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==July 2, 2018: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2018==
==''Wicked'' Accolades and Awards==
[[File:Bbspring18.jpg|right|400 px]]The latest issue of the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, ''The Baum Bugle'', is now heading out to Club members. The first issue under new editor Sarah Crotzer, it suffered a small setback when first class and international mailings lacked the planned inserts, including a set of Oz finger puppets. (This should not affect the vast majority of American members who receive their issues by third class mail. Affected members will receive their inserts as a separate mailing.)
With such a high profile movie release, naturally ''Wicked'' will receive acclaim during the film award season. Here, then, we will keep track of awards presented to ''Wicked'' and its cast and crew, plus nominations for awards to be given later. Keep an eye on this list or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accolades_received_by_Wicked_(2024_film) the Wikipedia page] as more news comes in, culminating with the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025.
 
The awards are presented here in the chronological order they were, or will be, presented:
* September 27, 2024: International Cinematographers "Manaki Brothers" Film Festival, SUMOLIGHT Creative Energy Award: Alice Brooks (Cinematographer) and Dave Smith (Gaffer)
* November 18, 2024: Heartland Film Festival, Truly Moving Picture Award: ''Wicked''
* November 23, 2024: The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage, Production Designer Award: Nathan Crowley
* December 4, 2024: National Board of Review
** Best Film: ''Wicked''
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Spotlight Award: the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
* December 5, 2024: American Film Institute Awards, Top 10 Films of the Year: ''Wicked'' (alongside nine other movies)
* December 8, 2024: Washington DC Area Film Critics Film Critics Association
** Best Feature: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* December 8, 2024: Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards
** Best Picture: ''Wicked''
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Zoe Saldaña for ''Emilia Pérez'')
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Casting: Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Marketing Campaign: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* December 9, 2024: Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, Actress Award—Film: Cynthia Erivo
* December 9, 2024: Michigan Movie Critics Guild, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* December 9, 2024: Atlanta Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* December 9, 2024: San Diego Film Critics Society
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* December 13, 2024: African-American Film Critics Association, Innovator Award: Paul Tazewell
* December 13, 2024: Las Vegas Film Critics Society
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Family Film: ''Wicked''
* December 15, 2024: St. Louis Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* December 16, 2024: Phoenix Film Critics Society
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* December 16, 2024: Seattle Film Critics Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* December 16, 2024: Iowa Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Isabella Rossellini in ''Conclave'')
* December 16, 2024: Southeastern Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* December 21, 2024: Nevada Film Critics Society
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Visual Effects: Pablo Helman
* December 30, 2024: TiBS Editors Choice Awards:
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Ensemble: ''Wicked''
* January 2, 2025: Capri Hollywood-International Film Festival Award, Best Sound: ''Wicked''
* January 2, 2025: Critics Association of Central Florida
** Best Cast: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Sound Design: ''Wicked''
* January 3, 2025: Palm Springs International Film Festival
** Creative Impact in Acting Award: Cynthia Erivo
** Rising Star Award: Ariana Grande
* January 3, 2025: Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* January 4, 2025: DiscussingFilm Global Critic Award, Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
* January 5, 2025: Golden Globe Awards, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement: ''Wicked''
* January 10, 2025: Music City Film Critics Association, Best Music Film: ''Wicked''
* January 10, 2025: Minnesota Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* January 26, 2025: Satellite Awards, Make-Up Award: ''Wicked''
* February 9, 2025: Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Virtuoso Award: Ariana Grande
 
The following are pending nominations:
* TBA (postponed from January 11, 2025): AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Best Screenwriter: Winnie Holzman
* January 13, 2025: North Dakota Film Society
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Ensemble: Cast of ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Effects: Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, David Shirk
** Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales
** Best Sound: Nancy Nugent Title, John Marquis, Andy Nelson, Simon Hayes
* January 13, 2025: Hawaii Film Critics Society
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Art Direction: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Make-Up: ''Wicked''
** Best Sound: ''Wicked''
** Best Visual Effects: ''Wicked''
* January 18, 2025: American Cinema Editors Awards, Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical: Myron Kerstein
* January 18, 2025: Chicago Indie Critics Windie Award
** Best Studio Film: ''Wicked''
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Ensemble: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costumes: ''Wicked''
** Best Makeup: ''Wicked''
* January 22, 2025: Houston Film Critics Society
** Best Picture: ''Wicked''
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Actress—Leading Role: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Actress—Supporting Role: Ariana Grande
** Best Visual Effects: ''Wicked''
** Best Ensemble: ''Wicked''
* January 26, 2025: Critics' Choice Movie Awards
** Best Picture: ''Wicked''
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Ensemble: ''Wicked''
** Best Adapted Screenplay: Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox
** Best Cinematography: Alice Brooks
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
** Best Hair and Make-Up: Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, and Laura Blount
** Best Visual Effects: Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, and David Shirk
* January 26, 2025: Satellite Awards
** Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: ''Wicked''
** Best Actress—Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress—Motion Picture: Ariana Grande
** Best Visual Effects: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Sound: ''Wicked''
* February 5, 2025: Set Decorators Society of America, Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film: Lee Sandales and Nathan Crowley
* February 6, 2025: Costume Designers Guild Awards, Excellence in Fantasy Film: Paul Tazewell
* February 7, 2025: AACTA International Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* February 10, 2025: Black Reel Awards
** Outstanding Lead Performance: Cynthia Erivo
** Outstanding Soundtrack: ''Wicked''
** Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* February 12, 2025: Artios Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy): Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, Ryan Bernard Tymensky, Tamsyn Manson
* February 12, 2025: Society of Composers and Lyricists, Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film: John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
* 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 22, 2025: Cinema Audio Society Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures – Live Action: Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, John Marquis, John Michael Caldwell, Jason Oliver, Mikel Parraga-Wills
* February 23, 2025: Screen Actors Guild Awards
** Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Cynthia Erivo
** Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Ariana Grande
** Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Jonathan Bailey
** Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: ''Wicked''
** Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture: ''Wicked''
* February 23, 2025: Golden Reel Awards
** Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing–Feature Dialogue/ADR: John Marquis, Nancy Nugent, John C. Stuver, David Bach
** Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing–Feature Motion Picture: Catherine Wilson, Robin Baynton
 
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==January 3, 2025: Saliterman to Plead Guilty to Hiding Ruby Slippers==
Jerry Hal Saliterman, accused of theft of a major artwork and witness tampering in connection with the 2005 theft of the Ruby Slippers in Minnesota, now plans to plead guilty to the charges in a court appearance on January 10. It is not currently known how Saliterman is connected to Terry John Martin, who pled guilty to stealing the slippers in 2023. Saliterman originally pled not guilty when first charged in March of 2024, but his age (77) and poor health may have resulted in a deal that allows him to stay out of jail like Martin.
 
(Information courtesy [https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/minnesota/articles/2025-01-03/man-accused-of-hiding-stolen-wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers-plans-to-plead-guilty-attorney-says ''U. S. News and World Reports''].)
 
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==December 13, 2024: The Baum Bugle's Celebratory 200th Issue==
[[File:Bbautumn24.jpg|center|800 px]]
The Autumn 2024 issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz, has come back from the printers and is on its way to members' mailboxes. This is the two hundredth issue of the ''Bugle'', so the journal celebrates itself, for once.


In this issue:
In this issue:
* The front cover depicts the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion in the Mesner Puppets production of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* The wraparound cover pays tribute to the first illustrated cover of the ''Bugle'' (for the May 1959 issue), showing many different illustrators' versions of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman
* The inside covers reproduce the board (front) and box cover (rear) for [https://www.rareozbooks.com/Wonderful-game.html The Wonderful Game of Oz], first issued by Parker Bros. in 1922.
* The inside front cover reproduces Maxfield Parrish's cover for the January 1917 issue of ''Metropolitan''.
* Club President Jane Albright talks about her communications with Club members, and Crotzer talks about her history with the ''Bugle'' and those who helped her with this issue while introducing herself in "Letters".
* In "Letters", Oz Club President Ryan Bunch reflects on winning the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award during a hurricane, while ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Krotzer looks at the production of this issue within the overall history of the journal.
* "The Bugle Bulletin" highlighs Oz events and developments since the last issue. In this edition:
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
** The reopening of [https://shop.ozclub.org/ the Club's store].
** The Club opens its archive with reprints of selected articles from past issues of [https://www.ozclub.org/publications/the-baum-bugle/ ''The Baum Bugle''].
** [http://www.matildajoslyngage.org/product/webinar-all-8-sessions-summer-and-fall/ Webinars at the Matilda Joslyn Gage Center], many presented by Oz Club members. (Gage was a noted suffragette and L. Frank Baum's mother-in-law. She was a major influence on his literary career.)
** The town of Salina, New York breaks ground on a new community center at the site of Rose Lawn, the Baum family estate. The center will include a Baum-themed museum.
** Club members' items on display at [https://ozmuseum.com/ the Oz Museum] in Wamego, Kansas, and [http://www.allthingsoz.org/ato_website_002.htm the All Things Oz Museum] in Chittenango, New York.
** Gregory Maguire's writing another book set in his version of Oz. [https://bookshop.org/p/books/elphie-a-wicked-childhood-gregory-maguire/21025444 ''Elphie''], coming out March 25, 2025, will recount tales of the childhood of Elphaba, who will later become the Wicked Witch of the West.
** June's Journey with Dorothy events at [https://www.landofoznc.com/ the Land of Oz Park], a former amusement park in North Carolina.
** The stolen pair of Ruby Slippers, now recovered, are on tour and will go up for auction in December.
** [https://www.landofoznc.com/ The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission] honoring Ruth Plumly Thompson and her contributions as a Royal Historian of Oz with a historical marker in her home town of Philadelphia.
** The latest revival of ''The Wiz'' surpasses one hundred performances on Broadway.
** "In Brief":
** The release of the first ''Wicked'' movie is moved up to November 22, 2024.
*** Renee Zellweger is playing the title role in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_(film) the movie ''Judy''], about Judy Garland's final concerts in London.
** ''Marvelous: A Musical Opera'' based on ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'' premieres in Sisterville, West Virginia on April 5, 2025
*** The recently named [https://gizmodo.com/plutos-moon-charon-now-has-a-crater-called-dorothy-amo-1825203823 Dorothy Crater] on Charon, Pluto's moon.
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" recognizes the passing of Ken Page, who understudied for Ted Ross in the original Broadway production of ''The Wiz'' before taking over the role himself.
*** Lorna Luft (Judy Garland's second daughter) [https://www.apnews.com/6e525c5301e743219b17d68ab613fc62 undergoing successful surgery to remove a brain tumor].
* One of the original charter members of the International Wizard of Oz Club, Ruth Berman, looks back on how it all started in "A Gleam in Justin's Eye: Oz Club Origins".
** In "Through the Tube!" the Great Jinjin passes judgement on:
* In "In Search of Snow White: The Unrealized Dream of Maxfield Parrish and L. Frank Baum", Scott Cummings looks at a second Parrish-Baum collaboration that ultimately never came to be, a book and stage play of ''Snow White'' in the late 1910s.
*** Bollywood-style adaptation [https://youtu.be/67WRfCfMSFU ''Wazir of Oz''].
* Peter E. Hanff looks at how one man changed the ''Bugle'' from a humble newsletter to a comprehensive journal in "Martin's Marvels: Dick Martin's Graphical Contributions to the History of ''The Baum Bugle''". Accompanying this article is a color supplement of ''Bugle'' covers Martin contributed to, including examples of color separations; and "A Checklist of Cover Art for ''The Baum Bugle'' by Dick Martin".
*** PlayStation VR's [https://youtu.be/ux6_dV39tjA ''Run Dorothy Run''].
* J. L. Bell examines the development of cartography in the Oz books in the award-winning "The Inspiring Maps of Oz".
*** A [https://youtu.be/y2horVdXz70 ''Wizard of Oz'' themed homecoming assembly].
* "Keepers of the Record" presents reminiscences of three previous ''Bugle'' editors:
*** Jim Carrey's new painting, [https://youtu.be/b-bWRIgz1KU "Wicked Witch of the West Wing"].
** "A Brief Reminiscence of My ''Bugle'' Editorship, 1996-2000" by William Stillman.
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" acknowledges the passing of Club members Miriam Goldman, Marian Higbee, and Jack Koelle, as well as the Cowardly Lion's manicurist from The Movie Dorothy Barrett, author [http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?contributorId=1332818 Sam Sackett], and, in a stop press, the final MGM Little Person Munchkin Jerry Maren, who will receive a full tribute in the fall issue.
** "Notes from an Old ''Bugle'' Editor" by Michael Gessel.
* Jane Albright visits [http://mesnerpuppets.org/ Kansas City's premiere puppet troupe] in "Behind the Curtain with the Mesner Puppets' ''Wizard of Oz''!"
** "The Call of a ''Bugle''—and Where It Led" by John Fricke.
* Albright then looks at the history of Oz puppetry in part one of "Pulling Strings".
* "How It Began (Again)" looks at some mocked-up dummy pages, created by Dick Martin, for the Spring 1979 issue of the ''Bugle''.
* David Kelleher reviews an exhibit of Charles Santore work, including [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375811370/thewonderwizardo/ his illustrations for ''The Wizard of Oz''], at Philadelphia's [https://woodmereartmuseum.org/ the Woodmore Art Museum] in "Magic Pictures".
* The inside back cover reproduces the earliest known map of Oz, a slide from the 1908 multimedia show ''The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays''.
* New editor Nick Campbell explains why he spearheaded the return of the Club's youth newsletter of the 1990s, in "Re-Introducing ''The Oz Gazette''"—followed by the first issue of the ''Gazette'' of the twenty-first century, as a four-page insert.
 
