Oz News: Difference between revisions

From OzWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
 
(628 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 8: Line 8:
<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>


==July 1, 2017: The 2017 Winkie Award==
==July 25, 2026: The L. Frank Baum Memorial Award==
[[File:John Fricke Winkie 2017.jpg|right|300px]]OzCon International gave its highest award tonight, for contributions to the convention and Oz in general, to John Fricke. The award-winning author and Oz and Judy Garland expert has contributed to many programs and events at the convention for over thirty years, despite being an infrequent visitor to the west coast. Congratulations to John!
Today, the International Wizard of Oz Club awarded its highest honor, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, to Cindy Ragni. Ragni has served the Club for many years on the Board of Directors and contributed many articles to the Club's journal, ''The Baum Bugle''.


(Photo courtesy Sam Milazzo.)
----
<br clear=all>
 
==June 20, 2026: The Winkie Award==
Although there is no OzCon International this year, its highest honor, the Winkie Award, was announced tonight. This year's honoree is Paul Dana, who has helped out the convention behind the scenes in many ways over the past few years, especially as its registrar.
 
----
 
==April 30, 2026: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2026==
The Spring 2026 issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, has now been published and is on its way to members' mailboxes around the world. We will have a complete rundown of this issue soon.
 
----
 
==April 13, 2026: Valerie Lee, 1931-2026==
Valerie Lee, who was one of the children who played a Munchkin in the background of ''The Wizard of Oz'', passed away today at the age of 94. We will have updated information soon.
 
([https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/valerie-lee-dead-munchkins-wizard-of-oz-our-gang-1236562703/ ''The Hollywood Reporter''].)
 
----
 
==March 22, 2026: Anna-Maria Cool 1956-2026==
Anna-Maria Bernardes Basom, the comics artist who worked using the name Anna-Maria B. Cool, passed away today after losing a battle with cancer. She was 69. She also illustrated ''The Hidden Prince of Oz'' and ''Toto of Oz'' for the International Wizard of Oz Club. We will have updated information soon.


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
([https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituaries/anna-maria-basom Beckwith Mortuary].)


==May 27, 2017: ''The Baum Bugle'', Spring 2017==
----


Now back from the printers and making its way to members mailboxes is the Spring 2017 issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club. More details about this issue should be coming over the next few days.
==March 16, 2026: Gina Wickwar 1944-2026==
Virginia "Gina" Wickwar, the author of two Oz books for the International Wizard of Oz Club and a long-time Club contributor, passed away today at the age of 81. We will have updated information here soon.


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
([https://www.lanzafuneralhome.com/obituaries/Virginia-Wickwar?obId=47767905 Lanza Funeral Home].)


==April 30, 2017: ''Lost in Oz: Extended Adventure'' wins three Emmy Awards==
----
[[File:LSOZ_BoxArt-m.jpg|center|400px]]
The Amazon Prime series, ''Lost in Oz'', hasn't even come out in its entirety yet, but already it is an award winner. The second outing of the series, [https://smile.amazon.com/Lost-in-Oz-Extended-Adventure/dp/B00Z89OAFY// ''Extended Adventure''], a compilation of the first three episodes, today won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Animated Program, beating out ''Milo Murphy's Law'', ''Dragons: Race to the Edge'', ''LEGO Satr Wars: The Freemaker Adventures'', and ''The Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show''. If that weren't enough, the day before it also won two awards at the Creative Arts awards, for technical achivements. ''Lost in Oz: Extended Adventure'' won the awards for Outstanding Sound Mixing—Animation and Oustanding Sound Editing—Animation. (It had also been nominated for Outstanding Casting for an Animated Series or Special and Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program, but it lost both awards to ''Trollhunters''.)


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
==March 15, 2026: Matt Clark, 1936-2026==
[[file:Matt_Clark.webp|right]]Matt Clark, the actor whose many roles included Uncle Henry in ''Return to Oz'', passed away today at the age of 89. Clark's career spanned fifty years, and he was best known for his appearances in Westerns. Other movie roles included ''In the Heat of the Night'', ''The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean'', ''The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension'', ''Back to the Future Part III'', ''Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh'', and ''A Million Ways to Die in the West''. On television, he appeared in many made-for-TV movies and miniseries, and was a guest on shows that included ''Ben Casey'', ''The Rat Patrol'', ''Death Valley Days'', ''Bonanza'', ''The Waltons'', ''Kung Fu'', ''Little House on the Prairie'', ''Grace Under Fire'', ''Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman'', ''Lonesome Dove'', ''The Jeff Foxworthy Show'', ''Walker: Texas Ranger'', and ''Chicago Hope''.


==March 7, 2017: ''The Baum Bugle'', Winter 2016==
(Information courtesy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Clark_(actor) Wikipedia]. Photo courtesy [https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Uncle_Henry_(Novels) The Oz Wiki].)
[[File:Bbwinter16.jpg|left|px30]]Now back from the printers and making its way to members mailboxes is the Winter 2016 issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club. This issue celebrates one hundred years of the novel ''Rinkitink in Oz''. More details about this issue should be coming over the next few days.


<br clear=all>
<br clear=all>
<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>


==December 28, 2016: Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, RIP==
----
[[File:under_the_rainbow_movie_1981_carrie_fisher_1.jpg|left|250px]][https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Fisher Carrie Fisher], the actress and author best known for her iconic role of Leia Organa in the ''Star Wars'' movies, passed away yesterday. Fisher was sixty years old. She had been rushed to a hospital in Los Angeles four days after suffering a medical emergency on a flight from London. Among her ''other'' roles was Annie Clark in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Rainbow ''Under the Rainbow'']. Her character worked at MGM in 1938 and was responsible for chaperoning several dozen little people who were staying at a hotel in Culver City during production of a new musical movie, ''The Wizard of Oz''.


Per Fisher's wishes, as she wrote in her memoir ''Wishful Drinking'', we are printing a line that she wanted in her obituary, referring to Leia's lack of undergarments in the original ''Star Wars'' movie:
==March 13, 2026: Michael Hague, 1948-2026==
<center><blockquote>''"I want it reported that I drowned in moonlight, strangled by my own bra."''</blockquote></center><br clear=all>
[[file:Michael_Hague.jpeg|left]]Michael Hague, the acclaimed fantasy illustrator, passed away today at the age of 77. Influenced by artists such as Arthur Rakham, W. Heath Robinson, N. C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, and Hal Foster, Hague had ambitions to become a children's book illustrator. He received his BFA in 1972 but had difficulty finding work. He eventually found work at Hallmark, where he illustrated his first book, a pop-up edition of ''Gulliver in Lilliput''. After striking out on his own, he started building a portfolio and a following. Over the course of his career, besides many original works, his works included new editions of ''Mother Goose'', ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'', ''Peter Pan'', ''The Hobbit'', ''The Wind in the Willows'', ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''The Night Before Christmas'', ''The Reluctant Dragon'', ''The Velveteen Rabbit'', ''The Secret Garden'', ''Little Women'', ''The Story of Doctor Dolittle'', ''Peter Rabbit'', ''The Nutcracker'', and tales by Aesop, Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, and Oscar Wilde. Oz fans, however, will know him for his 1989 edition of ''The Wizard of Oz''. Hague returned to the world of L. Frank Baum with a 2003 edition of ''The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus''.


[[File:0825wizardofoz02.jpg|right|250px]]In a cruel twist of fate, Fisher's mother, iconic actress and singer Debbie Reynolds, died today, only one day after her daughter. She was rushed to the hospital after suffering a massive stroke while planning Carrie's funeral with her son. Reynolds was 84. Best known for playing Kathy Selden in MGM's ''other'' biggest musical ever, ''Singin' in the Rain'', Reynolds was also an avid collector of Hollywood costumes and other memorabilia, in the hopes of eventually opening a museum. She started her collecting at the famous 1970 MGM auction where she never even got the chance to bid on the Ruby Slippers there. She did, however, eventually procure a test pair of Ruby Slippers, not actually used in the film, with toes curled up at the front like the silver shoes in W. W. Denslaw's original illustrations from ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''. Reynolds also acquired a dress, worn by Garland, that was also tested but not used in The Movie. The museum never materialized, and Reynolds sold off most of her collection, including the "Arabian Slippers" in 2011.
(Information courtesy [https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/99941-obituary-michael-hague.html ''Publishers Weekly''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Hague Wikipedia]. Photo courtesy ''Publishers Weekly''.)


<br clear=all>
<br clear=all>


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
----
 
==March 4, 2026: Lyle Conway, RIP==
[[file:Lyle_Conway.webp|300 px|right]]Lyle Conway, the puppeteer whose work with Jim Henson included creating and operating many well-known movie puppets, passed away today at an undetermined age. Influenced as a child in Chicago by the television series ''Kukla, Fran and Ollie'' and the original film version of ''King Kong'', Conway attended the Art Institute of Chicago before striking out for Hollywood. After working as a social worker and toy designer, he found his way to Jim Henson and his Creature Shop, where he sculpted a new Miss Piggy Muppet for the final season of ''The Muppet Show'' and ''The Great Muppet Caper'', and created Lyle the Dog, who was named for him. He then went on to design puppets for ''The Dark Crystal'' and ''Dreamchild'' before striking out on his own. He was reunited with his old Creature Shop colleague Frank Oz, who was directing the musical film version of ''Little Shop of Horrors''. Conway designed Audrey II, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Saturn Award. He had a rare onscreen appearance in ''Blade'', and came back to the Creature Shop to design the titular characters in the film version of ''Where the Wild Things Are''. But for Oz fans, his biggest contribution was designing Jack Pumpkinhead, Billina, and the Gump for Disney's 1985 movie ''Return to Oz''. Besides operating the Gump, he also provided his voice and cast Brian Henson as the performer and voice for Jack Pumpkinhead.
 
