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==February 28, 2021: ''The Baum Bugle'' Winter 2020==
==July 25, 2026: The L. Frank Baum Memorial Award==
[[File:bbwinter20.jpg|left]]The Winter 2020 issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the International Wizard of Oz Club's triannual journal, is now back from the printers and making its way to all Oz Club members for 2020. This issue commemorates the one hundredth anniversary of the publication of ''Glinda of Oz'', the final Oz book by L. Frank Baum.
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''.
<br clear=all>In this issue:
 
* The front cover reproduces an original Dick Martin watercolor from 1988.
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* The inside front cover is an unused jacket illustration Martin did in 1961.
 
* In "Letters", Oz Club President Jane Albright talks about how Oz fans have weathered the coronavirus pandemic and found new ways to gather and express themselves, while ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Crotzer previews what's in the issue at hand.
==June 20, 2026: The Winkie Award==
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
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.
** Stephen Daldrey exits as director of the ''Wicked'' movie.
 
** ''The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of'' podcast devotes an episode to the Ruby Slippers.
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** Even though it was cancelled, Boomerang had a third season of [https://watch.boomerang.com/shows/dorothy-franchise/series/dorothy-series/volume-1 ''Dorothy and the Wizard ofOz''] up its sleeve, shown in 2020.
 
** Movie star Richard Gere bought a New York City condo previously owned by Margaret Hamilton.
==April 30, 2026: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2026==
** The now comic book ''The O. Z.'' was successfully funded [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theozcomic/the-oz-1/ via Kickstarter].
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.


More will be coming to this listing over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!
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Also included with this issue:
==April 13, 2026: Valerie Lee, 1931-2026==
* The ninth issue of ''The Oz Gazette'', the Oz publication for younger Oz fans, which includes:
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.
** Editor Scarecrow's attempts to create a self-writing, self-publishing newspaper (with less-than-satisfactory results).
** A look at [https://youtu.be/09iHePAIZFA the earliest existing Oz movie].
** "Ask Glinda" continues the adventures of Katie Jones on her visit to Oz.
** "What Did the Woggle-Bug Say?" poses another ponderable problem.
** And an interview with ''The Oz Gazette'' and ''The Baum Bugle'' illustrator Mark Manley.
* A craft project to create Glinda's skeropythrope, a magical device she used in ''Glinda of Oz''.


All Oz Club members who receive this issue are advised that this is the last issue for the 2020 membership year, and anyone wishing to continue to receive the ''Bugle'' should send in their membership dues (which [https://shop.ozclub.org/product-category/iwoc-membership/ can now be done online]).
([https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/valerie-lee-dead-munchkins-wizard-of-oz-our-gang-1236562703/ ''The Hollywood Reporter''].)


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==December 10, 2020: Chris Dulabone, 1964-2020==
==March 22, 2026: Anna-Maria Cool 1956-2026==
[[File:Chris_Dulabone.jpg|left]] Chris Dulabone, the prolific Oz author and publisher who blazed the trail for extracanonical Oz pastiches, died today after a long illness. He wrote and published his first Oz book, ''Toto of Oz'', in 1986 at a time when copyrights and technology made publishing new Oz books difficult. This proved to be the first of dozens of books Dulabone wrote or co-wrote, and in some cases even illustrated. He published his works, and those of others, under the imprint of Buckethead Enterprises of Oz, and opened the doors wide for who could write an Oz book, and just what an Oz book is anyway. He continued to write, illustrate, and publish books for decades as he reorganized his company as [https://sites.google.com/site/cowardlylionsite/Home Tails of the Cowardly Lion and Friends], until he recently had his books printed on demand via Lulu.com.
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.


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([https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituaries/anna-maria-basom Beckwith Mortuary].)


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==November 23, 2020: Myrna Swensen, 1926-2020==
==March 16, 2026: Gina Wickwar 1944-2026==
Myrna Swensen, the "Munchkin by marriage" who never got to go to Oz but was a big part of its legacy anyway has passed away. She was all set to play a Munchkin in ''The Wizard of Oz'', but illness prevented her from taking the job. She did marry a Munchkin, however, soldier Clarence Swensen, in 1945, and they raised three daughters. When the Munchkin actors were discovered by fans and began appearing at Oz events around the world, Myrna came along to support her husband, and was welcomed by Ozians everywhere. Even after Clarence passed away, Myrna kept going to Oz events for as long as she was able. She is survived by her three daughters and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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.


(Family information courtesy [https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?n=myrna-myrle-swensen&pid=197182067 the ''Ausin American-Statesman''].)
([https://www.lanzafuneralhome.com/obituaries/Virginia-Wickwar?obId=47767905 Lanza Funeral Home].)


