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==June 23, 2019: William F.Brown, 1928-2019==
==November 13, 2025: ''The Baum Bugle'' Autumn 2025 Issue==
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_F._Brown_(writer) William F. Brown], a longtime show business writer, died today in Westport, Connecticut. He was 91. Cutting his writing teeth in ''Look'' magazine and advertising in the 1950s, he later amassed a number of television writing credits on shows such as ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', ''The Johnny Carson Show'', and ''Love American Style''. He also wrote some books and the comic strip ''Boomer''. He attempted to write Broadway plays, but ''The Girl in the Freudian Slip'', ''How to Steal an Election'', and ''A Broadway Musical'' never had successful runs. His only success on the stage was ''The Wiz'', which ran for many years and earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical.
[[file:Bbautumn25.jpg|right]] The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of oz Club, is making its way to members now. This issue celebrates forty years of ''Return to Oz'', and includes a comprehensive checklist of collectibles from the 1985 Disney movie. Keep an eye on this space for future updates.


Brown is survived by his wife, Tina Tippit.
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(Information courtesy [https://www.theatermania.com/broadway/news/william-f-brown-the-wiz-book-writer_89129.html Theatermania].)
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==October 8, 2025: Robert A. Baum, 1942-2025==
[[file:Robert_A_Baum_Jr.webp|300 px|center]] Robert A. "Bob" Baum, great-grandson of L. Frank Baum and an important Oz scholar in his own right, passed away today at the age of 83. His generosity in sharing his family's collection and history has been a boon to Oz in many ways. Museums, documentaries, and Oz festivals and conventions have all been enhanced by Bob's donations. He was a consultant on the 1990 television movie ''The Dreamer of Oz'', a biopic of his great-grandfather, and even recreated Frank's home office on set using items from his own collection. He served the International Wizard of Oz Club as a director and contributor to ''The Baum Bugle'', as well as frequent convention guest. The [https://www.lulu.com/shop/bob-baum-and-don-abbott-and-rob-lauer-and-autumn-rose-frodelius/oziana-2022/paperback/product-pv4dmd.html?q=oziana+2022&page=1&pageSize=4 2022 issue of ''Oziana''], the Club's literary magazine, was a collection of Bob Baum's fanciful stories about his family history. He and his wife, Claire, would sometimes appear at events as L. Frank and Maud Baum to tell stories about their lives. For his many contributions, he was awarded the Oz Club's highest honor, named after his great-grandfather, in 2002.


==June 22, 2019: The 2019 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award==
(Information courtesy Jane Albright on Facebook. Photo courtesy [https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Robert_A._Baum_Jr. The Oz Wiki].)
[[File:LFBMA 2019.jpg|frame|center|Bill Beem (right) receives the 2019 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award from last year's winner, Bill Thompson. (Photo courtesy of Bill Thompson.)]]
The International Wizard of Oz Club presented its highest honor, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, to Bill Beem tonight. A long-time Club member, Bill has been a quiet presence behind-the-scenes at Club meetings and conventions for decades now. He exhibited many items from his collection at the 2000 Centennial Convention and the 2012 National Convention, and chaired the 2006 Ozmapolitan Convention. He has also helped with programming at many Oz events, and served the Club on the Board of Directors and recording secretary. This is a richly deserved award which couldn't go to a better recipient.


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==June 9, 2019: The 73rd Tony Awards==
==September 21, 2025: Elaine Merk Binder, 1930-2025==
Two actors with longtime associations with Oz received their first [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/73rd_Tony_Awards Tony Awards] tonight, presented by the American Theater Wing for excellence in Broadway productions. Andre De Shields, who originated the title role in ''The Wiz'' in 1975, won the award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for playing Hermes in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadestown_(musical) ''Hadestown'']. He gave a moving acceptance speech:
Elaine Merk Binder, one of the last remaining actors who played a Munchkin in ''The Wizard of Oz'', passed away today at the age of 94. Born in Colorado, she appeared as an extra in several movies in the '30s, including an ''Our Gang'' short. She was one of a dozen young girls who filled in the ranks of background female Munchkins after Judy Garland's Dorothy arrives in Oz. But after 1940 she left show business, and went on to earn degrees in education and music. She appeared in the 2024 documentary series ''Memories of Oz'', reminiscing about making the movie.
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Later, winning the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical was Stephanie J. Block. Back in 2000, she was the first actress to play Elphaba in ''Wicked'', at the earliest readings. She went on to understudy Idina Menzel in the San Francisco tryouts and earliest Broadway performances before taking the lead on the first national tour, and eventually taking the lead on Broadway. She won her award for playing the title role in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cher_Show_(musical) ''The Cher Show'']. Here's her acceptance speech:
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''Wicked'' also had a shoutout during the presentation for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prom_(musical) ''The Prom''] (introduced by Broadway's original ''Wicked'' Glinda, Kristin Chenoweth, no less), with "Elphy and Glinda" getting a mention, as seen here:
(Information courtesy [https://variety.com/2025/film/news/elaine-merk-binder-dead-munchkin-wizard-of-oz-1236525749/ ''Variety''] and [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5285756/ IMDB].)
<html><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oCtQ_8PfPWk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></html>


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==April 12, 2019: ''The Baum Bugle'' Winter 2018==
==August 8, 2025: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2025==
[[File:Bbwinter18.jpg|right|400 px]]The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club is now being sent out to members, who should see it appearing in mailboxes all over the world in the coming weeks. This is the final issue of 2018 membership, so those who get this and wish to keep receiving the ''Bugle'' will want to send in their renewal form and dues soon.
[[file:Bbspring25.png|400 px|right]] The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now making its way to members. This issue celebrates the release of ''Wicked'' (Part 1).  