(Information courtesy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_Conway Wikipedia]. Photo courtesy [https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Lyle_Conway Muppet Wiki].)
 
----
 
==February 2, 2026: ''The Baum Bugle'' Winter 2025 Issue and ''Oziana'' 2025==
[[file:Bbwinter25.jpg|300 px|left]]The year's final issue of ''The Baum Bugle'' is back from the printers and off to members of the International Wizard of Oz Club.<br clear=all>


==November 30, 2016: ''Oziana'' 2016==
In this issue:
[[File:Oziana2016_cover.jpg|right|500px]]The latest issue of the International Wizard of Oz Club's annual fiction anthology, ''Oziana'', has now been published and is available for sale at [http://www.lulu.com/shop/baum-l-frank/oziana-2016/paperback/product-22894952.html lulu.com]. This is the biggest issue of ''Oziana'' ever, and the entire contents are devoted to celebrating the centennial of ''Rinkitink in Oz'', published in 1916. The book, however, was originally written around 1905 as a non-Oz adventure, ''King Rinkitink''. Baum dusted off the story, added Oz characters in the last few chapters, and turned it into his annual Oz book. The original manuscript has been lost, so the International Wizard of Oz Club sponsored a contest to provide a new ending for ''King Rinkitink'', starting with a new chapter 20. This edition of ''Oziana'' publishes all of the entries in the contest.
* The front cover presents frames from the newly-restored version of the 1914 movie ''His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz'', highlighting Vivian Reed's portrayal of Ozma.
* The inside front cover reproduces an illustration of Ozma and some of her friends from Dick Martin's 1984 collection ''An Oz Picture Gallery''.
* "Letters" sees Oz Club President Ryan Bunch singing the praises of the community fostered by the Club, while ''Bugle'' editor Sara Krotzer talks about the influence of Ozma on culture, as well as this issue.
* In "The Bugle Bulletin", more articles from the history of the ''Bugle'' are available on [https://ozclub.org/ the Club's website], and child Munchkin Elain Merk Binder is remembered in "Beyond the Shifting Sands".
* "Awards and Honors" lauds Sarah Crotzer as the first sitting editor of ''The Baum Bugle'' to receive the Club's highest honor, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, in a tribute penned by her old friend Nick Campbell.
* Nate Barlow learns about the ins and outs of ''His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz'' as he recounts "Restoring the Scarecrow, or How I Learned to Stop Dreaming and Restore a Film".
* Entomologist JoVonn G. Hill explains how he named a newly-discovered bright green Mexican grasshopper ''Ozmacris peninsulae'', after Ozma's transformation in ''Ozma of Oz'' in the article "The Emerald Grasshopper of Baja".
* Leighton Suen looks at Ozma as a transgender icon in "Born a Girl, and Also a Princess", the 2024 winner of the C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction.
* English castles in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpgtvnMy5R0&t=156s Kent], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSFyCVFph5c Oxfordshire], and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3oNpaTFjrs&t=159s North Yorkshire] incorporate ''The Wizard of Oz'' into their Christmas celebration, and the ''Bugle'' has photos to prove it.
* Cynthia Twohy Ragni takes a look at astronomical history in "Project Ozma, the First Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence", the 2025 runner-up for the C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction.
* In "Oz Under Scrutiny", Scott Cummings collects reviews of ''The Lost King of Oz'', celebrating its centennial in 2025.
* A reprint of a 1926 profile of Ruth Plumly Thompson from ''The Guide to Nature''.
* "Coming and Going" by Sarah Krotzer has tidbits about ''The Lost King of Oz''.
* Barbara Arnstein has a holiday surprise in "Halloween Oz Magic: An Ozzy Encounter".
* A new Oz artist answers questions in "Puffin Along the Yellow Brick Road: An Interview with Steven Lenton".
* "Oz in the Arts" sees Toby Sutton-Long visiting the holiday presentation at Blenheim Castle in Oxfordshire.
* In "The Bugle Review":
** [https://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0241736528/270 ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''], ''The Marvellous Land of Oz'', and ''Ozma of Oz'', newly illustrated by Steven Lenton, reviewed by Nick Campbell.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CVBVH1LP/thewonderwizardo/ ''Dorothy's Friends from Oz''] by Robert J. Evans and illustrated by Jhunny Moralde.
** [Dunkiton_Press ''Dunkiton Press'' #33: Swinderella] by Ruth Plumly Thompson and edited by Ruth Berman.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0D9G6T1DD/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Hidden Magic of Oz: An Untold Story of Courage, Truth, and Cheese''] by Richard L. Baum and L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Leopé.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DHH39DBN/thewonderwizardo/ ''Margaret Hamilton: From Cleveland, Ohio to the Land of Oz''] by Don Billie.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DPY36JJT/thewonderwizardo/ ''Meadowfoam of Oz''] by Josie Ann Tyler.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0D9YMFWKD/thewonderwizardo/ ''Prisoners of Oz''] by David M. Keyes.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DQ428V3C/thewonderwizardo/ ''Toto and the Cheshire of Oz''] by Ron Glick.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CL3BP76V/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of Oz: The Official Cookbook''] by Elizabeth Fish, Elena P. Craig, and Emma Carlson Berne.
* "Adventures in Oz" sees Gregory Hall writing about his latest composition in "''Marvelous: A Musical Opera'': Our Sequel to Oz".
* In "Jack Van Camp: Bringing Stability and Celebration to Oz", John Fricke remembers the recently deceased past Treasurer and board member of the International Wizard of Oz Club and 1981 laureate of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award.
* The inside back cover reproduces the original art, without words, of Steven Lenton's new Oz book covers.
* The back cover is a painting of Ozma by Vincent Myrand.


The entries are:
Also included with this issue is the Club's latest craft project, an Ozma paper doll.
* "Suggested Ending to ''Rinkitink in Oz''" by Susan Johnson
* "An Epilogue to ''Rinkitink in Oz''" by Aaron Solomon Adelman
* "A New Ending for ''Rinkitink in Oz''" by Dennis Anfuso
* "A New Ending for ''Rinkitink in Oz''" by Jared Davis
* "The Rinkitink Conspiracy in Oz" by Baruch Adelman
* "The Adventures of King Rinkitink" by Andrew Heller (the grand prize winner!)
* "''King Rinkitink in Oz'', An Ending and a Beginning" by George Van Buren
* "A New Ending for ''King Rinkitink''" by Nicholas M. Campbell
* "Wrapping Up ''Rinkitink''" by Christopher M. Diket
* "The Adventures of ''King Rinkitink''" by Robin Hess
* "''Rinkitink''" by Karen Diket
* "''King Rinkitink'' Restor'd" by John W. Kennedy and Eleanor M. Kennedy
* "''King Rinkitink'' Conclusion" by Sarah Hadley
* "Ending Chapters of ''King Rinkitink''" by Mariah B'Forre
* "Concluding ''King Rinkitink''" by Maggie Lockett


And the winning entry will soon be published, edited into the original text, as ''King Rinkitink'' by L. Frank Baum and Andrew Heller. Watch for that coming to a website near you!
[[file:Oziana_2025.jpg|400 px|right]]Also available now is the 2025 issue of ''Oziana'', the Club's annual literary anthology. It is available for sale to anyone, even if they're not a member of the Club, through [https://www.lulu.com/shop/jl-bell-and-scott-b-blanke-and-nathan-m-dehoff-and-catherine-lombardi/oziana-2025/paperback/product-v8m6mke.html?page=1&pageSize=4 Lulu.com]. In this issue:
* The front cover illustration is by Rob Lauer.
* Opposite the table of contents is "Tales of the Land of Oz", an illustration by Stephen Smith.
* "The Royal Joust of Oz" by Scott B. Blanke, with illustrations by Rob Lauer, sees a new spell cast on Prince Corum, turning him back into Sir Hokus of Pokes. Only winning a joust can restore him, but he's going to need help from his friends in the Emerald City.
* "The Piglets and the Tin Soldier" by J. L. Bell, illustrated by David Valentin, has Captain Fyter escorting the Nine Tiny Piglets back to their old family farm in the Munchkin Country. Of course, it's not as smooth going as anyone suspects.
* "The Low Mare of Oz" by Nathan DeHoff, with illustrations by Rob Lauer, shows a visit by Betsy Bobbin and Hank to Troth to see real horses in Oz. They end up encountering many other Oz horses along the way.
* "The Tin Man of Oz in Where's My Oil Can?", written and drawn by Mel Vavaroutsos, shows how the Scarecrow helped Nick Chopper solve a personal problem.
* "The Missing Key" by J. L. Bell, illustrated by David Lee Ingersoll, finds Tik-Tok's key missing, and he can't think, talk, or move until it can be found. Naturally, it's not as easy as his friends think it will be.
* "The Bricks" by Catherine Lombardi, with illustrations by Bridget Elmore, sees Phil, a bricklayer on the Yellow Brick Road, tell the story of how he saved the Tin Woodman from a horrible fate.
* In "A Catastrophic Celebration in Oz" by Scott B. Blanke, illustrated by Mel Vavarounsos, Dr. Pipt and Margolotte throw a small party to celebrate the anniversary of her coming back to life after being doused with the Liquid of Petrifaction. But during the course of events, an old bottle of the liquid is unearthed, and it spills on Ozma, the Wizard, and the Sawhorse!