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==November 20, 2020: David L. Greene, 1944-2020==
==March 15, 2026: Matt Clark, 1936-2026==
[[File:David L Greene.jpg|right]]Dr. David L. Greene, Oz scholar and founding member of the International Wizard of Oz Club, passed away today. He was seventy-six years old and had been in declining health for some time. He and his twin brother, Douglas G. Greene, were two of the sixteen initial members of the International Wizard of Oz Club when it was started in 1957, and two of the youngest (only founder Justin Schiller was younger), but both quickly contributed much to the Club. David served as editor of the Club's journal, ''The Baum Bugle'', for many years, did extensive research in Oz bibliography, and founded the Club's Special Publications division. He also co-authored the popular book ''The Oz Scrapbook'' with Dick Martin, which came out in 1977. The Greene brothers were jointly awarded the International Wizard of Oz Club's highest honor, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, in 1965. Outside of Oz, Greene taught English at Piedmont College in Georgia for thirty-seven years and retired as a Professor Emeritus. He was also interested in genealogy, wrote several books on the subject, was a Fellow and past President of the American Society of Genealogists, and edited ''The American Genealogist'' for twenty-five years. He is survived by his twin brother, Douglas; his non-twin brother, Paul; his wife, Jane; a son, a daughter, two stepdaughters, and five grandchildren.
[[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''.
 
(Information courtesy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Clark_(actor) Wikipedia]. Photo courtesy [https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Uncle_Henry_(Novels) The Oz Wiki].)


(Information courtesy [https://www.whitfieldfuneralhomes.com/obituaries/David-Greene-13/#!/Obituary the Whitfield Funeral Homes tribute page]. Photo courtesy [https://americangenealogist.com/ ''The American Genealogist''].)
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==November 1, 2020: Books of Wonder Moves==
==March 13, 2026: Michael Hague, 1948-2026==
[https://booksofwonder.com/ Books of Wonder], the New York City children's bookstore that has been one of the greatest friends Oz has had for the past forty years, has moved! They lost their lease on their original location on 18th Street in Manhattan, but they were able to find a new location quickly, and it's really close. So now you can visit them at 42 West 17th St., just a block away. They're still in the process of completely unpacking, so there may be a few boxes lying around, but the shelves are full and the staff still knows their stuff. Their second location, at 217 West 84th St., is still there, too. But if you're not going to be in the neighborhood any time soon, they still have mail order, including [https://booksofwonder.com/collections/world-of-oz an extensive catalog of Oz items], many of which they've published themselves.
[[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''.
 
(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''.)
 
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==October 31, 2020: Sir Sean Connery, 1930-2020==
==March 4, 2026: Lyle Conway, RIP==
[[File:Zed.jpg|center|500 px]]
[[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.
Sir Sean Connery, the award-winning Scottish actor who most famously originated the role of James Bond on film, passed away today at his home in the Bahamas. He was 90 years old. Besides playing Bond in seven movies, Connery won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in ''The Untouchables'', a Best Actor BAFTA for ''The Name of the Rose'' and a BAFTA Fellowship, and a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for ''The Untouchables'' as well as the Henrietta Award in 1972 as World Film Favorite — Male, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1995, a Kennedy Center Honor in 1999, and the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000. He will also be remembered by Oz fans, however, as Zed, the main protagonist who brings death to an indolent immortal community in the 1974 cult classic film ''Zardoz''.


(Information courtesy [https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54761824 the BBC] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Connery Wikipedia].
(Information courtesy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyle_Conway Wikipedia]. Photo courtesy [https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Lyle_Conway Muppet Wiki].)


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==October 30, 2020: ''The Baum Bugle'' Autumn 2020 and ''Oziana'' 2020==
==February 2, 2026: ''The Baum Bugle'' Winter 2025 Issue and ''Oziana'' 2025==
[[File:bbautumn20.jpg|left]]Two important issues of International Wizard of Oz Club magazines are now available. All 2020 members of the Club should soon receive the Autumn 2020 issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the triannual journal, with this issue celebrating thirty-five years of the 1985 Disney film ''Return to Oz'', with many never-before-published items from the Disney archives. Because of licensing agreements with Disney, this issue is strictly limited, and will likely not be available as a back issue or reprinted in the future, so this will be a particularly sought after issue.
[[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>