In this issue:
In this issue:
* All four covers celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of ''The Tin Woodman of Oz'':
* The front cover reprints the publicity shot of ''Wicked'' stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande recreating the original poster design for the ''Wicked'' stage show.
** The front cover features a Tin Woodman puppet designed by Matzilla Duron, stepping out of a pristine first edition of the book.
* The inside covers reprint Anton Loeb's endpaper design for the 1950 book adaptation of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
** The inside front cover reproduces John R. Neill's color plate from the novel, depicting the Tin Woodman's introduction to the Tin Soldier.
* The table of contents includes Mark Manley's ''Wicked'' tribute painting, "The Melting Occurred at the Thirteenth Hour".
** The inside back cover displays an impressive number of TinWoodman dolls and other memorabilia from the collection of Oz Club President Jane Albright.
* In "Letters", Oz Club President Ryan Bunch looks back at how the ''Bugle'' covered the path ''Wicked'' has taken from page to stage to screen, and ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Crotzer looks at how this issue's features came about.
** The back cover shows Michael Herring's original painting for the 1981 Del Rey edition of ''The Tin Woodman of Oz''.
* The Table of Contents shows a version of the Tin Woodman drawn by Michael Ploog as a design for ''Return to Oz'' (1985).
* "Letters" has notices from Jane Albright about the state of the Club, encouraging members to renew; and ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Crotzer writes about the issue and her personal connection to ''The Tin Woodman of Oz''.
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
** The cancellation of the Cartoon Network/Boomerang series [https://watch.boomerang.com/shows/dorothy-franchise/series/dorothy-series/volume-1 ''Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz''], and the inclusion of Sir Hokus of Pokes, the first television of a character created by Ruth Plumly Thompson, in the final episode.
** The National Library Service (NLS) has [https://www.loc.gov/nls/new-materials/book-lists/wicked-and-the-wizard-of-oz/ a large collection of Oz materials] for the blind and print disabled.
** The imminent opening of [https://www.oscars.org/museum the Academy Museum], which will include an initial exhibit on ''The Wizard of Oz'', including the Academy's pair of Ruby Slippers.
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" remembers recently passed Oz contributors Jean Marsh, Stephen J. Teller, Jack Van Camp, and Sally Roesch Wagner.
** Judy Garland's blonde wig from the first few weeks of filming (that were eventually abandoned and reshot), a production archive for The Movie, and one of Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch hats all sold at auction in 2018.
* Sarah K. Crotzer reacts to the ''Wicked'' film in "What Is This Feeling?"
** [http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/58765 ''The Cowardly Lion of Oz''] entering public domain at last, after Congress did ''not'' extend copyrights again following passage of the Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998.
* "What the Papers Said" looks at a number of reviews of ''Wicked'' from around the world.
** [https://www.cityofholland.com/parksandcemeteries/centennial-park Centennial Park in Holland, Michigan] has plans to install an Oz-themed area, in commemoration of L. Frank Baum's time in the area at the start of his writing career.
* "Wicked Wares: Toys, Plushes, and Cinema Exclusives" by Jane Albright looks at a variety of ''Wicked'' movie collectibles.
** The Oz theme at [https://sdfair.com/ this year's San Diego County Fair] in California, in commemoration of L. Frank Baum's time in the area not long after establishing himself as a writer.
* David Diket looks at the history and evolution of Wicked Witch of the West dolls in "My Beautiful Wickedness" and "David's Timeline of Beautifully Wicked Dolls".
** The unveiling of a mural of Judy Garland by artist Levi Ponce at [http://theatrewest.org/onstage/wizard-of-oz-sing-a-long-and-mural-unveiling/ Theatre West] in Los Angeles, California.
* Karyl Carlson looks back at how she started creating [https://karylsozdolls.com/ custom Oz dolls] in "The Dollmaker of Oz".
** [https://www.oed.com/ The ''Oxford English Dictionary''] adding the phrase "not in Kansas anymore".
* It's been twenty-five years since the last installment, but Carl Rexroad continues his look at political cartoons themed around ''The Wizard of Oz'' in "The Editorial Cartoons of Oz, Part 1: 125 Years Later, ''The Wizard of Oz'' Still Drives Political Debate".
** Researchers at the University of Turin concluded that [https://appliednetsci.springeropen.com/articles/10.1007/s41109-018-0105-0 ''The Wizard of Oz'' is the most influential movie of all time], in a study published in the journal ''Applied Network Science''.
* William STillman looks at the history of one of the bestselling Oz adaptations in "75 Years of Anton Loeb's ''The Wizard of Oz''".
** New translations of ''The Wizard of Oz'' have now come out in [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1782012036/thewonderwizardo/ Cornish], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1782012117/thewonderwizardo/ Hawaiian], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1782012044/thewonderwizardo/ Irish], and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1782012044/thewonderwizardo/ North-East Scots], all from [http://www.evertype.com/baumiana.html Evertype Publishing]. (Word is that an Esperanto version is forthcoming.)
* In "Oz in the Arts", Robert Lamont reviews [https://wizmusical.com/ the recent Broadway revival of ''The Wiz''] (now on tour).
** "Through the Tube!" presents the following Oz videos found on YouTube:
* In "The Bugle Review":
*** Komische Oper Berlin's [https://youtu.be/KSltO-rljss new operatic adaptation of ''The Wizard of Oz''].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0063377012/thewonderwizardo/ ''Elphie: A Wicked Childhood'' by Gregory Maguire], reviewed by Alan Wise.
*** A 2011 version of [https://youtu.be/jjc9hSDS1gQ ''The Wizard of Oz'' by the Berlin State Ballet].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DNKY21JB/thewonderwizardo/ The blu-ray release of ''Wicked''], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
*** [https://youtu.be/stHRaNDz4zQ Hello Kitty. In Oz. On stage in Japan].
** [https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/21442/double-critical-llc ''Adventules in Oz: Campaign Setting'' and ''Beasts & Beings'' role-playing campaign books], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** After a year and a half of restoration and conservation, [https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/ruby-slippers-and-american-culture-displays the Ruby Slippers are back on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CSYB4B12/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked: The Game'' by Spin Master], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** The January and February 2019 Fathom Events showings of ''The Wizard of Oz'' grossed $2 million at the box office, setting a new box office record for event cinema.
* Michael Gessel remembers a recently deceased long-time Oz fan in "The Lifelong Scholar: Stephen J. Teller's Journey from Kansas to Oz".
** The West Philadelphia home of Royal Historian Ruth Plumly Thompson received a historical marker.
* The back cover shows the Tonner Doll versions of Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West.
** Those who have been involved with Oz who have recently passed away:
*** [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Lee Stan Lee], the famed Marvel Comics editor and creator, who was a driving force behind Marvel's Treasury edition comic adaptations of ''The Wizard of Oz'' and ''The Land of Oz'' in the 1970s.
*** Susan Morse, the singing voice of Dorothy in the 1964 TV special [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_to_Oz_(TV_special) ''Return to Oz''].
*** Fred Patten, an early member of the International Wizard of Club and participant in the earliest Winkie Conventions, chairing the convention in 1968.
* "Awards and Honors" acknowledges those Club members who have contributed above and beyond their regular memberships in 2018, and lists the prior recipients of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award.
* Jane Albright writes an appreciation of Bill Thompson, the 2018 recipient of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award.
* Sarah K. Crotzer writes about her favorite Oz books in "The Rescue of the Tin Woodman: An Appreciation".
* "Men of Heart: A Song for Five Voices" interviews the creators of four different adaptations of the story of Nick Chopper:
** Ray Tintori, [https://youtu.be/3nvMmChdiyo ''Death to the Tinman''] (2007).
** Brandon McCormick, [https://youtu.be/BWdUmcwZn-A ''Heartless: The Story of the Tin Man''] (2010).
** James Ortiz, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Woodsman_(play) ''The Woodsman''] (2012).
** Matzilla Duron and Nick Boxwell, the still-in-production [https://www.tinwoods.com/ ''The Tin Woods''].
* "The Beginner's Guide to Oz Book Collecting" lists some important editions of ''The Tin Woodman of Oz'' that collectors may want to look for.
* J. L. Bell examines the themes of ''The Tin Woodman of Oz'' in "Meat Glue".
* A call for the whereabouts of original art from the Oz books, to be catalogued at https://www.lostartofoz.com/.
* "Oz Under Scrutiny" takes an extensive look at contemporary reviews and other articles about ''The Tin Woodman of Oz''.
* Dina Schiff Massachi looks at Todrick Hall's visual album [https://youtu.be/4mUSwHhJ6zA ''Straight Outta Oz''], particularly how Hall interprets the Tin Woodman, in "Metal Malleable Male".
* A link to a gallery of depictions of the Tin Woodman, [http://ozclub.org/galleries/100-years-100-tin-men/ "100 Years, 100 in Men"].
* In "Oz in the Arts":
** ''The Wizard of Oz'' ballet in Kansas City, Missouri, back in October, reviewed by Paul Miles Schneider.
** A [https://www.flickr.com/photos/hbwtheatre/albums/72157702896273541 children's theater production of ''Ozma of Oz''] in Arlington, Virginia in December, reviewed by Michael Gessel.
** ''Scraps'', a new play, in Chicago in September, reviewed by Carrie Hedges.
** ''The Wizard of Oz'' on stage in Aurora, Illinois, over the holiday season, reviewed by Steve Smith.
** A performance art adaptation of ''The Wizard of Oz'' in a London cemetery last July, reviewed by Nick Campbell.
** [http://chroniclesofoz.com/ The ''Chronicles of Oz'' podcast], so far having adapted the first two Oz books, reviewed by Jared Davis.
* A call for Club members to share photos of any events they may go to this year to celebrate the eightieth anniversary of the famous MGM film adaptation of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* Books presented in "The Bugle Review":
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1941813186/thewonderwizardo/ ''Born Criminal: Matilda Joslyn Gage, Radical Suffragist'' by former Club President Angelica Shirley Carpenter], a biography of L. Frank Baum's highly influential mother-in-law, reviewed by Judy Bieber.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1493042831/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Road to Oz: Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece'' by Jay Scarfone and William Stillman], their latest book about the famous film version, reviewed by Mark Griffin.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1724902555/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Magic Belt'', the third volume in Paul Miles Schneider's Oz series], reviewed by Jane Albright.
* Patty Tobias and daughter Kate Koelle remember former Club President and ''Bugle'' editor and L. Frank Baum Memorial Award winner [http://ozclub.org/blog/barbara-Koelle-1923-2018/ Barbara Koelle], who passed away in 2018.
* A call to fill the job of designer for the ''Bugle''.
* And finally, the preview for the next issue promises to reveal how the Smithsonian Institution has been taking care of its pair of Ruby Slippers, information on collecting Reilly and Britton's "Children's Stories That Never Grow Old" series, and the conclusion (at last!) on an earlier story about Oz puppetry.