<br clear=all>
<br clear=all>


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
----


==November 25, 2016: ''The Baum Bugle'', Autumn 2016==
==November 13, 2025: ''The Baum Bugle'' Autumn 2025 Issue==
[[File:Baum_Bugle_Autumn_2016_Cover_sm.jpg|right|px=300]]The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now in the mail and making its way to members.
[[file:Bbautumn25.jpg|right]] The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of oz Club, is making its way to members now. This issue celebrates forty years of ''Return to Oz'', and includes a comprehensive checklist of collectibles from the 1985 Disney movie.


In this issue:
In this issue:
* To commemorate sixty years of the famous MGM film version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' on television, the front cover reproduces the cover of the 1956 album taken directly from The Movie's soundtrack, while the back cover is Norman Rockwell's portrait of Judy Garland, used by Singer for its sponsorship of the 1970 broadcast of The Movie, the first after the death of Judy.
 
* Former editor Craig Noble pens his official farewell letter, not having the chance to do so earlier, while interim editor Scott Cummings also has some thoughts in the temporarily retitled "From the Editors" column.
* The wraparound front cover reproduces the art, by Josh Kirby, for a 1985 British ''Return to Oz'' jigsaw puzzle.
* Club President Carrie Hedges urges members to renew—and lists the benefits of doing so, including receiving [http://www.lulu.com/shop/baum-l-frank/oziana-2016/paperback/product-22894952.html the 2016 edition of ''Oziana'']—in her "OZervations" column.
* The inside front cover has photos, taken by Tricia Trozzi, of the New York premiere of ''Return to Oz'' in June of 1985.
* In "Oz and Ends":
* In "Letters", Oz Club President and ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Crotzer discuss their encounters and memories of ''Return to Oz''.
** The local airing and subsequent streaming of the play [http://thewoodsmanplay.com/ ''The Woodsman''].
* In "The ''Bugle'' Bulletin:
** A [http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Sweded sweded] version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' at the [https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaSwededFilmFest/ Virginia Sweded Film Festival].
** The only known manuscript of "Over the Rainbow" is now in the Library of Congress.
** [http://thebuildersassociation.org/prod_oz.html ''Elements of Oz''] at the 3LD Art and Technology Center in New York.
** Documentarian Jeffrey McHale is taking his latest movie, ''It's Dorothy!'' around the film festival circuit.
** The forthcoming NBC series [http://www.nbc.com/emerald-city ''Emerald City''].
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" remembers recently passed Oz luminaries:
** The forthcoming exhibit "Over the Rainbow: Toys from the Land of Oz" at the [http://toyandminiaturemuseum.org/ National Museum of Toys and Miniatures] in Kansas City.
*** Robert A. Baum, Jr., the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum and a noted Oz scholar and historian in his own right.
** An exhibit of banned children's books, including a first edition of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', at [https://www.udayton.edu/libraries/ the Roesch Library at the University of Dayton].
*** Dr. Richard R. Rutter, a major collector and Winkie Convention attendee, who was especially known for his extravagant Oz costumes.
** A performance of "There's a Lady Bug A-Waitin' For Me" from the failed 1905 musical ''The Woggle-Bug'' in a revue in Minnesota this past summer.
*** Drew Struzan, the celebrated movie poster artist whose works included ''Return to Oz''.
** Going up for auction:
* Sarah K. Crotzer looks back at the life and career of the actress known in Oz circles as Princess Mombi from ''Return to Oz'' in "So…! The Many Heads of Jean Marsh".
*** Original illustrations by Anton Loeb for a 1950 abridgement of ''The Wizard of Oz'' ($2,125 and $1,875).
* Tricia Trozzi looks back at what she was doing on June 21, 1985—attending the gala premiere of ''Return to Oz'' at Radio City Music Hall—in "Movie Memories".
*** The "Witch Remover" prop wielded by the Cowardly Lion in The Movie ($95,000).
* Original ''Return to Oz'' reviews are collected in "What the Papers Said: 1985 Edition, A Collection of Contemporaneous Media Opinions of ''Return to Oz''".
*** A prop version of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' used in the movie ''Inkheart'' ($100).
* Robert B. Luehrs contemplates one of L. Frank Baum's earlier characters in "The Pundit of Oz: Some Random Thoughts Concerning the Woggle-Bug".
*** An autographed copy of Baum's 1908 novel ''The Last Egyptian'' ($2,125).
* Sarah K. Crotzer updates previous ''Bugle'' checklists with "The Ultimate ''Return to Oz'' Merchandise Checklist", a full-color insert.
** The new video games [https://www.ozbrokenkingdom.com/ ''Oz: Broken Kingdom''] and [https://www.zynga.com/games/wizard-oz-magic-match ''The Wizard of Oz: Magic Match''].
* Carl Rexroad continues on from an article in a previous issue with "The Editorial Cartoons of Oz, Part 2: Modern Times with ''The Wizard of Oz''".
** Linda Medley, the comic book writer/artist who created the award-winnig ''Castle Waiting'', has art cards with her own interpretations of the Oz characters for sale in [https://www.etsy.com/shop/LindaMedleyArt her Etsy shop].
* Jane Albright peeks behind the curtain of the latest iteration of ''The Wizard of Oz on Ice'' in "Melt the Witch, Not the Ice".
** Liztech Jewelry and this year's addition to their [http://liztech.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=category&virtuemart_category_id=14&Itemid=476 ''Wizard of Oz'' collection], a Flying Monkey.
* Noted in "The Bugle Review":
** The Oz book reading blog Burzee, at https://burzee.wordpress.com/.
** [https://cloverpress.us/collections/prose-books/products/oz-collection-kabumpo-in-oz ''Kabumpo in Oz'' by Ruth Plumly Thompson, newly illustrated by Sara Richard] and reviewed by Atticus Gannaway.
** A library in Kiev, Ukraine, with an avid corps of Oz fans.
** [https://scriveningspress.com/book/a-hundred-magical-reasons/ ''A Hundred Magical Reasons'' by Laura DeNooyer], reviewed by J. L. Bell.
** [https://society6.com/product/l-frank-baum_duvet-cover#s6-4498663p38a46v343 An L. Frank Baum duvet cover], available from Studio6 (and while you're there, check out the other products they have emblazoned with Baum's face).
** [https://insighteditions.com/products/wicked-grimmerie-collectible-hardcover-journal ''Wicked: The Grimmerie Collectible Hardcover Journal''], reviewed by Atticus Gannaway.
** Gene Wilder's family reporting that, when he passed away, he was listening to [https://youtu.be/hc2rTt74Qys Ella Fitzgerald's version of "Over the Rainbow"].
** Three games in which Oz characters appear: [https://www.amazon.com/Lookout-Games-LK0101-Gingerbread-House/dp/B07JH62HXN ''Gingerbread House''], [https://horribleguild.com/eu/product/similo-fables/ ''Similo: Fables''], and [https://gamefound.com/en/projects/gabe-barrett/storybook-saga-solo-game-of-the-month ''Storybook Saga''], all reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00MJEVR0M/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Original Melting Witch''], a new toy now for sale.
* The inside back cover reprints a 1985 Japanese ad for ''Return to Oz'' merchandise from Nakajima Toys.
* John Fricke celebrates sixty years of the famous film version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' on television in "Timeless Appeal: ''The Wizard of Oz'' Comes to Television Sixty Years Ago".
 
