] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 1, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] *** HAPPY AND OZZY NEW YEAR TO ALL! :) :) :) *** ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 06:08:15 -0500 From: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 12-30-96 Aaron: I think that's the 1st verse of our national anthem, isn't it? And doesn't line 4 begin "At", not "And the twilight's last gleaming"? Ken S.: Thanks, one more time! David & Scott: I like both of the Bill Stillman edited '96 Bugles very much. But I'm a little bothered by the amount of space given to Shirley Temple, and her association with Oz. I'm a fan of hers, but find her Oz connection rather weak. Happy '97, everyone! Dick ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 10:31:13 -0500 From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-30-96 Eric: I already know what you look like. :-) But I'll check out the changes in your Web site anyhow. Certainly anything on the CD-ROM dealing with Oz history, geography, etc. should be clearly labeled as the speculation/analysis of the (identified) author of the article, and not as Received Wisdom. But with that proviso, I don't see anything wrong with including new material if whoever is putting the thing together wants to put it in. I'm one of the ones (possibly the only one) who thought he'd seen a review of QUEEN ANN in the BUGLE, but I guess I was wrong. I know I have a memory of seeing reviews of QUEEN ANN and PATCHWORK BRIDE, one after the other, and if it wasn't in the BUGLE I wonder where it was? Glad the snow didn't do anything worse to you than snow you in. I hope you're not where you're likely to be flooded, either; I hear that's the next big threat in the Northwest. Ken S.: It's interesting that your chronology on PG indicates that it's a day's journey from the EC to Jack Pumpkinhead's, yet they also make it back from the Tin Woodman's castle in a day - even though we know, from both EMERALD CITY and ROAD, that Jack lives between the TW and EC. (Most of the other books put Jack much less than a day's walk from the EC.) Aaron: That's the first verse of the SSB that you quoted. I used to know more of it, but at the moment the only lines I can bring up are "Oh, thus be it e'er/When free men shall stand/Between their loved homes and the war's desolation," which are the opening lines of, I believe, the third verse; and "Blessed with vict'ry and peace/ May the Heav'n-rescued land", and I can't place where those lines come from at all. Don't know why they stuck in my mind. It's not that I remember ever singing those verses, but when I was in grade school we had song assemblies where they'd pass out songbooks to all of us and some teacher would play the piano and we'd all sing as best we could. In between, for lack of anything else to read, I'd read the lyrics to songs and verses we weren't singing. Some things stuck better than others; I can still remember all the verses of "Waltzing Matilda," for instance. And one bit that also stuck with me was the opening of the one-time Canadian national anthem, "The Maple Leaf Forever". It starts out, "In days of yore, from Britain's shore/ Wolfe the dauntless hero came." Somehow I suspect that the French-Canadians were instrumental in getting that one replaced with "O Canada" (though I've read that the French words to the latter are completely different in meaning from the English ones). When Baum says in SCARECROW that "ever since then [losing his leg] he had been Trot's mother's 'star boarder'" it doesn't really sound as if Trot's mother was dead, but it doesn't absolutely rule it out, I guess. "Ojo" means "grief"? In what language? I'd have thought Hebrew from the context, but Hebrew doesn't have a sound like the English "j", and it isn't written in Roman characters, so there's neither a sound-alike nor a look-alike version. (It means "eye" in Spanish, FWIW, as a look-alike version.) I pretty much agree with your review of INVISIBLE INZI. Nice Shanower illos, though. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 10:07:03 -0800 From: ozbot@ix.netcom.com (ozbot) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-30-96 Hey, I still haven't recieved my Autumn Bugle yet. All this talk about it is making me as anxious as a mushy Pumpkinhead watching a ripening pumpkin patch. . . For Ken-- Do you think you could start "PATCHWORK GIRL" earlier when Dr Pipt started the batch of Life Powder? It would make a visual reminder of how long the Crooked Magician was actually stirring those pots! For Eric-- How about the picture of Ozma leaning her head on her arms? It would make a great interlaced image, so it wouldn't need to take a long time to download, either As for "mailto" images, any of those pictures around Baum's "To my readers" prologues or even those around the copyright symbols? Aaron-- Is that the first verse or the second verse of SSBanner? And, about the high notes, I heard that the SSB is one of the most difficult songs that we Americans sing on a regular basis. The other was "Happy Birthday to You." Something about a wierd arrangements of notes, making you jump a whole octave at times. Ozzy gifts-- I too got many Oz books for Christmas (handing out highlighted catalogues to my family was a big help :) ) I starting reading Enchanted Island Of Yew, and was surprised at Baum's anti-femine stance, where the young ladies at a picnic persuade a female fairy to turn into a mortal man instead of a woman! Granted, the story takes place obviously "once upon a time" but still, I would feel obligated to constantly explain that to a little child if I were reading it to her! I'll wait and see how the rest of the book turns out. . . Danny ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 14:17:07 -0500 From: Michael Turniansky Subject: Ozzy webpages (please include) As I finally have a much more stable WWW access, I was finally able to take a look at some of your Web pages, in particular, Dave Hardenbrooks, Gili's, Eric's, Tyler's, and Ken Cope's. Thank you all for your beuatiful efforts (oh, BTW, Gilli, you say to "mail you" (with a really nifty Java applet that is probably standard, but I've not seen before), but there is no link to your e-mail. Have your friend put one in, please. Congrats, also, on your being assigned the translation of Disney's version of /James and the Giant Peach/ (I liked the original, myself, but haven't seen Disney's yet).) Dave, great pictures of EC and Mt. Munch. Ditto, Ken C.'s map of Oz. Marvelous FAQ, Eric. --Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky BTW, I thought "Davy Jones" was Tyler's great^14th grand-uncle? ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 22:58:20 -0500 From: OzBucket@aol.com Subject: Oz trivia question I feel so dumb, but can't recall who someone is. Boglodore, the Old Man of the Forest/Jungle or something. Who is he? Good/Evil? Where last sighted? Which books is he in? I know he's somebody terribly important... ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 2, 1997 (Part 1 of 2) *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] [NOTE: Today's Digest is divided into two parts because it was large enough to choke my flakey, _El cheapo_, "Free gift" version of Eudora -- Dave] ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 04:58:37 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-01-96 ***SPOILER FOR CAPTAIN SALT IN OZ*** Boglodore is the Old Man of the Jungle in _Captain Salt_. He was the hit man for the nine scheming Ozamandarins and is the one who carried Tandy off to the jungle (on his flying umbrellaphant, no less). He says he never meant to hurt Tandy and that he used his magic to give Nikobo the power of speech and set her to guard Tandy. He dumps the evil Ozamandarins over a cliff. He is, essentially, a plot device and is a mixed bag of both good and evil. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 12:26:16 -0500 From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-31-96 & 01-01-97 How can it be 1997 already? (I note that it isn't in the "subject" line of the 1/1 Digest. :-)) Happy New Year, everyone! 12/31: Bob: Books of Wonder has reprinted SKY ISLAND; you could either order it from them or find it at your local Borders, assuming you have a local Borders and don't refuse to patronize it because of their labor policies. Many good SF-fantasy specialty bookstores also carry the BoW books. This group only represents a small fraction of the people who are fascinated by Oz. You should join the IWOC and come to one or more of the Oz conventions. (Not knowing your location I can't say which one, although if the "pacbell" in your address means you work for Pacific Bell, Winkies would be the appropriate one.) Bear: I'm not sure what my point about evil was, either, now that I think back on it. I know I had an idea at the time, but I forget what it was. It does seem odd that even though our "out-of-control legal system" has a far greater proportion of our population behind bars than in any other industrialized country in the world, we have the highest crime rate as well. One suspects Ozma might be right that putting people in prison isn't the best approach to preventing crime. Robin: A confusing number of Robins in the Oz world; I'm sure Aaron was referring to Robin Hess's using