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==October 31, 2020: Sir Sean Connery, 1930-2020==
==April 13, 2025: Jean Marsh, 1934-2025==
[[File:Zed.jpg]]
[[File:Jean_Marsh.jpeg|left]]
Sir Sean Connery, the award-winning Scottish actor who most famously originated the role of James Bond on film, passed away today at his home in the Bahamas. He was 90 years old. Besides playing Bond in seven movies, Connery won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in ''The Untouchables'', a Best Actor BAFTA for ''The Name of the Rose'' and a BAFTA Fellowship, and a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for ''The Untouchables'' as well as the Henrietta Award in 1972 as World film Favorite — Male, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1995, a Kennedy Center Honor in 1999, and the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000. He will also be remembered by Oz fans, however, as Zed, the main protagonist who brings death to an indolent immortal community in the 1974 cult classic film ''Zardoz''.
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 [https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54761824 the BBC] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Connery Wikipedia].
(Information courtesy [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c045dk29xqqo the BBC] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Marsh Wikipedia].)
 
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==August 15, 2020: International Wizard of Oz Club Awards==
==''Wicked'' and ''Wicked: For Good'' Accolades and Awards==
This evening, the International Wizard of Club presented its annual awards at 2Oz? 2Oz! which is this year's national Oz convention, held online for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The winners are:
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.
 
* The Fred Otto Prize for short fiction went to "The Flutterbudget Revolt" by Suren Oganessian in first place, and "''The Sea Fairies'' Lost Chapter: Trot and the Sleeper" by Erica Olivera in second.
* The C. Warren Hollister Prize for non-fiction went to "No Place Like Oz" by Kathryn Sadakierski in first place, and “Lessons in Personality Integration from the Movies ''The Wizard of Oz'' and ''The Wiz''” by Mackenzie Littledale winning second place.
* The Rob Roy MacVeigh Prize for visual arts went to "The King of Beasts' Conquest" by Michael de Jesus in first place (below, left), and "Dr. Pipt" by David Valentin in second place (below, right).<br><center>[[File:De_Jesus.JPG|500 px]] [[File:Valentin.JPG|500 px]]</center>


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


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''Wicked'' is a finalist for [https://seattlein2025.org/wsfs/hugo-awards/2025-hugo-award-finalists/ the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form]. The Hugos will be awarded at the 2025 World Science Fiction Convention in Seattle on August 16.


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==August 1, 2020: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2020 issue==
==March 18, 2025: Saliterman, Ruby Slipper Thief, Dies==
[[File:Bbspring20.jpg|600 px|right]]The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now in the mail and making its way towards members. This is the first issue of the 2020 membership year, with the current COVID-19 pandemic no doubt contributing to the usual problems the ''Bugle'' has to keeping to its intended schedule.
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.