* Scott Cummings delves into history with "The Wonderful Wizard of Menlo: Thomas Edison's Contributions to Oz". The article even reprints a letter Edison wrote to Ruth Plumly Thompson.
Also included with this issue is the card game Don't Wear Mombi's Head, a set of cards to color, cut out, and play with.
* In an article about his writings first printed in 1902, L. Frank Baum tells the world "What Children Want", countered by a 1912 interview headlined, "Lose Taste for Fairy Tales".
* The creator of [https://vimeo.com/179988212 a new video tribute to Oz] sits down for an interview in "''The Oz Project'': An Interview with Sean Barrett".
* Anne F. Walker reflects on her love of Oz particularly Baum's final book, in the "Adventures in Oz" article "Locating ''Glinda of Oz''".
* Taking advantage of the large number of vintage newspapers now available online, "The Great Book of Records" looks at Oz-themed department store ads in Philadelphia in 1920 and Rochester in 1922.
* Traveling around the country, "The Magic Picture" reports on recent Oz events, including:
** Oz Con South 2016 (Houma, Louisiana), reported by David and Karen Diket.
** Oz-Stravaganza! 2016 (Chittenango, New York), from David Moyer.
** "The Wonderful World of Oz" museum exhibit (Davenport, Iowa), as told by Scott Cummings.
* The roll of the winners of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award expands by two with the announcement of this year's winners, William Stillman and Jay Scarfone.
* In "Multi-MediOz", Ryan Jay reviews the new movie [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01ARYG1BK/thewonderwizardo/ ''Ozland''].
* Mentioned in "The Oz Bookshelf":
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1467124524/thewonderwizardo/ ''Images of Modern America: The Land of Oz'' by Tim Hollis], reviewed by Atticus Gannaway.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1502855348/thewonderwizardo/ ''After Ozz'' by Bart Baker].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1502432595/thewonderwizardo/ ''Bad Wizard'' by James Maxey].
** A new edition of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486783332/thewonderwizardo/ ''Denslow's Night Before Christmas'' from Dover Publications].
** The first four volumes of the ''Steampunk Oz'' series by Steve DeWinter and S. D. Stuart:
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/161978033X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Forgotten Girl'' (Season 1, Episode 1)].
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1619780356/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Legacy's World'' (Season 1, Episode 2)].
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1619780372/thewonderwizardo/ ''Emerald Shadow'' (Season 1, Episode 3)].
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1619780399/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Future's Destiny'' (Season 1, Episode 4)].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1499109202/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Fall of Munchkinland'' by Christopher Blake], the first volume of the series "The War on Oz".
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/150277321X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Getting to Oz: The Personal Journey Home to Your True Self'' by Dr. Deborah Khoshaba].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1501032976/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Giant Chinchilla of Oz'' by Andrew J. Heller].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1482766213/thewonderwizardo/ ''Hidden Symbols in the Wizard of Oz: Ancient Inspiration for America's Timeless Story'' by Benjamin Blankenbehler].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1502445492/thewonderwizardo/ ''Holka Polka: A Fary Tale Mystery from the Land of Oz'' by D. M. Larson].
** [http://www.lulu.com/shop/sp-maldonado/images-of-oz/paperback/product-21759410.html ''Images of Oz'' by S. P. Maldonado].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1941084249/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Munchkins of Oz: Legends, Myths, and Realities'' by Stephen Hoover].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0615951090/thewonderwizardo/ ''Murder, Most Sincerely: A Romantic Backstage Mystery'' by Beverly Nault].
** [http://www.lulu.com/shop/andre-jeanjacques/new-oz/paperback/product-21425574.html ''New Oz'' by Andrew Jeanjacques].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1480909807/thewonderwizardo/ ''Oz: The Final Journey'' by the Enchanted Hearts].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/069232500X/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Oz Omnibus of Talking City Tales'' by Ron Baxley, Jr.].
** The Wizard of Oz: Dark Witch Rising series by Mike LaMontagne:
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1491221747/thewonderwizardo/ ''Rainbow's Emissary'' (volume 1)].
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1502719444/thewonderwizardo/ ''Witch Hunt'' (volume 2)].
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1502855348/thewonderwizardo/ ''Paradise Lost'' (volume 3)].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1942128002/thewonderwizardo/ ''Realizing Emerald City: Find Your True Power on the Yellow Brick Road'' by Lydia Scott].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0991984056/thewonderwizardo/ ''Revenge of the Dark Witch: The Illustrated Screenplay'' by Patrick Lemieux].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1500335576/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Royal Grandmother (and Granddaughter) of Oz'' by Richard Fullmer].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1502521962/thewonderwizardo/ ''There's No Place Like Home: An Emma Frost Mystery'' by Willow Rose].
** A new edition of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0143108549/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wisdom of Oz: Using Personal Accountability to Succeed in Everything You Do'' by Roger Connors and Tom Smith].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1620081318/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of Oz: Am Over-the-Rainbow Celebration of the World's Favorite Movie'', edited by Ben Nussbaum].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1480350621/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of Oz FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Life According to Oz'' by David J. Hogan].
** ''The Wogglebug's Book of Manners'' by Cynthia Hanson.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1505561515/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Alice of Oz'' by Ron Glick] (volume 3 in the Oz-Wonderland series).
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1539384918/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Zombies of Oz'' by James C. Sanders].
* Reviewed in "Oz in the Spotlight":
** [https://youtu.be/O1YEYOTUxcg Todrick Hall's ''Straight Out of Oz''] (review by Dewey Davis-Thompson)
** ''Glinda of Oz'' by Youth Theatre Northwest of Mercer Island, Washington (review by Eric Gjovaag)
* Karen Owens remembers Jean Nelson, owner of the Yellow Brick Road gift shop and driving force behind the late, lamented Chesterton Oz Festival in Indiana in "In Memoriam".
* And in "Ozmusements", an Oz word scramble celebrating one hundred years of ''Rinkitink in Oz''.


<br clear=all>
<br clear=all>


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
----
 
==''Wicked'', ''Wicked: For Good'', and ''Wicked: One Wonderful Night'' 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 pages for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accolades_received_by_Wicked_(2024_film) ''Wicked''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked%3A_For_Good#Accolades ''Wicked: For Good''] 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 28, 2024: Digital Spy Readers Awards, Most Anticipated Movie of 2025: ''Wicked: For Good''
* 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''
* April 22, 2025: Webby Awards, Variety and Reality, General Video and Film: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Inn_IA-MA&ab_channel=Variety ''Wicked'' Stars Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Break Down Viral "Holding Space" Interview]
* June 9, 2025: The BET Awards, Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
* June 21, 2025: Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards:
** Favorite Movie: ''Wicked''
** Favorite Movie Actress: Ariana Grande as Glinda
** Favorite Song from a Movie: "Defying Gravity"
* July 3, 2025: Astra Midseason Movie Awards, Most Anticipated Film: ''Wicked: For Good''
* August 5, 2025: Las Culturista Culture Awards, Harshest Truth About ''Wicked'': Phannee not realized, we don't get into his gay story (What was that like? Was it hard coming out or was Pfannee born wealthy? Prequel idea about this.)
* October 19, 2025: Middleburg Film Festival, Creative Collaborators Award: Alice Brooks (cinematographer) and Myron Kerstein (editor), ''Wicked: For Good''
* October 26, 2025: Savannah Film Festival, Vanguard Director Award: Jon M. Chu
* November 3, 2025: ''People'' Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive: Jonathan Bailey
* November 4, 2025: Media Access Awards, Christopher Reeve Acting Award: Marissa Bode
* November 18, 2025: British GQ Man of the Year: Cynthia Erivo (one of eighteen honorees)
* November 19, 2025: Hollywood Music in Media Awards, Music Themed Film, Biopic, or Musical: ''Wicked: For Good'', Jon M. Chu
* December 3, 2025: National Board of Review: Top 10 Films (one of ten, but not Film of the Year)
* December 4, 2025: American Film Institute Awards: Top 10 Films (one of ten)
* December 9, 2025: African-American Film Critics Association, Top Ten Films of the Year: ''Wicked: For Good''
* December 11, 2025: Astra Film Awards, Best Visual Effects: ''Wicked: For Good'', Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Anthony Smith, Dale Newton, and Paul Corbould
* December 15, 2025: San Diego Film Critics Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell, ''Wicked: For Good''
* December 19, 2025: Las Vegas Film Critics Society, Top Ten Films of the Year: ''Wicked: For Good''
* December 28, 2025: Iowa Film Critics Association
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Song, "The Girl in the Bubble"
* December 29, 2025: The King's New Year's Honours List: Cynthia Erivo is named a Member of the British Empire (MBE)
* January 9, 2026: Astra Film Awards, Best Supporting Actress—Comedy or Musical: Ariana Grande
* January 16, 2026: American Cinematheque Tribute to the Crafts Awards, Choreography: Christopher Scott
* February 1, 2026: London Film Critics' Circle, Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation: Cynthia Erivo
* February 1, 2026: The Grammy Awards, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, "Defying Gravity"
* February 8, 2026: Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Kirk Douglas Award: Cynthia Erivo
* February 9, 2026: The Lumiere Awards, the Judy Garland Award: Jon M. Chu
* February 12, 2026: Costume Designers Guild Awards, Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: Paul Tazewell
* February 16, 2026: Black Reel Awards, Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* February 21, 2026: Set Decorators Society of America Awards, Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* February 28, 2026: NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Cynthia Erivo
* March 8, 2026: The Saturn Awards
** Best Fantasy Film: ''Wicked: For Good''
** Best 4K Home Media Release: ''Wicked''
* March 10, 2025: Queerties
** Badass: Johnathan Bailey
** Drama Movie: ''Wicked: For Good''
** Film Performance: Cynthia Erivo, ''Wicked: For Good''
 
The television concert special ''Wicked: One Wonderful Night'' received six nominations for the 78th Prime Time Emmy Awards:
* Outstanding Variety Special (Prerecorded)
* Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming (Christopher Scott, "The Wizard and I")
* Outstanding Music Direction (Stephen Oremus)
* Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special
* Outstanding Technical Design and Camera Work for a Special
* Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program
The Emmy Awards will be presented on September 14.
 