* Bill Thompson looks at the various editions of The Wonderful Game of Oz, issued several times from 1922 to 1939.
Also included with this issue:
* Reviewed in "Oz in the Arts":
* The craft project is a map of Oz to color.
** The ballet ''Dorothy and the Prince of Oz'', performed by BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio, reviewed by Scott Cummings.
* In Issue No. 20 of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger Oz fans (of all ages):
** The latest play version of ''The Wizard of Oz'', this one put on by Syracuse Stage in New York state, reviewed by Blair Frödelius.
** Editor-in-Chief Katie Jones and Number Nine outline efforts to clean up the Emerald City after the Nome King's recent occupation, and reveal the Gump as the new Head of Security.
** A new opera about Matilda Joslyn Gage, ''Pushed Aside: Reclaiming Gage'', performed in Syracuse, reviewed by Frödelius. Gage was L. Frank Baum's mother-in-law and an important historical figure in her own right, and Baum appears as a character in the opera.
** Polychrome reveals a puzzle where weather-related clues help you to unscramble Oz place names.
* "The Bugle Review" reviews the following books:
** Scraps opines on issues of writing Oz poetry.
** [https://shop.ozclub.org/product.sc?productId=430&categoryId=6 ''Bibliographia Baumiana'' by W. Neal Thompson, Peter Hanff, and Patrick Maund], reviewed by Paul Bienvenue.
** The Scarecrow gives story recommendations:
** [http://www.lulu.com/shop/l-frank-baum-and-andrew-j-heller/king-rinkitink/hardcover/product-23468374.html ''King Rinkitink'' by L. Frank Baum and Andrew J. Heller], reviewed by Mari Ness.
*** [https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Meg-McLaren-illustrator-Sam/dp/1405286296/ ''The Wizard of Oz'', adapted by Meg McLaren and Sam Hay]
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0008252564/thewonderwizardo/ ''Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz'' by Michael Morpurgo], reviewed by Nick Campbell.
*** "Dorothy and the Mushroom People" by Eric Shanower, from [https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/salt-sorcerer-stories/author/shanower-eric/used/ ''The Salt Sorcerer of Oz and Other Stories].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1544237413/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Prankster of Oz'' by John R. Rose], reviewed by Joe Bongiorno.
*** [https://bookshop.org/p/books/snow-queen-hb-hans-christian-andersen/6431554?ean=9780062209504 ''The Snow Queen'' by Hans Christian Andersen].
** [https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-1201 Big Finish Productions' audio adaptation af ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** And throughout the issue, mysterious figures seem to be scouting out the country for nefarious purposes. But is someone scouting them out in turn?
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B072ZPQ421/thewonderwizardo/ The complete English-language edition of Cinar's ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz anime'' series], reviewed by Garrett Schooling-Kilgore.
* In "Adventures in Oz", Kurt Raymond writes about his fascination with Margaret Hamilton's portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West, how he started recreating her performance, and where it has taken him.
* The rear cover shows a photograph from the Tulsa Ballet's production of ''Dorothy and the Prince of Oz''.


In a first, the ''Bugle'' is also putting extra content up on the web as .pdf files. The first, an overview of foreign Oz puppet dramatizations, can be viewed or downloadad [http://ozclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/International-Puppets-Bugle-Extras.pdf right here].
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==December 7, 2024: Ruby Slippers Auction Sets New Movie Memorabilia Record==
[[File:Ruby_Slippers_2024.jpeg|right|400 px]]
The most notorious pair of Ruby Slippers used during production of the famous 1939 film version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' went up for auction today, and the final price shattered all records for the price paid for a piece of movie memorabilia. Of the four known pairs of Ruby Slippers known to still exist, this pair, "The Traveling Shoes", were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005 and found again in 2018, when they acquired a new nickname, "The Stolen Pair". They were ultimately returned to owner Michael Shaw who decided it was time to sell them. Estimated to go for at least $3,000,000, online bidding reached $1,550,000 before live bidding on site at Heritage Auctions. The estimate was quickly surpassed, and when bidding ended, the final bid was $28,000,000, far outpacing any previous price for movie memorabilia. With commission and other fees, the total final price paid was $32,500,000. The Ruby Slippers alone surpassed the previous record for an entire movie memorabilia auction, the $22,800,000 that Debbie Reynolds' collection was sold for in 2011.
 
Other Oz items available in the auction:
* One of Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West hats, and the only one known to carry Hamilton's name inside, earned the second highest price for an item from ''The Wizard of Oz'', $2,930,000
* Producer Mervyn LeRoy's script from the MGM art department, $50,000
* The screen door from the Gale farmhouse, $37,500
* Judy Garland's blonde wig from the first week of shooting, $30,000
* The MGM contract for songwriters Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg, $23,125
 
Other items of interest at the auction included a sceen-used Jumanji board game from the eponymous movie; a crate used to hold bombs in the original 1933 version of ''King Kong''; a hoverboard from ''Back to the Future II''; Kevin's scarf, coat, hat, and mittens from ''Home Alone''; Wilson, Tom Hanks' volleyball co-star in ''Castaway''; and a screen-used golden ticket from '' Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory''.
 
(Information and image courtesy [https://www.ha.com/heritage-auctions-press-releases-and-news/dorothy-s-ruby-slippers-from-the-wizard-of-oz-sell-for-32.5-million-at-heritage-auctions-to-become-world-s-most-valuable-movie-memorabilia.s?releaseId=5122&ic=hero-www-dorothyRubySlippers-resultsLearnMore-7388-120724 Heritage Auctions].)


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==June 6, 2018: Jerry Maren 1920-2018==
==December 2, 2024: Paul Maslansky 1933-2024==
[[File:Jerry Maren 1939.jpg|left|400 px]] Veteran character actor Jerry Maren died today at his home in San Diego. He was 98 years old. Born Gerard Marenghi in Boston, Jerry took to show business early, taking dance lessons and getting noticed. (Contrary to popular belief, Maren did not appear in the all-little people Western musical, ''The Terror of Tiny Town''.) He was finally beckoned to Hollywood to appear as a Munchkin in ''The Wizard of Oz'' after graduating high school, thus beginning his acting career. He garnered worldwide fame as the middle member of the Lollipop Guild, dressed in green, who handed the lollipop to Dorothy. While ''The Wizard of Oz'' may have been his most famous role, his career was just warming up. His next part was opposite the Marx Brothers in ''At the Circus'', and he also worked with ''Our Gang'' and Hope and Crosby (as a chimpanzee) in ''Road to Morocco''. He was also a walking "body double" for both Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, and other stunts and doubles through the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was also one of the titular aliens in the Superman serial, ''Superman and the Mole-Men'', with George Reeves. When television took off, Jerry was all over the place, as a regular on ''The Andy Williams Show'' and a guest star on such shows as ''The Beverly Hillbillies'', ''Star Trek'', ''Bewitched'', ''The Wild, Wild West'', ''Julia'', ''Get Smart'', ''The Odd Couple'', and ''Here's Lucy''. He also played a child ape in the original ''Planet of the Apes'' and many characters on Sid & Marty Krofft shows. In advertising, he played Buster Brown, Little Oscar the chef for Oscar Meyer, and many denizens of McDonaldland. He never quite got away from Oz, often guest-starring in stage productions, and appearing as Munchkins in both ''Under the Rainbow'' and a ''The Dreamer of Oz'', as well as appearing at Oz festivals and conventions around the country. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Elizabeth. He was the last surviving little person who portrayed a Munchkin.
Longtime Hollywood producer Paul Maslansky died today in a hospital in San Robles, California. He was 91. His first credit was for the 1964 horror film ''Castle of the Living Dead'' with Christopher Lee, and he worked on many films in the 1970s and '80s. His biggest success was the ''Police Academy'' series, beginning in 1984 with the first movie which spawned several other movies, a television series, and an animated series. Another of his credits at the time was ''Return to Oz''. He is survived by his long-time partner Sally Emr, three children, and two grandchildren.
 
(Information courtesy [https://variety.com/2024/film/news/paul-maslansky-dead-police-academy-1236242106/ ''Variety''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Maslansky Wikipedia].)
 
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==November 3, 2024: Quincy Jones, 1933-2024==
[[File:Quincy_Jones.jpg|center|Quincy Jones in ''The Wiz''.|800 px]]
 
Quincy Jones, the EGOT-winning musician and producer, passed away today at the age of 91. Born in 1933 in Chicago, Jones graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle (where the performing arts center is named for him). He soon started working with jazz bands all over the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He also worked in the early days of television with such artists as Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and Elvis Presley. He worked with Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra on an album, and then broke into the movies when he composed the music for ''The Pawnbroker''. He would go on to work on movies such as ''In the Heat of the Night'', ''In Cold Blood'', ''The Italian Job'', ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'', ''Cactus Flower'', and both versions of ''The Color Purple''. For television, he composed music for the original ''Ironside'', ''Sanford and Son'', and the original ''Roots'' (for which he earned his Emmy Award). Later, as a producer, he oversaw shows including ''The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'' and its successor, ''Bel Air'', and ''MadTV''. He won 28 Grammy Awards, the most for any producer and the third most of all time, including Album of the Year in 2023 for ''Harry's House''. He won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2016 as a producer for ''The Color Purple'', and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have given him two of their highest honors, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995 and the Academy Honorary Award in 2024 (which will now be presented posthumously). Other accomplishments have included the Grammy Legend Award, the Kennedy Center Honors, the BET Humanitarian Award, the National Medal of Arts, and the Grand Commandeur de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the government of France.
 
In comparison to everything else, his contributions to Oz may not have had as much impact, but he was a crucial part of the 1978 film version of ''The Wiz'', where he was musical supervisor and producer. He also contributed new music, including for the songs "Can I Go On?" and "Is This What Feeling Gets? (Dorothy's Theme)". He also appeared onscreen in an uncredited cameo as the pianist in the Emerald City. It was during ''The Wiz'' that Quincy Jones first met with Michael Jackson, and he was so impressed with Jackson's work ethic playing the Scarecrow that Jones agreed to produce Jackson's forthcoming solo album ''Off the Wall''. They would later work together on two more Jackson albums, ''Thriller'' and ''Bad''. Jones would also produce and conduct on a song Jackson co-wrote, the 1985 charity anthem "We Are the World".
 