<br clear=all>
In this issue:
In this issue:
* The front cover reproduces a concept painting by Michael Ploog of Dorothy meeting the Nome King in ''Return to Oz''.
* 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.
* Both inside covers feature more ''Return to Oz'' concept art, these by Harley Jessup.
* The inside front cover reproduces an illustration of Ozma and some of her friends from Dick Martin's 1984 collection ''An Oz Picture Gallery''.
* In "Letters", Oz Club President Jane Albright waxes on how the coronavirus pandemic and cancellation of Oz events around the country has resulted in all kinds of new connections online, while ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Crotzer declares the magazine is bringing Halloween to its readers this year while listing the efforts of those to bring it together.
* "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":
* 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".
** The passing of graphic designer Milton Glaser. As well as the iconic "I ❤️ NY" logo, he also gave the world the iconic design for the Broadway production of ''The Wiz'', showing a swirling dancer in silhouette.
* "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.
** Justin Schiller, founder of the International Wizard of Oz Club, announces the closing of his antiquarian and collectibles children's bookshop after more than six decades in business and [https://historical.ha.com/c/search-results.zx?N=1874+793+794+792+2088+4294943087&ic=Items-OpenAuctions-Open-BrowseTitle-071713 the auction of the remaining collection], at the same time he is appearing in [https://booksellersdocumentary.com/ ''The Booksellers''], a documentary about the New York City rare books community.
* 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".
** Reproductions of dust jackets for [https://www.dustjackets.com/advSearchResults.php?action=search&orderBy=author&category_id=0&keywordsField=Oz many editions of the Oz books] and [https://www.dustjackets.com/advSearchResults.php?action=search&orderBy=author&category_id=0&keywordsField=Frank+Baum other books by L. Frank Baum] are now available at (where else?) https://www.dustjackets.com/.
* 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".
** The International Wizard of Oz Club has loaned two pieces of original art, one by W. W. Denslow from ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and one by John R. Neill from ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'', to the Peninsula Fine Arts Center of Newport News, Virginia, for the exhibit "Surrealism in Children's Books", a subexhibit of their current show, [https://pfac-va.org/exhibitions/ "Masters of Surrealism: Picasso, Dali, and Miro"].
* 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.
** ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', translated into Esperanto, was used as the data to test new techniques in storing information using DNA in experiments at the University of Texas.
* 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.
** Despite the current pandemic, Oz venues such as [https://ozmuseum.com/ The Oz Museum] in Wamego, Kansas; [https://allthingsoz.org/ All Things Oz] in Chittenango, New York; and [https://www.landofoznc.com/ The Land of Oz theme park] in Beech Mountain, North Carolina have figured out ways to keep going.
* 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.
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" remembers Oz luminaries Bill Edmonds, a long-time attendee of the Winkie Conventions; Timothy Graphenreed, co-writer of the musical numbers "Tornado" and "Emerald City (Pssst)" for ''The Wiz''; and Nancy Petrasko, sister of the late Fred Meyer, long time secretary of the International Wizard of Oz Club.
* In "Oz Under Scrutiny", Scott Cummings collects reviews of ''The Lost King of Oz'', celebrating its centennial in 2025.
** "Through the Tube" found the following ''Return to Oz''-related videos on YouTube:
* A reprint of a 1926 profile of Ruth Plumly Thompson from ''The Guide to Nature''.
*** [https://youtu.be/CwekadgupW8 An interview with Pons Maar], the Head Wheeler (among other parts), from the "To Oz? To Oz!" virtual convention.
* "Coming and Going" by Sarah Krotzer has tidbits about ''The Lost King of Oz''.
*** [https://youtu.be/oHhmlet_zCM Jean Marsh at the London Comic Con].
* Barbara Arnstein has a holiday surprise in "Halloween Oz Magic: An Ozzy Encounter".
*** [https://youtu.be/0TB4JOyK0Ts Doug Aberle, an artist at Claymation], revealing the secrets behind the destruction of the Nome King, from this year's virtual version of OzCon International.
* A new Oz artist answers questions in "Puffin Along the Yellow Brick Road: An Interview with Steven Lenton".
* Sarah K. Crotzer praises the subject of this issue in "Outside Over There: In Praise of Walter Murch's ''Return to Oz''".
* "Oz in the Arts" sees Toby Sutton-Long visiting the holiday presentation at Blenheim Castle in Oxfordshire.
* Nick Campbell looks at the life and career of the man who bent himself double to be the body of Tik-Tok in "Dancer in the Dark: Michael Sundin in Oz".
* In "The Bugle Review":
* Karen Diket examines some of the unpleasant underlying medical issues of the movie in "Unpleasant Dreams: The Role of Electroshock Therapy in ''Return to Oz''".
** [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.
* Kevin M. Kern interviews an artist who worked on concept art and storyboards for ''Return to Oz'' in "Brooding and Beautiful: A Conversation with Harley Jessup". The article is illustrated with many examples of Jessup's ''Return to Oz'' work from the Disney archives, some reproduced in color, and most having never been published before.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CVBVH1LP/thewonderwizardo/ ''Dorothy's Friends from Oz''] by Robert J. Evans and illustrated by Jhunny Moralde.
* Coyote Shook takes a different viewpoint on the movie in "30 Beautiful Heads: ''Return to Oz'' Through a Disability Lens".
** [Dunkiton_Press ''Dunkiton Press'' #33: Swinderella] by Ruth Plumly Thompson and edited by Ruth Berman.
* Nick Campbell examines three different book versions of the same movie in "There Must Have Been Some Magic Words: Novelizations of ''Return to Oz''".
** [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.
* Howard Berry talks to the director about his experience with ''Return to Oz'', among other career highlights involving one of Great Britain's most acclaimed film studios, in "Return to Elstree: Walter Murch and ''Oz'' at Elstree Studios".
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DHH39DBN/thewonderwizardo/ ''Margaret Hamilton: From Cleveland, Ohio to the Land of Oz''] by Don Billie.
* And finally, the back cover reproduces a painting of the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion used as set dressing in ''Return to Oz''.
** [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.


Also enclosed with this issue:
Also included with this issue is the Club's latest craft project, an Ozma paper doll.
* A Tin Woodman marionette.
* The latest issue of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger Oz fans (no matter what their actual age is), which includes:
** A report on past Halloween shenanigans in Oz.
** An editorial from the new editor, the Scarecrow, about how he thinks he's doing so far.
** A look back at a popular movie in the Emerald City at this time of year, ''Return to Oz'' (1985).
** "Ask Glinda" sees a previous correspondent catching the sorceress up on what's happening to her, including her meeting with the Demon of Electricity.
** After an absence of about 115 years, the return of "What Did the Woggle-Bug Say?"
** An interview with Jack Pumpkinhead.


[[File:Oziana 2020.jpg|right]]Also out now is the Club's annual fiction anthology, ''Oziana''. The 2020 issue is of especial importance because this is the fiftieth issue. Unlike ''The Baum Bugle'', ''Oziana'' is available to anyone at any time, and can be ordered [https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/marcus-mebes/oziana-2020/paperback/product-wq98jd.html at this link].
[[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!