----
 
==October 8, 2025: Robert A. Baum, 1942-2025==
[[file:Robert_A_Baum_Jr.webp|300 px|center]] Robert A. "Bob" Baum, great-grandson of L. Frank Baum and an important Oz scholar in his own right, passed away today at the age of 83. His generosity in sharing his family's collection and history has been a boon to Oz in many ways. Museums, documentaries, and Oz festivals and conventions have all been enhanced by Bob's donations. He was a consultant on the 1990 television movie ''The Dreamer of Oz'', a biopic of his great-grandfather, and even recreated Frank's home office on set using items from his own collection. He served the International Wizard of Oz Club as a director and contributor to ''The Baum Bugle'', as well as frequent convention guest. The [https://www.lulu.com/shop/bob-baum-and-don-abbott-and-rob-lauer-and-autumn-rose-frodelius/oziana-2022/paperback/product-pv4dmd.html?q=oziana+2022&page=1&pageSize=4 2022 issue of ''Oziana''], the Club's literary magazine, was a collection of Bob Baum's fanciful stories about his family history. He and his wife, Claire, would sometimes appear at events as L. Frank and Maud Baum to tell stories about their lives. For his many contributions, he was awarded the Oz Club's highest honor, named after his great-grandfather, in 2002.
 
(Information courtesy Jane Albright on Facebook. Photo courtesy [https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Robert_A._Baum_Jr. The Oz Wiki].)


==August 8, 2016: ''The Baum Bugle'', Spring 2016==
----
[[File:Bbspring16.jpg|left]]The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now making its way to the Club's members. It's a little later than the recent schedule, but considering the delivery history of the '' Bugle'', this is still not at all bad. The front cover features a montage, created by Marcus Mébès, of the boys from Philadelphia, namely Button-Bright, Bob Up (the former Bobby Downs), and Peter Brown, all as illustrated by John R. Neill (another Philadelphian,as was Ruth Plumly Thompson).
 
<br clear=all>
==September 21, 2025: Elaine Merk Binder, 1930-2025==
In this issue:
Elaine Merk Binder, one of the last remaining actors who played a Munchkin in ''The Wizard of Oz'', passed away today at the age of 94. Born in Colorado, she appeared as an extra in several movies in the '30s, including an ''Our Gang'' short. She was one of a dozen young girls who filled in the ranks of background female Munchkins after Judy Garland's Dorothy arrives in Oz. But after 1940 she left show business, and went on to earn degrees in education and music. She appeared in the 2024 documentary series ''Memories of Oz'', reminiscing about making the movie.
* Craig Noble apologizes for the lateness of the issue and praises the cover in his "Letter from the Editor". (Alas, the factor that made the issue late, a new job, have now precluded Craig from continuing as ''Bugle'' editor, and since this issue's publication, he has announced his resignation. Former editor Scott Cummings has stepped in on a contingency basis.)
 
* Club President Carrie Hedges encourages members to donate money at higher levels of membership and attend the Club's two conventions this summer (alas, both already past now) in her "OZervations" column.
(Information courtesy [https://variety.com/2025/film/news/elaine-merk-binder-dead-munchkin-wizard-of-oz-1236525749/ ''Variety''] and [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5285756/ IMDB].)
* In "Oz and Ends":
** [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5431816/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ''The Slippers''], a new full-length documentary about The Movie's famous ruby footwear, which made its debut at this year's ŜSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
** A production of [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/these-incarcerated-women-performed-the-wiz-in-a-maximum-security-prison_us_56db9befe4b0000de404e974 ''The Wiz'' at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women] in New York State.
** A ''Wizard of Oz''-themed train ride in French Lick, Indiana.
** The release of [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01E6ET1TQ/thewonderwizardo/ ''Tom and Jerry: Back to Oz''], a sequel to their first mash-up movie ''Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz''.
** Composer Alexis de Ravenswood releases a [https://alexielderavenswood.bandcamp.com/album/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-symphonic-suite symphonic retelling of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''].
** An article about brothers Eugene and Eulie David, who were Munchkins in ''The Wizard of Oz'' before settling in the Barnwell, South Carolina region.
* Chairman Ryan Bunch previews this year's national Club convention in "OzCon National 2016 is Coming to Philadelphia!" (alas, the issue went out too late to be of any use for readers).
* Barbara S. Koelle examines the lives of three visitors from the City of Brotherly Love to Oz in "The Boys from Philadelphia".
* Jane Albright looks at [http://ozclub.org/unknown-oz/ the Club's new blog] as she and the blog's creator look at previously unknown Oz collectibles in "Blogging for the IWOC: Walter Krueger Unveils Unknown Oz".
* The Oz Club [http://ozclub.org/oz-club-contests/ announces a contest] to rewrite the end of ''Rinkitink in Oz'' as it may have been in its original 1905 non-Oz incarnation, ''King Rinkitink''.
* Ron Baxley, Jr. interviews another artist in "The Oz Illustrator: An Interview with Oz 'Maine-iac' Vincent Myrand". (The back cover features Myrand's watercolor painting "The Flight of the Fugitives".)
* "Oz in the Spotlight" feature's Bill Thompson's review of the second iteration of the recently concluded touring production of ''Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz''.
* In "Adventures in Oz", Club member Michael Booth writes about "My Wonderful Life in Oz".
* "The Oz Bookshelf" reviews and mentions a number of new books:
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1619910144/thewonderwizardo/ ''Polyhrome: A Romantic Fantasy'' by Ryk E. Spoor], reviewed by Alan Wise.
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486798356/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Giant Garden of Oz'' (new edition)] and [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1631405179/thewonderwizardo/ ''Worlds of Color: Welcome to Oz Adult Coloring Book''], both by Eric Shanower and reviewed by Atticus Gannaway.
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1466983167/thewonderwizardo/ ''1899: L. Frank Baum's OZ-Inspiring Macatawa Park'' by William Bollman].
** [http://www.lulu.com/shop/chris-dulabone-and-marin-elizabeth-xiques/20000-leagues-under-oz/hardcover/product-20116243.html ''20,000 Leagues Under Oz'' by Marin Elizabeth Xiques and Chris Dulabone].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/082342409X/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Case of the Ruby Slippers'' by Martha Freeman].
** [https://sites.google.com/site/cowardlylionsite/lionlist/corniness ''Colorful Corniness in Oz'' by Marin Elizabeth Xiques and Chris Dulabone].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0615880584/thewonderwizardo/ ''Crown of the Dreamer'' by Tarl Telford].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1481063995/thewonderwizardo/ ''Da Yeller Brick Road'' by Jim Yoakum].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/149047854X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Dorothy and Mischievous Children in Oz'' by James Fuller].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1613772173/thewonderwizardo/ ''Dorothy of Oz Prequel'' by Denton J. Tipton].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1494797445/thewonderwizardo/ ''Dorothy and the Purple Bull from Oz'' by James Fuller].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1494861208/thewonderwizardo/ ''Dorothy Through the Looking-Glass'' by Ron Glick]
** ''The Emerald Slippers of Oz''.
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1494379414/thewonderwizardo/ ''Emily Goes to Oz'' by Pamela Wolf].
** [https://sites.google.com/site/cowardlylionsite/lionlist/justice ''…And Justice for Oz'' by Lark Vandergrace].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1483641627/thewonderwizardo/ ''Lost Lands of Oz: The Rain King Is Missing'' by Janet Kelly].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1492108723/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Magic of Glinda: Why Transformation Is Myth'' by Scott W. Webb].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1613748329/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Making of ''The Wizard of Oz'' (75th Anniversary Edition)'' by Aljean Harmetz].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1490548580/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Nutcrackers of Oz'' by James Fuller].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1622959426/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Oz Enigma'' by Roger S. Baum].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1907133224/thewonderwizardo/ ''Queer and Loathing on the Yellow Brick Road'' by Deb Hoag].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1491221747/thewonderwizardo/ ''Rainbow's Emissary'' by Mike LaMontagne].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1492868116/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Red Brick Road'' by Edwin Page].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/148205860X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Refugees from the Emerald City'' by David Alvin].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1478398841/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Royal Historian of Oz'' by Spike Brown].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0615772323/thewonderwizardo/ ''Searching for Matilda: Portrait of a Forgotten Feminist'' by Charlotte M. Shapiro].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1478398841/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Royal Historian of Oz'' by Spike Brown].
** [https://sites.google.com/site/cowardlylionsite/lionlist/takemeback ''Take Me Back to Oz'' by Lisa McFauh-Queppe].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1453836527/thewonderwizardo/ ''Toto and the Cats of Oz'' by Robin Hess].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1478718021/thewonderwizardo/ ''Toto's Reflection: Leadership Lessons from'' The Wizard of Oz by Kevin Fickenscher].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0615803490/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wiz Kids of Oz'' by Robert Bresloff].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0936661194/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of Oz Arranged for Harp'' by Sylvia Woods].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1607109379/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of Oz Crochet'' by Kristen Rask].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/084318017X/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of Mad Libs''].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1622953665/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of Oz, Where Is He Now?'' by Richard Mickelson].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1481888072/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard in Wonderland'' by Ron Glick].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1300285761/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wogglebug's Fun with Seasons and Holidays'' by Cynthia Hanson].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/148954514X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wonderful Images of Oz'', edited by Kevin Meinert and Brandie Colbert].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1780972458/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by Ron Glick, adapted by STella Gurney].
** [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0819571288/thewonderwizardo/ ''Yip Harburg: Legendary Lyricist and Human Rights Activist'' by Ron Glick].
* And "In Memoriam" notes the passing oftwo long-time Club members and contributors to the saga of Oz, Richard Paul Smyers and Margaret Berg.