There is a lot more in the envelope than the ''Bugle''! Inserts include:
Also included with this issue:
* The latest issue of the revived ''Oz Gazette'', with all the latest news and gossip straight from the Emerald City.
* This issue's Oz craft is a miniature version of the Emerald City Express train from the ''Wicked'' movie.
* Summaries of many Oz events around the country in the summer of 2018.
* And in the final (for now?) issue of ''The Emerald City Gazette'', the newspaper for younger Oz fans (of all ages), Bungle and Toto stroll through the Emerald Palace to ensure that those pesky nomes are finally gone for good.
* A call for submissions to [http://ozclub.org/oz-club-contests/ the Oz Club's annual contests] for fiction, non-fiction, and art, with cash prizes.
* Registration forms for this year's [http://ozclub.org/register-2019-national-convention/ Oz: The National Convention] in Thibodeaux, Louisiana; and [http://www.ozconinternational.com/our-next-convention.html OzCon International] in Pomona, California.
* Since this is the final issue of the 2018 membership year, [http://ozclub.org/join-the-club/ a renewal form] is enclosed.
* A flyer for the Club's latest publication, [https://shop.ozclub.org/product.sc?productId=429&categoryId=1 ''Bibliographia Baumiana''].
* A charming Polychrome paper doll.


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==November 13, 2018: ''The Baum Bugle'' Autumn 2018, and ''Oziana'' 2018==
==''Wicked'' and ''Wicked: For Good'' Accolades and Awards==
The two latest magazines from the International Wizard of Oz Club—the Club's journal and its annual literary magazine—are both now available.  
With high profile movie releases, naturally ''Wicked'' and ''Wicked: For Good'' will receive acclaim during the film award seasons. Here, then, we will keep track of awards presented to the ''Wicked'' movies and their cast and crew, plus nominations for awards to be given later. Keep an eye on this list or [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_accolades_received_by_Wicked_(2024_film) the Wikipedia page] as more news comes in.
<br>[[File:Bbautumn2018.jpg|left|400 px]]''The Baum Bugle'' is published three times a year and goes to all members of the International Wizard of Oz Club. While the timely delivery of issues has slipped a little bit this year, coming this late in the cover season is still a major accomplishment considering how late delivery of the ''Bugle'' has been is the past.
 
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The awards are presented here in the chronological order they were presented:
* September 27, 2024: International Cinematographers "Manaki Brothers" Film Festival, SUMOLIGHT Creative Energy Award: Alice Brooks (Cinematographer) and Dave Smith (Gaffer)
* November 18, 2024: Heartland Film Festival, Truly Moving Picture Award: ''Wicked''
* November 23, 2024: The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage, Production Designer Award: Nathan Crowley
* December 4, 2024: National Board of Review
** Best Film: ''Wicked''
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Spotlight Award: the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
* December 5, 2024: American Film Institute Awards, Top 10 Films of the Year: ''Wicked'' (alongside nine other movies)
* December 8, 2024: Washington DC Area Film Critics Film Critics Association
** Best Feature: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* December 8, 2024: Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards
** Best Picture: ''Wicked''
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Zoe Saldaña for ''Emilia Pérez'')
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Casting: Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Marketing Campaign: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* December 9, 2024: Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, Actress Award—Film: Cynthia Erivo
* December 9, 2024: Michigan Movie Critics Guild, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* December 9, 2024: Atlanta Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* December 9, 2024: San Diego Film Critics Society
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* December 13, 2024: African-American Film Critics Association, Innovator Award: Paul Tazewell
* December 13, 2024: Las Vegas Film Critics Society
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Family Film: ''Wicked''
* December 15, 2024: St. Louis Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* December 16, 2024: Phoenix Film Critics Society
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* December 16, 2024: Seattle Film Critics Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* December 16, 2024: Iowa Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Isabella Rossellini in ''Conclave'')
* December 16, 2024: Southeastern Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* December 21, 2024: Nevada Film Critics Society
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Visual Effects: Pablo Helman
* December 30, 2024: TiBS Editors Choice Awards:
** Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
** Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Ensemble: ''Wicked''
* January 2, 2025: Capri Hollywood-International Film Festival Award, Best Sound: ''Wicked''
* January 2, 2025: Critics Association of Central Florida
** Best Cast: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Sound Design: ''Wicked''
* January 3, 2025: Palm Springs International Film Festival
** Creative Impact in Acting Award: Cynthia Erivo
** Rising Star Award: Ariana Grande
* January 3, 2025: Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* January 4, 2025: DiscussingFilm Global Critic Award, Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
* January 5, 2025: Golden Globe Awards, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement: ''Wicked''
* January 10, 2025: Music City Film Critics Association, Best Music Film: ''Wicked''
* January 10, 2025: Minnesota Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* January 12, 2025: Puerto Rico Critics Association
** Best Comedy/Musical: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* January 13, 2025: North Dakota Film Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* January 13, 2025: Hawaii Film Critics Society
** Best Art Direction: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Visual Effects: ''Wicked''
* January 14, 2025: Portland Critics Association, Best Supporting Performance (Female): Ariana Grande
* January 16, 2025: North American Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
* January 24, 2025: Denver Film Critics Society, Best Supporting Performance by an Actor, Female: Ariana Grande
* January 26, 2025: Satellite Awards
** Best Supporting Actress—Motion Picture: Ariana Grande
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Sound: ''Wicked''
** Make-Up Award: ''Wicked''
* January 27, 2025: Online Film Critics Society, Technical Achievement Award — Choreography: ''Wicked''
* February 6, 2025: Costume Designers Guild Awards, Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: Paul Tazewell
* February 7, 2025: Set Decorators Society of America, Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film: Lee Sandales and Nathan Crowley
* February 7, 2025: Critics' Choice Movie Awards
** Best Director: Jon M. Chu
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
* February 7, 2025: AACTA Awards, Audience Choice Award for Favourite Film: ''Wicked''
* February 9, 2025: Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Virtuoso Award: Ariana Grande
* February 9, 2025: AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Best Screenwriter: Winnie Holzman
* February 12, 2025: Artios Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy): Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, Ryan Bernard Tymensky, Tamsyn Manson
* February 13, 2025: Dorian Awards
** Supporting Film Performance of the Year: Ariana Grande
** "We're Wilde About You" Rising Star Award: Jonathan Bailey
** Galeca LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer: Cynthia Erivo
* February 15, 2025: Art Directors Guild Awards, Excellence in Production Design for a Fantasy Film: Nathan Crowley
* February 15, 2025: Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild
** Best Period and/or Character Make-Up in a Feature-Length Motion Picture: Frances Hannon, Alice Jones, Nuria Mbornio, Johanna Nielsen, Branka Vorkapic
** Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling in a Feature-Length Motion Picture: Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Sim Camps, Gabor Kerekes
* February 16, 2025: BAFTA Film Awards
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
* February 17, 2025: Black Reel Awards
** Outstanding Soundtrack: ''Wicked''
** Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* February 17, 2025: Latino Entertainment Journalists Society
** Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
** Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
* February 22, 2025: NAACP Image Awards
** Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
** Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album: ''Wicked: The Soundtrack''
* February 23, 2025: Online Film and Television Association
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Adapted Song: "Defying Gravity"
* February 23, 2025: Golden Reel Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing–Feature Motion Picture: Catherine Wilson, Robin Baynton
* February 28, 2025: International Cinematographers Guild Publicists Awards, Maxwell Weinberg Award for Motion Picture Publicity Campaign: ''Wicked''
* March 2, 2025: Academy Awards
** Best Costume Design: ''Wicked''
** Best Production Design: ''Wicked''
* March 11, 2025: Queerties
** Drama Movie: ''Wicked''
** Film Performance: Jonathan Bailey
** Next Big Thing: ''Wicked: For Good''
* March 14, 2025: American Cinema Editors Awards, Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical: Myron Kerstein
* March 17, 2025: iHeartRadio Music Awards, Favorite Soundtrack: ''Wicked: The Soundtrack''
* April 22, 2025: Webby Awards, Variety and Reality, General Video and Film: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Inn_IA-MA&ab_channel=Variety ''Wicked'' Stars Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Break Down Viral "Holding Space" Interview]
* June 9, 2025: The BET Awards, Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
* June 21, 2025: Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards:
** Favorite Movie: ''Wicked''
** Favorite Movie Actress: Ariana Grande as Glinda
** Favorite Song from a Movie: "Defying Gravity"
* August 5, 2025: Las Culturista Culture Awards, Harshest Truth About ''Wicked'': Phannee not realized, we don't get into his gay story (What was that like? Was it hard coming out or was Pfannee born wealthy? Prequel idea about this.)
* November 3, 2025: ''People'' Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive: Jonathan Bailey
* November 4, 2025: Media Access Awards, Christopher Reeve Acting Award: Marissa Bode
 