<p>In this issue:
* The front cover by Able Tong features many favorite Oz characters dressed to the nines in celebration of Oz's 120th anniversary and the fiftieth issue of ''Oziana''.
* "Zinnia's Wish" by Suren Oganessian, with illustrations by Mitchell Mayle, sees a Flutterbudget named Zinnia coming to the Emerald City in an effort to fulfill her heart's desire, but it's probably not something much of the rest of Oz wants. (Mayle also provides a color illustration for the story on the back cover.)
* "A Use for Jack's Pumpkins" is the first recipe ever published in ''Oziana''.
* "Dinner at the Del" by Robert Baum tells of a meeting between the author's great-grandfather and an old sailor at the Hotel Del Coronado that would have long-reaching effects.
* "The Wizards of Silver and Gold in Oz: Part 1" by Nathan DeHoff and Joe Bongiorno, illustrated by Dennis Anfuso, tells a tale of Quiberon and an ozoplane. And yes, it ends on a cliffhanger, to be resolved in the 2021 issue.
* "Polychrome's Sky School" by Paul Dana, illustrate by Sam Milazzo, shows us just how Polychrome learned how to do magic.
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==August 15, 2020: International Wizard of Oz Club Awards==
==November 13, 2025: ''The Baum Bugle'' Autumn 2025 Issue==
This evening, the International Wizard of Club presented its annual awards at 2Oz? 2Oz! which is this year's national Oz convention, held online for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The winners are:
[[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.


* The Fred Otto Prize for short fiction went to "The Flutterbudget Revolt" by Suren Oganessian in first place, and "''The Sea Fairies'' Lost Chapter: Trot and the Sleeper" by Erica Olivera in second.
In this issue:
* The C. Warren Hollister Prize for non-fiction went to "No Place Like Oz" by Kathryn Sadakierski in first place, and “Lessons in Personality Integration from the Movies ''The Wizard of Oz'' and ''The Wiz''” by Mackenzie Littledale winning second place.
* The Rob Roy MacVeigh Prize for visual arts went to "The King of Beasts' Conquest" by Michael de Jesus in first place (below, left), and "Dr. Pipt" by David Valentin in second place (below, right).<br><center>[[File:De_Jesus.JPG|500 px]] [[File:Valentin.JPG|500 px]]</center>


And the Club's highest award, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, for contributions to Oz and the Club's mission, went to Gina Wickwar, author of ''The Hidden Prince of Oz'' and ''Toto of Oz'', and short stories for ''Oziana'', as well as her work for the Club as Secretary and in other capacities. Here's the video of the presentation, with testimonials and reactions:
* 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":
** [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.
** [https://scriveningspress.com/book/a-hundred-magical-reasons/ ''A Hundred Magical Reasons'' by Laura DeNooyer], reviewed by J. L. Bell.
** [https://insighteditions.com/products/wicked-grimmerie-collectible-hardcover-journal ''Wicked: The Grimmerie Collectible Hardcover Journal''], reviewed by Atticus Gannaway.
** 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.
* The inside back cover reprints a 1985 Japanese ad for ''Return to Oz'' merchandise from Nakajima Toys.


<html><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RUGHnOYCGxM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></html>
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.
 
<br clear=all>


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==August 1, 2020: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2020 issue==
==''Wicked'', ''Wicked: For Good'', and ''Wicked: One Wonderful Night'' Accolades and Awards==
[[File:Bbspring20.jpg|600 px|right]]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 towards members. This is the first issue of the 2020 membership year, with the current COVID-19 pandemic no doubt contributing to the usual problems the ''Bugle'' has to keeping to its intended schedule.
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.