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
----


==August 6, 2016: The 2016 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award==
==August 8, 2025: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2025==
The International Wizard of Oz Club tonight presented its highest award, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, to Jay Scarfone and William Stillman. Together, they have written many books, including ''The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History'' (with John Fricke), ''The Wizard of Oz Collector’s Treasury'', ''The Wizardry of Oz: The Artistry and Magic of the 1939 MGM Classic'', and ''The Wizard of Oz: The Official 75th Anniversary Companion''. They have also written many articles and curated museum exhibits about The Movie. Stillman was also the editor-in-chief of ''The Baum Bugle'' from 1996 to 2000, while Scarfone has served on the Club's board of directors. Both were also active in the Munchkin Convention, chairing it for several years.  
[[file:Bbspring25.png|400 px|right]] The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now making its way to members. This issue celebrates the release of ''Wicked'' (Part 1).  


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
In this issue:
* The front cover reprints the publicity shot of ''Wicked'' stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande recreating the original poster design for the ''Wicked'' stage show.
* The inside covers reprint Anton Loeb's endpaper design for the 1950 book adaptation of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* The table of contents includes Mark Manley's ''Wicked'' tribute painting, "The Melting Occurred at the Thirteenth Hour".
* In "Letters", Oz Club President Ryan Bunch looks back at how the ''Bugle'' covered the path ''Wicked'' has taken from page to stage to screen, and ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Crotzer looks at how this issue's features came about.
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
** The National Library Service (NLS) has [https://www.loc.gov/nls/new-materials/book-lists/wicked-and-the-wizard-of-oz/ a large collection of Oz materials] for the blind and print disabled.
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" remembers recently passed Oz contributors Jean Marsh, Stephen J. Teller, Jack Van Camp, and Sally Roesch Wagner.
* Sarah K. Crotzer reacts to the ''Wicked'' film in "What Is This Feeling?"
* "What the Papers Said" looks at a number of reviews of ''Wicked'' from around the world.
* "Wicked Wares: Toys, Plushes, and Cinema Exclusives" by Jane Albright looks at a variety of ''Wicked'' movie collectibles.
* David Diket looks at the history and evolution of Wicked Witch of the West dolls in "My Beautiful Wickedness" and "David's Timeline of Beautifully Wicked Dolls".
* Karyl Carlson looks back at how she started creating [https://karylsozdolls.com/ custom Oz dolls] in "The Dollmaker of Oz".
* It's been twenty-five years since the last installment, but Carl Rexroad continues his look at political cartoons themed around ''The Wizard of Oz'' in "The Editorial Cartoons of Oz, Part 1: 125 Years Later, ''The Wizard of Oz'' Still Drives Political Debate".
* William STillman looks at the history of one of the bestselling Oz adaptations in "75 Years of Anton Loeb's ''The Wizard of Oz''".
* In "Oz in the Arts", Robert Lamont reviews [https://wizmusical.com/ the recent Broadway revival of ''The Wiz''] (now on tour).
* In "The Bugle Review":
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0063377012/thewonderwizardo/ ''Elphie: A Wicked Childhood'' by Gregory Maguire], reviewed by Alan Wise.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DNKY21JB/thewonderwizardo/ The blu-ray release of ''Wicked''], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** [https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/21442/double-critical-llc ''Adventules in Oz: Campaign Setting'' and ''Beasts & Beings'' role-playing campaign books], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CSYB4B12/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked: The Game'' by Spin Master], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
* Michael Gessel remembers a recently deceased long-time Oz fan in "The Lifelong Scholar: Stephen J. Teller's Journey from Kansas to Oz".
* The back cover shows the Tonner Doll versions of Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West.


==July 16, 2016: The 2016 Winkie Award==
Also included with this issue:
Tonight, OzCon International presented its annual Winkie Award, for cotributions to the convention and Oz in general, to Virginia "Gina" Wickwar. She is the author of ''The Hidden Prince of Oz'' and ''Toto of Oz'', as well as many contributions to OzCon International.
* This issue's Oz craft is a miniature version of the Emerald City Express train from the ''Wicked'' movie.
* And in the final (for now?) issue of ''The Emerald City Gazette'', the newspaper for younger Oz fans (of all ages), Bungle and Toto stroll through the Emerald Palace to ensure that those pesky nomes are finally gone for good.


<center>[[File:colorbar.gif]]</center>
<br clear=all>
 
----


==Rumor Control==
==Rumor Control==
Line 237: Line 391:
----
----


There is now a release date for the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical version of ''Wicked'': December 20, 2019. This is still subject to change, but an announced date is a good sign. Winnie Holzman, who wrote the book of the play, is working on the script, and the composer, Stephan Schwartz, is arranging the music (and probably writing a new song or two). No casting announcements have been made yet.
Three horror-themed takes on Oz are currently in the works:
* [https://bloody-disgusting.com/exclusives/3919064/return-to-oz-with-gale-yellow-brick-road-poster-by-creepy-duck-design-exclusive/ ''Gale: Yellow Brick Road''], about Dorothy's granddaughter Emily being drawn into a nightmare version of Oz, had a limited release in February 2026.
* ''Dorothy: The Haunting of Oz'' is in post-production and looking for a 2026 release.
* ''Wicked of Oz'' was announced for a release right before ''Wicked: For Good'', but was quietly withdrawn and is now awaiting another possible release.
If any of these go into general release, they'll appear on this website's events page.
 
----
 
''Dorothy'' is in development for Prime Video, with executive producers Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, and Gina Matthews. You can see the initial report on this [https://deadline.com/2025/08/gwen-stefani-blake-shelton-wizard-of-oz-prime-video-1236497977/ right here].


----
----


Reports of Jerry Maren's death on February 29, 2016, are false. The last little person to play a Munchkin in The Movie, he is still alive and kicking and, unlike the reports saying it, does not have cancer.
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]).


----
----
Line 282: Line 444:


*''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…)
*''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.)

Latest revision as of 17:18, 26 July 2026

(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.)

Colorbar.gif
Home.gif
"There's no place like the home page."
Colorbar.gif

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

Colorbar.gif

July 25, 2026: The L. Frank Baum Memorial Award

Today, the International Wizard of Oz Club awarded its highest honor, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, to Cindy Ragni. Ragni has served the Club for many years on the Board of Directors and contributed many articles to the Club's journal, The Baum Bugle.

June 20, 2026: The Winkie Award

Although there is no OzCon International this year, its highest honor, the Winkie Award, was announced tonight. This year's honoree is Paul Dana, who has helped out the convention behind the scenes in many ways over the past few years, especially as its registrar.

April 30, 2026: The Baum Bugle Spring 2026

The Spring 2026 issue of The Baum Bugle, the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, has now been published and is on its way to members' mailboxes around the world. We will have a complete rundown of this issue soon.

April 13, 2026: Valerie Lee, 1931-2026

Valerie Lee, who was one of the children who played a Munchkin in the background of The Wizard of Oz, passed away today at the age of 94. We will have updated information soon.

(The Hollywood Reporter.)

March 22, 2026: Anna-Maria Cool 1956-2026

Anna-Maria Bernardes Basom, the comics artist who worked using the name Anna-Maria B. Cool, passed away today after losing a battle with cancer. She was 69. She also illustrated The Hidden Prince of Oz and Toto of Oz for the International Wizard of Oz Club. We will have updated information soon.

(Beckwith Mortuary.)

March 16, 2026: Gina Wickwar 1944-2026

Virginia "Gina" Wickwar, the author of two Oz books for the International Wizard of Oz Club and a long-time Club contributor, passed away today at the age of 81. We will have updated information here soon.

(Lanza Funeral Home.)

March 15, 2026: Matt Clark, 1936-2026

Matt Clark.webp

Matt Clark, the actor whose many roles included Uncle Henry in Return to Oz, passed away today at the age of 89. Clark's career spanned fifty years, and he was best known for his appearances in Westerns. Other movie roles included In the Heat of the Night, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension, Back to the Future Part III, Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, and A Million Ways to Die in the West. On television, he appeared in many made-for-TV movies and miniseries, and was a guest on shows that included Ben Casey, The Rat Patrol, Death Valley Days, Bonanza, The Waltons, Kung Fu, Little House on the Prairie, Grace Under Fire, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Lonesome Dove, The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Walker: Texas Ranger, and Chicago Hope.

(Information courtesy Wikipedia. Photo courtesy The Oz Wiki.)


March 13, 2026: Michael Hague, 1948-2026

Michael Hague.jpeg

Michael Hague, the acclaimed fantasy illustrator, passed away today at the age of 77. Influenced by artists such as Arthur Rakham, W. Heath Robinson, N. C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, and Hal Foster, Hague had ambitions to become a children's book illustrator. He received his BFA in 1972 but had difficulty finding work. He eventually found work at Hallmark, where he illustrated his first book, a pop-up edition of Gulliver in Lilliput. After striking out on his own, he started building a portfolio and a following. Over the course of his career, besides many original works, his works included new editions of Mother Goose, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Hobbit, The Wind in the Willows, Beauty and the Beast, The Night Before Christmas, The Reluctant Dragon, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Secret Garden, Little Women, The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Peter Rabbit, The Nutcracker, and tales by Aesop, Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm, and Oscar Wilde. Oz fans, however, will know him for his 1989 edition of The Wizard of Oz. Hague returned to the world of L. Frank Baum with a 2003 edition of The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.

