Book of Oz'' (the one in Oz, not the one you can buy in stores here) is about the Tin Woodman himself, Nick Chopper.


*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003JFZC06/thewonderwizardo/ An Oz Christmas stocking kit from Bucilla]
----
*Sharon Ray's new blog, [http://www.curiozitiesbythebook.blogspot.com/ Curiozities by the Book], devoted to Oz merchandise that's not derived from the famous movie version.
*New Oz paper and stationery products from [http://store.scrapbook.com/theme/wizard+of+oz.html Scrapbook.com] and [http://oohlalafactory.com/en/53-wizard-of-oz Ohh La La Factory].
*Sculpted Oz teapots from [http://www.stevenmcgovney.com/ex-libris-book-teapots.html Steven McGovney] and [http://www.cardewdesign.com/wizard-of-oz.html Cardew Design].
*[http://www.bradfordexchange.com/products/108569001_wizard-of-oz-book-collection-.html The Bradford Exchange's reproductions of the first editions of the Oz books].
*The website devoted to ''The Wiz'', [http://thewiztheatrecompany.com/ thewiztheatrecompany.com].
*New Oz posters by Gallery 1988 (which now seems to be sold out) and [http://postertext.com/products/wonderful-wizard-oz Postertext].
*Auctions of original artwork by W. W. Denslow and John R. Neill, inscribed first editions of ''Queen Zixi of Ix'' and ''American Fairy Tales'', a letter by L. Frank Baum to a reader, items from the Fred M. Meyer collection, costume pieces from the making of the famous 1939 film version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' and the crystal ball prop, and the Oz items in the Debbie Reynolds auction.
*An exhibit in San Francisco and two accompnaying books about the original 1900 publication of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''.
*Dr. Richard Rutter's collections of Oz cartoons, donated to the Special Collections of the Stanford University library.
*Some of Denslow's original art from ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' currently [http://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/celebrating-100-years on exhibit at the New York Public Library], in celebration of the library's centennial.
*A report from ''The Wall Street Journal'' about the yellow brick road in Peekskill, New York, which may have inspired L. Frank Baum, who had been a student at the military academy there.
*New invitations for the public to contribute a new cover to ''The Wizard of Oz'' and new illustrations for another edition, both in the United Kingdom.


*The ''Bugle'' celebrates one hundred years of ''The Sea Fairies'', first published in 1911, with "Mermaids in Oz" by Ruth Berman and a selection of contemporary reviews of the book, culled from the Baum scrapbooks and edited by Scott Cummings.
==March 18, 2024: Second Suspect Charged in Theft of the Ruby Slippers; Slippers Go On Tour Before Auction==
*Richard Tuerk examines some of the issues and themes raised in the twelfth Oz book in "Head Versus Heart in ''The Tin woodman of Oz''".
A second suspect has been charged in the 2005 theft of a pair of the Ruby Slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids. Minnesota. Jerry Sal Saliterman, 76, of Crystal, Minnesota was arraigned in federal court in St. Paul, and charged with felony theft of a major artwork and witness tampering, the latter a threat to distribute graphic videos of a woman to prevent her from talking to the FBI. As Saliterman is in a wheelchair and uses an oxygen tank, he was not deemed a flight risk and released on his own recognizance. His attorney intends to file a plea of not guilty. Details about the charges, or Saliterman's connection to Terry John Martin, who pled guilty to stealing the Ruby Slippers late last year, are still unknown at this time.
*"The MGM Scrapbook" continues its presentation of the syndicated article "The Story Behind ''The Wizard of Oz''" with parts 3 and 4.
*A vintage story by Ruth Plumly Thompson, "Blonde Rival", originally published in Marvel's ''Miss America'' magazine in its February 1947 issue.
*"The Oz Collector" visits Wausaukee, Wisconsin, in "Oz, Wisconsin! A Visit to the Land of Oz Museum".
*Reviewed in "The Oz Bookshelf":


*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/097941332X/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Adventures of Glinda Gale'' by J. A. Holst], reviewed by Joe Bongiorno.
In related news, Michael Shaw, the owner of the Ruby Slippers at the time of the theft (he had loaned them to the museum) has bought back the Ruby Slippers from his insurance company, and received them in February. He has now turned them over to Heritage Actions, a firm that specializes in selling movie memorabilia and other rare items, for safekeeping and consignment. Heritage plans to put the Slippers on display in an international tour before auctioning them off in December this year.
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0615174590/thewonderwizardo/ ''Tales of Magic Land 3'' by Aleksandr Volkov and translated by Peter L. Blystone], reviewed by Alan Wise.
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060881224/thewonderwizardo/ ''Designs on Film: A Century of Hollywood Art Direction'' by Cathy Whitlock], reviewed by Wise.
*[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1843651572/thewonderwizardo/ ''Michael Foreman's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''], reviewed by Angelica Carpenter.


*In "Oz Behind the Footlights", Michael O'Connor reviews [http://www.wizardofozthemusical.com/ Andrew Lloyd Webber's new stage version of ''The Wizard of Oz''], now playing in the West End in London.
(Information courtesy [https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/second-man-charged-over-theft-of-wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers-1602790.html Breakingnews.ie] and [https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/03/17/second-man-indicted-in-oz-ruby-slipper-theft Minnesota Public Radio].)
*"The Magic Picture" looks at the dedication of a memorial marker for Terry, the Cairn terrier who played Toto in the famous film verison of ''The Wizard of Oz'', at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
*"In Memoriam" remembers Joan Neill Farnsworth, John R. Neill's youngest daughter, and Roland Roycraft, who illustrated new dust jackets for the Oz books in the late 1950s.
*The back cover is an illustration by Thea Kliros from [http://beta.bedwickandjones.com/the-wizard-of-oz a new edition of ''The Wizard of Oz''].