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==July 19, 2025: Crotzer Wins L. Frank Baum Memorial Award==
This evening, Sarah K. Crotzer was presented the L. Frank Bam Memorial Award for her contributions to Oz. She has been a tireless Oz researcher and writer, with a special interest in the history of Oz games. She is also the current editor of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, and recently became the longest-serving editor in Club history.
 
Also presented tonight were the Club's annual prizes for writing and art. This year's winners are:
* The Fred Otto Prize for Fiction:
** First place, Jesse Jury for "Four Friends of Oz"
** Second place, J. L. Bell for "Who's Got the Button?"
* The C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction:
** First place, Rachel Graham for "An Essential Quickening: John R. Neill and the Art of Oz"
** Second place, Cynthia Ragni for "Project Ozma"
* The Rob Roy MacVeigh Prize for Art:
** First place, Jime Wimmer for "Dorothy and the Cyclone"
** Second place, Rob Lauer for "Ruth and Her Friends in Oz"
 
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==June 21, 2025: The Winkie Award==
Tonight, OzCon International gave its highest honor, the Winkie Award, to Sam Milazzo. The award recognizes all of the contributions Sam has made to the convention over the past few years, with presentations, panels, and generally helping out.
 
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==May 6, 2025: ''The Baum Bugle'' Winter 2024==
[[File:Bbwinter24.png|400 px|right]]
It may be slipping back in the calendar a bit, but the latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is making its way to members' mailboxes now.
 