(Information courtesy Publishers Weekly and Wikipedia. Photo courtesy Publishers Weekly.)


March 4, 2026: Lyle Conway, RIP

Lyle Conway.webp

Lyle Conway, the puppeteer whose work with Jim Henson included creating and operating many well-known movie puppets, passed away today at an undetermined age. Influenced as a child in Chicago by the television series Kukla, Fran and Ollie and the original film version of King Kong, Conway attended the Art Institute of Chicago before striking out for Hollywood. After working as a social worker and toy designer, he found his way to Jim Henson and his Creature Shop, where he sculpted a new Miss Piggy Muppet for the final season of The Muppet Show and The Great Muppet Caper, and created Lyle the Dog, who was named for him. He then went on to design puppets for The Dark Crystal and Dreamchild before striking out on his own. He was reunited with his old Creature Shop colleague Frank Oz, who was directing the musical film version of Little Shop of Horrors. Conway designed Audrey II, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA, and a Saturn Award. He had a rare onscreen appearance in Blade, and came back to the Creature Shop to design the titular characters in the film version of Where the Wild Things Are. But for Oz fans, his biggest contribution was designing Jack Pumpkinhead, Billina, and the Gump for Disney's 1985 movie Return to Oz. Besides operating the Gump, he also provided his voice and cast Brian Henson as the performer and voice for Jack Pumpkinhead.

(Information courtesy Wikipedia. Photo courtesy Muppet Wiki.)

February 2, 2026: The Baum Bugle Winter 2025 Issue and Oziana 2025

Bbwinter25.jpg

The year's final issue of The Baum Bugle is back from the printers and off to members of the International Wizard of Oz Club.

In this issue:

  • The front cover presents frames from the newly-restored version of the 1914 movie His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz, highlighting Vivian Reed's portrayal of Ozma.
  • The inside front cover reproduces an illustration of Ozma and some of her friends from Dick Martin's 1984 collection An Oz Picture Gallery.
  • "Letters" sees Oz Club President Ryan Bunch singing the praises of the community fostered by the Club, while Bugle editor Sara Krotzer talks about the influence of Ozma on culture, as well as this issue.
  • In "The Bugle Bulletin", more articles from the history of the Bugle are available on the Club's website, and child Munchkin Elain Merk Binder is remembered in "Beyond the Shifting Sands".
  • "Awards and Honors" lauds Sarah Crotzer as the first sitting editor of The Baum Bugle to receive the Club's highest honor, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, in a tribute penned by her old friend Nick Campbell.
  • Nate Barlow learns about the ins and outs of His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz as he recounts "Restoring the Scarecrow, or How I Learned to Stop Dreaming and Restore a Film".
  • Entomologist JoVonn G. Hill explains how he named a newly-discovered bright green Mexican grasshopper Ozmacris peninsulae, after Ozma's transformation in Ozma of Oz in the article "The Emerald Grasshopper of Baja".
  • Leighton Suen looks at Ozma as a transgender icon in "Born a Girl, and Also a Princess", the 2024 winner of the C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction.
  • English castles in Kent, Oxfordshire, and North Yorkshire incorporate The Wizard of Oz into their Christmas celebration, and the Bugle has photos to prove it.
  • Cynthia Twohy Ragni takes a look at astronomical history in "Project Ozma, the First Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence", the 2025 runner-up for the C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction.
  • In "Oz Under Scrutiny", Scott Cummings collects reviews of The Lost King of Oz, celebrating its centennial in 2025.
  • A reprint of a 1926 profile of Ruth Plumly Thompson from The Guide to Nature.
  • "Coming and Going" by Sarah Krotzer has tidbits about The Lost King of Oz.
  • Barbara Arnstein has a holiday surprise in "Halloween Oz Magic: An Ozzy Encounter".
  • A new Oz artist answers questions in "Puffin Along the Yellow Brick Road: An Interview with Steven Lenton".
  • "Oz in the Arts" sees Toby Sutton-Long visiting the holiday presentation at Blenheim Castle in Oxfordshire.
  • In "The Bugle Review":
  • "Adventures in Oz" sees Gregory Hall writing about his latest composition in "Marvelous: A Musical Opera: Our Sequel to Oz".
  • In "Jack Van Camp: Bringing Stability and Celebration to Oz", John Fricke remembers the recently deceased past Treasurer and board member of the International Wizard of Oz Club and 1981 laureate of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award.
  • The inside back cover reproduces the original art, without words, of Steven Lenton's new Oz book covers.
  • The back cover is a painting of Ozma by Vincent Myrand.

Also included with this issue is the Club's latest craft project, an Ozma paper doll.

Oziana 2025.jpg

Also available now is the 2025 issue of Oziana, the Club's annual literary anthology. It is available for sale to anyone, even if they're not a member of the Club, through Lulu.com. In this issue:

  • The front cover illustration is by Rob Lauer.
  • Opposite the table of contents is "Tales of the Land of Oz", an illustration by Stephen Smith.
  • "The Royal Joust of Oz" by Scott B. Blanke, with illustrations by Rob Lauer, sees a new spell cast on Prince Corum, turning him back into Sir Hokus of Pokes. Only winning a joust can restore him, but he's going to need help from his friends in the Emerald City.
  • "The Piglets and the Tin Soldier" by J. L. Bell, illustrated by David Valentin, has Captain Fyter escorting the Nine Tiny Piglets back to their old family farm in the Munchkin Country. Of course, it's not as smooth going as anyone suspects.
  • "The Low Mare of Oz" by Nathan DeHoff, with illustrations by Rob Lauer, shows a visit by Betsy Bobbin and Hank to Troth to see real horses in Oz. They end up encountering many other Oz horses along the way.
  • "The Tin Man of Oz in Where's My Oil Can?", written and drawn by Mel Vavaroutsos, shows how the Scarecrow helped Nick Chopper solve a personal problem.
  • "The Missing Key" by J. L. Bell, illustrated by David Lee Ingersoll, finds Tik-Tok's key missing, and he can't think, talk, or move until it can be found. Naturally, it's not as easy as his friends think it will be.
  • "The Bricks" by Catherine Lombardi, with illustrations by Bridget Elmore, sees Phil, a bricklayer on the Yellow Brick Road, tell the story of how he saved the Tin Woodman from a horrible fate.
  • In "A Catastrophic Celebration in Oz" by Scott B. Blanke, illustrated by Mel Vavarounsos, Dr. Pipt and Margolotte throw a small party to celebrate the anniversary of her coming back to life after being doused with the Liquid of Petrifaction. But during the course of events, an old bottle of the liquid is unearthed, and it spills on Ozma, the Wizard, and the Sawhorse!


November 13, 2025: The Baum Bugle Autumn 2025 Issue

Bbautumn25.jpg

The latest issue of The Baum Bugle, the journal of the International Wizard of oz Club, is making its way to members now. This issue celebrates forty years of Return to Oz, and includes a comprehensive checklist of collectibles from the 1985 Disney movie.

In this issue:

  • The wraparound front cover reproduces the art, by Josh Kirby, for a 1985 British Return to Oz jigsaw puzzle.
  • The inside front cover has photos, taken by Tricia Trozzi, of the New York premiere of Return to Oz in June of 1985.
  • In "Letters", Oz Club President and Bugle editor Sarah K. Crotzer discuss their encounters and memories of Return to Oz.
  • In "The Bugle Bulletin:
    • The only known manuscript of "Over the Rainbow" is now in the Library of Congress.
    • Documentarian Jeffrey McHale is taking his latest movie, It's Dorothy! around the film festival circuit.
    • "Beyond the Shifting Sands" remembers recently passed Oz luminaries:
      • Robert A. Baum, Jr., the great-grandson of L. Frank Baum and a noted Oz scholar and historian in his own right.
      • Dr. Richard R. Rutter, a major collector and Winkie Convention attendee, who was especially known for his extravagant Oz costumes.
      • Drew Struzan, the celebrated movie poster artist whose works included Return to Oz.
  • Sarah K. Crotzer looks back at the life and career of the actress known in Oz circles as Princess Mombi from Return to Oz in "So…! The Many Heads of Jean Marsh".
  • Tricia Trozzi looks back at what she was doing on June 21, 1985—attending the gala premiere of Return to Oz at Radio City Music Hall—in "Movie Memories".
  • Original Return to Oz reviews are collected in "What the Papers Said: 1985 Edition, A Collection of Contemporaneous Media Opinions of Return to Oz".
  • Robert B. Luehrs contemplates one of L. Frank Baum's earlier characters in "The Pundit of Oz: Some Random Thoughts Concerning the Woggle-Bug".
  • Sarah K. Crotzer updates previous Bugle checklists with "The Ultimate Return to Oz Merchandise Checklist", a full-color insert.
  • Carl Rexroad continues on from an article in a previous issue with "The Editorial Cartoons of Oz, Part 2: Modern Times with The Wizard of Oz".
  • Jane Albright peeks behind the curtain of the latest iteration of The Wizard of Oz on Ice in "Melt the Witch, Not the Ice".
  • Noted in "The Bugle Review":
  • The inside back cover reprints a 1985 Japanese ad for Return to Oz merchandise from Nakajima Toys.