Oz Club members with premium memberships should have received their copies already, and other members should get their issues soon.
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==Rumor Control==
(Because of the many questions I am asked about possible forthcoming Oz projects or other bits of pseudo-news, I have added this section to answer some of these inquiries.)
 
----
 
The latest Oz projects to be announced in Hollywood: ''Cheshire Crossing'', the graphic novel by Andy Weir and Sarah Anderson, optioned by Amblin Partners (see [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/amblin-michael-de-luca-tackling-martian-author-s-fantasy-graphic-novel-cheshire-crossing-1255011 this report]); and an animated musical adaptation of the book ''Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz'', where the story is told from Toto's point of view, to be produced at Warner Bros. (see [https://deadline.com/2020/10/toto-the-dog-gone-amazing-story-of-the-wizard-of-oz-animated-pic-in-the-works-at-warner-bros-1234596757/ this source]).
 
----
 
Okay, yes, word has leaked out that Warner Bros. tried to talk Robert Zemeckis into directing a remake of ''The Wizard of Oz'', using the same screenplay as the famous 1939 Judy Garland version. Zemeckis already rejected the idea. This probably puts the idea on the back burner for a while, and based on the ''extreme'' negative reaction the idea got, I suspect it will stay there. Rumors of this have surfaced again, but appear to be the result of someone finding the old story and running it again.
 
----


<a name="rumors">'''<u>Rumor Control</u>''']
It's getting harder and harder to keep up with all of the currently planned Oz movie and television projects. Bear in mind that at this stage, most of it is speculation and/or not even in pre-production, or possibly even a game of "Telephone". But here are some of the current Oz movies that could be coming to your local theater in the next few years:
<br>(Because of the many questions I am asked about possible forthcoming Oz projects or other bits of pseudo-news, I have added this section to answer some of these inquiries.)
<hr>
It's been mentioned before, in an on-again, off-again way, but it looks like the ''Wicked'' television miniseries is on again. This is not an adaptation of the musical, but of the original novel, with Salma Hayak producing and directing, and possibly writing as well. It's under development for ABC.
<hr>
Okay, yes, word has leaked out that Warner Bros. tried to talk Robert Zemeckis into directing a remake of ''The Wizard of Oz'', using the same screenplay as the famous 1939 Judy Garland version. Zemeckis already rejected the idea. This probably puts the idea on the back burner for a while, and based on the ''extreme'' negative reaction the idea got, I suspect it will stay there.
<hr>
It's getting harder and harder to keep up with all of the currently planned Oz movie projects. Bear in mind that at this stage, most of it is speculation and/or not even in pre-production, or possibly even a game of "Telephone". But here are some of the current Oz movies that could be coming to your local theater in the next few years:


*''The Witches of Oz'', which has the Wicked Witch of the West coming to New York City to exact her revenge on a now grown-up Dorothy. Christopher Lloyd plays the Wizard. Both theatrical movie and television miniseries versions of this have been prepared, and it has already been shown on the Syfy Channel in Great Britain and released on DVD in Europe and Australia. The television miniseries version was a featured offer of DISH Cinema in September 2011. It is now also having a limited run in select theaters under the title ''Dorothy and the Witches of Oz'', and is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray.
*''The Road to Oz'', a movie biopic about the life of L. Frank Baum and how he created Oz, starring Eddie Redmayne as Frank. (See reports [http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/aug/06/eddie-redmayne-wizard-of-oz-author-l-frank-baum here] and [http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/eddie-redmayne-to-play-author-l-frank-baum-in-biopic-road-to-oz-268 here].)
*''Oz, The Great and Powerful'', a prequel about how the Wizard came to Oz, directed by Sam Raimi and starring <s>Robert Downey, Jr.</s> <s>Johnny Depp</s> James Franco, for Disney. (This may have previously been announced as ''Brick''.) Disney has announced an intented release date of March 8, 2013.
*''Dark Oz 3-D'', based on the old Caliber comic book.
*''Dark Oz 3-D'', based on the old Caliber comic book.
*A non-musical, faithful adaptation of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' from New Line and [http://www.templehillent.com/ Temple Hill].
*A non-musical, faithful adaptation of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' from New Line and [http://www.templehillent.com/ Temple Hill].
*[http://www.dorothyofoz.com/ ''Dorothy of Oz''], an animated musical sequel based on the book by Roger S. Baum, which now has a poster with an August 3, 2012 release on it (although it looks like that's now been pushed back to 2013).
*''The Oz Wars'', which would have the witches fighting for control of the Emerald City while the Wizard leads the resistance.
*''The Oz Wars'', which would have the witches fighting for control of the Emerald City while the Wizard leads the resistance.
*John Boorman's [http://www.actionsynthese.com/index2.php?language=en animated adaptation of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''] seems to be on track for release &mdash; in France. Once it's released, an English-language release will likely come out soon afterwards. (However, in a [http://www.filmireland.net/2011/03/16/interview-with-john-boorman/ recent interview], Boorman admitted that the project has stalled due to lack of funding.)
*John Boorman's [http://www.actionsynthese.com/index2.php?language=en animated adaptation of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''] seems to be on track for release &mdash; in France. Once it's released, an English-language release will likely come out soon afterwards. (However, in a [http://www.filmireland.net/2011/03/16/interview-with-john-boorman/ recent interview], Boorman admitted that the project has stalled due to lack of funding.)
*''Oz: Return to the Emerald City'' was one of two possible competing projects at Warner Bros. This original sequel may now be shopped around to other studios, or turned into a novel.
*''Oz: Return to the Emerald City'' was one of two possible competing projects at Warner Bros. This original sequel may now be shopped around to other studios, or turned into a novel.
*[http://www.independentstoriesinc.com/WonderfulWizard.htm ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''], a low-budget independent production from Barnyard Studios and Used Productions. This is very much a shoestring production, which is looking for money and actors.
*[http://www.independentstoriesinc.com/WonderfulWizard.htm ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''], a low-budget independent production from Barnyard Studios and Used Productions. This is very much a shoestring production, which is looking for money and actors. But its Kickstarter campaign to raise the last money it needed was a success, so it may be finished soon.
*[http://valleywind.com/legendofoz/ ''Legend of Oz''], a modern retelling of ''The Wizard of Oz'' from Valley Wind Productions in Ottawa.
*[http://valleywind.com/legendofoz/ ''Legend of Oz''], a modern retelling of ''The Wizard of Oz'' from Valley Wind Productions in Ottawa.
*Yes, it looks like a film version of ''Wicked'' is currently in pre-planning at Universal. But this is a long way off&mdash;sometime in the middle of the decade&mdash;and a lot can happen. However, the success of the play most likely means that there will be a film version some day.
*[http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2010/06/16/are-the-polish-brothers-planning-their-own-trip-to-oz/ ''Oz''], a new telling of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
*[http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2010/06/16/are-the-polish-brothers-planning-their-own-trip-to-oz/ ''Oz''], a new telling of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
*A still unnamed horror movie set in the 1920s with Dorothy meeting Alice in Bedlam Asylum.
*A still unnamed horror movie set in the 1920s with Dorothy meeting Alice in Bedlam Asylum.
*[http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/berlin/european-film-market/mcnamara-to-direct-young-santa/5066468.article ''Young Santa'']., based on L. Frank Baum's book ''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'' and directed by Sean McNamara.
*''How the Wizard Came to Oz'', based on two books by Donald Abbott.
*Not entirely Oz, strictly speaking, but the Judy Garland biography ''Get Happy'' may be made into a movie, featuring Anne Hathaway as Garland.
And it's not limited to movies any more. In development for television:
*[http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/warner-horizon-turn-oz-fantasy-420517 ''Red Brick Road''], a television series continuation of ''The Wizard of Oz'' in the style of ''Game of Thrones''. The latest word is that this is being developed for the Lifetime channel.
*[http://www.deadline.com/2013/08/cbs-developing-wizard-of-oz-themed-medical-drama-from-timbermanbeverly/ ''Dorothy''], an Oz-themed medical drama in development at CBS
*[http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Tim-Kring-Developing-Wizard-Oz-Drama-Dorothy-Must-Die-CW-58899.html ''Dorothy Must Die''], in which Dorothy has returned to Oz and become a dictator, in development at the CW. This would be based on the book series of the same name.
*''Warriors of Oz'', a post-apocalyptic version in development at Syfy.
* A ''Wicked'' television miniseries, based on the original book (not the stage musical). Salma Hayak was attached to this as a producer. When last heard of, it was under development at ABC.
----