(Information courtesy [https://apnews.com/article/quincy-jones-dead-a9e31c7e39c448d8971519f47a22dd21 The Associated Press] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Jones Wikipedia]. Photo courtesy [https://www.facebook.com/@ozclub The International Wizard of Oz Club's Facebook page].)
 
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==September 30, 2024: Ken Page, 1954-2024==
[[File:Ken_Page.webp|left]]Ken Page, the character actor known for his work on stage and television, and in movies and video games, passed away in his sleep today at his home in St. Louis. He was 70. Soon after graduating college, he started his acting career at the famed Muny outdoor theater of St. Louis. He made his Broadway debut as Ted Ross's understudy as the Cowardly Lion in the original production of ''The Wiz'', a role he then took over after Ross left the show. He went on to play roles in shows such as ''Guys and Dolls'', ''Ain't Misbehavin' ''and ''Cats'' (as Old Deuteronomy) on Broadway, and playing the Cowardly Lion again in the Madison Square Garden production of ''The Wizard of Oz''. He would later return to the Muny to play both the Cowardly Lion and the Wizard in different productions of ''The Wizard of Oz''. He was also the voice of Oogie Boogie in ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'', a role he reprised in video games, concerts, and other presentations. He won a Theatre World Award in 1976, and a Drama Desk Award in 1978.
 
(Information courtesy [https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Ken_Page The Oz Wiki] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Page Wikipedia].)
 
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[[File:Jerry Maren 2000s.jpg|center]]


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==May 13, 2018: Margot Kidder 1948-2018==
==September 28, 2024: Ryan Bunch Receives 2024 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award; Oz Club Contest Winners==
[[File:Margot Kidder.jpg|center|400 px]]
Tonight, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, the highest honor that the International Wizard of Oz Club bestows, went to Ryan Bunch. Currently President of the Club, he has also served on the Board of Directors and as Vice-President. He has also chaired conventions and written for the Club's journal, ''The Baum Bugle''. His recent book, [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0190843144/thewonderwizardo/ ''Oz and the Musical''], examines how different dramatic interpretations of Oz on stage demonstrate the evolution of musical theater.
<br>Margot Kidder, the actress best known for her iconic portrayal of Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeves as Superman in four movies in the 1970s and '80s, passed away today at the age of 69. Born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, a trip to New York City set her on her career path when she saw a performance of ''Bye Bye Birdie''. She worked extensively in both Canada and the United States, but her big break was playing Lois Lane in the first ''Superman'' movie, released in 1978. Her career stalled in the '90s, however, as she struggled with personal problems and mental illness, but she managed to turn herself around and kept working, even after becoming an American citizen in 2005 and moving to Montana. Among her many credits, Oz fans remember her as the narrator of the movie compilation versions of the Cinar animated series ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''.
 
Also tonight, the winners of the Oz Club's annual writing and art contests were announced:
* The Fred Otto Prize for Fiction:
** First place, "The Fairy King of Oz" by Jesse Jury
** Second place, "The Final Fate of the Phanfasms" by Aaron Solomon Adelman
* The C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction:
** First place, "Ozma's Enduring Appeal 120 Years Later" by Leighton Suen
** Second place, "Puzzle Adventures in Oz" by Tyler B. Wright
* The Rob Roy MacVeigh Prize for Art:
** First place, "A Gathering of Ozians" by Rob Lauer
** Second place, "Glinda" by David Valentin


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==April 23, 2018: ''The Baum Bugle'' Winter 2017 issue==
==July 20, 2024: The 2024 Winkie Award==
[[File:Bbwinter17.jpg|right|400 px]]The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', and the final issue for the 2017 membership year, has been sent out to members of the International Wizard of Oz Club. The final issue of John Fricke's placeholder year as editor, he goes out with a bang with this 76-page bumper issue that includes the following items:
Tonight, the 2024 edition of the Winkie Award was presented by OzCon International to Cindy Ragni. Cindy has been a long-time supporter of OzCon, presenting on many topics. In recent years, she has also coordinated the dealers' room (all while also running her own space in it). Her contributions were recognized by her fellow OzCon members, who voted that she receive the convention's highest award.
 
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* A newly colored slide from the 1939 release of ''The Wizard of Oz'', done by [https://www.instagram.com/hollywood_stars_in_color/ Victor Mascaro], on the cover.
==June 25, 2024: Bill Cobbs 1934-2024==
* Outgoing editor John Fricke looks back on his year in charge and ahead to the future in "From the Editor".
[[File:Master_Tinker.png|left]]Bill Cobbs, the Emmy Award-winning character actor passed away today at his home in Riverside, California. He was 90. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1934, Wilbert Francisco Hobbs was an Air Force radio technician for eight years, then went on to sell office supplies for IBM and cars. In 1970, at the age of 36, he went to New York City to try his hand at acting. Like most in the profession he struggled at first, but eventually he broke into small theatrical productions. He also started getting small roles in films and on television. His films included ''Air Bud'', the ''Night at the Museum'' series, ''The Hudsucker Proxy'', and ''That Thing You Do''. On television, he was a regular on ''I'll Fly Away'' and ''Go On'', and had guest appearances on such shows as ''The Drew Carey Show'', ''Jag'', ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' (where he played the inventor of the transporter), ''One Tree Hill'', ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' and ''Rugrats''. He won an Emmy Award in 2020 for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program for ''Dino Dana''. But to Oz fans, he will be remembered as Master Tinker in ''Oz the Great and Powerful''.
* Oz Club President Jane Albright thanks those who help the Club and announces [https://shop.ozclub.org/main.sc the re-opening of the Club's online store] in "Thanks Due in Oz".
* In "Oz and Ends":
** "The Oz Trading Post" is [https://www.facebook.com/groups/504831379909496/ reborn on Facebook], and an Oz International server has opened on [https://discordapp.com/ Discord].
** ''Wizard of Oz'' songwriters Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg are [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0190467347/thewonderwizardo/ celebrated in a new book about "Over the Rainbow"] and two concerts celebrating Harburg in December of 2017.
** How Oz influenced [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1442497564/thewonderwizardo/ the end of Margaret Peterson Haddix's ''Missing'' series].
** A record turnout for a showing of The Movie in Park Ridge, Illinois.
** The Speakeasy Society of Los Angeles' /latest immersive experience, [https://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/392212 ''The Kansas Collection''], based on the Oz books.
** The new [https://wizardsofthewest.com/collections/wizard-of-oz-collection ''Wizard of Oz''-based clothing line] from Wizards of the West.
** The latter-day Oz stories by Roger S. Baum, L. Frank Baum's great-grandson, are being developed as a possible series for Amazon.
** The new animated movie adaptation of the comic book series [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07BC2Y6QJ/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Steam Engines of Oz''].
** A new series in development for Netflix, [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7504628/ ''Dorothy and Alice''].
** A collection of photographs of Ozcot, the Baum family home in Hollywood, is now in the hands of the California History Section collection of [http://cslfdn.org/ the California State Library Foundation].
** Father and son authors [http://www.kentucky.com/entertainment/performing-arts/article180889571.html John and Jessee Donaldson], who are descendants of L. Frank Baum.
** A new slot game, ''Land of Ozz'', from [https://inbetgames.com/en.html InBet Games].
** The restaurant [https://www.facebook.com/oscardiggslex/ Oscar Diggs], named for the Wizards' real name, in Lexington, Kentucky.
** The Play Station Virtual Reality console game [https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/run-dorothy-run-ps4/ Run, Dorothy, Run].
** [https://youtu.be/EbBu-J0ppAk ''The Oz Medley''] mashes up songs from ''The Wizard of Oz'', ''The Wiz'', and ''Wicked''. (There's also a [https://youtu.be/B9SJ_yClTLg behind-the-scenes video].)
** Miranda Lambert's song [https://youtu.be/q8ryrDjnriM ''Tin Man''] has [https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a45574/miranda-lambert-tin-man-meaning/ surprising connections to Oz] (besides the obvious).
* To celebrate fifteen years of ''Wicked'' on Broadway, actors Tiffany Haas and Michael McCorry Rose look back at their time in the show in "Glinda and Fiyero on Broadway: ''Wicked''-ly 'Cheek to Cheek'".
* Authors Kent Drummond, Aronstein, and Terri Rittenburg adapt part of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3319931059/thewonderwizardo/ their forthcoming book about ''Wicked''] in "'My Daughter and I Were Overcome by Emotion': Consumer Responses to ''Wicked''".
* Long thought to have concluded with ''Tik-Tok of Oz'', Michael Patrick Hearn discovers that the 1930s comic strip ''The Wonderland of Oz'' ran even longer in some papers with an adaptation of the eleventh Oz book in "A 'Lost Princeess' Found"—as well as reprinting sixteen installments of the strip!
* The four current living charter members of the International Wizard of Oz Club sit down for a collective interview in "Anniversary Recollections: Sixty Years in the Oz Club".
* Michael Gessel reports on the events to honor the fourth Royal Historian, whose grave was previously unmarked, in "A Headstone for a Royal Historian: Honoring Jack Snow".
* Bill Thompson discusses the creation and evolution of [https://shop.ozclub.org/product.sc?productId=428&categoryId=1 his latest book] in "The Making of…''Bibliographia Oziana''—The Book!"
* John Fricke brings his survey of big-time Oz productions up to date in "Magical, Musical Muny (Part Three): How a Blend of Baum and MGM First Came to theStage…and Endured".
* "Adventures in Oz" profiles:
** Actress Ruby Rakos, who plays Judy Garland in the play [https://chasingrainbowsmusical.com/ ''Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz''].
** Autograph hound Steven Damm.
** Long-time Oz fan and southern California convention chair Robyn Knutson.
** Oz memorabilia collector Barry Patraw.
** Kindergarten student Rylan Andrews.
* Reviewed (or at least mentioned) in "The Oz Bookshelf":
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/148146972X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Gabriel Gale's Ages of Oz, Volume 1: A Fiery Friendship'' by Lisa Fiedler, illustrated by Sebastian Giacobino], reviewed by Joe Bongiorno.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1451609957/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult'' by Bruce Handy], reviewed by Angelica Carpenter.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1610881990/thewonderwizardo/ ''Black-Eyed Susan'' by Elizabeth Leiknes].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0980119065/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Prophecy of Oz: The Victory of Dorothy, the Spirit of the Americas'' by Rick Spaulding].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1981101047/thewonderwizardo/ ''Ruby Slips and Poker Chips: The Modern Tale of Dorothy Gale'' by Heather Kindt].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0008252564/thewonderwizardo/ ''Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz'' by Michael Morpurgo].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1976524008/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wicked Hot Wizard of Oz'' by Mark Pace].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1979262632/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of AAAHHS!'' by C. T. Henderson].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1510729240/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard's Cookbook: Magical Recipes Inspired by Harry Potter, Merlin, The Wizard of Oz, and More'' by Aur&eacute;lia Beaupommier].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1780554362/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Colouring Book'' by Ann Kronheimer].
* "Oz in the Spotlight" looks at the following dramatic productions:
** [http://www.thebuildersassociation.org/prod_oz.html ''Elements of Oz'' by the Builders Association].
** The British touring pantomime adaptation of [http://www.enchantedentertainment.co.uk/wozuktour2017/].
** The Harlem Repertory Theatre's production of [http://www.harlemrepertorytheatre.com/current_season.html ''The Wizard of Oz''].
** The new Boomerang cartoon series [https://watch.boomerang.com/shows/dorothy-franchise/series/dorothy-series ''Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz''].
* "The MGM Scrapbook" presents more articles, ads, clippings, and other ephemera relating to the original 1939 release of The Movie.
* The latest laureate of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, Scott Cummings, is officially enshrined in the roster of previous winners.
* C. J. Hinke remembers George van Buren, his collaborator on [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0859677230/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Classical Wizard: Magus Mirabilis in Oz''] (the Latin translation of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'') in "In Memoriam".
* "The Magic Picture" reports on 2017's two big Oz conventions:
** Erica Olivera on OzCon International in Portland, Oregon, in "The Wonderful Convention of Oz: A Newcomer's Report".
** Ralph Bunch from Chicago in "Oz—The National Convention".
* The rear cover is a montage of Tiffany Haas and Michael McCorry Rose, both on stage and off, in their roles on Broadway in ''Wicked''.