In this issue:
The awards are presented here in the chronological order they were presented:
* The covers celebrate the ''Broadway Celebrates Oz'' photograph series, with Dorothy and her friends on the front cover, the Wicked With of the West on the back, and costume sketches and designs on the inside covers.
* September 27, 2024: International Cinematographers "Manaki Brothers" Film Festival, SUMOLIGHT Creative Energy Award: Alice Brooks (Cinematographer) and Dave Smith (Gaffer)
* "Letters" sees Oz Club President Jane Albright and ''Baum Bugle'' editor Sarah Krotzer talk about the latest Oz issues.
* November 18, 2024: Heartland Film Festival, Truly Moving Picture Award: ''Wicked''
* "The Bugle Bulletin" brings us news of:
* November 23, 2024: The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage, Production Designer Award: Nathan Crowley
** The #LivingRoomTheatre challenge by ''Playbill'' magazine, and [https://www.playbill.com/article/our-top-3-videos-from-week-1-of-the-livingroomtheatre-challenge the Ozzy results of the first week].
* December 4, 2024: National Board of Review
** ''The Wizard of Oz'' takes on a new cinematic life during the coronavirus pandemic as a staple at drive-in theaters, as well as in movie theaters in Japan.
** Best Film: ''Wicked''
** [https://www.facebook.com/ArtistTimWolak/ The Oz art of Tim Wolak].
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** [https://www.dropbox.com/s/65azjnd7wb1qmf6/OTR%20Full%20Virtual%20Message.mp4 ''Over the Rainbow: The Rock Ballet''] is used as a call for social justice in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.
** Spotlight Award: the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
** A tribute to Hollywood icons, including Judy Garland as Dorothy, as [https://www.whio.com/news/centerville-native-paints-mural-plaza-theatre-miamisburg-reopening/3CSQ5ODOUVCM7CGJOYXBJHTBFI/ a mural in Miamisburg, Ohio].
* December 5, 2024: American Film Institute Awards, Top 10 Films of the Year: ''Wicked'' (alongside nine other movies)
** The new webcomic [https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/webtoon-greenlight/escape-from-oz-13/viewer?title_no=1988&episode_no=22&webtoonType=WEBTOON&ogTagImageUrl=%2F20200626_107%2F1593111138089n3Gzr_JPEG%2F04_EC9E91ED9288EC8381EC84B8_mobile.jpg%3Ftype%3Dcrop540_540 ''Escape from Oz''].
* December 8, 2024: Washington DC Area Film Critics Film Critics Association
** "Through the Tube" presents the latest Oz findings on YouTube:
** Best Feature: ''Wicked''
*** [https://youtu.be/KmZ-r229IiQ Family home movies from the 1970s of the Land of Oz theme park in North Carolina].
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
*** [https://youtu.be/EB2PTkMPfco a tour of Dorothy's House], the tourist attraction in Liberal, Kansas.
* December 8, 2024: Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards
*** [https://youtu.be/fGzJo4Hzkw0 The Spirit of Oz troupe performing at Storybook Land] in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
** Best Picture: ''Wicked''
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" notes the passing in March of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Schramm_(actor) actor David Schramm]; best known as Roy Biggins in ''Wings'', he also played W. W. Denslow in the 1990 TV movie ''The Dreamer of Oz''.
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
* "Broadway Melody of Oz" looks at the ''Broadway Celebrates Oz'' photograph series, how it came about, and how it came together (including a link to [https://www.broadwaybox.com/daily-scoop/category/broadway-celebrates-oz/ more photos, video, and commentiary]).
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Zoe Saldaña for ''Emilia Pérez'')
* "Collecter's Corner" by David Diket looks at the View-Master's reels of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
* Anil Tambwekar looks at the career of a noted children's author of the twentieth century and her near brush with the Emerald city in "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Augusta_Dickerson Mary Dickerson Donahey]: Almost Royal Historian of Oz".
** Best Casting: Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey
* In his "Lost Art of Oz" column, Brady Schwind looks at the illustrations that became the pages 170-171 double-page spread of ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz''.
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* Michael Gessel tells the story of the creation and growth of [https://hollandozproject.com/ a park exhibit on the shores of Lake Michigan devoted to Oz] in "The Holland Oz Project".
** Best Marketing Campaign: ''Wicked''
* [https://americanstudies.uncc.edu/dina-massachi-ma Dina Schiff Massachi] presents a round up of students from her class about ''The Wizard of Oz'' at UNC-Charlotte in "Tomorrow's Scholars Today".
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* "Oz Under Quarantine! Oz Community Events—At Home" presents a round-up of how Oz events worldwidewide, not being able to gather in person this year, have shifted gears and presented virtual events.
* December 9, 2024: Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, Actress Award—Film: Cynthia Erivo
* Reviewed in "Oz in the Arts":
* December 9, 2024: Michigan Movie Critics Guild, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** [https://hitthebricks.com/ ''Hit the Bricks''], the podcast telling a new tale about Oz.
* December 9, 2024: Atlanta Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** [https://smile.amazon.com/Fantastic-Journey-Alyson-Leigh-Rosenfeld/dp/B086V2YTM3/ ''Fantastic Journey to Oz''], the English-dubbed and re-Ozzified version of the Russian animated film version of ''Урфин Джюс и его Деревянные Солдаты''. This is set up as an original sequel to ''The Wizard of Oz'' in which Dorothy's namesake granddaughter goes to Oz to help the Scarecrow overthrow an evil magician and his band of wooden soldiers who have overtaken the country.
* December 9, 2024: San Diego Film Critics Society
* In "The Bugle Review":
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/039958207X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Cheshire Crossing'' by Andy Weir and Sarah Andersen], reviewed by Peter Schulenberg.
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
** [https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/marcus-mebes/the-haunted-castle-of-oz/hardcover/product-1567egpj.html ''The Haunted Castle of Oz'' by Marcus Mébès, illustrated by Kamui Ayami], reviewed by Alan Wise
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** ''What Is the Story of'' The Wizard of Oz''?'' by Kirsten Andersen, illustrated by Robert Squier'', reviewed by Angelica Shirley Carpenter.
* December 13, 2024: African-American Film Critics Association, Innovator Award: Paul Tazewell
** The new SeaWolf Press editions of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433290/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Royal Book of Oz''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433266/thewonderwizardo/ ''Kabumpo in Oz''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433274/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Cowardly Lion of Oz''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433282/thewonderwizardo/ ''Grampa in Oz''], and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433304/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Sea Fairies''], noted by Sarah K. Crotzer.
* December 13, 2024: Las Vegas Film Critics Society
* "Adventures in Oz" looks back at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_in_Concert:_Dreams_Come_True ''The Wizard of Oz in Concert''] twenty-five years after its debut, written by Christina Maffa. (And if you've never seen this all-star benefit production of ''The Wizard of Oz'', this is your chance!)
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
<br><html><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ixa9jI5XMTs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></html>
** 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.
 