<hr>
No, Peter Jackson is ''not'' producing or directing a billion-dollar all-CGI remake of ''The Wizard of Oz'' for Warner Bros. How do stories like this get started? Oh, maybe in [http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31184 stories like this]...
No, Peter Jackson is ''not'' producing or directing a billion-dollar all-CGI remake of ''The Wizard of Oz'' for Warner Bros. How do stories like this get started? Oh, maybe in [http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31184 stories like this]...
<hr>
 
It seems the [http://www.hash.com/2007web/ Hash, Inc.], animated production of [http://wiki.hash.com/index.php?title=Main_Page_Two ''The Tin Woodman of Oz''] was successful enough that they're going ahead with their next production, ''The Scarecrow of Oz''. This one even has test footage on YouTube, which looks something like this:
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<center><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0PN379JK76g&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0PN379JK76g&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></center>
 
<hr>
A [http://www.toonzentertainment.com/toonzEntertainment/santa-claus.html computer animated production of Baum's 1902 book ''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus''] is currently in the works. The producers are Hyde Park Entertainment, Toonz Entertainment, and Gang of 7 Animation. As with all movie projects, a lot can happen before release, which could cause them be delayed, or not to appear at all. Keep an eye on this website's news and events pages for details if they get closer to actually coming out.
<hr>
In recent years, there have been proposals for other Oz or related projects, none of which now appear that they will get off the ground. Among them:
In recent years, there have been proposals for other Oz or related projects, none of which now appear that they will get off the ground. Among them:


*''Lost in Oz'', a series that was to feature Melissa George as a Kansas university student who is whisked to Oz sixty years after the events of ''The Wizard of Oz'' and helping to spearhead a rebellion against the new Wicked Witch of the West. Although developed for the WB and a pilot film produced, it was never picked up, nor the pilot shown. (But keep an eye out on auction sites, as a bootleg DVD sometimes shows up...)
*''Lost in Oz'', a series that was to feature Melissa George as a Kansas university student who is whisked to Oz sixty years after the events of ''The Wizard of Oz'' (The Movie) and helping to spearhead a rebellion against the new Wicked Witch of the West. Although developed for the WB and a pilot film produced, it was never picked up, nor the pilot shown. (But keep an eye out on auction sites, as a bootleg DVD sometimes shows up…)
*A telelvision miniseries based on Gregory Maguire's novel ''Wicked'', with Demi Moore in the title role. (There are stories that the people developing this version later pushed their involvement into the musical version now playing on Broadway and elsewhere.)
*A television miniseries based on Gregory Maguire's novel ''Wicked'', with Demi Moore in the title role. (There are stories that the people developing this version later pushed their involvement into the musical version now playing on Broadway and elsewhere.)
*''The O. Z.'', a hip-hop flavored re-telling of ''The Wizard of Oz'' for Fox. Among the rumored Dorothy's at one point were Brandy, Mya, and the late Aaliyah. Justin Timberlake, John Leuizamo, and Little Richard were mentioned for other parts.
*''The O. Z.'', a hip-hop flavored re-telling of ''The Wizard of Oz'' for Fox. Among the rumored Dorothy's at one point were Brandy, Mya, and the late Aaliyah. Justin Timberlake, John Leuizamo, and Little Richard were mentioned for other parts.
*''Surrender Dorothy''. Drew Barrymore as Dorothy's great-granddaughter coming to Oz, and battling the Wicked Witch of the West's granddaughter. (Rumors of this recently resurfaced, but were quickly squelched. This project is dead.)
*''Surrender Dorothy''. Drew Barrymore as Dorothy's great-granddaughter coming to Oz, and battling the Wicked Witch of the West's granddaughter. (Rumors of this recently resurfaced, but were quickly squelched. This project is dead.)
Line 234: Line 382:
*''The Land of Oz'' (not based on the book of the same name), produced by Hallmark for NBC. This eventually became the basis for the Sci Fi Channel miniseries ''Tin Man''.
*''The Land of Oz'' (not based on the book of the same name), produced by Hallmark for NBC. This eventually became the basis for the Sci Fi Channel miniseries ''Tin Man''.
*''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'' from Circa Pictures. It's no longer listed on their website.
*''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'' from Circa Pictures. It's no longer listed on their website.
*''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus'' from Hyde Park Entertainment and Toonz Entertainment.
*A Bollywood adaptation of ''The Wizard of Oz'' in India.
*A Bollywood adaptation of ''The Wizard of Oz'' in India.
*A movie version of American McGee's (later cancelled) ''Oz'' video game.
*A movie version of American McGee's (later cancelled) ''Oz'' video game.
Line 239: Line 388:


If progress is made on any of these projects, such as actually going into production or a release date announced, the news will be posted as quickly as possible on this page. But at this stage, any of these going into production is very unlikely. (However, ''Tin Man'' was part of this list for some time before its eventual completion and broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel.)
If progress is made on any of these projects, such as actually going into production or a release date announced, the news will be posted as quickly as possible on this page. But at this stage, any of these going into production is very unlikely. (However, ''Tin Man'' was part of this list for some time before its eventual completion and broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel.)
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Latest revision as of 19:29, 27 March 2025

(I will update this page when there is news to tell. Any news older than a year is dropped at the next update. If you have news to report, please e-mail me.)

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(For more Oz news, check out The Daily Ozmopolitan. For the latest Oz not-quite-news, see the Rumor Control section of this page.)

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Wicked and Wicked: For Good Accolades and Awards

With high profile movie releases, naturally Wicked and Wicked: For Good will receive acclaim during the film award seasons. Here, then, we will keep track of awards presented to the Wicked movies and their cast and crew, plus nominations for awards to be given later. Keep an eye on this list or the Wikipedia page as more news comes in.

The awards are presented here in the chronological order they were presented:

  • September 27, 2024: International Cinematographers "Manaki Brothers" Film Festival, SUMOLIGHT Creative Energy Award: Alice Brooks (Cinematographer) and Dave Smith (Gaffer)
  • November 18, 2024: Heartland Film Festival, Truly Moving Picture Award: Wicked
  • November 23, 2024: The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage, Production Designer Award: Nathan Crowley
  • December 4, 2024: National Board of Review
    • Best Film: Wicked
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Spotlight Award: the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
  • December 5, 2024: American Film Institute Awards, Top 10 Films of the Year: Wicked (alongside nine other movies)
  • December 8, 2024: Washington DC Area Film Critics Film Critics Association
    • Best Feature: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
  • December 8, 2024: Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards
    • Best Picture: Wicked
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez)
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Casting: Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Marketing Campaign: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
  • December 9, 2024: Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, Actress Award—Film: Cynthia Erivo
  • December 9, 2024: Michigan Movie Critics Guild, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • December 9, 2024: Atlanta Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • December 9, 2024: San Diego Film Critics Society
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • December 13, 2024: African-American Film Critics Association, Innovator Award: Paul Tazewell
  • December 13, 2024: Las Vegas Film Critics Society
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Family Film: Wicked
  • December 15, 2024: St. Louis Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • December 16, 2024: Phoenix Film Critics Society
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • December 16, 2024: Seattle Film Critics Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • December 16, 2024: Iowa Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Isabella Rossellini in Conclave)
  • December 16, 2024: Southeastern Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • December 21, 2024: Nevada Film Critics Society
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Visual Effects: Pablo Helman
  • December 30, 2024: TiBS Editors Choice Awards:
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Ensemble: Wicked
  • January 2, 2025: Capri Hollywood-International Film Festival Award, Best Sound: Wicked
  • January 2, 2025: Critics Association of Central Florida
    • Best Cast: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Sound Design: Wicked
  • January 3, 2025: Palm Springs International Film Festival
    • Creative Impact in Acting Award: Cynthia Erivo
    • Rising Star Award: Ariana Grande
  • January 3, 2025: Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • January 4, 2025: DiscussingFilm Global Critic Award, Best Production Design: Wicked
  • January 5, 2025: Golden Globe Awards, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement: Wicked
  • January 10, 2025: Music City Film Critics Association, Best Music Film: Wicked
  • January 10, 2025: Minnesota Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • January 12, 2025: Puerto Rico Critics Association
    • Best Comedy/Musical: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • January 13, 2025: North Dakota Film Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • January 13, 2025: Hawaii Film Critics Society
    • Best Art Direction: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Visual Effects: Wicked
  • January 14, 2025: Portland Critics Association, Best Supporting Performance (Female): Ariana Grande
  • January 16, 2025: North American Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • January 24, 2025: Denver Film Critics Society, Best Supporting Performance by an Actor, Female: Ariana Grande
  • January 26, 2025: Satellite Awards
    • Best Supporting Actress—Motion Picture: Ariana Grande
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Sound: Wicked
    • Make-Up Award: Wicked
  • January 27, 2025: Online Film Critics Society, Technical Achievement Award — Choreography: Wicked
  • February 6, 2025: Costume Designers Guild Awards, Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: Paul Tazewell
  • February 7, 2025: Set Decorators Society of America, Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film: Lee Sandales and Nathan Crowley
  • February 7, 2025: Critics' Choice Movie Awards
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
  • February 7, 2025: AACTA Awards, Audience Choice Award for Favourite Film: Wicked
  • February 9, 2025: Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Virtuoso Award: Ariana Grande
  • February 9, 2025: AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Best Screenwriter: Winnie Holzman
  • February 12, 2025: Artios Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy): Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, Ryan Bernard Tymensky, Tamsyn Manson
  • February 13, 2025: Dorian Awards
    • Supporting Film Performance of the Year: Ariana Grande
    • "We're Wilde About You" Rising Star Award: Jonathan Bailey
    • Galeca LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer: Cynthia Erivo
  • February 15, 2025: Art Directors Guild Awards, Excellence in Production Design for a Fantasy Film: Nathan Crowley
  • February 15, 2025: Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild
    • Best Period and/or Character Make-Up in a Feature-Length Motion Picture: Frances Hannon, Alice Jones, Nuria Mbornio, Johanna Nielsen, Branka Vorkapic
    • Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling in a Feature-Length Motion Picture: Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Sim Camps, Gabor Kerekes
  • February 16, 2025: BAFTA Film Awards
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • February 17, 2025: Black Reel Awards
    • Outstanding Soundtrack: Wicked
    • Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • February 17, 2025: Latino Entertainment Journalists Society
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • February 22, 2025: NAACP Image Awards
    • Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album: Wicked: The Soundtrack
  • February 23, 2025: Online Film and Television Association
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Adapted Song: "Defying Gravity"
  • February 23, 2025: Golden Reel Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing–Feature Motion Picture: Catherine Wilson, Robin Baynton
  • February 28, 2025: International Cinematographers Guild Publicists Awards, Maxwell Weinberg Award for Motion Picture Publicity Campaign: Wicked
  • March 2, 2025: Academy Awards
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
  • March 11, 2025: Queerties
    • Drama Movie: Wicked
    • Film Performance: Jonathan Bailey
    • Next Big Thing: Wicked: For Good
  • March 14, 2025: American Cinema Editors Awards, Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical: Myron Kerstein
  • March 17, 2025: iHeartRadio Music Awards, Favorite Soundtrack: Wicked: The Soundtrack