(information courtesy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cobbs Wikipedia].)
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==March 8, 2018: Dorothy Barrett 1917-2018==
==June 3, 2024: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2024==
Dorothy Barrett, a long-time contract player during the Golden Age of Hollywood, died today in Studio City, California. She was 101 years old. In 1939, while working at MGM, she appeared in ''Gone with the Wind'', ''The Women'', and as a manicurist in the Wash and Brush Up Co. in the Emerald City in ''The Wizard of Oz''. She was performing on vaudeville circuits at the age of seven, and appeared in many shows on Broadway before Hollywood beckoned. Later in life, she became a dance and performance teacher, and worked with many students. As late as 2016, she was active in the Studio City performing arts community. She will be interred at Forest Lawn in Glendale.
[[File:Bbspring24.jpeg|left|400 px]]
The first issue of the year of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now making its way into members' mailboxes. This issue celebrates Oz in the 1950s, a decade not usually known for being terribly Ozzy.  


(Information courtesy [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2018/05/25/dorothy-barrett-actress-wizard-oz-obituary/ ''The Telegraph''] and [https://www.legacy.com/funeral-homes/obituaries/name/dorothy-barrett-obituary?sid=105905790&v=forestlawn&pid=188410825&view=guestbook Legacy.com].)
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In this issue:
* The front cover assembles some of Dale Ulrey's artwork from her interpretations of ''The Wizard of Oz'', ''The Tin Woodman of Oz'', and ''Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies''.
* The inside front cover reproduces an original piece by Ulrey for Fred Meyer.
* "Letters" sees Oz Club President Ryan Bunch extoll [the upcoming 2024 Oz National Convention] in Charlotte, North Carolina, while ''Bugle'' editor-in-chief Sarah K. Crotzer tells about the happy coincidences that brought this issue together.
* News items from "The Bugle Bulletin":
** Brady Schwind of the Lost Art of Oz project reveals [https://www.lostartofoz.com/blog/lost-art-found-discovering-dorothy-and-the-wizard the discovery of five of the original paintings that became color plates in ''Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz''].
** Another suspect has been charged in the 2005 theft of the Ruby Slippers in Minnesota, and the now-recovered pair will be auctioned off in December.
** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1dvX9Vs0ns The first teaser trailer for ''Wicked'' debuts during the Super Bowl broadcast].
** The current revival of [https://wizmusical.com/ ''The Wiz'' opens on Broadway].
** [https://movieworld.com.au/attractions/wizard-of-oz A new ''Wizard of Oz'' precinct] is opening later this year at the Warner Bros. Movie World amusement park in Gold Coast, Australia.
** Gregory Maguire is writing an eighth book set in his version of Oz, this time a prequel: ''Elphie: A Wicked Childhood'', due to be published in October.
** A decoupaged lion at [https://www.ucitylibrary.org/ the Universal City Public Library in Universal City, Missouri] includes pages from several Oz books on its hide.
** [https://hellorayo.co.uk/hits-radio/birmingham/news/comedian-joe-lycett-behind-birmingham-banksy-mural/ The perpetrator of Oz-themed graffiti in Birmingham, England comes forward].
** Oz has appeared recently in television shows such as [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYCzqMzQxd4 ''Saturday Night Live''], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd8TE1ytxbY ''The Masked Singer''], and ''Jeopardy!''
** A claim for the Judy Garland dress found at Catholic University of America has been denied, and the school can put it up for auction.
** The Dassel History Center in Dassel, Minnesota, [https://dassel.com/hs/page/changing-exhibits honors hometown girl Hildred Olson], a Munchkin in the famous film version of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
** Recently passed Oz luminaries remembered in "Beyond the Shifting Sands" are actor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinton_Battle Hinton Battle], who originated the role of the Scarecrow in ''The Wiz''; Sergey Stefanovich Sukhinov, who wrote a number of books continuing the saga of Russia's counterpart to Oz, Magic Land; and Oz Club member Virginia Fowler.
** Now available on YouTube:
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZmQlmQgSgI ''The Will.of.Oz''], an homage to ''The Wizard of Oz'' performed to the music of the Black Eyed Peas.
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxQKltWI0NA "Oh, my!" another musical tribute to Oz].
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq3M4tKhsRM "The Bricklayer"], a music video by indie rockers Mylo Bybee.
* In "Somewhere Over the Rainbow I Wake Up Screaming", Sarah K. Crotzer discovers an early use of "Over the Rainbow" as a movie leitmotif in one of the earliest examples of ''film noir'', 1941's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Wake_Up_Screaming ''I Wake Up Screaming''].
* In "Discovering Dale Ulrey", Jane Albright uncovers the life and career of the artist Reilly and Lee wanted to reillustrate the Oz books, and why she only did it for two of the books.
* Oz games collector and expert Sara K. Crotzer uses "Collectors' Corner" to examine [https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/17760/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' game] issued by E. E. Fairchild in 1957. (The board is reprinted in color on the inside back cover.)
* In "Oz in the Arts", Anthony Whitaker reviews [https://wizmusical.com/ the current national production of ''The Wiz''] during its Chicago stop last winter, before it made it to Broadway.
* "The Bugle Review" features:
** [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-witch-of-maracoor-gregory-maguire/19880153?ean=9780063094062 ''The Witch of Maracoor'' by Gregory Maguire''], reviewed by Alan Wise.
** After forty years, the updated and revised second edition of the bibliography [https://www.lulu.com/search?contributor=CJ+Hinke&adult_audience_rating=00 ''Oz in Canada'' by C. J. Hinke], reviewed by Cynthia Ragni.
** The graphic novel [https://bookshop.org/p/books/tin-man-justin-madson/17400871 ''Tin Man'' by Justin Madison], reviewed by J. L. Bell.
** The game [https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2148122827?UTM_Campaign=BGG_Shop_Now&awid=1292 ''Lands of Oz'', designed by Charlie Hoopes with art by Zachery Tullsen], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
* "Adventures in Oz" sees Jane Albright interviewing original Mousketeer Bobby Burgess about his life and career, including his role as the Scarecrow in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okKCRIMRLMQ&ab_channel=jeffsabu ''The Rainbow Road to Oz''].
* The back cover reprints a portrait of the Wizard from Dale Ulrey's dust jacket for Reilly and Lee's 1956 edition of ''The Wizard of Oz''.


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


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==December 4, 2017: ''Lost in Oz'' Nominated For Annie Award==
==March 18, 2024: Second Suspect Charged in Theft of the Ruby Slippers; Slippers Go On Tour Before Auction==
Nominations for the Annie Awards, the highest honor given in the animation industry, were announced today. [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z89MYTI ''Lost in Oz''], the Amazon Prime series that has already won three Emmy awards, was nominated as Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children. It's competition is ''Buddy Thunderstruck'', ''Niko and the Sword of Light'', ''Tangled: The Series'', and ''We Bare Bears''. You can see the entire list of nominees at http://www.annieawards.org/nominees. The forty-fifth Annie Awards will be presented February 3, 2018 in Los Angeles.
A second suspect has been charged in the 2005 theft of a pair of the Ruby Slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids. Minnesota. Jerry Sal Saliterman, 76, of Crystal, Minnesota was arraigned in federal court in St. Paul, and charged with felony theft of a major artwork and witness tampering, the latter a threat to distribute graphic videos of a woman to prevent her from talking to the FBI. As Saliterman is in a wheelchair and uses an oxygen tank, he was not deemed a flight risk and released on his own recognizance. His attorney intends to file a plea of not guilty. Details about the charges, or Saliterman's connection to Terry John Martin, who pled guilty to stealing the Ruby Slippers late last year, are still unknown at this time.


(UPDATE: February 3, 2018: The Annie for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children went to ''We Bare Bears''.)
In related news, Michael Shaw, the owner of the Ruby Slippers at the time of the theft (he had loaned them to the museum) has bought back the Ruby Slippers from his insurance company, and received them in February. He has now turned them over to Heritage Actions, a firm that specializes in selling movie memorabilia and other rare items, for safekeeping and consignment. Heritage plans to put the Slippers on display in an international tour before auctioning them off in December this year.
 
(Information courtesy [https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/second-man-charged-over-theft-of-wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers-1602790.html Breakingnews.ie] and [https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/03/17/second-man-indicted-in-oz-ruby-slipper-theft Minnesota Public Radio].)


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==November 7, 2017: ''The Baum Bugle'', Autumn 2017 and ''Oziana'' 2017==
==March 14, 2024: ''The Baum Bugle'' Winter 2023==
[[File:Bbugleautumn17.jpg|left]]The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the International Wizard of Oz Club's journal, is making its way to members now. This issue looks back at ''The Lost Princess of Oz'', celebrating its centennial this year; and the recent television series ''Emerald City'' and ''Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz'', among other topics.
[[File:Bbwinter23.jpeg|right|500 px]]
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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' doors now. It's a little late, but since this is technically still the winter of 2023-24, it's catching up again. This issue celebrates Dorothy's third and furriest friend on the Yellow Brick Road, the Cowardly Lion, as ''The Cowardly Lion of Oz'' (the novel) turns 100.
 