<p>In this issue:
(Information courtesy [https://apnews.com/article/stolen-ruby-slippers-wizard-of-oz-death-b82e6ed5049d2f11cf9a38b38e5eb463 The Associated Press].)
* The covers celebrate the ''Broadway Celebrates Oz'' photograph series, with Dorothy and her friends on the front cover, the Wicked With of the West on the back, and costume sketches and designs on the inside covers.
* "Letters" sees Oz Club President Jane Albright and ''Baum Bugle'' editor Sarah Krotzer talk about the latest Oz issues.
* "The Bugle Bulletin" brings us news of:
** The #LivingRoomTheatre challenge by ''Playbill'' magazine, and [https://www.playbill.com/article/our-top-3-videos-from-week-1-of-the-livingroomtheatre-challenge the Ozzy results of the first week].
** ''The Wizard of Oz'' takes on a new cinematic life during the coronavirus pandemic as a staple at drive-in theaters, as well as in movie theaters in Japan.
** [https://www.facebook.com/ArtistTimWolak/ The Oz art of Tim Wolak].
** [https://www.dropbox.com/s/65azjnd7wb1qmf6/OTR%20Full%20Virtual%20Message.mp4 ''Over the Rainbow: The Rock Ballet''] is used as a call for social justice in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.
** A tribute to Hollywood icons, including Judy Garland as Dorothy, as [https://www.whio.com/news/centerville-native-paints-mural-plaza-theatre-miamisburg-reopening/3CSQ5ODOUVCM7CGJOYXBJHTBFI/ a mural in Miamisburg, Ohio].
** The new webcomic [https://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/webtoon-greenlight/escape-from-oz-13/viewer?title_no=1988&episode_no=22&webtoonType=WEBTOON&ogTagImageUrl=%2F20200626_107%2F1593111138089n3Gzr_JPEG%2F04_EC9E91ED9288EC8381EC84B8_mobile.jpg%3Ftype%3Dcrop540_540 ''Escape from Oz''].
** "Through the Tube" presents the latest Oz findings on YouTube:
*** [https://youtu.be/KmZ-r229IiQ Family home movies from the 1970s of the Land of Oz theme park in North Carolina].
*** [https://youtu.be/EB2PTkMPfco a tour of Dorothy's House], the tourist attraction in Liberal, Kansas.
*** [https://youtu.be/fGzJo4Hzkw0 The Spirit of Oz troupe performing at Storybook Land] in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" notes the passing in March of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Schramm_(actor) actor David Schramm]; best known as Roy Biggins in ''Wings'', he also played W. W. Denslow in the 1990 TV movie ''The Dreamer of Oz''.
* "Broadway Melody of Oz" looks at the ''Broadway Celebrates Oz'' photograph series, how it came about, and how it came together (including a link to [https://www.broadwaybox.com/daily-scoop/category/broadway-celebrates-oz/ more photos, video, and commentiary]).
* "Collecter's Corner" by David Diket looks at the View-Master's reels of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* Anil Tambwekar looks at the career of a noted children's author of the twentieth century and her near brush with the Emerald city in "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Augusta_Dickerson Mary Dickerson Donahey]: Almost Royal Historian of Oz".
* In his "Lost Art of Oz" column, Brady Schwind looks at the illustrations that became the pages 170-171 double-page spread of ''The Patchwork Girl of Oz''.
* Michael Gessel tells the story of the creation and growth of [https://hollandozproject.com/ a park exhibit on the shores of Lake Michigan devoted to Oz] in "The Holland Oz Project".
* [https://americanstudies.uncc.edu/dina-massachi-ma Dina Schiff Massachi] presents a round up of students from her class about ''The Wizard of Oz'' at UNC-Charlotte in "Tomorrow's Scholars Today".
* "Oz Under Quarantine! Oz Community Events—At Home" presents a round-up of how Oz events worldwidewide, not being able to gather in person this year, have shifted gears and presented virtual events.
* Reviewed in "Oz in the Arts":
** [https://hitthebricks.com/ ''Hit the Bricks''], the podcast telling a new tale about Oz.
** [https://smile.amazon.com/Fantastic-Journey-Alyson-Leigh-Rosenfeld/dp/B086V2YTM3/ ''Fantastic Journey to Oz''], the English-dubbed and re-Ozzified version of the Russian animated film version of ''Урфин Джюс и его Деревянные Солдаты''. This is set up as an original sequel to ''The Wizard of Oz'' in which Dorothy's namesake granddaughter goes to Oz to help the Scarecrow overthrow an evil magician and his band of wooden soldiers who have overtaken the country.
* In "The Bugle Review":
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/039958207X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Cheshire Crossing'' by Andy Weir and Sarah Andersen], reviewed by Peter Schulenberg.
** [https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/marcus-mebes/the-haunted-castle-of-oz/hardcover/product-1567egpj.html ''The Haunted Castle of Oz'' by Marcus Mébès, illustrated by Kamui Ayami], reviewed by Alan Wise
** ''What Is the Story of'' The Wizard of Oz''?'' by Kirsten Andersen, illustrated by Robert Squier'', reviewed by Angelica Shirley Carpenter.
** The new SeaWolf Press editions of [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433290/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Royal Book of Oz''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433266/thewonderwizardo/ ''Kabumpo in Oz''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433274/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Cowardly Lion of Oz''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433282/thewonderwizardo/ ''Grampa in Oz''], and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1952433304/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Sea Fairies''], noted by Sarah K. Crotzer.
* "Adventures in Oz" looks back at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_in_Concert:_Dreams_Come_True ''The Wizard of Oz in Concert''] twenty-five years after its debut, written by Christina Maffa. (And if you've never seen this all-star benefit production of ''The Wizard of Oz'', this is your chance!)
<br><html><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ixa9jI5XMTs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></html>


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


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==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.