March 18, 2025: Saliterman, Ruby Slipper Thief, Dies

Charges against Jerry Hal Saliterman, who had pled guilty to playing a part in the 2005 theft of the Ruby Slippers from the Judy Garland Museum, have been dismissed when prosecutors informed the court that he had died the day before. Saliterman's defense attorney, John Brink, confirmed the passing. The 77-year-old Saliterman had been hospitalized with lung disease and other ailments, and his most recent court appearance, in January, had been a remote feed from his hospital room. At that time, he changed his initial plea to guilty of charges of theft of a major artwork and witness tampering.

(Information courtesy The Associated Press.)

January 3, 2025: Saliterman to Plead Guilty to Hiding Ruby Slippers

Jerry Hal Saliterman, accused of theft of a major artwork and witness tampering in connection with the 2005 theft of the Ruby Slippers in Minnesota, now plans to plead guilty to the charges in a court appearance on January 10. It is not currently known how Saliterman is connected to Terry John Martin, who pled guilty to stealing the slippers in 2023. Saliterman originally pled not guilty when first charged in March of 2024, but his age (77) and poor health may have resulted in a deal that allows him to stay out of jail like Martin.

(Information courtesy U. S. News and World Reports.)

December 13, 2024: The Baum Bugle's Celebratory 200th Issue

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The Autumn 2024 issue of The Baum Bugle, the journal of the International Wizard of Oz, has come back from the printers and is on its way to members' mailboxes. This is the two hundredth issue of the Bugle, so the journal celebrates itself, for once.

In this issue:

  • The wraparound cover pays tribute to the first illustrated cover of the Bugle (for the May 1959 issue), showing many different illustrators' versions of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman
  • The inside front cover reproduces Maxfield Parrish's cover for the January 1917 issue of Metropolitan.
  • In "Letters", Oz Club President Ryan Bunch reflects on winning the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award during a hurricane, while Bugle editor Sarah K. Krotzer looks at the production of this issue within the overall history of the journal.
  • In "The Bugle Bulletin":
    • The Club opens its archive with reprints of selected articles from past issues of The Baum Bugle.
    • The town of Salina, New York breaks ground on a new community center at the site of Rose Lawn, the Baum family estate. The center will include a Baum-themed museum.
    • Gregory Maguire's writing another book set in his version of Oz. Elphie, coming out March 25, 2025, will recount tales of the childhood of Elphaba, who will later become the Wicked Witch of the West.
    • The stolen pair of Ruby Slippers, now recovered, are on tour and will go up for auction in December.
    • The latest revival of The Wiz surpasses one hundred performances on Broadway.
    • The release of the first Wicked movie is moved up to November 22, 2024.
    • Marvelous: A Musical Opera based on The Marvelous Land of Oz premieres in Sisterville, West Virginia on April 5, 2025
    • "Beyond the Shifting Sands" recognizes the passing of Ken Page, who understudied for Ted Ross in the original Broadway production of The Wiz before taking over the role himself.
  • One of the original charter members of the International Wizard of Oz Club, Ruth Berman, looks back on how it all started in "A Gleam in Justin's Eye: Oz Club Origins".
  • In "In Search of Snow White: The Unrealized Dream of Maxfield Parrish and L. Frank Baum", Scott Cummings looks at a second Parrish-Baum collaboration that ultimately never came to be, a book and stage play of Snow White in the late 1910s.
  • Peter E. Hanff looks at how one man changed the Bugle from a humble newsletter to a comprehensive journal in "Martin's Marvels: Dick Martin's Graphical Contributions to the History of The Baum Bugle". Accompanying this article is a color supplement of Bugle covers Martin contributed to, including examples of color separations; and "A Checklist of Cover Art for The Baum Bugle by Dick Martin".
  • J. L. Bell examines the development of cartography in the Oz books in the award-winning "The Inspiring Maps of Oz".
  • "Keepers of the Record" presents reminiscences of three previous Bugle editors:
    • "A Brief Reminiscence of My Bugle Editorship, 1996-2000" by William Stillman.
    • "Notes from an Old Bugle Editor" by Michael Gessel.
    • "The Call of a Bugle—and Where It Led" by John Fricke.
  • "How It Began (Again)" looks at some mocked-up dummy pages, created by Dick Martin, for the Spring 1979 issue of the Bugle.
  • The inside back cover reproduces the earliest known map of Oz, a slide from the 1908 multimedia show The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays.