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==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.


Also coming along with this issue:
(Information courtesy Jane Albright on Facebook. Photo courtesy [https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Robert_A._Baum_Jr. The Oz Wiki].)
* A flyer for this year's national Oz convention, [https://ozis.us/ To Oz? To Oz!], being held for the first time online.
* This issue's craft is a paper version of one of the Three Adepts at Magic, from ''Glinda of Oz'', in the form of a fish. (Which fish it is depends on how you color it!)
* And ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger Oz fans (of all ages) features:
** An interview with Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter.
** A look back at the 1939 MGM film version of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
** A contest to draw the Jitterbug.
** The Scarecrow, the new editor of ''The Oz Gazette'', introduces himself in the Editorial.
** The news flash that Aujah, one of the Three Adepts, decided to go exploring the world by becoming a fish again.


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==July 18, 2020: The 2020 Winkie Award==
==September 21, 2025: Elaine Merk Binder, 1930-2025==
[[File:Colin Ayres.jpg|center]]
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.
OzCon International, the world's longest running Oz event, met for the first time online as a virtual event, due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This did not prevent the convention from presenting its highest honor, the Winkie Award, to Colin Ayres. Colin only started attending OzCon relatively recently, but he quickly jumped in and involved himself deeply, putting on many panels and presentations. Two years ago, he became vice chair, succeeding as chair last year, and decided to serve as chair again for a second year. Little did he know that one of the decisions he would have to make would be to cancel the convention and move it all online! But even before that happened, his fellow OzCon attendees voted him as the one who deserves the award.
 
(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].)


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==April 17, 2020: ''The Baum Bugle'', Winter 2019 issue==
==August 8, 2025: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2025==
[[File:Bbwinter19.jpg|600 px|right]]
[[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).  
The final issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, has come out for the 2019 membership year. Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the printers were not able to print the issue in a timely manner; so, in an unprecedented move, the Club sent out the issue to Club members as a .pdf file via e-mail. ('''UPDATE''', May 9: The printer has come through, and the print version is now making its way into members' mailboxes.) This marks the end of the 2019 membership year, and members are encouraged to [https://shop.ozclub.org/product-category/iwoc-membership/ renew their memberships for 2020] soon.


In this issue:
In this issue:
* The front cover reproduces Michael Herring's painting for the 1981 Del Rey edition of ''The Magic of Oz''—appropriate, as 2019 marks the centennial of L. Frank Baum's penultimate Oz book, ''The Magic of Oz''.
* 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 front cover is one of John R. Neill's color plates from ''The Magic of Oz''.
* The inside covers reprint Anton Loeb's endpaper design for the 1950 book adaptation of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* The first page, besides the indicia and table of contents, reproduces an illustration by Leonid Vladimirsky from ''Волшебник Изумрудного Города'' (''The Wizard of the Emerald City'').
* The table of contents includes Mark Manley's ''Wicked'' tribute painting, "The Melting Occurred at the Thirteenth Hour".
* In "Letters", Oz Club President Jane Albright seeks contributors who can update [https://ozclub.org/oz-timeline/ the Oz Timeline], while ''Bugle'' Editor-in-Chief Sarah K. Crotzer previews the issue at hand and how it came about.
* 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":
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
** The 2017 Russian animated film ''Fantastic Journey to Oz'' has spawned a sequel, ''Урфин Джюс бозбращаемся'' (''Fantastic Return to Oz''), based on the Magic Land book ''The Fiery God of the Marrans''.
** 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.
** The debut of the new Oz dramatic podcast, [https://hitthebricks.com/ ''Hit the Bricks''].
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" remembers recently passed Oz contributors Jean Marsh, Stephen J. Teller, Jack Van Camp, and Sally Roesch Wagner.
** A Yellow Brick Sidewalk is being constructed in Chicago that leads to 1167 N. Humboldt Blvd., where L. Frank Baum wrote ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' when he lived in a house that is no longer there. (The sidewalk will end at a mural commemorating the creation of Oz.)
* Sarah K. Crotzer reacts to the ''Wicked'' film in "What Is This Feeling?"
** [https://www.broadwaybox.com/daily-scoop/category/broadway-celebrates-oz/ "Broadway Celebrates Oz"] is a photographic exhibit celebrating the eightieth anniversary of the famous film version of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* "What the Papers Said" looks at a number of reviews of ''Wicked'' from around the world.
** An exhibit at the Los Angeles Public Library, "The Autograph Book of L. A.", includes a contribution by L. Frank Baum from 1908 (several years before he moved to the area himself).
* "Wicked Wares: Toys, Plushes, and Cinema Exclusives" by Jane Albright looks at a variety of ''Wicked'' movie collectibles.
** A new Oz book, [https://github.com/NaNoGenMo/2018/issues/61 ''The Valley Girl of Oz, Bjork Bjork Bjork''], that involves running ''The Emerald City of Oz'' through a computer algorithm that changed the descriptions to, like, Valleyspeak, while the dialogue was rendered into Swedish Chef.
* 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".
** "Through the Tube" presents an all-commercials collection of Oz clips on YouTube:
* Karyl Carlson looks back at how she started creating [https://karylsozdolls.com/ custom Oz dolls] in "The Dollmaker of Oz".
*** [https://youtu.be/7_nJjI_aVrM White Lily cornmeal mix (1987)]
* 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".
*** [https://youtu.be/IdH--kRrLdo Energizer batteries (1993)]
* William STillman looks at the history of one of the bestselling Oz adaptations in "75 Years of Anton Loeb's ''The Wizard of Oz''".
*** [https://youtu.be/fJw33PFUS7U Chef Boyardee (2006)]
* In "Oz in the Arts", Robert Lamont reviews [https://wizmusical.com/ the recent Broadway revival of ''The Wiz''] (now on tour).
* In "Awards and Honors":
* In "The Bugle Review":
** Ozma's Honor Roll for 2019, those Club members who have gone above and beyond the Club's regular membership rates to give more to the Club.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0063377012/thewonderwizardo/ ''Elphie: A Wicked Childhood'' by Gregory Maguire], reviewed by Alan Wise.
** The list of recipients of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award is updated with the 2019 winner, Bill Beem.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DNKY21JB/thewonderwizardo/ The blu-ray release of ''Wicked''], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** Part of Renée Zellweger's acceptance speech for her Oscar, portraying Judy Garland in ''Judy'', is printed.
** [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.
* Dennis Wilson Wise writes about the history of magic words, with emphasis on the ones used in the Oz books, in "Pyrzqxgl, or How to Do Things with Magic Words".
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CSYB4B12/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked: The Game'' by Spin Master], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
* In a new regular feature, "The Lost Art of Oz", Brady Schwind looks at the development of Dick Martin's 1960 dust jacket for ''The Magic of Oz''. (The inside and outside back covers of this issue reprints some of Martin's preliminary work for the jacket.)
* Michael Gessel remembers a recently deceased long-time Oz fan in "The Lifelong Scholar: Stephen J. Teller's Journey from Kansas to Oz".
* Ian Davis Smith writes about renowned Chinese magician Ching Ling Foo and his performance for the Uplifters—whose members included L. Frank Baum—in "A Magic Night with the Uplifters".
* The back cover shows the Tonner Doll versions of Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West.
* The short story "The Believing Child" by Zenna Henderson, first published in 1970, is reprinted to celebrate both its own fiftieth birthday and the centennial of the book that causes the problems in the story, ''The Magic of Oz''.
 