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


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==April 17, 2020: ''The Baum Bugle'', Winter 2019 issue==
==December 13, 2024: The Baum Bugle's Celebratory 200th Issue==
[[File:Bbwinter19.jpg|600 px|right]]
[[File:Bbautumn24.jpg|center|800 px]]
The final issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, has come out for the 2019 membership year. Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the printers were not able to print the issue in a timely manner; so, in an unprecedented move, the Club sent out the issue to Club members as a .pdf file via e-mail. ('''UPDATE''', May 9: The printer has come through, and the print version is now making its way into members' mailboxes.) This marks the end of the 2019 membership year, and members are encouraged to [https://shop.ozclub.org/product-category/iwoc-membership/ renew their memberships for 2020] soon.
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 reproduces Michael Herring's painting for the 1981 Del Rey edition of ''The Magic of Oz''—appropriate, as 2019 marks the centennial of L. Frank Baum's penultimate Oz book, ''The Magic of Oz''.
* The 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 is one of John R. Neill's color plates from ''The Magic of Oz''.
* The inside front cover reproduces Maxfield Parrish's cover for the January 1917 issue of ''Metropolitan''.
* The first page, besides the indicia and table of contents, reproduces an illustration by Leonid Vladimirsky from ''Волшебник Изумрудного Города'' (''The Wizard of the Emerald City'').
* 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 "Letters", Oz Club President Jane Albright seeks contributors who can update [https://ozclub.org/oz-timeline/ the Oz Timeline], while ''Bugle'' Editor-in-Chief Sarah K. Crotzer previews the issue at hand and how it came about.
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
** The 2017 Russian animated film ''Fantastic Journey to Oz'' has spawned a sequel, ''Урфин Джюс бозбращаемся'' (''Fantastic Return to Oz''), based on the Magic Land book ''The Fiery God of the Marrans''.
** The Club opens its archive with reprints of selected articles from past issues of [https://www.ozclub.org/publications/the-baum-bugle/ ''The Baum Bugle''].
** The debut of the new Oz dramatic podcast, [https://hitthebricks.com/ ''Hit the Bricks''].
** 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.
** A Yellow Brick Sidewalk is being constructed in Chicago that leads to 1167 N. Humboldt Blvd., where L. Frank Baum wrote ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' when he lived in a house that is no longer there. (The sidewalk will end at a mural commemorating the creation of Oz.)
** 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.
** [https://www.broadwaybox.com/daily-scoop/category/broadway-celebrates-oz/ "Broadway Celebrates Oz"] is a photographic exhibit celebrating the eightieth anniversary of the famous film version of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
** The stolen pair of Ruby Slippers, now recovered, are on tour and will go up for auction in December.
** An exhibit at the Los Angeles Public Library, "The Autograph Book of L. A.", includes a contribution by L. Frank Baum from 1908 (several years before he moved to the area himself).
** The latest revival of ''The Wiz'' surpasses one hundred performances on Broadway.
** A new Oz book, [https://github.com/NaNoGenMo/2018/issues/61 ''The Valley Girl of Oz, Bjork Bjork Bjork''], that involves running ''The Emerald City of Oz'' through a computer algorithm that changed the descriptions to, like, Valleyspeak, while the dialogue was rendered into Swedish Chef.
** The release of the first ''Wicked'' movie is moved up to November 22, 2024.
** "Through the Tube" presents an all-commercials collection of Oz clips on YouTube:
** ''Marvelous: A Musical Opera'' based on ''The Marvelous Land of Oz'' premieres in Sisterville, West Virginia on April 5, 2025
*** [https://youtu.be/7_nJjI_aVrM White Lily cornmeal mix (1987)]
** "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.
*** [https://youtu.be/IdH--kRrLdo Energizer batteries (1993)]
* 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".
*** [https://youtu.be/fJw33PFUS7U Chef Boyardee (2006)]
* 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.
* In "Awards and Honors":
* 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".
** Ozma's Honor Roll for 2019, those Club members who have gone above and beyond the Club's regular membership rates to give more to the Club.
* J. L. Bell examines the development of cartography in the Oz books in the award-winning "The Inspiring Maps of Oz".
** The list of recipients of the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award is updated with the 2019 winner, Bill Beem.
* "Keepers of the Record" presents reminiscences of three previous ''Bugle'' editors:
** Part of Renée Zellweger's acceptance speech for her Oscar, portraying Judy Garland in ''Judy'', is printed.
** "A Brief Reminiscence of My ''Bugle'' Editorship, 1996-2000" by William Stillman.
* Dennis Wilson Wise writes about the history of magic words, with emphasis on the ones used in the Oz books, in "Pyrzqxgl, or How to Do Things with Magic Words".
** "Notes from an Old ''Bugle'' Editor" by Michael Gessel.
* In a new regular feature, "The Lost Art of Oz", Brady Schwind looks at the development of Dick Martin's 1960 dust jacket for ''The Magic of Oz''. (The inside and outside back covers of this issue reprints some of Martin's preliminary work for the jacket.)
** "The Call of a ''Bugle''—and Where It Led" by John Fricke.
* Ian Davis Smith writes about renowned Chinese magician Ching Ling Foo and his performance for the Uplifters—whose members included L. Frank Baum—in "A Magic Night with the Uplifters".
* "How It Began (Again)" looks at some mocked-up dummy pages, created by Dick Martin, for the Spring 1979 issue of the ''Bugle''.
* The short story "The Believing Child" by Zenna Henderson, first published in 1970, is reprinted to celebrate both its own fiftieth birthday and the centennial of the book that causes the problems in the story, ''The Magic of Oz''.
* The inside back cover reproduces the earliest known map of Oz, a slide from the 1908 multimedia show ''The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays''.
* "Oz Under Scrutiny" looks at the original 1919 reviews and reactions to ''The Magic of Oz''.
 