In this issue:
In this issue:
* The front cover features ''Wicked'' composer Stephen Schwartz, who in interviewed in this issue.
* All four covers celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of ''The Wiz'':
* The inside cover features scenes of the Frisch Marionettes' production of ''The Wizard of Oz'', reviewed inside.
** The front cover features Stephanie Mills and Hinton Battle in [https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/0599e600-5cf5-0130-4cf7-58d385a7b928 a 1974 publicity shot for the musical].
* "Letters" features Club President Jane Albright and ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Crotzer talking about the state of the Club and the ''Bugle''.
** The inside front cover shows several costumes from the play on exhibit at [https://www.si.edu/museums/african-american-museum the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture].
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
** The inside back cover features production art for the play by Tom John.
** The Ruby Slippers, stolen from a Minnesota museum in 2005, have been found!
** The back cover reproduces a new work, [https://artsofimagination.org/the-wiz-at-50/ ''The Journey from Home: Revisiting ''The Wiz'' at 50''], also by Tom John.
** In ''Wicked'' news, the film version has been pushed back, the West End production in London hit its five thousandth performance, and NBC showed [https://youtu.be/w01wBlhiCHQ ''A Very Wicked Halloween''] fifteenth anniversary special on October 29.
* In "Letters", Oz Club President Ryan Bunch reflects on fifty years of ''The Wiz'' and invites members to [the 2025 edition of the Club's annual convention in Aberdeen, South Dakota], while ''Bugle'' editor Sarah K. Crotzer also looks back at ''The Wiz'', as well as other anniversaries celebrated in this issue.
** Mego, which first made ''Wizard of Oz'' action figures back in the '70s, is back with [https://www.target.com/p/mego-the-wizard-of-oz-dorothy-wicked-witch-action-figure/-/A-53492551 a Dorothy and Wicked Witch two-pack] and [https://www.target.com/p/mego-the-wizard-of-oz-cowardly-lion-action-figure-8/-/A-53475784 the Cowardly Lion], available exclusively at Target.
* News items highlighted in "The Bugle Bulletin":
** The wedding of Emma Ridley, best known to Oz fans for playing Ozma in Disney's 1985 movie ''Return to Oz''.
** ''Wicked'' wins two Academy Awards, with [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZtKj5-xE1I&ab_channel=Oscars Paul Tazewell becoming the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Costume Design].
** Prince Harry and Megan Markle adopted a black Labrador retriever and named it Oz.
** The latest auction of a pair of Ruby Slippers shatters all records for the price paid for any kind of movie memorabilia.
** Commemorating fifteen years of ''Wicked'', the Barbie Signature Collection has issued Barbie versions of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B079JZRC7J/thewonderwizardo/ Elphaba] and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B079JV4FYK/thewonderwizardo/ Glinda].
** Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande team up to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eedVl_LGwE4&ab_channel=PhVolleyball open the Oscars telecast with a medley of music from Oz movies].
** The book [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0008252564/thewonderwizardo/ ''Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz''] by Michael Morpurgo has been optioned for a movie by Warner Animation Group.
** Recently passed Oz contributors remembered in "Beyond the Shifting Sands":
** Kermit the Frog will appear as the Wizard in the holiday play ''The Wonderful Winter of Oz'' in Pasadena, California.
*** [https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=Baum&cm_sp=SearchF-_-home-_-Results&kn=Greg%20Hildebrandt&ref_=search_f_hp&sts=t&tn=The%20Wizard%20of%20Oz Greg Hildebrandt] and [https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=Baum&cm_sp=SearchF-_-home-_-Results&kn=Graham%20Rawle&ref_=search_f_hp&sts=t&tn=The%20Wizard%20of%20Oz Graham Rawle], both of whom illustrated ''The Wizard of Oz''.
** The stop motion animated movie [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1571279892/the-tin-woods-a-stop-motion-short-film ''The Tin Woods''], successfully funded on Kickstarter.
*** Legendary composer and arranger Quincy Jones, who was an instrumental part of how ''The Wiz'' sounded in movie theaters.
** Of interest on YouTube:
* "Awards and Honors" announces Oz Club President Ryan Bunch as the recipient of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, the Club's highest honor, for 2024.
*** [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn6jo_v9L9qI8YrqYISkbaN8nltFoQkcZ Behind the scenes at the Kansas City Ballet's production of ''The Wizard of Oz''.]
* "They Call My Name: An Interview with George Faison" looks at the life and career of the choreographer. His credits include the original Broadway production of ''The Wiz''.
*** [https://youtu.be/F3X6HpKAEkQ The ''Wizard of Oz'' train ride in Tavares, Florida.]
* "The ''Wiz'' That Wasn't" by Sarah K. Crotzer digs into the casting process for the original company of ''The Wiz'' and reveals who else tried out, or was at least considered, for the major rolls. (There are some definite surprises!)
*** [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5sNj3Slv64 Creating a ''Wizard of Oz'' gingerbread house.]
* "The ''Wiz'' That Was" by Sarah K. Crotzer looks at ''The Wiz'' costumes held by the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
** Recently passed away: Gary Kurtz, executive producer of ''Return to Oz''; Carole Shelley, who originated the role of Madame Morrible in ''Wicked'' on Broadway; longtime Oz fan and Club member Jack Vincent; Will Vinton, Claymation animator who supervised the creation of the Nomes in ''Return to Oz''; and Helen Younger, owner of [https://www.alephbet.com/ Aleph-Bet Books] where many collectors found rare Oz books over the years.
* Crotzer also considers Grampa's game leg and the game you play with it in "A Few Inessential Thoughts About the Game of Scrum".
* Michael Gessel remembers one of Oz's crankiest but most steadfast fans in "Harlan Ellison, 1934-2018" (alongside [https://youtu.be/4hH6Gs0ncT8 a video essay by Ellison about Oz]).
* "Coming and Going" looks at a few short thoughts about ''Grampa in Oz''.
* Willard Carroll remembers the recently deceased Jerry Maren, the last little person who played a Munchkin in ''The Wizard of Oz'' in "Punching Above His Weight—and Height". There's also [https://youtu.be/2XzFNLJIpUQ a video of the Lollipop Guild with their original voices], including Jerry's.
* "Oz Under Scrutiny", once again compiled by Scott Cummings, looks at what the press of 1924 thought of ''Grampa in Oz''.
* Brady Schwind interviews the man behind the music of ''Wicked'' in "The Wizard and I: On the Road with Stephen Schwartz".
* In part two of the interview "Journey to the ''Annotated Wizard'' with Michael Patrick Hearn", the author of ''The Annotated Wizard of Oz'' recounts the aftermath of the book's original 1973 publication.
* Schwartz' original outline for Act I of ''Wicked'', which didn't turn out exactly as it did on stage (act II can be found in the second edition of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1540031462/thewonderwizardo/ ''Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked'']).
* L. Frank Baum's great-granddaughter, Gita Dorothy Morena, solves the mystery of a Baum family treasure in "A Letter to Oz Enthusiasts from a Forgotten Baum Illustration".
* "Unfilmed Oz" looks at the late Rob Roy MacVeigh's animated adaptation of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''.
* "Guaranteed For a Thousand Years", a wrap-up of recent Oz events, reports on the 2024 editions of OzCon International and Oz, The National Convention.
* Jay Scarfone and William Stillman look at the creation and production of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1493036297/thewonderwizardo/ their latest book] in "Journey to ''The Road to Oz''".
* New products presented in "The Bugle Review":
* In ''The Oz Gazette'', the journal-for-younger-Oz-fans-within-the-journal:
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DVQSJLLX/thewonderwizardo/ ''After Oz'' by Gordon McAlpine], reviewed by Mike Penick
** "Powder of Life Lets Loose on Locals" summarizes some of the events of ''The Marvelous Land of Oz''.
** [https://hungrytigerpress.store/product/all-wound-up-the-making-of-the-tik-tok-man-of-oz/ ''All Wound Up: The Making of ''The Tik-Tok Man of Oz by Eric Shanower], [https://hungrytigerpress.store/product/the-tik-tok-man-of-oz-performance-script/ ''The Tik-Tok Man of Oz Performance Script'' by L. Frank Baum], and [https://hungrytigerpress.store/product/the-tik-tok-man-of-oz-piano-vocal-score/ ''The Tik-Tok Man of Oz Piano-Vocal Score'' by Louis F. Gottschalk and L. Frank Baum], reviewed by Atticus Gannaway.
** Managing Editor Dorothy Gale writes a chatty "Editorial".
** [https://joetunes.ca/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'', and ''Ozma of Oz'' complete audio books by the Toronto Civic Light Opera Company], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** "Drama! Excitement! Romance! Tragedy!" looks at the theatrical career of L. Frank Baum.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CST87Z4J/thewonderwizardo/ The ''Wicked'' edition of ''Monopoly''], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** The Scarecrow reviews [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1328498840/thewonderwizardo/ ''Mary Poppins'' by P. L. Travers].
** A quartet of ''Wicked'' tie-in books ([https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0593896866/thewonderwizardo/ ''I Am Elphaba''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0593896882/thewonderwizardo/ ''I Am Glinda''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CZJQXCQY/thewonderwizardo/ ''Defying Gravity: The Illustrated Lyrics''] and a replica of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0CZJRSY9M/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Story of Oz & the Wonderful Wizard'']), reviewed by Atticus Gannaway.
** Glinda explains when a witch is not a witch.
* "Adventures in Oz" sees Brady Schwind interviewing Tom John, the original scenic designer for ''The Wiz''.
** The Wizard is interviewed.
 
** The Hungry Tiger opens a restaurant.
Also included with this issue:
** And in an insert, you can make a Jack Pumpkinhead marionette.
* A registration form for [https://www.ozclub.org/oz-in-aberdeen-a-convention-to-remember/ the 2025 editino of Oz, the National Convention] in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
* Angelica Shirley Carpenter talks about the research on [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1941813186/thewonderwizardo/ her recent book about L. Frank Baum's mother-in-law] in "Looking for Matilda".
* A flyer for one of the Club's latest publications, [https://www.ozclub.org/product/bibliographia-baumiana/ ''Bibliographia Baumiana''].
* In "Oz in the Arts":
* This issue's craft is a melting Evillene, based on the original Broadway run of ''The Wiz''.
** ''The Wizard of Oz'' at the Messner Puppet Theatre in Bonner Springs, Kansas (which you can see parts of [https://youtu.be/LN2QLh2q4Iw here] and [https://youtu.be/mUc6yqwiuIw here]), reviewed by Nick Campbell.
* And in the latest issue of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger Oz fans (of all ages):
** ''The Wizard of Oz'' by the Frisch Marionette Company in Nashville, Tennessee (which you can see parts of [https://youtu.be/qaoMsFpsNzM here] and [https://youtu.be/JipG8UZ0tbQ here], reviewed by Sarah Crotzer.
** Editor-in-Chief Katie Jones, with assistance from the Head of Security the Gump, updates readers on the hunt for Nomes and the Glass Cat.
** ''The Wizard of Oz'' play at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford, Kent, in the United Kingdom, reviewed by Michael O'Connor.
** The Scarecrow's book column looks at other books puplished in 1924, like ''Grampa in Oz''.
** ''The Wiz'' at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC, and The Muny in St. Louis, Missouri, reviewed by Lynn Beltz (with clips you can view [https://youtu.be/dhqL1o72Vrk here], [https://youtu.be/R3ITTCuoLrU here], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7MyP7mR4nw here], and [https://youtu.be/kvYRQmtLziA here]).
** Based off of the article speculating what scrum might be like in ''The Baum Bugle'', the Patchwork Girl presents the board, pieces, and rules for Camette, a simplified (for space reasons) version of the game Camelot.
* Books appearing in "The Bugle Review":
** Finally, a little bit of verse from…the Glass Cat?
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0999701606/thewonderwizardo/ ''Friends of Dorothy: Wy Gay Boys and Gay Men Love'' The Wizard of Oz by Dee Michel], reviewed by Brian Atterby.
 