* "Oz Under Scrutiny" looks at the original 1919 reviews and reactions to ''The Magic of Oz''.
* "Monuments of Magic Land" looks at monuments to characters created by Aleksandr Volkov, for his very Oz-like Magic Land series, in Tomsk, Slovakia and Saint Petersburg, Russia.
* The examination of the Smithsonian Institution's efforts to preserve their pair of Ruby Slippers concludes in part two of "Keep Them Ruby: Following the Steps of the Ruby Slippers" by Jonathan Shirshekan.
* "A Beginner's Guide to Collecting" celebrates the eightieth anniversary of the most watched movie in history with an examination of some of the earliest collectibles for the 1939 film version of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* Cynthia Ragni gives a preview of [http://www.ozconvention.org/ the Club's big annual event] in "Arts and Crozfts: Come to the 2020 OzClub Convention".
* In "Oz in the Arts", Fadia Mereani reviews one of the first big musicals to tour Saudi Arabia, [https://wizardofoztour.com/ ''The Wizard of Oz''].
* "The Bugle Review" reviews and notes of several new books, including:
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1733715150/thewonderwizardo/ ''Immortal Longings of Oz'' by Paul Dana], reviewed by Mari Ness.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/080717047X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Amazons in America: Matriarchs, Utopians, and Wonder Women in U. S. Popular Culture'' by Keira V. Williams], reviewed by Angelica Shirley Carpenter.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1732431736/thewonderwizardo/ ''Book Restoration Unveiled: An Essential Guide for Bibliophiles'' by Sophia S. W. Bogle], reviewed by Cynthia Ragni.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0190663170/thewonderwizardo/ ''Adapting The Wizard of Oz: Musical Versions fromBaum to MGM and Beyond'', edited by Danielle Birkett and Dominic McHugh].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1096980266/thewonderwizardo/ ''Beyond Oz: A Crazy Ink Anthology'', edited by Erin Wolf].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/138781320X/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Cardboard King in Oz'' by Gil S. Joel].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486821676/thewonderwizardo/ ''Creative Haven Wizard of Oz Designs Coloring Book'' by Marty Noble].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486821676/thewonderwizardo/ ''Delusions Beyond the Deadly Desert: A Novella'' by Lisa Valenti].
** [http://thewizardofoz.info/wiki/Dunkiton_Press ''Dunkiton Press #26: The Perhappsy Chaps #6'', ''Dunkiton Press #27: Mice #1'' and ''Dunkiton Press #28: Mice #2'' by Ruth Plumly Thompson, edited by Ruth Berman].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1701012324/thewonderwizardo/ ''Emerald City Academy, Book 1: Sentinels of Oz''] and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1709524154/thewonderwizardo/ ''Emerald City Academy, Book 2: Francesca, the Great and Terrible'' by J. B. Trepagnier].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062348779/thewonderwizardo/ ''Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons from Over the Rainbow'' by Peter Guzzardi].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1387080156/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Fairy Wand of Oz'' by Marin Elizabeth Xiques and Carol P. Silva].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1718060718/thewonderwizardo/ ''Forever in Oz'' by Matthew J. Norcross].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1707291365/thewonderwizardo/ ''Frankenstein's Monster in Oz'' by Carl Scott Harker].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1733715118/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Haunted Castle of Oz'' by Marcus Mébès].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1985795833/thewonderwizardo/ ''Hidden Heroes of Oz, Book 1: Chopper''] and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/198579585X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Hidden Heroes of Oz, Book 2: Guardian Martyr'' by Tarl Telford].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1075254914/thewonderwizardo/ ''Kingdoms of Oz, Book 1: The Ruby Fortress''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1076195202/thewonderwizardo/ ''Kingdoms of Oz, Book 2: The Quartz Tower''], and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1079218130/thewonderwizardo/ ''Kingdoms of Oz, Book 3: The Prism City'' by Carrie Whitehorne].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0991199197/thewonderwizardo/ ''Lost Histories from the Royal Librarian of Oz'' by Joe Bongiorno].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1070784745/thewonderwizardo/ ''Mr. Wizardo'' by Eva Pasco].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0998058254/thewonderwizardo/ ''O. Z. Diggs Himself Out'' by Ron Baxley, Jr.]
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1574330489/thewonderwizardo/ ''Ozhouse Reopened: The Curse of Budistiltskin'' by Alan Lindsay and Dennis Anfuso].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0545953227/thewonderwizardo/ ''Ozland (Everland, Book 3)'' by Wendy Spinale].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1492868116/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Red Brick Road'' by Robert P. Wills].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3030065901/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Road to Wicked: The Marketing and Consumption of Oz from L. Frank Baum to Broadway'' by Kent Drummond, Susan Aronstein, and Terri L. Rittenburg].
** [https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/marcus-mebes/royal-explorers-of-oz-book-4-hb/hardcover/product-12qjmgmv.html ''The Royal Explorers of Oz, Book 4: Into the Wild'' by Marcus Mébès and Alejandro Garcia].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1790107229/thewonderwizardo/ ''Salma and the Play from Oz'' by Jodie Nikela].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1698839413/thewonderwizardo/ ''Shakespeare's Oz'' by Jordan Monsell] (with apologies to William Shakespeare).
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1729226663/thewonderwizardo/ ''Stairway to Oz'' by Robin Hess].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1093389028/thewonderwizardo/ ''Theodore Gale in Oz'' by KuroKoneko Kamen].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1387742892/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Umbrellaphant in Oz'' by Carol P. Silva and Marin Elizabeth Xiques].
** [https://www.lulu.com/shop/marin-elizabeth-xiques-and-chris-dulabone/under-the-influence-of-oz/paperback/product-24186547.html ''Under the Influence of Oz'' by Marin Elizabeth Xiques and Chris Dulabone].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0998479861/thewonderwizardo/ ''Upon the Name of Oz'' by Charles Shearer].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1524788309/thewonderwizardo/ ''What Is the Story of The Wizard of Oz?'' by Kirsten Anderson].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1790753031/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked Origins''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1796683167/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked Gambit''], and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1097738329/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked Rebel'' by Paula Black].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1980391939/thewonderwizardo/ ''Witch Queens: Tales from Oz'' by S. Cinders].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/172632558X/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Animated World of The Wizard of Oz'' by Kevin Scott Collier].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1643723243/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Poster Coloring Book'' by Victoria Marble].
* In "Adventures in Oz", Zoe O'Haillin-Berne tells the story of how her cosplaying at Oz festivals led to founding a traveling character troupe.
Also included with this issue:
Also included with this issue:
* A 2020 membership form (for those who don't want to renew their membership online).
* This issue's Oz craft is a miniature version of the Emerald City Express train from the ''Wicked'' movie.
* A registration form for the National Oz Convention.
* 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.
* The third part of the Emerald City toy theatre.
 