Also included with this issue is the card game Don't Wear Mombi's Head, a set of cards to color, cut out, and play with.


Wicked, Wicked: For Good, and Wicked: One Wonderful Night 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 pages for Wicked and Wicked: For Good 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 28, 2024: Digital Spy Readers Awards, Most Anticipated Movie of 2025: Wicked: For Good
  • 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
  • April 22, 2025: Webby Awards, Variety and Reality, General Video and Film: Wicked Stars Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Break Down Viral "Holding Space" Interview
  • June 9, 2025: The BET Awards, Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
  • June 21, 2025: Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards:
    • Favorite Movie: Wicked
    • Favorite Movie Actress: Ariana Grande as Glinda
    • Favorite Song from a Movie: "Defying Gravity"
  • July 3, 2025: Astra Midseason Movie Awards, Most Anticipated Film: Wicked: For Good
  • August 5, 2025: Las Culturista Culture Awards, Harshest Truth About Wicked: Phannee not realized, we don't get into his gay story (What was that like? Was it hard coming out or was Pfannee born wealthy? Prequel idea about this.)
  • October 19, 2025: Middleburg Film Festival, Creative Collaborators Award: Alice Brooks (cinematographer) and Myron Kerstein (editor), Wicked: For Good
  • October 26, 2025: Savannah Film Festival, Vanguard Director Award: Jon M. Chu
  • November 3, 2025: People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive: Jonathan Bailey
  • November 4, 2025: Media Access Awards, Christopher Reeve Acting Award: Marissa Bode
  • November 18, 2025: British GQ Man of the Year: Cynthia Erivo (one of eighteen honorees)
  • November 19, 2025: Hollywood Music in Media Awards, Music Themed Film, Biopic, or Musical: Wicked: For Good, Jon M. Chu
  • December 3, 2025: National Board of Review: Top 10 Films (one of ten, but not Film of the Year)
  • December 4, 2025: American Film Institute Awards: Top 10 Films (one of ten)
  • December 9, 2025: African-American Film Critics Association, Top Ten Films of the Year: Wicked: For Good
  • December 11, 2025: Astra Film Awards, Best Visual Effects: Wicked: For Good, Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Anthony Smith, Dale Newton, and Paul Corbould
  • December 15, 2025: San Diego Film Critics Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell, Wicked: For Good
  • December 19, 2025: Las Vegas Film Critics Society, Top Ten Films of the Year: Wicked: For Good
  • December 28, 2025: Iowa Film Critics Association
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Song, "The Girl in the Bubble"
  • December 29, 2025: The King's New Year's Honours List: Cynthia Erivo is named a Member of the British Empire (MBE)
  • January 9, 2026: Astra Film Awards, Best Supporting Actress—Comedy or Musical: Ariana Grande
  • January 16, 2026: American Cinematheque Tribute to the Crafts Awards, Choreography: Christopher Scott
  • February 1, 2026: London Film Critics' Circle, Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation: Cynthia Erivo
  • February 1, 2026: The Grammy Awards, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, "Defying Gravity"
  • February 8, 2026: Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Kirk Douglas Award: Cynthia Erivo
  • February 9, 2026: The Lumiere Awards, the Judy Garland Award: Jon M. Chu
  • February 12, 2026: Costume Designers Guild Awards, Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: Paul Tazewell
  • February 16, 2026: Black Reel Awards, Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • February 21, 2026: Set Decorators Society of America Awards, Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
  • February 28, 2026: NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Cynthia Erivo
  • March 8, 2026: The Saturn Awards
    • Best Fantasy Film: Wicked: For Good
    • Best 4K Home Media Release: Wicked
  • March 10, 2025: Queerties
    • Badass: Johnathan Bailey
    • Drama Movie: Wicked: For Good
    • Film Performance: Cynthia Erivo, Wicked: For Good

The television concert special Wicked: One Wonderful Night received six nominations for the 78th Prime Time Emmy Awards:

  • Outstanding Variety Special (Prerecorded)
  • Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming (Christopher Scott, "The Wizard and I")
  • Outstanding Music Direction (Stephen Oremus)
  • Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special
  • Outstanding Technical Design and Camera Work for a Special
  • Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program

The Emmy Awards will be presented on September 14.

October 8, 2025: Robert A. Baum, 1942-2025

Robert A Baum Jr.webp

Robert A. "Bob" Baum, great-grandson of L. Frank Baum and an important Oz scholar in his own right, passed away today at the age of 83. His generosity in sharing his family's collection and history has been a boon to Oz in many ways. Museums, documentaries, and Oz festivals and conventions have all been enhanced by Bob's donations. He was a consultant on the 1990 television movie The Dreamer of Oz, a biopic of his great-grandfather, and even recreated Frank's home office on set using items from his own collection. He served the International Wizard of Oz Club as a director and contributor to The Baum Bugle, as well as frequent convention guest. The 2022 issue of Oziana, the Club's literary magazine, was a collection of Bob Baum's fanciful stories about his family history. He and his wife, Claire, would sometimes appear at events as L. Frank and Maud Baum to tell stories about their lives. For his many contributions, he was awarded the Oz Club's highest honor, named after his great-grandfather, in 2002.

(Information courtesy Jane Albright on Facebook. Photo courtesy The Oz Wiki.)

September 21, 2025: Elaine Merk Binder, 1930-2025

Elaine Merk Binder, one of the last remaining actors who played a Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz, passed away today at the age of 94. Born in Colorado, she appeared as an extra in several movies in the '30s, including an Our Gang short. She was one of a dozen young girls who filled in the ranks of background female Munchkins after Judy Garland's Dorothy arrives in Oz. But after 1940 she left show business, and went on to earn degrees in education and music. She appeared in the 2024 documentary series Memories of Oz, reminiscing about making the movie.

(Information courtesy Variety and IMDB.)

August 8, 2025: The Baum Bugle Spring 2025

Bbspring25.png

The latest issue of The Baum Bugle, the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now making its way to members. This issue celebrates the release of Wicked (Part 1).

In this issue:

  • The front cover reprints the publicity shot of Wicked stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande recreating the original poster design for the Wicked stage show.
  • The inside covers reprint Anton Loeb's endpaper design for the 1950 book adaptation of The Wizard of Oz.
  • The table of contents includes Mark Manley's Wicked tribute painting, "The Melting Occurred at the Thirteenth Hour".
  • In "Letters", Oz Club President Ryan Bunch looks back at how the Bugle covered the path Wicked has taken from page to stage to screen, and Bugle editor Sarah K. Crotzer looks at how this issue's features came about.
  • In "The Bugle Bulletin":
    • The National Library Service (NLS) has a large collection of Oz materials for the blind and print disabled.
    • "Beyond the Shifting Sands" remembers recently passed Oz contributors Jean Marsh, Stephen J. Teller, Jack Van Camp, and Sally Roesch Wagner.
  • Sarah K. Crotzer reacts to the Wicked film in "What Is This Feeling?"
  • "What the Papers Said" looks at a number of reviews of Wicked from around the world.
  • "Wicked Wares: Toys, Plushes, and Cinema Exclusives" by Jane Albright looks at a variety of Wicked movie collectibles.
  • David Diket looks at the history and evolution of Wicked Witch of the West dolls in "My Beautiful Wickedness" and "David's Timeline of Beautifully Wicked Dolls".
  • Karyl Carlson looks back at how she started creating custom Oz dolls in "The Dollmaker of Oz".
  • It's been twenty-five years since the last installment, but Carl Rexroad continues his look at political cartoons themed around The Wizard of Oz in "The Editorial Cartoons of Oz, Part 1: 125 Years Later, The Wizard of Oz Still Drives Political Debate".
  • William STillman looks at the history of one of the bestselling Oz adaptations in "75 Years of Anton Loeb's The Wizard of Oz".
  • In "Oz in the Arts", Robert Lamont reviews the recent Broadway revival of The Wiz (now on tour).
  • In "The Bugle Review":
  • Michael Gessel remembers a recently deceased long-time Oz fan in "The Lifelong Scholar: Stephen J. Teller's Journey from Kansas to Oz".
  • The back cover shows the Tonner Doll versions of Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Also included with this issue:

  • This issue's Oz craft is a miniature version of the Emerald City Express train from the Wicked movie.
  • And in the final (for now?) issue of The Emerald City Gazette, the newspaper for younger Oz fans (of all ages), Bungle and Toto stroll through the Emerald Palace to ensure that those pesky nomes are finally gone for good.


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.)

Three horror-themed takes on Oz are currently in the works:

  • Gale: Yellow Brick Road, about Dorothy's granddaughter Emily being drawn into a nightmare version of Oz, had a limited release in February 2026.
  • Dorothy: The Haunting of Oz is in post-production and looking for a 2026 release.
  • Wicked of Oz was announced for a release right before Wicked: For Good, but was quietly withdrawn and is now awaiting another possible release.

If any of these go into general release, they'll appear on this website's events page.

Dorothy is in development for Prime Video, with executive producers Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, and Gina Matthews. You can see the initial report on this right here.

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.)

Colorbar.gif
Home.gif
"There's no place like the home page."
Retrieved from "http://thewizardofoz.info/w/index.php?title=Oz_News&oldid=11709"