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1626728690/thewonderwizardo/ ''Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World'' by P&eacute;n&eacute;lope Bagiieu] (one of them being Margaret Hamilton), reviewed by Angelica Carpenter.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0190467347/thewonderwizardo/ ''Arlen and Harburg's'' Over the Rainbow by Walter Frisch], reviewed by Ryan Bunch.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0991199154/thewonderwizardo/ ''Yookoohoos of Oz'' by Paul Dana, illustrated by Vincent Myrand], reviewed by Mari Ness.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0763681148/thewonderwizardo/ ''Hearts Unbroken'' by Cynthia Leitich Smith], revolving in part around a high school production of ''The Wizard of Oz'', reviewed by Angelica Carpenter.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1481469754/thewonderwizardo/ ''Gabriel Gale's Ages of Oz: A Dark Descent'' by Lisa Fiedler, illustrated by Sebastian Giacobino] (the second volume in the series), reviewed by Joe Bongiorno.
* In "Adventures in Oz", Randy Struthers details how he tracked down a star-tipped wand Billie Burke used in some publicity photos as Glinda.
* The back inside cover has illustrations from Rob Roy MacVeigh's unproduced animated adaptation of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''.
* The rear cover is a portrait of Jerry Maren in recent years, still carrying a lollipop.
<br>
[[File:Oziana2018.jpeg|right]]And in the 2018 issue of ''Oziana'', the Oz Club's literary magazine:
* Hailing from Scotland, cover artist Brian Russell illustrates "Omby's Sword Dance".
* Momina Arif presents a shape poem in "The Brains, the Heart, the Courage, and Home".
* "The Strongman of Oz" by Jared Davis, with illustrations by Sam Milazzo, tells the story of one of the Wizard's old circus colleagues, and how he is ensnared by a witch to get revenge on the Wizard.
* "The Fabulous Frogman and the Faith of Freakish Friends" by Joe Bongiorno, illustrated by Darrell Spradlyn, is a sequel to "The Final Fate of the Frogman" from the 1990 issue, and details how his friends found the Frogman after that story and brought him back into their inner circle.
* Finally, Kim McFarland provides a back cover illustration.
''Oziana'' 2018 can be ordered from [http://www.lulu.com/shop/marcus-mebes/oziana-2018/paperback/product-23900060.html Lulu.com]. Anyone, not just Oz Club members, may order a copy.
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==May 5, 2025: Mattydale, New York, to Honor L. Frank Baum==
Mattydale, New York, will honor native son L. Frank Baum and his greatest work, ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', on May 17. Mattydale was the site of Baum's childhood home, Roselawn, and the city will commemorate Baum's birth and the 125th anniversary of the publication of the first Oz book with a historical marker at the site. The marker will be at 2601 Brewerton Road, which will soon be the site of a community center.A reception will be held from 1:00 to 5:00 pm at the Kreuger Funeral Home.
(Information courtesy [https://cnycentral.com/news/local/mattydale-celebrates-125-years-of-the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz-with-historical-marker CNYCentral].)


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==September 4, 2018: Ruby Slippers Found!==
==April 13, 2025: Jean Marsh, 1934-2025==
[[File:dorothys-ruby-slippers-stolen-promo.jpg|center]]A pair of ruby slippers, stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005, have been recovered. The Grand Rapids police and the FBI's Minneapolis division worked together, enlisting the aid of the Smithsonian Institution, and announced the recovery today. While the investigation is still ongoing, it quickly transpired that the insurance company that paid out after their theft from the museum in Judy Garland's birthplace had been contacted about the slippers. It quickly became evident that the person was trying to extort money from the insurance company. Law enforcement became involved, and a sting operation was created to recover the shoes and arrest the perpetrators. The Smithsonian, at the time restoring their own pair of the shoes, was called in to authenticate the shoes, which they did.
[[File:Jean_Marsh.jpeg|left]]
Jean Marsh, OBE, the lauded British actor, passed away today from complications of dementia. She was 90. Born July 1, 1934 in Stoke Newington, London, she studied dance, singing, and acting before beginning her professional career in the 1950s. Among her movies were ''Cleopatra'', ''Jane Eyre'' (1972), ''Frenzy'', ''The Eagle Has Landed'', and ''Willow''. She was probably best known for her television work, however, in shows in both the United States and the United Kingdom, including appearances in ''The Twilight Zone'', ''The Saint'', ''Doctor Who'', ''I Spy'', ''Adam Adamant Lives!'', ''UFO'', ''The Waltons'', ''Hawaii Five-O'', the ''9 to 5'' series, ''The Love Boat'', ''Murder, She Wrote'', and the 1990s revival of ''The Tomorrow People''. But she is best known for co-creating, with Eileen Atkins, the period drama ''Upstairs, Downstairs'', about the servants in a great house. Marsh also starred in the show as maid Rose Buck, for which she won an Emmy Award in 1975 as well as other awards. When the BBC revived the show in 2010, Marsh was the only actor to return. Marsh and Atkins also created the series ''House of Elliott'' in 1991, which she did not appear in. For her services to drama, Marsh was made a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. For Oz fans, however, as well as many movie-going kids in the 1980s, she will always be known for her dual role as Nurse Wilson and Princess Mombi in the 1985 Disney film ''Return to Oz''.


<p>It is not yet known if or when the slippers will go back on display.
(Information courtesy [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c045dk29xqqo the BBC] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Marsh Wikipedia].)


<br><br>(Information courtesy [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45411765 the BBC], the [https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/stolen-ruby-slippers-recovered-090418 Federal Bureau of Investigation] ([https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/minneapolis/news/press-releases/fbi-recovers-stolen-ruby-slippers-used-in-the-wizard-of-oz here, too]), and [http://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/recovered-ruby-slippers the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History].
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==August 11, 2018: The L. Frank Baum Memorial Award and the Winkie Award==
==March 18, 2025: Saliterman, Ruby Slipper Thief, Dies==
Tonight, the International Wizard of Oz Club bestowed two of its highest honors on two long-time members during [http://www.ozconinternational.com/ OzCon International] in Pomona, California. The L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, for contributions to the Club and Oz in general, went to Bill Thompson, whose book [https://shop.ozclub.org/product.sc?productId=429&categoryId=1 ''Bibliographia Baumiana''] debuted at the convention. Thompson has been a tireless researcher, as well as a collector of Oz memorabilia which he then auctions off at the Club's conventions to raise funds.
Charges against Jerry Hal Saliterman, who had pled guilty to playing a part in the 2005 theft of the Ruby Slippers from the Judy Garland Museum, have been dismissed when prosecutors informed the court that he had died the day before. Saliterman's defense attorney, John Brink, confirmed the passing. The 77-year-old Saliterman had been hospitalized with lung disease and other ailments, and his most recent court appearance, in January, had been a remote feed from his hospital room. At that time, he changed his initial plea to guilty of charges of theft of a major artwork and witness tampering.


<br>OzCon also presented its own award, the Winkie Award, to long-time attendee Susan Hall, best known for her costumes and quizzes. She has also helped the convention with presentations and panels, game shows, and many other bits of help over the decades. Both awards are richly deserved.
(Information courtesy [https://apnews.com/article/stolen-ruby-slippers-wizard-of-oz-death-b82e6ed5049d2f11cf9a38b38e5eb463 The Associated Press].)