* An "Oz Live 2019" supplement, reporting on:
** The 2019 National Oz Convention in Thibodeaux, Louisiana.
** Oz-Stravaganza! in Chittenango, New York.
** The Quadling Convention in Moore, Oklahoma.
** The Judy Garland Festival and Children's Wizard of Oz Festival in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
** The Michigan Wizard of Oz Festival in Ionia, Michigan.
** OzCon International in Pomona, California.
** Autumn in Oz in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
** Oztoberfest in Wamego, Kansas.
** Ohio Oz Fest in Twinsburg, Ohio.
* The latest issue of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger Oz fans (no matter what age their birth certificate might say), featuring:
** A new expedition for Trot and Cap'n Bill.
** Dorothy's final "Editorial", as she's handing over the reins as Editor in Chief to the Scarecrow.
** The conclusion to the biography of L. Frank Baum.
** A play written by the Scarecrow, relating some of the events of ''The Magic of Oz''.
** In "Ask Glinda", the sorceress and some of her friends answer the question, "How do I get to Oz?"
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The previously announced release date for the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical version of ''Wicked'' turns out to have been premature—''again''. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic shuffling release schedules around, the original first-postponed December 22, 2021 release date was given over to ''Sing 2''. So the ''Wicked'' movie is on hold again, but it is still in development, although it has no definitive release date yet. The delay was so long that director Stephen Daldrey left the project on October 20, 2020. On February 2, 2021, Jon M. Chu, director of <i>Crazy Rich Asians</i> and the forthcoming <i>In the Heights</i> was announced as the new director.
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.
 
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''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].


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*''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.)

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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.)

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