Also included with this issue:

  • The craft project is a map of Oz to color.
  • In Issue No. 20 of The Oz Gazette, the newsletter for younger Oz fans (of all ages):
    • Editor-in-Chief Katie Jones and Number Nine outline efforts to clean up the Emerald City after the Nome King's recent occupation, and reveal the Gump as the new Head of Security.
    • Polychrome reveals a puzzle where weather-related clues help you to unscramble Oz place names.
    • Scraps opines on issues of writing Oz poetry.
    • The Scarecrow gives story recommendations:
    • And throughout the issue, mysterious figures seem to be scouting out the country for nefarious purposes. But is someone scouting them out in turn?

December 7, 2024: Ruby Slippers Auction Sets New Movie Memorabilia Record

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The most notorious pair of Ruby Slippers used during production of the famous 1939 film version of The Wizard of Oz went up for auction today, and the final price shattered all records for the price paid for a piece of movie memorabilia. Of the four known pairs of Ruby Slippers known to still exist, this pair, "The Traveling Shoes", were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005 and recovered in 2018, when they acquired a new nickname, "The Stolen Pair". They were ultimately returned to owner Michael Shaw who decided it was time to sell them. Estimated to go for at least $3,000,000, online bidding reached $1,550,000 before live bidding on site at Heritage Auctions began. The estimate was quickly surpassed, and when bidding ended, the final bid was $28,000,000, far outpacing any previous price for movie memorabilia. With commission and other fees, the total final price paid was $32,500,000. The Ruby Slippers alone surpassed the previous record for an entire movie memorabilia auction, the $22,800,000 that Debbie Reynolds' collection was sold for in 2011.

Other Oz items available in the auction:

  • One of Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West hats, and the only one known to carry Hamilton's name inside, earned the second highest price for an item from The Wizard of Oz, $2,930,000
  • Producer Mervyn LeRoy's script from the MGM art department, $50,000
  • The screen door from the Gale farmhouse, $37,500
  • Judy Garland's blonde wig from the first week of shooting, $30,000
  • The MGM contract for songwriters Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg, $23,125

Other items of interest at the auction included a sceen-used Jumanji board game from the eponymous movie; a crate used to hold bombs in the original 1933 version of King Kong; a hoverboard from Back to the Future II; Kevin's scarf, coat, hat, and mittens from Home Alone; Wilson, Tom Hanks' volleyball co-star in Castaway; and a screen-used golden ticket from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

(Information and image courtesy Heritage Auctions.)


December 2, 2024: Paul Maslansky 1933-2024

Longtime Hollywood producer Paul Maslansky died today in a hospital in San Robles, California. He was 91. His first credit was for the 1964 horror film Castle of the Living Dead with Christopher Lee, and he worked on many films in the 1970s and '80s. His biggest success was the Police Academy series, beginning in 1984 with the first movie which spawned several other movies, a television series, and an animated series. Another of his credits at the time was Return to Oz. He is survived by his long-time partner Sally Emr, three children, and two grandchildren.

(Information courtesy Variety and Wikipedia.)

November 3, 2024: Quincy Jones, 1933-2024

Quincy Jones in The Wiz.

Quincy Jones, the EGOT-winning musician and producer, passed away today at the age of 91. Born in 1933 in Chicago, Jones graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle (where the performing arts center is named for him). He soon started working with jazz bands all over the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He also worked in the early days of television with such artists as Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and Elvis Presley. He worked with Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra on an album, and then broke into the movies when he composed the music for The Pawnbroker. He would go on to work on movies such as In the Heat of the Night, In Cold Blood, The Italian Job, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Cactus Flower, and both versions of The Color Purple. For television, he composed music for the original Ironside, Sanford and Son, and the original Roots (for which he earned his Emmy Award). Later, as a producer, he oversaw shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and its successor, Bel Air, and MadTV. He won 28 Grammy Awards, the most for any producer and the third most of all time, including Album of the Year in 2023 for Harry's House. He won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2016 as a producer for The Color Purple, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have given him two of their highest honors, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995 and the Academy Honorary Award in 2024 (which will now be presented posthumously). Other accomplishments have included the Grammy Legend Award, the Kennedy Center Honors, the BET Humanitarian Award, the National Medal of Arts, and the Grand Commandeur de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the government of France.

In comparison to everything else, his contributions to Oz may not have had as much impact, but he was a crucial part of the 1978 film version of The Wiz, where he was musical supervisor and producer. He also contributed new music, including for the songs "Can I Go On?" and "Is This What Feeling Gets? (Dorothy's Theme)". He also appeared onscreen in an uncredited cameo as the pianist in the Emerald City. It was during The Wiz that Quincy Jones first met with Michael Jackson, and he was so impressed with Jackson's work ethic playing the Scarecrow that Jones agreed to produce Jackson's forthcoming solo album Off the Wall. They would later work together on two more Jackson albums, Thriller and Bad. Jones would also produce and conduct on a song Jackson co-wrote, the 1985 charity anthem "We Are the World".