* "Monuments of Magic Land" looks at monuments to characters created by Aleksandr Volkov, for his very Oz-like Magic Land series, in Tomsk, Slovakia and Saint Petersburg, Russia.
* The examination of the Smithsonian Institution's efforts to preserve their pair of Ruby Slippers concludes in part two of "Keep Them Ruby: Following the Steps of the Ruby Slippers" by Jonathan Shirshekan.
* "A Beginner's Guide to Collecting" celebrates the eightieth anniversary of the most watched movie in history with an examination of some of the earliest collectibles for the 1939 film version of ''The Wizard of Oz''.
* Cynthia Ragni gives a preview of [http://www.ozconvention.org/ the Club's big annual event] in "Arts and Crozfts: Come to the 2020 OzClub Convention".
* In "Oz in the Arts", Fadia Mereani reviews one of the first big musicals to tour Saudi Arabia, [https://wizardofoztour.com/ ''The Wizard of Oz''].
* "The Bugle Review" reviews and notes of several new books, including:
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1733715150/thewonderwizardo/ ''Immortal Longings of Oz'' by Paul Dana], reviewed by Mari Ness.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/080717047X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Amazons in America: Matriarchs, Utopians, and Wonder Women in U. S. Popular Culture'' by Keira V. Williams], reviewed by Angelica Shirley Carpenter.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1732431736/thewonderwizardo/ ''Book Restoration Unveiled: An Essential Guide for Bibliophiles'' by Sophia S. W. Bogle], reviewed by Cynthia Ragni.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0190663170/thewonderwizardo/ ''Adapting The Wizard of Oz: Musical Versions fromBaum to MGM and Beyond'', edited by Danielle Birkett and Dominic McHugh].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1096980266/thewonderwizardo/ ''Beyond Oz: A Crazy Ink Anthology'', edited by Erin Wolf].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/138781320X/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Cardboard King in Oz'' by Gil S. Joel].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486821676/thewonderwizardo/ ''Creative Haven Wizard of Oz Designs Coloring Book'' by Marty Noble].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486821676/thewonderwizardo/ ''Delusions Beyond the Deadly Desert: A Novella'' by Lisa Valenti].
** [http://thewizardofoz.info/wiki/Dunkiton_Press ''Dunkiton Press #26: The Perhappsy Chaps #6'', ''Dunkiton Press #27: Mice #1'' and ''Dunkiton Press #28: Mice #2'' by Ruth Plumly Thompson, edited by Ruth Berman].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1701012324/thewonderwizardo/ ''Emerald City Academy, Book 1: Sentinels of Oz''] and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1709524154/thewonderwizardo/ ''Emerald City Academy, Book 2: Francesca, the Great and Terrible'' by J. B. Trepagnier].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062348779/thewonderwizardo/ ''Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons from Over the Rainbow'' by Peter Guzzardi].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1387080156/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Fairy Wand of Oz'' by Marin Elizabeth Xiques and Carol P. Silva].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1718060718/thewonderwizardo/ ''Forever in Oz'' by Matthew J. Norcross].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1707291365/thewonderwizardo/ ''Frankenstein's Monster in Oz'' by Carl Scott Harker].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1733715118/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Haunted Castle of Oz'' by Marcus Mébès].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1985795833/thewonderwizardo/ ''Hidden Heroes of Oz, Book 1: Chopper''] and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/198579585X/thewonderwizardo/ ''Hidden Heroes of Oz, Book 2: Guardian Martyr'' by Tarl Telford].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1075254914/thewonderwizardo/ ''Kingdoms of Oz, Book 1: The Ruby Fortress''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1076195202/thewonderwizardo/ ''Kingdoms of Oz, Book 2: The Quartz Tower''], and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1079218130/thewonderwizardo/ ''Kingdoms of Oz, Book 3: The Prism City'' by Carrie Whitehorne].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0991199197/thewonderwizardo/ ''Lost Histories from the Royal Librarian of Oz'' by Joe Bongiorno].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1070784745/thewonderwizardo/ ''Mr. Wizardo'' by Eva Pasco].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0998058254/thewonderwizardo/ ''O. Z. Diggs Himself Out'' by Ron Baxley, Jr.]
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1574330489/thewonderwizardo/ ''Ozhouse Reopened: The Curse of Budistiltskin'' by Alan Lindsay and Dennis Anfuso].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0545953227/thewonderwizardo/ ''Ozland (Everland, Book 3)'' by Wendy Spinale].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1492868116/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Red Brick Road'' by Robert P. Wills].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3030065901/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Road to Wicked: The Marketing and Consumption of Oz from L. Frank Baum to Broadway'' by Kent Drummond, Susan Aronstein, and Terri L. Rittenburg].
** [https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/marcus-mebes/royal-explorers-of-oz-book-4-hb/hardcover/product-12qjmgmv.html ''The Royal Explorers of Oz, Book 4: Into the Wild'' by Marcus Mébès and Alejandro Garcia].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1790107229/thewonderwizardo/ ''Salma and the Play from Oz'' by Jodie Nikela].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1698839413/thewonderwizardo/ ''Shakespeare's Oz'' by Jordan Monsell] (with apologies to William Shakespeare).
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1729226663/thewonderwizardo/ ''Stairway to Oz'' by Robin Hess].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1093389028/thewonderwizardo/ ''Theodore Gale in Oz'' by KuroKoneko Kamen].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1387742892/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Umbrellaphant in Oz'' by Carol P. Silva and Marin Elizabeth Xiques].
** [https://www.lulu.com/shop/marin-elizabeth-xiques-and-chris-dulabone/under-the-influence-of-oz/paperback/product-24186547.html ''Under the Influence of Oz'' by Marin Elizabeth Xiques and Chris Dulabone].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0998479861/thewonderwizardo/ ''Upon the Name of Oz'' by Charles Shearer].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1524788309/thewonderwizardo/ ''What Is the Story of The Wizard of Oz?'' by Kirsten Anderson].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1790753031/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked Origins''], [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1796683167/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked Gambit''], and [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1097738329/thewonderwizardo/ ''Wicked Rebel'' by Paula Black].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1980391939/thewonderwizardo/ ''Witch Queens: Tales from Oz'' by S. Cinders].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/172632558X/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Animated World of The Wizard of Oz'' by Kevin Scott Collier].
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1643723243/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Poster Coloring Book'' by Victoria Marble].
* In "Adventures in Oz", Zoe O'Haillin-Berne tells the story of how her cosplaying at Oz festivals led to founding a traveling character troupe.
Also included with this issue:
Also included with this issue:
* A 2020 membership form (for those who don't want to renew their membership online).
* The craft project is a map of Oz to color.
* A registration form for the National Oz Convention.
* In Issue No. 20 of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger Oz fans (of all ages):
* The third part of the Emerald City toy theatre.
** 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.
* An "Oz Live 2019" supplement, reporting on:
** Polychrome reveals a puzzle where weather-related clues help you to unscramble Oz place names.
** The 2019 National Oz Convention in Thibodeaux, Louisiana.
** Scraps opines on issues of writing Oz poetry.
** Oz-Stravaganza! in Chittenango, New York.
** The Scarecrow gives story recommendations:
** The Quadling Convention in Moore, Oklahoma.
*** [https://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Meg-McLaren-illustrator-Sam/dp/1405286296/ ''The Wizard of Oz'', adapted by Meg McLaren and Sam Hay]
** The Judy Garland Festival and Children's Wizard of Oz Festival in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
*** "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].
** The Michigan Wizard of Oz Festival in Ionia, Michigan.
*** [https://bookshop.org/p/books/snow-queen-hb-hans-christian-andersen/6431554?ean=9780062209504 ''The Snow Queen'' by Hans Christian Andersen].
** OzCon International in Pomona, California.
** And throughout the issue, mysterious figures seem to be scouting out the country for nefarious purposes. But is someone scouting them out in turn?
** Autumn in Oz in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
 
** Oztoberfest in Wamego, Kansas.
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** Ohio Oz Fest in Twinsburg, Ohio.
 