In this issue:
In this issue:
* The front cover features the Fab Five as depicted in the new series ''Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz'', [https://www.boomerang.com/shows/dorothy-franchise/series/dorothy-series now streaming on the Boomerang website].
* The front cover features Bert Lahr, in full make-up as the Cowardly Lion from The Movie, all dressed up for "If I Were King of the Forest"
* Interim editor John Fricke talks about the issue and what he's been doing this year, including aiding the Smithsonian Institution in [http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/help-reunite-dorothy-and-scarecrow restoring and preserving the Ruby Slippers] in his "From the Editor" column.
* The inside front cover is a 1944 studio portrait of Lahr (no Lion make-up)
* New Club President Jane Albright outlined her relationship to Oz and the Club in her first column, "Oz Is Us", which includes:
* Featured on the contents page is an illustration of the Cowardly Lion by Michael Hague
** The appointment of Sarah Crotzer as the new ''Bugle'' editor, starting with the Spring 2018 issue.
* In "Letters", Oz Club President Ryan Bunch reflects on the current rise in popularity of Oz, with ''The Wiz'' back on Broadway and ''Dee and Friends in Oz'' on Netflix, while ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Crotzer laments how the Cowardly Lion gets overlooked, and she aims to reverse that with this issue.
** The publication of [http://shop.ozclub.org/category.sc;jsessionid=4CBF3C1F0488B027D3FF7CEFD0F4DCCC.p3plqscsfapp001?categoryId=6 ''Bibliographia Baumiana''], a bibliographic compendium of L. Frank Baum's non-Oz works (that has been in the works for a couple of decades now).
* News events cited in "The Bugle Bulletin":
* Among the latest treasures and tidbits uncovered by Jay Davis for "Oz and Ends":
** A November auction of Hollywood memorabilia that included items from the Ray Bolger estate (including scores for "If I Only Had a Brain" and "Over the Rainbow") and a letter by ''Wizard of Oz'' lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg
** Funko's Vynl line includes [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B073YD35BS/thewonderwizardo/ a set of Dorothy and the Scarecrow].
** Oz on the radio [https://www.npr.org/2023/08/28/1196486400/how-the-dust-bowl-depiction-from-the-wizard-of-oz-left-a-lasting-impact-on-kansa at NPR] and BBC Radio 5.
** LEGO minifigs of the Wicked Witch of the West and two flying monkeys are part of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B06XRX1GQX/thewonderwizardo/ ''The LEGO Batman Movie'' Ultimate Batmobile Kit] (!!!).
** The debut of [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPAZCfmc0mQ&t=7s&ab_channel=NetflixJr. ''Dee and Friends in Oz''] on Netflix around the world
** Organic Studios' [http://www.organicsstudio.com/our-inks/the-masters-of-writing-series/ Masters of Writing series of author-inspired inks] introduces L. Frank Baum Emerald Green.
** André de Shields, who originated the title role of ''The Wiz'' on Broadway, being honored with a street renamed for him in his hometown of Baltimore
** The Nickelodeon series ''Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn'' has an Oz-themed episode, [http://www.organicsstudio.com/our-inks/the-masters-of-writing-series/ "The Wizard of Quads"].
** Through the Tube! celebrates the Cowardly Lion and Bert Lahr with the following clips:
** The 1987 anime series ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B072ZPQ421/thewonderwizardo/ available in episode format on home video] at last!
*** Lahr appears as the Mystery Guest in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUvlkBZ9hJ4 a 1964 episode of the game show ''What's My Line?''] (shouldn't that be ''What's My Lion?''); Lahr enters and signs in at the 15:30 mark
** The closure of the Great Movie Ride, with its Wicked Witch of the West and other Oz characters, at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios park.
*** A scene from the Discovery Channel in 2000 about [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoU2PSf4eIU&ab_channel=abc the restoration of the Cowardly Lion's costume]
** ''Wicked'' surpassing ''The Phantom of the Opera'' to become Broadway's second highest grossing musical ever (only ''The Lion King'' is ahead of it).
*** Bert Lahr sings "Song of the Woodsman", a 1936 song by ''Oz'' composers Harburg and Arlen, in [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji9YFoXr81M&ab_channel=OmnibusWithAlistairCooke a 1958 clip from the show ''Omnibus'']
** New Oz stage productions:
* Blair Frodelius is honored by the International Wizard of Oz Club with its highest award, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award
*** ''The Wizard of Oz'' from Starlight Village Players in Orinda, California.
* Jane Lahr remembers growing up with her father, Bert, in "The Cowardly Lion and Dad"
*** ''The Bricklayers of Oz'' by the Dance Crash Company of Chicago.
* Atticus Gannaway takes a tongue-in-cheek look at this year's centenary book in "Profiles in Cowardice: Revisiting ''The Cowardly Lion of Oz'' at 100"
*** ''West End Bares'' Oz-themed nude revue ''Ruby Strippers'' in London's West End.
* Ryan Bunch presents the next in the series of pull-out music scores of songs from the Ruth Plumly Thompson play ''A Day in Oz'' with "The Cowardly Lion's Lament"
** Judy Garland's children, Liza Minnelli and Lorna and Joey Luft, fulfilled a promise made to their mother by having her body reinterred in a new pavilion at the [http://www.hollywoodforever.com/ Hollywood Forever cemetery] in Los Angeles. Judy had been at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.
* "Oz Under Scrutiny" looks back at what critics thought of ''The Cowardly Lion of oz'' when it was first published
** Big Fish unveils their latest Oz-themed computer game, [https://www.bigfishgames.com/games/18170/bridge-to-another-world-escape-from-oz/?pc ''Escape from Oz''], for the Mac and PC.
* "Coming and Going" has some short musings and anecdotes from Sara K. Crotzer on ''The cCowardly Lion of Oz''
* "''Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz…please meet Lyman, Frank, and Wilhelmina" looks behind the scenes at [https://www.boomerang.com/shows/dorothy-franchise/series/dorothy-series Boomerang's new Oz cartoon] (which the ''Bugle'' will review in the Winter 2017 issue).
* Eric Gjovaag reports on the 2023 edition of OzCon International, back in July in California
* The original art for the newspaper syndication of ''The Lost Princess of Oz'' is discussed in "Behind the Ink: ''The Wonderful Stories of Oz'' Artwork".
* "Collector's Corner" sees Sarah K. Crotzer and Peter E. Hanff describing one of the earliest and rarest of all Oz collectibles, ''The Wogglebug Game of Conundrums'' from 1905
* Peter E. Hanff looks back at this year's centennial Oz book in "The Mystery of ''Three Girls in Oz''…and the Revisited Pleasures of a ''Lost Princess''".
* Robert B. Luehrs looks at some of the smaller and/or lesser-known felines of the series in "The Supercilious Cats of Oz"
* "Oz Under Scrutiny" looks at contemporary reviews of ''The Lost Princess of Oz'' from 1917.
* "Oz in the Arts" sees Dewey Davis-Thompson reviewing ''Oz: A New Musical'' by the freeFall Theatre Company of St. Petersburg, Florida, performed in June and July of 2023
* Scott Cummings may have discovered the inspiration for the Herkus in a 1921 report from the ''Los Angeles Herald'' on athlete Gilbert Neville in "The Little Strong Man of Oz".
* Put under the microscope in "The Bugle Review" this issue are:
* John Fricke looks back at another lost princess of Oz, as portrayed on television in 1960, in "'Lost' Princess—Different Adventure: Remembering Shirley Temple's ''The Land of Oz''".
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CFZBYD3H/thewonderwizardo/ ''The First Edition of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'': A New Bibliographic Description'' by Michael O. Riley], reviewed by Paul Bienvenue
* Sarah Crotzer interviews the creator of the latest television version of Oz in "Scary, Bizarre, Weird, and Wonderful! Matthew Arnold Talks ''Emerald City''—and about Bringing Baum's Oz to a New Generation".
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1476687978/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Characters of Oz: Essays on Their Adaptation and Transformation'', edited by Dina Schiff Massachi] and reviewed by Scott Cummings
* ''Bugle'' readers offer their comments on the show in "''Emerald City'' Redŭ".
** The Japanese game [https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/402552/qing-ixue-toozunomo-shu-shi-the-blue-slippers-and ''青い靴とオズの魔術師 (The Blue Slippers and the Wizard of Oz)''], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer
* "Adventures in Oz" profiles five Club members and how Oz has influenced their lives.
** Other books noted but not reviewed:
* In "Multi-MediOz", Atticus Gannaway reviews [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01MPYHA0V/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', performed by Jon Koons and Danielle Manente].
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0BP45V4RW/thewonderwizardo/ ''Dorothy and Santa in Oz: The Further Adventures of Dorothy Gale'' by Gene Mederos]
* "The MGM Scrapbook" looks at ads and clippings from The Movie's premiere in 1939, as well as Hedda Hopper's column on her first visit to the set, when Buddy Ebsen was still playing the Tin Man.
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0BT1M5X6K/thewonderwizardo/ ''Farmer Boy of Oz'' by Josie Ann Tyler]
* "Oz in the Spotlight" features Sarah Crotzer's review of "''Lost in Oz'': Season One".
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CJXGD4Q4/thewonderwizardo/ ''Fleischer and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum and Edward Gross]
* "The Oz Bookshelf" reviews or acknowledges the publication of several recent books:
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0C2P6KS59/thewonderwizardo/ ''Hairdresser of Oz'' by Josie Ann Tyler]
** The final two books in Danielle Paige's ''Dorothy Must Die'' series, [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062423835/thewonderwizardo/ ''Dorothy Must Die Stories Volume 3''] and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062423770/thewonderwizardo/ ''The End of Oz''], both reviewed by Dee Michel.
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1728271304/thewonderwizardo/ ''Road to the Wizard: A Topsy-Turvy Tale of Oz'' by Meg Cannistra] (a tie-in with the new ''Ghostwriter'' series on AppleTV+)
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0692680950/thewonderwizardo/ ''Toto's Story: My Amazing Adventures with Dorothy in Oz'' by Steve Metzger], reviewed by Ron Baxley, Jr.
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1737802228/thewonderwizardo/ ''Straw Soul'' by K. A. Silva]
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1608106845/thewonderwizardo/ ''The leadership Secrets of Oz'' by B. J. Gallagher and Ken Balnchard].
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0BSY99CVW/thewonderwizardo/ ''Sundays at Sam's'' by Phyllis Ann Karr], a collection of stories that includes some of her Oz works
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1138942057/thewonderwizardo/ ''Revisiting Imaginary Worlds''], a collection of essays with two Oz-themed entries.
*** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0BHBS56XT/thewonderwizardo/ ''Zombies of Oz'' by John Cosper]
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1442278048/thewonderwizardo/ ''1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year'' by Thomas S. Hischak].
* The inside front cover reprints the color plate of Notta Bit More dressed as a fish from ''The Cowardly Lion of Oz''
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1544292619/thewonderwizardo/ ''Baum Ass Stories 2: Gayle Force'', edited by Roma Gray] (and yes, there is also a [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1519340478/thewonderwizardo/ volume 1]).
* And the back cover reproduces a painting of the Cowardly Lion by Dick Martin
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1521371288/thewonderwizardo/ ''Behind the Emerald Door—The Wizard of Oz: The Untold Truth'' by Christopher Clay Lord].
 
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1452152527/thewonderwizardo/ ''Cozy Classics: L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', adapted by Jack and Holman Wang].
Other items slipped into this issue include:
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486812529/thewonderwizardo/ ''Crochet Stories: L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by Pat Olski].
* A registration form for [http://www.ozconinternational.com/ the 2024 edition of OzCon International]
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0998706906/thewonderwizardo/ ''From Oz to Om: The Spiritual Journey Home'' by Tracy Flynn Bowe].
* An ad for the new edition of the bibliography ''Oz in Canada'' by C. J. Hinke, which comes in both [https://www.lulu.com/shop/cj-hinke/oz-in-canada/hardcover/product-krjyqm.html?q=Oz+in+Canada&page=1&pageSize=4 hardback] and [https://www.lulu.com/shop/cj-hinke/oz-in-canada-pb/paperback/product-kedkww.html?q=Oz+in+Canada&page=1&pageSize=4 paperback]
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0722G7VXT/thewonderwizardo/ ''Getting Back to Oz 1: Winnie's Courage'' by Jess Reece].
* This issue's craft is a color-and-cut-out Cowardly Lion marionette
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1548090352/thewonderwizardo/ ''Haunting Fairy Tales 4: Wicked Witch'' by R. L. Weeks].
* And in the latest issue of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger (or at least young-ish) Oz fans:
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9627866229/thewonderwizardo/ ''Hong Kong Fairy Tales'' by Larry Feign].
** The lead story is of the Cowardly Lion leading the coup against the Nome King's reign
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0515157724/thewonderwizardo/ ''Kate and Mim-Mim: Kate in Oz'' by Lana Jacobs].
** "A Letter from the Editor" introduces the new editor, Katie Jones! It seems she's no longer Oz Club Member on Special Assignment
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594749604/thewonderwizardo/ ''Literary Yarns: Crochet Products Inspired by Classic Books'' by Cindy Wang].
** "Emerald City Book Report" examines a book that's now one hundred years old, ''The Cowardly Lion of Oz''
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1522703659/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Marvelous Wonderland of Oz''] and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1543274218/thewonderwizardo/ ''Peter of Oz''], volumes 4 and 5 of Greg Gick's Oz-Wonderland series.
** "Why Is the Lion So Cowardly?" and "Prehistory Lesson" looks at some of the issues raised in ''The Cowardly Lion of Oz''
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1544237413/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Prankster of Oz'' by John R. Rose].
** Glinda looks bark at what her Great Book of Records recorded happening in 1923
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1548331503/thewonderwizardo/ ''Return from Oz'' by Gregory Espy].
** And in an extract from ''The Royal Book of Oz'' (the book in Oz, not the Oz story from 1921), Prof. H. M. Wogglebug, T. E., presents a profile of the Cowardly Lion
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1888160942/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Swagger of Dorothy Gale and Other Filthy Ways to Strut'' by Sea Sharp].
 