Button-Bright's family in CHRISTMAS IN OZ. I knew you were one of the judges in the IWOC contest, but judges can always recuse themselves from a case where they have a personal interest. Or you could have changed your mind about being a judge after all. I didn't expect so, but had to copper my bets there. Sunny: Sorry to hear you were in hospital - hope all is well with you now! Dave: I see nothing wrong with including non-canonical information on the CD-ROM, as long as its origin is clearly stated. But it would be a lower priority than getting all the canonical information there. There's a reference to the Oz National Anthem at the beginning of the parade of celebrities in WISHING HORSE. There may be others, but I couldn't find one in a quick scan of probable places. 1/1: Dick: I thought the BUGLE articles on Shirley Temple made enough of an Oz connection that they were appropriate. It's not as if they were comprehensive bios; everything in them was tied in to Oz in one way or another. Danny: I think that what the girls told the fairy at the beginning of YEW - that in their (obviously medieval) world, upper-class girls had little scope for adventure - is undeniably true. Some of the words they used were most likely intended to be tongue in cheek; it's clear from his other books that Baum had the greatest respect for the abilities of females. Chris: As many others will probably tell you, Boglodore is the Old Man of the Jungle, the owner of the Umbrellaphant, who kidnapped Tandy and later dropped the Ozamandarins in the sea in CAPTAIN SALT. (One thing I've never understood - several times in the Oz books characters are dropped into the water and the implication is that they'll stay there unless/until someone fishes them out. I've never understood why, if they don't drown, they can't just walk out. Other examples I can think of are Professor Woggle-bug in one of the books - don't remember which; it was a minor incident - and the people of Menankypoo in PIRATES. I suppose it could be argued that although they don't die, in the absence of oxygen their muscles won't work.) David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 12:11:37 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-01-96 > From: DIXNAM@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digest 12-30-96 > > But I'm a little bothered by the amount of space given to Shirley Temple, > and her association with Oz. I'm a fan of hers, but find her Oz connection > rather weak. Well, then, two articles in ~120 issues of the "Bugle" is probably enough . > From: DavidXOE@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-30-96 > > Eric: > I already know what you look like. :-) Good, then you can tell everyone if I chose a good picture or not. (It is a few years old now.) Of course, YOU haven't seen me for a year and a half now... > I'm one of the ones (possibly the only one) who thought he'd seen a review of > QUEEN ANN in the BUGLE, but I guess I was wrong. I know I have a memory of > seeing reviews of QUEEN ANN and PATCHWORK BRIDE, one after the other, and if > it wasn't in the BUGLE I wonder where it was? If you ever find out, let me know. I'd like to see any reviews of it myself. > Glad the snow didn't do anything worse to you than snow you in. I hope you're > not where you're likely to be flooded, either; I hear that's the next big > threat in the Northwest. There is a stream by our back door that is rising VERY high... But the biggest problem that's come up is the lake in our parking lot, right in front of our garage. But floods, unlike blizzards, are nothing new for us around here. This one just looks a little more severe than usual, is all. > From: ozbot@ix.netcom.com (ozbot) > Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-30-96 > > For Eric-- > How about the picture of Ozma leaning her head on her arms? It would > make a great interlaced image, so it wouldn't need to take a long time > to download, either Where is this picture from? And in what context on my web page should I put it? > As for "mailto" images, any of those pictures around Baum's "To my > readers" prologues or even those around the copyright symbols? Good thinking. I'll take a look. (I just remembered the picture of Tip reading mail in "Land," that may be perfect.) > Aaron-- Is that the first verse or the second verse of SSBanner? And, > about the high notes, I heard that the SSB is one of the most difficult > songs that we Americans sing on a regular basis. The other was "Happy > Birthday to You." Something about a wierd arrangements of notes, > making you jump a whole octave at times. The first two notes of "Over the Rainbow" are separated by an