* The latest issue of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger Oz fans (no matter what age their birth certificate might say), featuring:
==December 7, 2024: Ruby Slippers Auction Sets New Movie Memorabilia Record==
** A new expedition for Trot and Cap'n Bill.
[[File:Ruby_Slippers_2024.jpeg|right|400 px]]
** Dorothy's final "Editorial", as she's handing over the reins as Editor in Chief to the Scarecrow.
The most notorious pair of Ruby Slippers used during production of the famous 1939 film version of ''The Wizard of Oz'' went up for auction today, and the final price shattered all records for the price paid for a piece of movie memorabilia. Of the four known pairs of Ruby Slippers known to still exist, this pair, "The Traveling Shoes", were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005 and recovered in 2018, when they acquired a new nickname, "The Stolen Pair". They were ultimately returned to owner Michael Shaw who decided it was time to sell them. Estimated to go for at least $3,000,000, online bidding reached $1,550,000 before live bidding on site at Heritage Auctions began. The estimate was quickly surpassed, and when bidding ended, the final bid was $28,000,000, far outpacing any previous price for movie memorabilia. With commission and other fees, the total final price paid was $32,500,000. The Ruby Slippers alone surpassed the previous record for an entire movie memorabilia auction, the $22,800,000 that Debbie Reynolds' collection was sold for in 2011.
** The conclusion to the biography of L. Frank Baum.
 
** A play written by the Scarecrow, relating some of the events of ''The Magic of Oz''.
Other Oz items available in the auction:
** In "Ask Glinda", the sorceress and some of her friends answer the question, "How do I get to Oz?"
* 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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==November 3, 2024: Quincy Jones, 1933-2024==
[[File:Quincy_Jones.jpg|center|Quincy Jones in ''The Wiz''.|800 px]]
 
Quincy Jones, the EGOT-winning musician and producer, passed away today at the age of 91. Born in 1933 in Chicago, Jones graduated from Garfield High School in Seattle (where the performing arts center is named for him). He soon started working with jazz bands all over the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia. He also worked in the early days of television with such artists as Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, and Elvis Presley. He worked with Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra on an album, and then broke into the movies when he composed the music for ''The Pawnbroker''. He would go on to work on movies such as ''In the Heat of the Night'', ''In Cold Blood'', ''The Italian Job'', ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'', ''Cactus Flower'', and both versions of ''The Color Purple''. For television, he composed music for the original ''Ironside'', ''Sanford and Son'', and the original ''Roots'' (for which he earned his Emmy Award). Later, as a producer, he oversaw shows including ''The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'' and its successor, ''Bel Air'', and ''MadTV''. He won 28 Grammy Awards, the most for any producer and the third most of all time, including Album of the Year in 2023 for ''Harry's House''. He won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical in 2016 as a producer for ''The Color Purple'', and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have given him two of their highest honors, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1995 and the Academy Honorary Award in 2024 (which will now be presented posthumously). Other accomplishments have included the Grammy Legend Award, the Kennedy Center Honors, the BET Humanitarian Award, the National Medal of Arts, and the Grand Commandeur de Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the government of France.
 
In comparison to everything else, his contributions to Oz may not have had as much impact, but he was a crucial part of the 1978 film version of ''The Wiz'', where he was musical supervisor and producer. He also contributed new music, including for the songs "Can I Go On?" and "Is This What Feeling Gets? (Dorothy's Theme)". He also appeared onscreen in an uncredited cameo as the pianist in the Emerald City. It was during ''The Wiz'' that Quincy Jones first met with Michael Jackson, and he was so impressed with Jackson's work ethic playing the Scarecrow that Jones agreed to produce Jackson's forthcoming solo album ''Off the Wall''. They would later work together on two more Jackson albums, ''Thriller'' and ''Bad''. Jones would also produce and conduct on a song Jackson co-wrote, the 1985 charity anthem "We Are the World".
 
(Information courtesy [https://apnews.com/article/quincy-jones-dead-a9e31c7e39c448d8971519f47a22dd21 The Associated Press] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Jones Wikipedia]. Photo courtesy [https://www.facebook.com/@ozclub The International Wizard of Oz Club's Facebook page].)
 
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==September 30, 2024: Ken Page, 1954-2024==
[[File:Ken_Page.webp|left]]Ken Page, the character actor known for his work on stage and television, and in movies and video games, passed away in his sleep today at his home in St. Louis. He was 70. Soon after graduating college, he started his acting career at the famed Muny outdoor theater of St. Louis. He made his Broadway debut as Ted Ross's understudy as the Cowardly Lion in the original production of ''The Wiz'', a role he then took over after Ross left the show. He went on to play roles in shows such as ''Guys and Dolls'', ''Ain't Misbehavin' ''and ''Cats'' (as Old Deuteronomy) on Broadway, and playing the Cowardly Lion again in the Madison Square Garden production of ''The Wizard of Oz''. He would later return to the Muny to play both the Cowardly Lion and the Wizard in different productions of ''The Wizard of Oz''. He was also the voice of Oogie Boogie in ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'', a role he reprised in video games, concerts, and other presentations. He won a Theatre World Award in 1976, and a Drama Desk Award in 1978.
 