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1542868971/thewonderwizardo/ ''Trump versus Glinda: The Secret of Everything #Post-Truth'' by Scott W. Webb].
----
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1492635995/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wanted'' by Betsy Schow].
 
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1604337060/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wizard of Oz Coloring Book'' by Charles Santore].
==January 30, 2024: Hinton Battle 1956-2024==
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0984067876/thewonderwizardo/ ''The "Wonderful" Wizard of Futhermucking Oz'' by Matt Youngmark].
[[File:Hinton_Battle.webp|right]]
* "The Magic Picture" reports on recent Oz events around the country, including:
Hinton Battle, the actor who first played the Scarecrow in ''The Wiz'' on Broadway, passed away today at the age of 67 in Los Angeles after a long illness. Battle was only eighteen years old when he made his Broadway debut in ''The Wiz'' in 1974, after having taken over for a sick castmate during previews on the road. That early success gave him many years to play other roles in other shows, including ''Dancin', Sophisticated Ladies'', ''Dreamgirls'', ''The Tap Dance Kid'', ''Miss Saigon'', and ''Chicago'' on Broadway, and ''Ragtime'' on tour. His movie credits include the film adaptation of ''Dreamgirls'' and, on television, ''Quantum Leap'' (as the evil observer Thames in the Evil Leaper trilogy), ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (as the demon Sweet in the musical episode "Once More With Feeling"), ''Touched By an Angel'', the TV movie ''Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story'' as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and the first pilot for the unproduced American version of the British comedy ''Red Dwarf'' as the Cat. Battle also directed and choreographed the Off-Broadway production ''Evil Dead: The Musical'' and released an album, ''Untapped'', in 1986. He won Tony Awards for ''Sophisticated Ladies'', ''The Tap Dance Kid'', and ''Miss Saigon''. He also won the NAACP Image Award and Fred Astaire Award for ''The Tap Dance Kid''.
** Oz on the Bayou 2017 in Houma, Louisiana, reported by Karen Diket.
** Croppin' in Oz, an Oz-themed scrapbooking event in Sulphur, Louisiana, also reported on by Karen Diket.
** Oz-Stravaganza 2017 in Chittenango, New York, reported by David Moyer.
* Many Oz Club members shared their stories of Oz Club supemember Robin Olderman, who passed away in April, in "Robin Remembered".
* And the back cover features a portrait of Adria Arjona as Dorothy in ''Emerald City'', wearing the Ruby Gauntlets.


<br>[[File:Oziana_2017.jpeg|right]]Also available today is the 2017 edition of ''Oziana'', the International Wizard of Oz Club's literary magazine. In this issue:
(UPDATE: To honor Battle and his career and influence on Broadway, all forty-one Broadway theaters dimmed their marquee lights on March 12.)
* David Bishop provides the front cover illustration, entitled "On the Shores of Skeezer Lake".
* Jack Pumpkinhead is having a bad day in "Angry Jack" by Sara Philips, illustrated by Emilee Philips.
* A stream-of-consciousness recollection of Scraps entitled "Patchworked Memory", written and illustrated by Grace Willey.
* Dorothy learns more about her first trip to Oz in "The Road Not Taken" by E. J. Hagadorn, with illustrations by Dennis Anfuso.
* Red Reera the Yookoohoo doesn't want another visit from Ervic in "Unsociable" by S. A. Samuelson, illustrated by David Bishop.
* Grace Willey's back cover is entitled "Button Bright Finds a Peach Pit".
Unlike ''The Baum Bugle'', which is sent only to Club members, anyone can buy ''Oziana'' [http://www.lulu.com/shop/l-frank-baum/oziana-2017/paperback/product-23400178.html just by going right here].


(Information courtesy of [https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/01/31/hinton-battle-dead-the-wiz-scarecrow/72428810007/ ''USA Today''], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinton_Battle Wikipedia], [https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/hinton-battle-31283 the Internet Broadway Database], [http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/33207 the Internet Off-Broadway Database], [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0061507/ the Internet Movie Database], and [https://www.nypl.org/blog/2024/02/08/hinton-battle-tap-dance-kid-buffy the New York Public Library].)
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==January 29, 2024: Terry Jon Martin Sentenced for Theft of the Ruby Slippers==
Terry Jon Martin, the man who pled guilty to stealing the Ruby Slippers in 2005, has been sentenced. Due to his advanced age and medical condition, he was sentenced to time served and will not go to jail. Martin is currently in hospice care and on oxygen therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and is not expected to live more than a few months longer. He was also ordered to pay the Judy Garland Museum $23,500 in restitution, which he will pay in monthly installments of $300.


==August 5, 2017: The L. Frank Baum Memorial Award==
Not knowing about ''The Wizard of Oz'' or the Slippers' cultural significance, career criminal Martin was coerced into stealing the Ruby Slippers as "one last score" because he believed the shoes to be adorned with real rubies. He was disappointed to learn that they were artificial, and gave the slippers to an associate, never to hear from him again. After the FBI recovered the slippers in 2018, Martin quickly became a suspect and charged with the theft last year. Martin pleaded guilty in October 2023.
This evening, the International Wizard of Oz Club presented it's highest award, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, to Scott Cummings. Cummings served as editor of the Club's journal, ''The Baum Bugle'', for many years, producing some of its most memorable issues. He is also a tireless researcher who keeps finding out new things about Oz, and frequent con chair (including this year's National Oz Convention in the Chicago area). Congratulations, Scott!


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(Information courtesy [https://wtop.com/national/2024/01/dying-thief-who-stole-wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers-from-minnesota-museum-will-likely-avoid-prison/ WTOP News, Washington, DC].)


==July 26, 2017: June Foray, 1917-2017==
----
Perhaps the greatest and most prolific of voice actors, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_Foray June Foray] passed away today at the age of 99 (only 54 days short of her 100th birthday). Although still working well into her nineties, Foray had been in declining health the last two years, particularly after a 2015 auto accident. Anyone who has ever watch cartoons probably has heard her voice. Among [http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/June-Foray/ her many, many roles] were Lucifer the Cat in ''Cinderella'' (her first voiceover job) and Grandmother Fa in ''Mulan'' for Disney; Granny, Witch Hazel, and Miss Prissy for Warner Bros.; Splinter and Knothead in the ''Woody Woodpecker'' cartoons; Cindy Lou Who in ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas''; and stints in shows ranging from ''Mr. Magoo'' to ''The Simpsons''. She was even [https://youtu.be/s_evUn1c7bQ the voice of Betty Rubble in the original pilot for ''The Flintstones''], and Talky Tina in the "Living Doll" episode of ''The Twilight Zone'' (a take-off on her earlier work as the voice of the original Chatty Cathy doll). She will probably be best known, however, for her work with Jay Ward, where she voiced Nell in ''Dudley Do-Right'', Ursula in ''George of the Jungle'', Marigold in ''Tom Slick'', and Rocky the Squirrel and Natasha Fatale in ''The Bullwinkle Show''. Among her credits was the 1967-68 MGM anthology series [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off_to_See_the_Wizard ''Off to See the Wizard''], in which June was the voice of Dorothy (as seen in the clip below) and the Wicked Witch of the West, alongside fellow voiceover icons Mel Blanc, Daws Butler, and Don Messick.
<html><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9c0twUIh67c?ecver=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></html>
Among her other achievements, she started the Hollywood chapter of the Association Internationale du Film d'Animation (which later made her the recipient of its first June Foray Award); helped create [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Award the Annie Awards], which she later won two of; lobbied the Oscars to include a category for animated features; and has won the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, the Inkpot Award, and both an Emmy and the Governor's Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.


She was often compared to the equally prolific Mel Blanc, but the legendary cartoon producer Chuck Jones (who was in charge of the animated segments of ''Off to See the Wizard'') said, "June Foray is not the female Mel Blanc. Mel Blanc is the male June Foray."
==January 29, 2024: ''The Baum Bugle'' Autumn 2023==
[[File:bbautumn23.jpeg|right|500 px]]
The publication schedule of [https://www.ozclub.org/publications/the-baum-bugle/ ''The Baum Bugle''], the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, may have fallen a little behind, as the Autumn 2023 issue is now making its way to Club members in early 2024. Still, it's coming a lot sooner than many issues have managed over the decades, and as always the wait is worth it, as Editor in Chief Sarah K. Crotzer and her team have put together another exemplary issue.


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In this issue:
* The front cover reprints one of W. W. Denslow's color plates form ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' to celebrate fifty years of one of the most important works of Oz scholarship, ''The Annotated Wizard of Oz''.
* The inside front cover reprints the cover of sheet music, drawn by W. W. Denslow, from ''The Land of Nod'', a musical that Denslow contributed to in other ways (as we will discover in this issue).
* In "Letters", new Club President Ryan Bunch recalls the thrill of receiving new editions of the ''Bugle'' when he was a new, young member of the Club, while editor Sarah K. Crotzer's overview of the issue focuses on her relationship with ''The Annotated Wizard of Oz''.
* News reports highlighted in "The Bugle Bulletin":
** Terry Martin pleads guilty to stealing the Ruby Slippers in 2005
** ''Wicked'' celebrates twenty years of performances on Broadway (plus updates on the film adaptation)
** ''The Wiz'' goes on tour on its way to Broadway
** A model of the Gale farmhouse, used during production of the famous film version of ''The Wizard of Oz'', sells for $537,000 at auction
** Kansas native and University of Kansas alumnus Grady Dick wears a ruby-sequined jacket, inspired by another Kansas native, to the NBA draft, where he went to the Toronto Raptors (whose colors include ruby red)
** Ozians who recently passed away and remembered in "Beyond the Shifting Sands":
*** Betty Ann Bruno, a child Munchkin in the 1939 movie
*** Piper Laurie, the award-winning actress whose roles included Ethel Gumm, Judy Garland's mother, in the television biopic ''Rainbow'', and Aunt Em in ''Return to Oz''
*** Oz Club members Lary Abramson, Herm Bieber, Susan Higbee, and Rita Reif
** Treasures found on YouTube highlighted in Through the Tube!
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmPiyRjC0gE&ab_channel=RobertLamont%3ATinPanAlleyChannel A medley of pumpkin-themed songs related to W. W. Denslow], presented by Robert Lamont at the 2023 National Oz Convention
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WBmQwf8TCM&ab_channel=RobertLamont%3ATinPanAlleyChannel More Ozzy music by Lamont], including selections from ''The Songs of Father Goose''
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbnGZ6p5ZPE&ab_channel=TheOfficialOzClub Blair Frodelius reads "Denslow's Night Before Christmas"]
* Michael Patrick Hearn is interviewed about his Oz journey and how it resulted in his first book in "The Journey to the ''Annotated Wizard'' Part One: Origins"
* "Oz Under Scrutiny" reprints some of the early reviews of ''The Annotated Wizard of Oz''
* Robert Lamont looks at what other shows the first Oz illustrator contributed to at the turn of the century in "The Musical Fantasies of W. W. Denslow"
* Ruth Berman, charter member of the Club, examines her work in [https://thewizardofoz.info/wiki/Dunkiton_Press reprinting old newspaper pieces by Oz contributors] in "Dunkiton Press: A Checklist of Pamphlets"
* "Oz in the Arts" reviews:
** The short film [https://www.tinwoods.com/ ''The Tin Woods''], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer
** The documentary movie [https://www.criterion.com/films/33490-lynch-oz ''Lynch/Oz''], about the connections between ''The Wizard of Oz'' and the works of director David Lynch, reviewed by Paul Dana
** The stage show ''The Wizard of Oz'' as presented by the American Contemporary Theater in San Fransisco in June 2023, reviewed by Paul Dana
* In conjunction with ''The Tin Woods'', Sara K. Crotzer interviews co-creator Nick Boxwell
* "The Bugle Review" sees Dee Michel reviewing [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/queer-oz-tison-pugh/1142693122?ean=9781496845320 ''Queer Oz: L. Frank Baum's Trans Tales'' by Tison Pugh]
* Jane Albright remembers one of the last Munchkins, Betty Ann Bruno, and the rest of her extraordinary life in "Maka Koa Munchkin"
* The inside back cover has some pre-production art by Ann Tseng for ''The Tin Woods''
* The back cover reproduces an advertising poster by W. W. Denslow from 1895


==Rumor Control==
Also included in this issue:
(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.)
* A 3-D art project of Dorothy sleeping in the poppy field
* The latest issue of ''The Oz Gazette'', the Oz newspaper for younger Oz fans (no matter what their actual age). In this issue:
** Now that he's finally finagled himself into becoming the King of Oz, the Nome King lifts the ban on magic in Oz
** "A Letter from the Editor" sees the installation of the newest editor: The Nome King!
** "A Halloween Bestiary" presents a guide to identifying some of more sinister creatures encountered in the Oz books
** Katie Jones, Club Member on Assignment looking for Oz creatures in the Great Outside World, finds a dragon in San Francisco—who, it turns out, has also been looking for Katie
** And Oz's most famous professor has another confounding contest in this issues installment of "What Did the Wogglebug Say?"
 