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==July 2, 2018: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2018==
==January 3, 2025: Saliterman to Plead Guilty to Hiding Ruby Slippers==
[[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.)
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.
* Reviewed in "Oz in the Arts":
** The ballet ''Dorothy and the Prince of Oz'', performed by BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio, reviewed by Scott Cummings.
** The latest play version of ''The Wizard of Oz'', this one put on by Syracuse Stage in New York state, reviewed by Blair Frödelius.
** 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.
* "The Bugle Review" reviews the following books:
** [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.
** [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/exec/obidos/ASIN/0008252564/thewonderwizardo/ ''Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz'' by Michael Morpurgo], reviewed by Nick Campbell.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1544237413/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Prankster of Oz'' by John R. Rose], reviewed by Joe Bongiorno.
** [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.
** [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].
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:
*** [https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Meg-McLaren-illustrator-Sam/dp/1405286296/ ''The Wizard of Oz'', adapted by Meg McLaren and Sam Hay]
*** "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://bookshop.org/p/books/snow-queen-hb-hans-christian-andersen/6431554?ean=9780062209504 ''The Snow Queen'' by Hans Christian Andersen].
** And throughout the issue, mysterious figures seem to be scouting out the country for nefarious purposes. But is someone scouting them out in turn?
 
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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 pairs of Ruby Slippers known to still exist, this pair, "The Traveling Shoes", were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005 and recovered in 2018, when they acquired a new nickname, "The Stolen Pair". They were ultimately returned to owner Michael Shaw who decided it was time to sell them. Estimated to go for at least $3,000,000, online bidding reached $1,550,000 before live bidding on site at Heritage Auctions began. The estimate was quickly surpassed, and when bidding ended, the final bid was $28,000,000, far outpacing any previous price for movie memorabilia. With commission and other fees, the total final price paid was $32,500,000. The Ruby Slippers alone surpassed the previous record for an entire movie memorabilia auction, the $22,800,000 that Debbie Reynolds' collection was sold for in 2011.
 
Other Oz items available in the auction:
* One of Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West hats, and the only one known to carry Hamilton's name inside, earned the second highest price for an item from ''The Wizard of Oz'', $2,930,000
* Producer Mervyn LeRoy's script from the MGM art department, $50,000
* The screen door from the Gale farmhouse, $37,500
* Judy Garland's blonde wig from the first week of shooting, $30,000
* The MGM contract for songwriters Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg, $23,125
 
Other items of interest at the auction included a sceen-used Jumanji board game from the eponymous movie; a crate used to hold bombs in the original 1933 version of ''King Kong''; a hoverboard from ''Back to the Future II''; Kevin's scarf, coat, hat, and mittens from ''Home Alone''; Wilson, Tom Hanks' volleyball co-star in ''Castaway''; and a screen-used golden ticket from '' Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory''.
 
(Information and image courtesy [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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==December 2, 2024: Paul Maslansky 1933-2024==
Longtime Hollywood producer Paul Maslansky died today in a hospital in San Robles, California. He was 91. His first credit was for the 1964 horror film ''Castle of the Living Dead'' with Christopher Lee, and he worked on many films in the 1970s and '80s. His biggest success was the ''Police Academy'' series, beginning in 1984 with the first movie which spawned several other movies, a television series, and an animated series. Another of his credits at the time was ''Return to Oz''. He is survived by his long-time partner Sally Emr, three children, and two grandchildren.
(Information courtesy [https://variety.com/2024/film/news/paul-maslansky-dead-police-academy-1236242106/ ''Variety''] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Maslansky Wikipedia].)


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The previously announced release date for the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical version of ''Wicked'' turns out to have been premature. Universal recently changed their planned release for December 19, 2019, from ''Wicked'' to ''Cats''. So the ''Wicked'' movie is on hold again, but it is still in development, and aiming for a December 22, 2021 release.
''Dorothy'' is in development for Prime Video, with executive producers Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, and Gina Matthews. You can see the initial report on this [https://deadline.com/2025/08/gwen-stefani-blake-shelton-wizard-of-oz-prime-video-1236497977/ right here].
 
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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 21:59, 21 November 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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November 13, 2025: The Baum Bugle Autumn 2025 Issue

Bbautumn25.jpg

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


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

Robert A Baum Jr.webp

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

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

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

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

(Information courtesy Variety and IMDB.)

August 8, 2025: The Baum Bugle Spring 2025

Bbspring25.png

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

In this issue:

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

Also included with this issue:

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


Wicked and Wicked: For Good Accolades and Awards

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

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

  • September 27, 2024: International Cinematographers "Manaki Brothers" Film Festival, SUMOLIGHT Creative Energy Award: Alice Brooks (Cinematographer) and Dave Smith (Gaffer)
  • November 18, 2024: Heartland Film Festival, Truly Moving Picture Award: Wicked
  • November 23, 2024: The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage, Production Designer Award: Nathan Crowley
  • December 4, 2024: National Board of Review
    • Best Film: Wicked
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Spotlight Award: the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande
  • December 5, 2024: American Film Institute Awards, Top 10 Films of the Year: Wicked (alongside nine other movies)
  • December 8, 2024: Washington DC Area Film Critics Film Critics Association
    • Best Feature: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
  • December 8, 2024: Astra Film and Creative Arts Awards
    • Best Picture: Wicked
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Zoe Saldaña for Emilia Pérez)
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Casting: Tiffany Little Canfield and Bernard Telsey
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Marketing Campaign: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
  • December 9, 2024: Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, Actress Award—Film: Cynthia Erivo
  • December 9, 2024: Michigan Movie Critics Guild, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • December 9, 2024: Atlanta Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • December 9, 2024: San Diego Film Critics Society
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • December 13, 2024: African-American Film Critics Association, Innovator Award: Paul Tazewell
  • December 13, 2024: Las Vegas Film Critics Society
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Family Film: Wicked
  • December 15, 2024: St. Louis Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • December 16, 2024: Phoenix Film Critics Society
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • December 16, 2024: Seattle Film Critics Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • December 16, 2024: Iowa Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande (tied with Isabella Rossellini in Conclave)
  • December 16, 2024: Southeastern Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • December 21, 2024: Nevada Film Critics Society
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Visual Effects: Pablo Helman
  • December 30, 2024: TiBS Editors Choice Awards:
    • Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
    • Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Ensemble: Wicked
  • January 2, 2025: Capri Hollywood-International Film Festival Award, Best Sound: Wicked
  • January 2, 2025: Critics Association of Central Florida
    • Best Cast: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Sound Design: Wicked
  • January 3, 2025: Palm Springs International Film Festival
    • Creative Impact in Acting Award: Cynthia Erivo
    • Rising Star Award: Ariana Grande
  • January 3, 2025: Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • January 4, 2025: DiscussingFilm Global Critic Award, Best Production Design: Wicked
  • January 5, 2025: Golden Globe Awards, Cinematic and Box Office Achievement: Wicked
  • January 10, 2025: Music City Film Critics Association, Best Music Film: Wicked
  • January 10, 2025: Minnesota Film Critics Association, Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • January 12, 2025: Puerto Rico Critics Association
    • Best Comedy/Musical: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • January 13, 2025: North Dakota Film Society, Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • January 13, 2025: Hawaii Film Critics Society
    • Best Art Direction: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Visual Effects: Wicked
  • January 14, 2025: Portland Critics Association, Best Supporting Performance (Female): Ariana Grande
  • January 16, 2025: North American Film Critics Association, Best Supporting Actress: Ariana Grande
  • January 24, 2025: Denver Film Critics Society, Best Supporting Performance by an Actor, Female: Ariana Grande
  • January 26, 2025: Satellite Awards
    • Best Supporting Actress—Motion Picture: Ariana Grande
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Sound: Wicked
    • Make-Up Award: Wicked
  • January 27, 2025: Online Film Critics Society, Technical Achievement Award — Choreography: Wicked
  • February 6, 2025: Costume Designers Guild Awards, Excellence in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film: Paul Tazewell
  • February 7, 2025: Set Decorators Society of America, Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Comedy or Musical Feature Film: Lee Sandales and Nathan Crowley
  • February 7, 2025: Critics' Choice Movie Awards
    • Best Director: Jon M. Chu
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
  • February 7, 2025: AACTA Awards, Audience Choice Award for Favourite Film: Wicked
  • February 9, 2025: Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Virtuoso Award: Ariana Grande
  • February 9, 2025: AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Best Screenwriter: Winnie Holzman
  • February 12, 2025: Artios Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Comedy): Bernard Telsey, Tiffany Little Canfield, Ryan Bernard Tymensky, Tamsyn Manson
  • February 13, 2025: Dorian Awards
    • Supporting Film Performance of the Year: Ariana Grande
    • "We're Wilde About You" Rising Star Award: Jonathan Bailey
    • Galeca LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer: Cynthia Erivo
  • February 15, 2025: Art Directors Guild Awards, Excellence in Production Design for a Fantasy Film: Nathan Crowley
  • February 15, 2025: Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild
    • Best Period and/or Character Make-Up in a Feature-Length Motion Picture: Frances Hannon, Alice Jones, Nuria Mbornio, Johanna Nielsen, Branka Vorkapic
    • Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling in a Feature-Length Motion Picture: Frances Hannon, Sarah Nuth, Sim Camps, Gabor Kerekes
  • February 16, 2025: BAFTA Film Awards
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
  • February 17, 2025: Black Reel Awards
    • Outstanding Soundtrack: Wicked
    • Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • February 17, 2025: Latino Entertainment Journalists Society
    • Best Production Design: Nathan Crowley and Lee Sandales
    • Best Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
  • February 22, 2025: NAACP Image Awards
    • Outstanding Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
    • Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album: Wicked: The Soundtrack
  • February 23, 2025: Online Film and Television Association
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Adapted Song: "Defying Gravity"
  • February 23, 2025: Golden Reel Awards, Outstanding Achievement in Music Editing–Feature Motion Picture: Catherine Wilson, Robin Baynton
  • February 28, 2025: International Cinematographers Guild Publicists Awards, Maxwell Weinberg Award for Motion Picture Publicity Campaign: Wicked
  • March 2, 2025: Academy Awards
    • Best Costume Design: Wicked
    • Best Production Design: Wicked
  • March 11, 2025: Queerties
    • Drama Movie: Wicked
    • Film Performance: Jonathan Bailey
    • Next Big Thing: Wicked: For Good
  • March 14, 2025: American Cinema Editors Awards, Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical: Myron Kerstein
  • March 17, 2025: iHeartRadio Music Awards, Favorite Soundtrack: Wicked: The Soundtrack
  • April 22, 2025: Webby Awards, Variety and Reality, General Video and Film: Wicked Stars Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo Break Down Viral "Holding Space" Interview
  • June 9, 2025: The BET Awards, Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
  • June 21, 2025: Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards:
    • Favorite Movie: Wicked
    • Favorite Movie Actress: Ariana Grande as Glinda
    • Favorite Song from a Movie: "Defying Gravity"
  • August 5, 2025: Las Culturista Culture Awards, Harshest Truth About Wicked: Phannee not realized, we don't get into his gay story (What was that like? Was it hard coming out or was Pfannee born wealthy? Prequel idea about this.)
  • November 3, 2025: People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive: Jonathan Bailey
  • November 4, 2025: Media Access Awards, Christopher Reeve Acting Award: Marissa Bode