(Information courtesy [https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/Ken_Page The Oz Wiki] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Page Wikipedia].)


Stay tuned, because more from this issue will be coming over the next few days.
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==February 9, 2020: ''Judy'' and the 2019 Movie Awards Season==
==September 28, 2024: Ryan Bunch Receives 2024 L. Frank Baum Memorial Award; Oz Club Contest Winners==
Renée Zellweger was presented with the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role tonight for her performance as Judy Garland in the later years of her life in the film ''Judy''. This culminates the 2019-20 movie award season, which saw Zellweger give early notice that she would be a factor, as she also won the following awards:
Tonight, the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award, the highest honor that the International Wizard of Oz Club bestows, went to Ryan Bunch. Currently President of the Club, he has also served on the Board of Directors and as Vice-President. He has also chaired conventions and written for the Club's journal, ''The Baum Bugle''. His recent book, [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0190843144/thewonderwizardo/ ''Oz and the Musical''], examines how different dramatic interpretations of Oz on stage demonstrate the evolution of musical theater.
* Hollywood Actress Award at the 2019 Hollywood Film Awards.
* Best Actress at the 2019 British Independent Film Awards.
* Best Lead Actress at the 2019 Atlanta Film Critics Circle.
* Best Actress at the 2019 Phoenix Film Critics Society.
* Best Actress at the 2020 Houston Film Critics Society.
* The Desert Palm Achievement Award at the 2020 Palm Springs International Film Festival.
* Best Actress in a Motion Picture—Drama at the 2020 Golden Globe Awards.
* Best Actress from the National Board of Review.
* Best Actress from the 2020 AARP's Movies for Grownups Awards.
* Best Actress from the 2020 Critics' Choice Movie Awards.
* The American Riviera Award at the 2020 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
* Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role at the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Award.
* Actress of the Year from the 2020 London Film Critics Circle.
* Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2020 British Academy Film Awards (the BAFTAs).
* Best Female Lead at the 2020 Independent Film Awards.
Zellweger was also a runner-up for Best Actress from the San Diego Film Critics Society.


Renée Zellweger wasn't the only award presented to ''Judy'' or one of its contributors:
Also tonight, the winners of the Oz Club's annual writing and art contests were announced:
* Jeremy Woodhead won Make Up and Hair Design from the British Independent Film Awards. (Woodhead was also nominated for the Oscar in the same category, but lost to ''Bombshell''.)
* The Fred Otto Prize for Fiction:
* The film was one of the top ten independent films named by the National Board of Review.
** First place, "The Fairy King of Oz" by Jesse Jury
** Second place, "The Final Fate of the Phanfasms" by Aaron Solomon Adelman
* The C. Warren Hollister Prize for Non-Fiction:
** First place, "Ozma's Enduring Appeal 120 Years Later" by Leighton Suen
** Second place, "Puzzle Adventures in Oz" by Tyler B. Wright
* The Rob Roy MacVeigh Prize for Art:
** First place, "A Gathering of Ozians" by Rob Lauer
** Second place, "Glinda" by David Valentin


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----


==November 27, 2019: ''The Baum Bugle'' Autumn 2019==
==July 20, 2024: The 2024 Winkie Award==
[[File:Bbautumn19.jpg|center]]
Tonight, the 2024 edition of the Winkie Award was presented by OzCon International to Cindy Ragni. Cindy has been a long-time supporter of OzCon, presenting on many topics. In recent years, she has also coordinated the dealers' room (all while also running her own space in it). Her contributions were recognized by her fellow OzCon members, who voted that she receive the convention's highest award.
The latest issue of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now in the mail and finding its way to members. This issue celebrates the legacy of L. Frank Baum and his creation in the centennial year of his crossing the shifting sands.