(Information courtesy The Associated Press and Wikipedia. Photo courtesy The International Wizard of Oz Club's Facebook page.)

September 30, 2024: Ken Page, 1954-2024

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Ken Page, the character actor known for his work on stage and television, and in movies and video games, passed away in his sleep today at his home in St. Louis. He was 70. Soon after graduating college, he started his acting career at the famed Muny outdoor theater of St. Louis. He made his Broadway debut as Ted Ross's understudy as the Cowardly Lion in the original production of The Wiz, a role he then took over after Ross left the show. He went on to play roles in shows such as Guys and Dolls, Ain't Misbehavin' and Cats (as Old Deuteronomy) on Broadway, and playing the Cowardly Lion again in the Madison Square Garden production of The Wizard of Oz. He would later return to the Muny to play both the Cowardly Lion and the Wizard in different productions of The Wizard of Oz. He was also the voice of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas, a role he reprised in video games, concerts, and other presentations. He won a Theatre World Award in 1976, and a Drama Desk Award in 1978.

(Information courtesy The Oz Wiki and Wikipedia.)


September 28, 2024: Ryan Bunch Receives 2024 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award; Oz Club Contest Winners

Tonight, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, the highest honor that the International Wizard of Oz Club bestows, went to Ryan Bunch. Currently President of the Club, he has also served on the Board of Directors and as Vice-President. He has also chaired conventions and written for the Club's journal, The Baum Bugle. His recent book, Oz and the Musical, examines how different dramatic interpretations of Oz on stage demonstrate the evolution of musical theater.

Also tonight, the winners of the Oz Club's annual writing and art contests were announced:

  • The Fred Otto Prize for Fiction:
    • First place, "The Fairy King of Oz" by Jesse Jury
    • Second place, "The Final Fate of the Phanfasms" by Aaron Solomon Adelman
  • The C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction:
    • First place, "Ozma's Enduring Appeal 120 Years Later" by Leighton Suen
    • Second place, "Puzzle Adventures in Oz" by Tyler B. Wright
  • The Rob Roy MacVeigh Prize for Art:
    • First place, "A Gathering of Ozians" by Rob Lauer
    • Second place, "Glinda" by David Valentin

July 20, 2024: The 2024 Winkie Award

Tonight, the 2024 edition of the Winkie Award was presented by OzCon International to Cindy Ragni. Cindy has been a long-time supporter of OzCon, presenting on many topics. In recent years, she has also coordinated the dealers' room (all while also running her own space in it). Her contributions were recognized by her fellow OzCon members, who voted that she receive the convention's highest award.

June 25, 2024: Bill Cobbs 1934-2024

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Bill Cobbs, the Emmy Award-winning character actor passed away today at his home in Riverside, California. He was 90. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1934, Wilbert Francisco Hobbs was an Air Force radio technician for eight years, then went on to sell office supplies for IBM and cars. In 1970, at the age of 36, he went to New York City to try his hand at acting. Like most in the profession he struggled at first, but eventually he broke into small theatrical productions. He also started getting small roles in films and on television. His films included Air Bud, the Night at the Museum series, The Hudsucker Proxy, and That Thing You Do. On television, he was a regular on I'll Fly Away and Go On, and had guest appearances on such shows as The Drew Carey Show, Jag, Star Trek: Enterprise (where he played the inventor of the transporter), One Tree Hill, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Rugrats. He won an Emmy Award in 2020 for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program for Dino Dana. But to Oz fans, he will be remembered as Master Tinker in Oz the Great and Powerful.

(information courtesy Wikipedia.)

June 3, 2024: The Baum Bugle Spring 2024

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The first issue of the year of The Baum Bugle, the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now making its way into members' mailboxes. This issue celebrates Oz in the 1950s, a decade not usually known for being terribly Ozzy.


In this issue:

Also included with this issue:

  • An art project that allows you to create your own moving Oz pictures.
  • The latest edition of The Oz Gazette, the newspaper of all that's happening in Oz:
    • Ryan Bunch, the new President of the International Wizard of Oz Club, makes his first diplomatic visit to the Emerald City.
    • Editor Katie Jones tells what's going on in this issue.
    • Dorothy presents a brief history of Oz newspapers, on both sides of the Deadly Desert.
    • Two editors meet as Katie Jones interviews Sarah K. Crotzer of The Baum Bugle.
    • "Emerald City Book Report" turns a page on [The Ozmapolitan of Oz].
    • Ozmapolitan of Oz author and artist Dick Martin gets a write-up.
    • The latest excerpt from The Royal Book of Oz (the one in Oz, not the one you can buy in stores here) is about the Tin Woodman himself, Nick Chopper.

March 18, 2024: Second Suspect Charged in Theft of the Ruby Slippers; Slippers Go On Tour Before Auction

A second suspect has been charged in the 2005 theft of a pair of the Ruby Slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids. Minnesota. Jerry Sal Saliterman, 76, of Crystal, Minnesota was arraigned in federal court in St. Paul, and charged with felony theft of a major artwork and witness tampering, the latter a threat to distribute graphic videos of a woman to prevent her from talking to the FBI. As Saliterman is in a wheelchair and uses an oxygen tank, he was not deemed a flight risk and released on his own recognizance. His attorney intends to file a plea of not guilty. Details about the charges, or Saliterman's connection to Terry John Martin, who pled guilty to stealing the Ruby Slippers late last year, are still unknown at this time.

In related news, Michael Shaw, the owner of the Ruby Slippers at the time of the theft (he had loaned them to the museum) has bought back the Ruby Slippers from his insurance company, and received them in February. He has now turned them over to Heritage Actions, a firm that specializes in selling movie memorabilia and other rare items, for safekeeping and consignment. Heritage plans to put the Slippers on display in an international tour before auctioning them off in December this year.