July 19, 2025: Crotzer Wins L. Frank Baum Memorial Award

This evening, Sarah K. Crotzer was presented the L. Frank Bam Memorial Award for her contributions to Oz. She has been a tireless Oz researcher and writer, with a special interest in the history of Oz games. She is also the current editor of The Baum Bugle, the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, and recently became the longest-serving editor in Club history.

Also presented tonight were the Club's annual prizes for writing and art. This year's winners are:

  • The Fred Otto Prize for Fiction:
    • First place, Jesse Jury for "Four Friends of Oz"
    • Second place, J. L. Bell for "Who's Got the Button?"
  • The C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction:
    • First place, Rachel Graham for "An Essential Quickening: John R. Neill and the Art of Oz"
    • Second place, Cynthia Ragni for "Project Ozma"
  • The Rob Roy MacVeigh Prize for Art:
    • First place, Jime Wimmer for "Dorothy and the Cyclone"
    • Second place, Rob Lauer for "Ruth and Her Friends in Oz"

June 21, 2025: The Winkie Award

Tonight, OzCon International gave its highest honor, the Winkie Award, to Sam Milazzo. The award recognizes all of the contributions Sam has made to the convention over the past few years, with presentations, panels, and generally helping out.

May 6, 2025: The Baum Bugle Winter 2024

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It may be slipping back in the calendar a bit, but the latest issue of The Baum Bugle, the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is making its way to members' mailboxes now.

In this issue:

Also included with this issue:

  • A registration form for the 2025 editino of Oz, the National Convention in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
  • A flyer for one of the Club's latest publications, Bibliographia Baumiana.
  • This issue's craft is a melting Evillene, based on the original Broadway run of The Wiz.
  • And in the latest issue of The Oz Gazette, the newsletter for younger Oz fans (of all ages):
    • Editor-in-Chief Katie Jones, with assistance from the Head of Security the Gump, updates readers on the hunt for Nomes and the Glass Cat.
    • The Scarecrow's book column looks at other books puplished in 1924, like Grampa in Oz.
    • Based off of the article speculating what scrum might be like in The Baum Bugle, the Patchwork Girl presents the board, pieces, and rules for Camette, a simplified (for space reasons) version of the game Camelot.
    • Finally, a little bit of verse from…the Glass Cat?


May 5, 2025: Mattydale, New York, to Honor L. Frank Baum

Mattydale, New York, will honor native son L. Frank Baum and his greatest work, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, on May 17. Mattydale was the site of Baum's childhood home, Roselawn, and the city will commemorate Baum's birth and the 125th anniversary of the publication of the first Oz book with a historical marker at the site. The marker will be at 2601 Brewerton Road, which will soon be the site of a community center.A reception will be held from 1:00 to 5:00 pm at the Kreuger Funeral Home.

(Information courtesy CNYCentral.)

April 13, 2025: Jean Marsh, 1934-2025

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Jean Marsh, OBE, the lauded British actor, passed away today from complications of dementia. She was 90. Born July 1, 1934 in Stoke Newington, London, she studied dance, singing, and acting before beginning her professional career in the 1950s. Among her movies were Cleopatra, Jane Eyre (1972), Frenzy, The Eagle Has Landed, and Willow. She was probably best known for her television work, however, in shows in both the United States and the United Kingdom, including appearances in The Twilight Zone, The Saint, Doctor Who, I Spy, Adam Adamant Lives!, UFO, The Waltons, Hawaii Five-O, the 9 to 5 series, The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, and the 1990s revival of The Tomorrow People. But she is best known for co-creating, with Eileen Atkins, the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs, about the servants in a great house. Marsh also starred in the show as maid Rose Buck, for which she won an Emmy Award in 1975 as well as other awards. When the BBC revived the show in 2010, Marsh was the only actor to return. Marsh and Atkins also created the series House of Elliott in 1991, which she did not appear in. For her services to drama, Marsh was made a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. For Oz fans, however, as well as many movie-going kids in the 1980s, she will always be known for her dual role as Nurse Wilson and Princess Mombi in the 1985 Disney film Return to Oz.

(Information courtesy the BBC and Wikipedia.)


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

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

(Information courtesy The Associated Press.)

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

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

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

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

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

In this issue:

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

Also included with this issue:

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

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

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

Other Oz items available in the auction:

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

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

(Information and image courtesy Heritage Auctions.)


December 2, 2024: Paul Maslansky 1933-2024

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

(Information courtesy Variety and Wikipedia.)

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.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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