In this issue:
----
* The wraparound cover by Mark Manley shows L. Frank Baum meeting with many of the characters he created in the Emerald City. The inside covers show some of Manley's preliminary sketches and the development of the final artwork.
* "Letters" sees Oz Club President Jane Albright outlining how Ozzy her summer was, while ''Baum Bugle'' editor in chief Sarah K. Crotzer looks at the process of putting this issue together.
* "Awards and Honors" tells the world that Bill Beem won the L. Frank Baum Memorial Award for 2019, written up by Peter E. Hanff and Bill Thompson.
* In "The Bugle Bulletin":
** The original set parts for "Over the Rainbow" were found in the collection of Angela White, the daughter of Dave Rose, Judy Garland's first husband (not her third husband, as the ''Bugle'' reports). It was performed in public for the first time on September 14, 2019.
** A black-and-white dress, worn onscreen by Bobby Koshay as she doubled for Judy Garland in ''The Wizard of Oz'', two Munchkin jackets, an Emerald City townsfolk jacket, and an Emerald City soldier's musket all went up for auction at [https://profilesinhistory.com/auctions/the-icons-legends-of-hollywood-auction/ Profiles in History]. Meanwhile, Ray Bolger's Tony Award for Charley's Aunt was auctioned off in August.
** The successful Kickstarter campaign to issue [https://cloverpress.us/collections/all/oz#MainContent a new edition of ''The Royal Book of Oz''], plus [http://www.seawolfpress.com/ Sea Wolf Press's] "100th Anniversary Collection" of all fourteen Oz novels by L. Frank Baum.
** The forthcoming ''Wizard of Oz'' escape room at [https://www.stlouisescape.com/escape-room-games-in-st-louis-missouri.html St. Louis Escape Rooms] in St. Louis, Missouri.
** A correction to last issue's review of ''Oz Behind the Iron Curtain'', giving the correct date for an early edition of ''Волшебник Изумрудного Города''.
** To celebrate The Movie's eightieth anniversary, Google added some interactivity to [https://www.google.com/search?safe=off&source=hp&ei=p7b6XbfTA4bb-gSAkbyYDg&q=the+wizard+of+oz&oq=the+wizard+of+oz&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l10.1512.5325..5556...0.0..0.197.1707.10j6......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i131.A_51fXVA2hg&ved=0ahUKEwj3wrqsrcDmAhWGrZ4KHYAID-MQ4dUDCAg&uact=5 its search results for ''The Wizard of Oz''] (click on the Ruby Slippers in the upper right hand corner to see for yourself).
** The National Endowment for the Arts gives a grant to [https://www.eastman.org/ The George Eastman Museum] to help preserve its movie holdings, which include the only known copy of the 1910 film version of ''The Wizard of Oz'', as well as the original negative of the famous 1939 movie version.
** The Dublin Zoo in Ireland has a classic children's literature theme to their annual [https://www.dublinzoo.ie/wildlights/ "Wild Lights"] holiday attraction. Among the stories profiled is ''The Wizard of Oz''.
** This year's New York State Fair had a sand sculpture celebrating the eightieth anniversary of The Movie. Not to be outdone, the Kansas State Fair this year featured butter sculptures of Dorothy and other Oz characters.
** "Beyond the Shifting Sands" notes the passing of artist Charles Santore.
** "Through the Tube" features the following YouTube videos:
*** [https://youtu.be/CmMN9bNwyDQ Peter Harrington Rare Books looks at the first edition of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz''].
*** [https://youtu.be/uOWJDjmt4GU "The Traveller and the Pie" from the 1903 stage version of ''The Wizard of Oz''], as presented by the Canton Comic Opera Company.
*** [https://youtu.be/jr7WbWgr3c0 A History of the Hotel del Coronado] in California, where L. Frank Baum wrote several of his books in the earliest years of the twentieth century.
* As a tribute to the late Fred M. Meyer, the Club's longtime Secretary, the ''Bugle'' published a previously unpublished item found in Meyer's files, "What Might L. Frank Baum Have Written Next?"
* What may be a fragment of an unfinished Oz story by L. Frank Baum, previously published in the ''Bugle'' in 1965, is reprinted as "An Oz Story", with a new illustration by Mark Manley.
* Gita Dorothy Morena, L. Frank Baum's great-granddaughter, and daughter of Ozma Baum Mentele, writes about her experiences with Oz and her family in "Living Inside the Oz Legacy".
* Mark Manley writes about his artistic journey in "Drawn to Oz".
* "The First Oz Fan Fiction" presents just that—at least the first published one—written by ten-year-old Henry Kutz and nine-year-old Max Stolz, from the June 5, 1909 edition of the ''Syracuse Post-Standard''.
* "'Written Solely to Please Children': Is Oz Still a Story for Kids?" by Dina Schiff Massachi looks at the audience(s) of the many different interpretations of Oz in mass media over the decades.
* Jane Albright takes a visit to "The Oz Museum: A World of Its Own in Wamego, Kansas", and catalogs other Oz and Oz-related museums around the United States.
* Albright also initiates a new column, "Guaranteed for a Thousand Years" with "The Empty Case for Oz", looking at how Oz fans can show off some of their collection in a local museum or library exhibit space. (Further contributions come from David C. Diket and Sarah K. Crotzer.)
* In "The Great Book of Records", Scott Cummings looks at contemporary accounts of the passing of the Royal Historian of Oz in "'The Maker of Fairies Is Dead': America Responds to the Death of L. Frank Baum".
* Presented in "Oz in the Arts":
** The recent movie [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B07YMHC328/thewonderwizardo/ ''Judy''], reviewed by Garrett Kilgore.
** ''The Wiz'', put on in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
* Books written up in "The Bugle Review":
** The French art album [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/2749148081/thewonderwizardo/ ''Oz'', illustrated by Stéphane Levallois], reviewed by David Maxine.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0190639040/thewonderwizardo/ ''Ray Bolger: More Than a Scarecrow'' by Holly van Leuven], reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0359223508/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Ruby Slippers of Oz: Thirty Years Later'' by Rhys Thomas, reviewed by Bill Campbell.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0451480171/thewonderwizardo/ ''Sea Sirens: A Trot and Cap'n Bill Adventure'' by Amy Chu, illustrated by Janet K. Lee], reviewed by Eric Shanower.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/173371510X/thewonderwizardo/ ''How the Wizard Came to Oz, Volume 1'' by Donald Abbott], reviewed by Atticus Gannaway.
** [https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/47176AA8-31E6-4E18-8366-D0F397DF4ED3 The 100 Anniversary Oz Collection], reprints of the first editions of L. Frank Baum's fourteen Oz books, reviewed by Sarah K. Crotzer.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0143132431/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Women's Suffrage Movement'', edited by Sally Roesch Wagner] and reviewed by Angelica Shirley Carpenter.
** [https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594633436/thewonderwizardo/ ''The Swan Gondola'' by Timothy Schaffert], reviewed by Dee Michel.
* In "Adventures in Oz", Raymond Francis Wohl recounts his discovery of Oz and how he turned it into a one man show about L. Frank Baum in "The Stories Behind the Stories".