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==January 3, 2024: ''Oziana'' 2023==
[[File:Oziana 2023.jpeg|right]]
[https://www.lulu.com/search?sortBy=RELEVANCE&page=1&q=Oziana+2023&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00 The 2023 edition of ''Oziana''], the literary journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now for sale to the general public, now that premium copies have gone to members of the International Wizard of Oz Club who pledge extra funds for their memberships. Although a publication of the International Wizard of Oz Club, ''Oziana'' is available to anyone, whether or not they are a member of the Club, who wishes to buy it.


In this issue:
* "A Portrait of Ozma" by Jane Albright, with illustrations by Anna-Maria Cool, sees a new royal portrait artist come to the Emerald City. But the brushes he picked up on his travels have a surprising effect on the completed paintings. Cool also illustrated the front cover with portraits of Oz characters, tying in with this story.
* "A Rotten Pumpkin" by Suren Oganessian, illustrated by David Bishop, tells the tale of Jack Pumpkinhead trying out a different expression on his latest face, with unpleasant results.
* "Button-Bright and the Professor" by J. L. Bell, illustrated by Marcus Mébès, is about Professor Wogglebug wanting to use Button-Bright as a test subject for his new direction-finding pill, but Button-Bright wants nothing to do with it. But matters chance when a creature stalks them both in the Munchkin forest.
* "Together" by Carter Lappin, with an illustration by David Bishop, is about Dorothy and Ozma both needing some alone time and isolation to get away from it all and think, but they both end up in the same place.
* "Fortune Favors the Wogglebug" by Paul Dana, illustrated by Dennis Anfuso, tells how Professor Wogglebug lamented the passing of L. Frank Baum, and wondering how the children in the great outside world would ever hear stories about Oz again. Then a mysterious message comes in over the telegraph…
* "Glinda and the Glass Cat" by J. L. Bell, with illustrations by Anna-Maria Cool, sees how Glinda deals with Bungle harassing some of her more fragile subjects. Several communities and peoples from the books make new appearances.
* Finally, the back cover illustration, "Oz on Parade" by David Bishop, shows several Oz celebrities heading off somewhere—perhaps to the 2024 issue…
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There is now a release date for the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical version of ''Wicked'': December 20, 2019. This is still subject to change, but an announced date is a good sign. Winnie Holzman, who wrote the book of the play, is working on the script, and the composer, Stephan Schwartz, is arranging the music (and probably writing a new song or two). No casting announcements have been made yet.
==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.)


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Reports of Jerry Maren's death on February 29, 2016, are false. The last little person to play a Munchkin in The Movie, he is still alive and kicking and, unlike the reports saying it, does not have cancer.
The latest Oz projects to be announced in Hollywood: ''Cheshire Crossing'', the graphic novel by Andy Weir and Sarah Anderson, optioned by Amblin Partners (see [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/amblin-michael-de-luca-tackling-martian-author-s-fantasy-graphic-novel-cheshire-crossing-1255011 this report]); and an animated musical adaptation of the book ''Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz'', where the story is told from Toto's point of view, to be produced at Warner Bros. (see [https://deadline.com/2020/10/toto-the-dog-gone-amazing-story-of-the-wizard-of-oz-animated-pic-in-the-works-at-warner-bros-1234596757/ this source]).


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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 17:07, 11 January 2025

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

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

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Wicked Accolades and Awards

With such a high profile movie release, naturally Wicked will receive acclaim during the film award season. Here, then, we will keep track of awards presented to Wicked and its cast and crew, plus nominations for awards to be given later. Keep an eye on this list or the Wikipedia page as more news comes in, culminating with the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025.

The awards are presented here in the chronological order they were, or will be, presented:

  • September 27, 2024: International Cinematographers "Manaki Brothers" Film Festival, SUMOLIGHT Creative Energy Award: Alice Brooks (Cinematographer) and Dave Smith (Gaffer)
  • November 18, 2024: Heartland Film Festival, Truly Moving Picture Award: Wicked
  • November 23, 2024: The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage, Production Designer Award: Nathan Crowley
  • December 4, 2024: National Board of Review
    • Best Film: Wicked
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Spotlight Award: the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
  • December 5, 2024: American Film Institute Awards, Top 10 Films of the Year: Wicked (alongside nine other movies)
  • December 8, 2024: Washington DC Area Film Critics Film Critics Association
    • Best Feature: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
  • December 8, 2024: Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards
    • Best Picture: Wicked
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez)
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Casting: Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Marketing Campaign: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
  • December 9, 2024: Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, Actress Award—Film: Cynthia Erivo
  • December 9, 2024: Michigan Movie Critics Guild, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • December 9, 2024: Atlanta Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • December 9, 2024: San Diego Film Critics Society
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • December 13, 2024: African-American Film Critics Association, Innovator Award: Paul Tazewell
  • December 13, 2024: Las Vegas Film Critics Society
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Family Film: Wicked
  • December 15, 2024: St. Louis Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • December 16, 2024: Phoenix Film Critics Society
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • December 16, 2024: Seattle Film Critics Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • December 16, 2024: Iowa Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Isabella Rossellini in Conclave)
  • December 16, 2024: Southeastern Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • December 21, 2024: Nevada Film Critics Society
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Visual Effects: Pablo Helman
  • December 30, 2024: TiBS Editors Choice Awards:
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Ensemble: Wicked
  • January 2, 2025: Capri Hollywood-International Film Festival Award, Best Sound: Wicked
  • January 2, 2025: Critics Association of Central Florida
    • Best Cast: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Sound Design: Wicked
  • January 3, 2025: Palm Springs International Film Festival
    • Creative Impact in Acting Award: Cynthia Erivo
    • Rising Star Award: Ariana Grande
  • January 3, 2025: Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • January 4, 2025: DiscussingFilm Global Critic Award, Best Production Design: Wicked
  • January 5, 2025: Golden Globe Awards, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement: Wicked
  • January 10, 2025: Music City Film Critics Association, Best Music Film: Wicked
  • January 10, 2025: Minnesota Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • January 26, 2025: Satellite Awards, Make-Up Award: Wicked
  • February 9, 2025: Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Virtuoso Award: Ariana Grande

The following are pending nominations:

  • TBA (postponed from January 11, 2025): AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Best Screenwriter: Winnie Holzman
  • January 13, 2025: North Dakota Film Society
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Ensemble: Cast of Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Effects: Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, David Shirk
    • Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Laura Blount
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley, Lee Sandales
    • Best Sound: Nancy Nugent Title, John Marquis, Andy Nelson, Simon Hayes
  • January 13, 2025: Hawaii Film Critics Society
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Art Direction: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Make-Up: Wicked
    • Best Sound: Wicked
    • Best Visual Effects: Wicked
  • January 18, 2025: American Cinema Editors Awards, Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical: Myron Kerstein
  • January 18, 2025: Chicago Indie Critics Windie Award
    • Best Studio Film: Wicked
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Ensemble: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costumes: Wicked
    • Best Makeup: Wicked
  • January 22, 2025: Houston Film Critics Society
    • Best Picture: Wicked
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Actress—Leading Role: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Actress—Supporting Role: Ariana Grande
    • Best Visual Effects: Wicked
    • Best Ensemble: Wicked
  • January 26, 2025: Critics' Choice Movie Awards
    • Best Picture: Wicked
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Ensemble: Wicked
    • Best Adapted Screenplay: Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox
    • Best Cinematography: Alice Brooks
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
    • Best Hair and Make-Up: Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, and Laura Blount
    • Best Visual Effects: Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, Paul Corbould, and David Shirk
  • January 26, 2025: Satellite Awards
    • Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Wicked
    • Best Actress—Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress—Motion Picture: Ariana Grande
    • Best Visual Effects: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Sound: Wicked
  • February 5, 2025: Set Decorators Society of America, Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film: Lee Sandales and Nathan Crowley
  • February 6, 2025: Costume Designers Guild Awards, Excellence in Fantasy Film: Paul Tazewell
  • February 7, 2025: AACTA International Awards, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • February 10, 2025: Black Reel Awards
    • Outstanding Lead Performance: Cynthia Erivo
    • Outstanding Soundtrack: Wicked
    • Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • February 12, 2025: Artios Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy): Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, Ryan Bernard Tymensky, Tamsyn Manson
  • February 12, 2025: Society of Composers and Lyricists, Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film: John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
  • 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 22, 2025: Cinema Audio Society Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures – Live Action: Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, John Marquis, John Michael Caldwell, Jason Oliver, Mikel Parraga-Wills
  • February 23, 2025: Screen Actors Guild Awards
    • Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Cynthia Erivo
    • Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Ariana Grande
    • Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Jonathan Bailey
    • Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: Wicked
    • Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture: Wicked
  • February 23, 2025: Golden Reel Awards
    • Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing–Feature Dialogue/ADR: John Marquis, Nancy Nugent, John C. Stuver, David Bach
    • Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing–Feature Motion Picture: Catherine Wilson, Robin Baynton

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

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

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

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

Bbautumn24.jpg

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

In this issue:

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

Also included with this issue:

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

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

Ruby Slippers 2024.jpeg

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

Other Oz items available in the auction:

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

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

(Information and image courtesy Heritage Auctions.)


December 2, 2024: Paul Maslansky 1933-2024

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

(Information courtesy Variety and Wikipedia.)

November 3, 2024: Quincy Jones, 1933-2024

Quincy Jones in The Wiz.

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

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

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

September 30, 2024: Ken Page, 1954-2024

Ken Page.webp

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

(Information courtesy The Oz Wiki and Wikipedia.)


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

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

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

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

July 20, 2024: The 2024 Winkie Award

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

June 25, 2024: Bill Cobbs 1934-2024

Master Tinker.png

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

(information courtesy Wikipedia.)

June 3, 2024: The Baum Bugle Spring 2024

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


In this issue:

Also included with this issue:

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

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

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

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

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

March 14, 2024: The Baum Bugle Winter 2023

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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' doors now. It's a little late, but since this is technically still the winter of 2023-24, it's catching up again. This issue celebrates Dorothy's third and furriest friend on the Yellow Brick Road, the Cowardly Lion, as The Cowardly Lion of Oz (the novel) turns 100.