(Information courtesy Breakingnews.ie and Minnesota Public Radio.)

Rumor Control

(Because of the many questions I am asked about possible forthcoming Oz projects or other bits of pseudo-news, I have added this section to answer some of these inquiries.)

The latest Oz projects to be announced in Hollywood: Cheshire Crossing, the graphic novel by Andy Weir and Sarah Anderson, optioned by Amblin Partners (see this report); and an animated musical adaptation of the book Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz, where the story is told from Toto's point of view, to be produced at Warner Bros. (see this source).

Okay, yes, word has leaked out that Warner Bros. tried to talk Robert Zemeckis into directing a remake of The Wizard of Oz, using the same screenplay as the famous 1939 Judy Garland version. Zemeckis already rejected the idea. This probably puts the idea on the back burner for a while, and based on the extreme negative reaction the idea got, I suspect it will stay there. Rumors of this have surfaced again, but appear to be the result of someone finding the old story and running it again.

It's getting harder and harder to keep up with all of the currently planned Oz movie and television projects. Bear in mind that at this stage, most of it is speculation and/or not even in pre-production, or possibly even a game of "Telephone". But here are some of the current Oz movies that could be coming to your local theater in the next few years:

  • The Road to Oz, a movie biopic about the life of L. Frank Baum and how he created Oz, starring Eddie Redmayne as Frank. (See reports here and here.)
  • Dark Oz 3-D, based on the old Caliber comic book.
  • A non-musical, faithful adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from New Line and Temple Hill.
  • The Oz Wars, which would have the witches fighting for control of the Emerald City while the Wizard leads the resistance.
  • John Boorman's animated adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz seems to be on track for release — in France. Once it's released, an English-language release will likely come out soon afterwards. (However, in a recent interview, Boorman admitted that the project has stalled due to lack of funding.)
  • Oz: Return to the Emerald City was one of two possible competing projects at Warner Bros. This original sequel may now be shopped around to other studios, or turned into a novel.
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a low-budget independent production from Barnyard Studios and Used Productions. This is very much a shoestring production, which is looking for money and actors. But its Kickstarter campaign to raise the last money it needed was a success, so it may be finished soon.
  • Legend of Oz, a modern retelling of The Wizard of Oz from Valley Wind Productions in Ottawa.
  • Oz, a new telling of The Wizard of Oz.
  • A still unnamed horror movie set in the 1920s with Dorothy meeting Alice in Bedlam Asylum.
  • Young Santa., based on L. Frank Baum's book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus and directed by Sean McNamara.
  • How the Wizard Came to Oz, based on two books by Donald Abbott.
  • Not entirely Oz, strictly speaking, but the Judy Garland biography Get Happy may be made into a movie, featuring Anne Hathaway as Garland.

And it's not limited to movies any more. In development for television:

  • Red Brick Road, a television series continuation of The Wizard of Oz in the style of Game of Thrones. The latest word is that this is being developed for the Lifetime channel.
  • Dorothy, an Oz-themed medical drama in development at CBS
  • Dorothy Must Die, in which Dorothy has returned to Oz and become a dictator, in development at the CW. This would be based on the book series of the same name.
  • Warriors of Oz, a post-apocalyptic version in development at Syfy.
  • A Wicked television miniseries, based on the original book (not the stage musical). Salma Hayak was attached to this as a producer. When last heard of, it was under development at ABC.

No, Peter Jackson is not producing or directing a billion-dollar all-CGI remake of The Wizard of Oz for Warner Bros. How do stories like this get started? Oh, maybe in stories like this...

In recent years, there have been proposals for other Oz or related projects, none of which now appear that they will get off the ground. Among them:

  • Lost in Oz, a series that was to feature Melissa George as a Kansas university student who is whisked to Oz sixty years after the events of The Wizard of Oz (The Movie) and helping to spearhead a rebellion against the new Wicked Witch of the West. Although developed for the WB and a pilot film produced, it was never picked up, nor the pilot shown. (But keep an eye out on auction sites, as a bootleg DVD sometimes shows up…)
  • A television miniseries based on Gregory Maguire's novel Wicked, with Demi Moore in the title role. (There are stories that the people developing this version later pushed their involvement into the musical version now playing on Broadway and elsewhere.)
  • The O. Z., a hip-hop flavored re-telling of The Wizard of Oz for Fox. Among the rumored Dorothy's at one point were Brandy, Mya, and the late Aaliyah. Justin Timberlake, John Leuizamo, and Little Richard were mentioned for other parts.
  • Surrender Dorothy. Drew Barrymore as Dorothy's great-granddaughter coming to Oz, and battling the Wicked Witch of the West's granddaughter. (Rumors of this recently resurfaced, but were quickly squelched. This project is dead.)
  • Somewhere starring Elizabeth Taylor as Dorothy, now a grandmother, returning to Oz. The deaths of both Taylor and developer Rod Steiger means this is unlikely to ever happen.
  • Pamela West, where the Wicked Witch is the innocent victim and Dorothy (with Toto as a pit bull) is the evil interloper.
  • The Land of Oz (not based on the book of the same name), produced by Hallmark for NBC. This eventually became the basis for the Sci Fi Channel miniseries Tin Man.
  • The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus from Circa Pictures. It's no longer listed on their website.
  • The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus from Hyde Park Entertainment and Toonz Entertainment.
  • A Bollywood adaptation of The Wizard of Oz in India.
  • A movie version of American McGee's (later cancelled) Oz video game.
  • Geoff Ryman's Was.

If progress is made on any of these projects, such as actually going into production or a release date announced, the news will be posted as quickly as possible on this page. But at this stage, any of these going into production is very unlikely. (However, Tin Man was part of this list for some time before its eventual completion and broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel.)

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