Also included with this issue are:
==June 25, 2024: Bill Cobbs 1934-2024==
* Autumn Issue #5 of ''The Oz Gazette'', the newsletter for younger Oz fans. In this issue:
[[File:Master_Tinker.png|left]]Bill Cobbs, the Emmy Award-winning character actor passed away today at his home in Riverside, California. He was 90. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1934, Wilbert Francisco Hobbs was an Air Force radio technician for eight years, then went on to sell office supplies for IBM and cars. In 1970, at the age of 36, he went to New York City to try his hand at acting. Like most in the profession he struggled at first, but eventually he broke into small theatrical productions. He also started getting small roles in films and on television. His films included ''Air Bud'', the ''Night at the Museum'' series, ''The Hudsucker Proxy'', and ''That Thing You Do''. On television, he was a regular on ''I'll Fly Away'' and ''Go On'', and had guest appearances on such shows as ''The Drew Carey Show'', ''Jag'', ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' (where he played the inventor of the transporter), ''One Tree Hill'', ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' and ''Rugrats''. He won an Emmy Award in 2020 for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program for ''Dino Dana''. But to Oz fans, he will be remembered as Master Tinker in ''Oz the Great and Powerful''.
** News of a missing Munchkin named Kiki Aru.
 
** An editorial by editor Dorothy Gale.
(information courtesy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Cobbs Wikipedia].)
** The second part of the story of "How L. Frank Baum Became the Royal Historian of Oz".
<br clear=all>
** The Scarecrow writes about how important illustrations can be to a story.
** The "Ask Glinda" column covers a little bit of the history of the Nome King.
** And the Glass Cat produces her first society column (even typed by herself).
* Plus, the second part of the Emerald City toy theatre, showing the background (and a little bit of what's happening behind the scenes).


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==November 17, 2019: ''Oziana'' 2019==
==June 3, 2024: ''The Baum Bugle'' Spring 2024==
[[File:Oziana_2019.jpeg|right]]The 2019 issue of ''Oziana'', the annual literary journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now available for anyone to buy, whether they are Club members or not. It is available at [http://www.lulu.com/shop/marcus-mebes/oziana-2019/paperback/product-24323515.html this link to Lulu.com].
[[File:Bbspring24.jpeg|left|400 px]]
The first issue of the year of ''The Baum Bugle'', the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, is now making its way into members' mailboxes. This issue celebrates Oz in the 1950s, a decade not usually known for being terribly Ozzy.  


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


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


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==Rumor Control==
==March 18, 2024: Second Suspect Charged in Theft of the Ruby Slippers; Slippers Go On Tour Before Auction==
(Because of the many questions I am asked about possible forthcoming Oz projects or other bits of pseudo-news, I have added this section to answer some of these inquiries.)
A second suspect has been charged in the 2005 theft of a pair of the Ruby Slippers from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids. Minnesota. Jerry Sal Saliterman, 76, of Crystal, Minnesota was arraigned in federal court in St. Paul, and charged with felony theft of a major artwork and witness tampering, the latter a threat to distribute graphic videos of a woman to prevent her from talking to the FBI. As Saliterman is in a wheelchair and uses an oxygen tank, he was not deemed a flight risk and released on his own recognizance. His attorney intends to file a plea of not guilty. Details about the charges, or Saliterman's connection to Terry John Martin, who pled guilty to stealing the Ruby Slippers late last year, are still unknown at this time.
 
In related news, Michael Shaw, the owner of the Ruby Slippers at the time of the theft (he had loaned them to the museum) has bought back the Ruby Slippers from his insurance company, and received them in February. He has now turned them over to Heritage Actions, a firm that specializes in selling movie memorabilia and other rare items, for safekeeping and consignment. Heritage plans to put the Slippers on display in an international tour before auctioning them off in December this year.
 
(Information courtesy [https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/second-man-charged-over-theft-of-wizard-of-oz-ruby-slippers-1602790.html Breakingnews.ie] and [https://www.mprnews.org/story/2024/03/17/second-man-indicted-in-oz-ruby-slipper-theft Minnesota Public Radio].)


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The previously announced release date for the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical version of ''Wicked'' turns out to have been premature—''again''. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic shuffling release schedules around, the original first-postponed December 22, 2021 release date was given over to ''Sing 2''. So the ''Wicked'' movie is on hold again, but it is still in development, although it has no definitive release date yet. The delay was so long that director Stephen Daldrey left the project on October 20, 2020.
==Rumor Control==
(Because of the many questions I am asked about possible forthcoming Oz projects or other bits of pseudo-news, I have added this section to answer some of these inquiries.)


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*''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 21:40, 14 April 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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April 13, 2025: Jean Marsh, 1934-2025

Jean Marsh.jpeg

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.)


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

Wicked is a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form. The Hugos will be awarded at the 2025 World Science Fiction Convention in Seattle on August 16.

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

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

(Information courtesy The Associated Press.)

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

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

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

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

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

In this issue:

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

Also included with this issue:

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

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

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

Other Oz items available in the auction:

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

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

(Information and image courtesy Heritage Auctions.)


December 2, 2024: Paul Maslansky 1933-2024

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

(Information courtesy Variety and Wikipedia.)

November 3, 2024: Quincy Jones, 1933-2024

Quincy Jones in The Wiz.

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

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

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

September 30, 2024: Ken Page, 1954-2024

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

(Information courtesy The Oz Wiki and Wikipedia.)


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

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

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

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

July 20, 2024: The 2024 Winkie Award

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

June 25, 2024: Bill Cobbs 1934-2024

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

(information courtesy Wikipedia.)

June 3, 2024: The Baum Bugle Spring 2024

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


In this issue:

Also included with this issue:

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

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

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

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

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

Rumor Control

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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