In this issue:

  • The front cover features Bert Lahr, in full make-up as the Cowardly Lion from The Movie, all dressed up for "If I Were King of the Forest"
  • The inside front cover is a 1944 studio portrait of Lahr (no Lion make-up)
  • Featured on the contents page is an illustration of the Cowardly Lion by Michael Hague
  • In "Letters", Oz Club President Ryan Bunch reflects on the current rise in popularity of Oz, with The Wiz back on Broadway and Dee and Friends in Oz on Netflix, while Bugle editor Sarah K. Crotzer laments how the Cowardly Lion gets overlooked, and she aims to reverse that with this issue.
  • News events cited in "The Bugle Bulletin":
    • A November auction of Hollywood memorabilia that included items from the Ray Bolger estate (including scores for "If I Only Had a Brain" and "Over the Rainbow") and a letter by Wizard of Oz lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg
    • Oz on the radio at NPR and BBC Radio 5.
    • The debut of Dee and Friends in Oz on Netflix around the world
    • André de Shields, who originated the title role of The Wiz on Broadway, being honored with a street renamed for him in his hometown of Baltimore
    • Through the Tube! celebrates the Cowardly Lion and Bert Lahr with the following clips:
  • Blair Frodelius is honored by the International Wizard of Oz Club with its highest award, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award
  • Jane Lahr remembers growing up with her father, Bert, in "The Cowardly Lion and Dad"
  • Atticus Gannaway takes a tongue-in-cheek look at this year's centenary book in "Profiles in Cowardice: Revisiting The Cowardly Lion of Oz at 100"
  • Ryan Bunch presents the next in the series of pull-out music scores of songs from the Ruth Plumly Thompson play A Day in Oz with "The Cowardly Lion's Lament"
  • "Oz Under Scrutiny" looks back at what critics thought of The Cowardly Lion of oz when it was first published
  • "Coming and Going" has some short musings and anecdotes from Sara K. Crotzer on The cCowardly Lion of Oz
  • Eric Gjovaag reports on the 2023 edition of OzCon International, back in July in California
  • "Collector's Corner" sees Sarah K. Crotzer and Peter E. Hanff describing one of the earliest and rarest of all Oz collectibles, The Wogglebug Game of Conundrums from 1905
  • Robert B. Luehrs looks at some of the smaller and/or lesser-known felines of the series in "The Supercilious Cats of Oz"
  • "Oz in the Arts" sees Dewey Davis-Thompson reviewing Oz: A New Musical by the freeFall Theatre Company of St. Petersburg, Florida, performed in June and July of 2023
  • Put under the microscope in "The Bugle Review" this issue are:
  • The inside front cover reprints the color plate of Notta Bit More dressed as a fish from The Cowardly Lion of Oz
  • And the back cover reproduces a painting of the Cowardly Lion by Dick Martin

Other items slipped into this issue include:

  • A registration form for the 2024 edition of OzCon International
  • An ad for the new edition of the bibliography Oz in Canada by C. J. Hinke, which comes in both hardback and paperback
  • This issue's craft is a color-and-cut-out Cowardly Lion marionette
  • And in the latest issue of The Oz Gazette, the newsletter for younger (or at least young-ish) Oz fans:
    • The lead story is of the Cowardly Lion leading the coup against the Nome King's reign
    • "A Letter from the Editor" introduces the new editor, Katie Jones! It seems she's no longer Oz Club Member on Special Assignment
    • "Emerald City Book Report" examines a book that's now one hundred years old, The Cowardly Lion of Oz
    • "Why Is the Lion So Cowardly?" and "Prehistory Lesson" looks at some of the issues raised in The Cowardly Lion of Oz
    • Glinda looks bark at what her Great Book of Records recorded happening in 1923
    • And in an extract from The Royal Book of Oz (the book in Oz, not the Oz story from 1921), Prof. H. M. Wogglebug, T. E., presents a profile of the Cowardly Lion

January 30, 2024: Hinton Battle 1956-2024

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Hinton Battle, the actor who first played the Scarecrow in The Wiz on Broadway, passed away today at the age of 67 in Los Angeles after a long illness. Battle was only eighteen years old when he made his Broadway debut in The Wiz in 1974, after having taken over for a sick castmate during previews on the road. That early success gave him many years to play other roles in other shows, including Dancin', Sophisticated Ladies, Dreamgirls, The Tap Dance Kid, Miss Saigon, and Chicago on Broadway, and Ragtime on tour. His movie credits include the film adaptation of Dreamgirls and, on television, Quantum Leap (as the evil observer Thames in the Evil Leaper trilogy), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (as the demon Sweet in the musical episode "Once More With Feeling"), Touched By an Angel, the TV movie Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and the first pilot for the unproduced American version of the British comedy Red Dwarf as the Cat. Battle also directed and choreographed the Off-Broadway production Evil Dead: The Musical and released an album, Untapped, in 1986. He won Tony Awards for Sophisticated Ladies, The Tap Dance Kid, and Miss Saigon. He also won the NAACP Image Award and Fred Astaire Award for The Tap Dance Kid.

(UPDATE: To honor Battle and his career and influence on Broadway, all forty-one Broadway theaters dimmed their marquee lights on March 12.)

(Information courtesy of USA Today, Wikipedia, the Internet Broadway Database, the Internet Off-Broadway Database, the Internet Movie Database, and the New York Public Library.)

January 29, 2024: Terry Jon Martin Sentenced for Theft of the Ruby Slippers

Terry Jon Martin, the man who pled guilty to stealing the Ruby Slippers in 2005, has been sentenced. Due to his advanced age and medical condition, he was sentenced to time served and will not go to jail. Martin is currently in hospice care and on oxygen therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and is not expected to live more than a few months longer. He was also ordered to pay the Judy Garland Museum $23,500 in restitution, which he will pay in monthly installments of $300.

Not knowing about The Wizard of Oz or the Slippers' cultural significance, career criminal Martin was coerced into stealing the Ruby Slippers as "one last score" because he believed the shoes to be adorned with real rubies. He was disappointed to learn that they were artificial, and gave the slippers to an associate, never to hear from him again. After the FBI recovered the slippers in 2018, Martin quickly became a suspect and charged with the theft last year. Martin pleaded guilty in October 2023.

(Information courtesy WTOP News, Washington, DC.)

January 29, 2024: The Baum Bugle Autumn 2023

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The publication schedule of The Baum Bugle, the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, may have fallen a little behind, as the Autumn 2023 issue is now making its way to Club members in early 2024. Still, it's coming a lot sooner than many issues have managed over the decades, and as always the wait is worth it, as Editor in Chief Sarah K. Crotzer and her team have put together another exemplary issue.

In this issue:

  • The front cover reprints one of W. W. Denslow's color plates form The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to celebrate fifty years of one of the most important works of Oz scholarship, The Annotated Wizard of Oz.
  • The inside front cover reprints the cover of sheet music, drawn by W. W. Denslow, from The Land of Nod, a musical that Denslow contributed to in other ways (as we will discover in this issue).
  • In "Letters", new Club President Ryan Bunch recalls the thrill of receiving new editions of the Bugle when he was a new, young member of the Club, while editor Sarah K. Crotzer's overview of the issue focuses on her relationship with The Annotated Wizard of Oz.
  • News reports highlighted in "The Bugle Bulletin":
    • Terry Martin pleads guilty to stealing the Ruby Slippers in 2005
    • Wicked celebrates twenty years of performances on Broadway (plus updates on the film adaptation)
    • The Wiz goes on tour on its way to Broadway
    • A model of the Gale farmhouse, used during production of the famous film version of The Wizard of Oz, sells for $537,000 at auction
    • Kansas native and University of Kansas alumnus Grady Dick wears a ruby-sequined jacket, inspired by another Kansas native, to the NBA draft, where he went to the Toronto Raptors (whose colors include ruby red)
    • Ozians who recently passed away and remembered in "Beyond the Shifting Sands":
      • Betty Ann Bruno, a child Munchkin in the 1939 movie
      • Piper Laurie, the award-winning actress whose roles included Ethel Gumm, Judy Garland's mother, in the television biopic Rainbow, and Aunt Em in Return to Oz
      • Oz Club members Lary Abramson, Herm Bieber, Susan Higbee, and Rita Reif
    • Treasures found on YouTube highlighted in Through the Tube!
  • Michael Patrick Hearn is interviewed about his Oz journey and how it resulted in his first book in "The Journey to the Annotated Wizard Part One: Origins"
  • "Oz Under Scrutiny" reprints some of the early reviews of The Annotated Wizard of Oz
  • Robert Lamont looks at what other shows the first Oz illustrator contributed to at the turn of the century in "The Musical Fantasies of W. W. Denslow"
  • Ruth Berman, charter member of the Club, examines her work in reprinting old newspaper pieces by Oz contributors in "Dunkiton Press: A Checklist of Pamphlets"
  • "Oz in the Arts" reviews:
    • The short film The Tin Woods, reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer
    • The documentary movie Lynch/Oz, about the connections between The Wizard of Oz and the works of director David Lynch, reviewed by Paul Dana
    • The stage show The Wizard of Oz as presented by the American Contemporary Theater in San Fransisco in June 2023, reviewed by Paul Dana
  • In conjunction with The Tin Woods, Sara K. Crotzer interviews co-creator Nick Boxwell
  • "The Bugle Review" sees Dee Michel reviewing Queer Oz: L. Frank Baum's Trans Tales by Tison Pugh
  • Jane Albright remembers one of the last Munchkins, Betty Ann Bruno, and the rest of her extraordinary life in "Maka Koa Munchkin"
  • The inside back cover has some pre-production art by Ann Tseng for The Tin Woods
  • The back cover reproduces an advertising poster by W. W. Denslow from 1895

Also included in this issue:

  • A 3-D art project of Dorothy sleeping in the poppy field
  • The latest issue of The Oz Gazette, the Oz newspaper for younger Oz fans (no matter what their actual age). In this issue:
    • Now that he's finally finagled himself into becoming the King of Oz, the Nome King lifts the ban on magic in Oz
    • "A Letter from the Editor" sees the installation of the newest editor: The Nome King!
    • "A Halloween Bestiary" presents a guide to identifying some of more sinister creatures encountered in the Oz books
    • Katie Jones, Club Member on Assignment looking for Oz creatures in the Great Outside World, finds a dragon in San Francisco—who, it turns out, has also been looking for Katie
    • And Oz's most famous professor has another confounding contest in this issues installment of "What Did the Wogglebug Say?"

January 3, 2024: Oziana 2023

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The 2023 edition of Oziana, the literary journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now for sale to the general public, now that premium copies have gone to members of the International Wizard of Oz Club who pledge extra funds for their memberships. Although a publication of the International Wizard of Oz Club, Oziana is available to anyone, whether or not they are a member of the Club, who wishes to buy it.

In this issue:

  • "A Portrait of Ozma" by Jane Albright, with illustrations by Anna-Maria Cool, sees a new royal portrait artist come to the Emerald City. But the brushes he picked up on his travels have a surprising effect on the completed paintings. Cool also illustrated the front cover with portraits of Oz characters, tying in with this story.
  • "A Rotten Pumpkin" by Suren Oganessian, illustrated by David Bishop, tells the tale of Jack Pumpkinhead trying out a different expression on his latest face, with unpleasant results.
  • "Button-Bright and the Professor" by J. L. Bell, illustrated by Marcus Mébès, is about Professor Wogglebug wanting to use Button-Bright as a test subject for his new direction-finding pill, but Button-Bright wants nothing to do with it. But matters chance when a creature stalks them both in the Munchkin forest.
  • "Together" by Carter Lappin, with an illustration by David Bishop, is about Dorothy and Ozma both needing some alone time and isolation to get away from it all and think, but they both end up in the same place.
  • "Fortune Favors the Wogglebug" by Paul Dana, illustrated by Dennis Anfuso, tells how Professor Wogglebug lamented the passing of L. Frank Baum, and wondering how the children in the great outside world would ever hear stories about Oz again. Then a mysterious message comes in over the telegraph…
  • "Glinda and the Glass Cat" by J. L. Bell, with illustrations by Anna-Maria Cool, sees how Glinda deals with Bungle harassing some of her more fragile subjects. Several communities and peoples from the books make new appearances.
  • Finally, the back cover illustration, "Oz on Parade" by David Bishop, shows several Oz celebrities heading off somewhere—perhaps to the 2024 issue…


Rumor Control

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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