entire octave. Just thought I'd mention that. > From: OzBucket@aol.com > Subject: Oz trivia question > > I feel so dumb, but can't recall who someone is. Boglodore, the Old Man of > the Forest/Jungle or something. Who is he? Good/Evil? Where last sighted? > Which books is he in? I know he's somebody terribly important... (Eric pulls out his trusty copy of "Who's Who in Oz") Here we go. On page 22... "Boglodore was a wizard in Ozamaland and was also known as the Old Man of the Jungle. He carried Prince Tandy off to Patripanny Island in the Nonestic Ocean and left him to the mercies of the wild beasts and Leopard Men. When his own treachery betrayed him, Boglodore turned against his co-plotter in a way that helped Prince Tandy out of his difficulties. 'Captain Salt in Oz,' p. 260. (T)" --Eric "And today is the fortieth anniversary of the International Wizard of Oz Club -- Happy Birthday, IWOC!" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 15:39:49 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Nate and Dave: Serialization? I'm still trying to figure it out too. :-( Bob Spark: Dave already mentioned Books of Wonder. Could someone post their 800 number again? I've been persuing digests for the past few months, and can't find it. Sunny: Hope your trip to the hospital was not too serious. Glad you're back. Dave: I remember a reference to _The Oz Spangled Banner_, probably in Baum or Thompson. Original material: I am in favor of original material on the CD. I agree with David's suggestion that this material be marked as theoretical, personal opinions, etc. Some topics are vitally important, IMO. One of these is the validity of Oz books. I wrote an essay for the Oz Research Group called "What is an Oz book?" that explores this issue. Also, the status of Ozma is important, since she is the ruler of all Oz. As long as we are careful to note the differences between factual information, theories, and discussions, I feel that all kinds of different material can be added. The whole point is to explore Oz in ALL its forms, not just a recitation of already existing works. Dave and Ken: I checked, and the log of _Emerald City_ is indeed there. So we now have the first seven. :-) Chris, alias OzBucket: Boglodore is the Old Man of the Jungle in _Captain Salt_. He is also the companion of Umbo, the Umbrella Elephant. This is embarassing to say, but I forgot if he was good or evil! Of course, as soon as I unpack all my stuff, I can check, but perhaps someone else can analyze his character. Dave: I have my thanks to add for the digest, but in a different way. One thing that you have been doing recently is putting multiple dates on the digest to account for missing dates. For example, if there was no digest on December 21, then the digest for December 22 would be titled _The Ozzy Digest, December 21-22. This greatly helps in making sure that I have all the digests archived. So thanks a bunch! :-) --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 13:06:57 -0800 From: ozbot@ix.netcom.com (ozbot) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-31-96 You're probably going to get razzed about this by others, but. . . Dave, You wrote: > > >Button Bright: And we guys are just a bunch of macho slobs who wear camo >underwear and rip the feathers out of Orks, eh? :) > Well, Button Bright, last time I looked at an Ork, your defense doesn't seem to be holding up too well. . . Ork: Well, I could afford a little off the top, please. . . Grinning, Danny ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 16:53:15 -0500 (EST) From: Gili Bar-Hillel Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-01-96 Hi Digest! I'm back after a relaxing ten days back home in Jerusalem. A week ago, I was opting for lunch indoors because the sun was too strong outdoors. Back in Cambridge, I nearly froze my fingers off... I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and I wish you a happy new year! I've spent the better part of two hours catching up on digests. Here are some of my responses, which I'll attempt to give in reverse order so they won't seem irrelevant: Aaron - as many have pointed out, that IS only the first verse of the star spangled banner. I just wanted to add that most Israelis, too, know only the first verse of "HaTikvah", which actually has more that ten verses. Most people probably don't even know that there is more than one verse. Same goes for "Maoz Tzur", the Hannuka song. As for Danny's comment about how difficult "Star Spangled Banner" and "Happy Birthday" are too sing, "HaTikvah" also has a one octave jump in it - those pesky high notes :-). As for a national anthem of Oz, I don't have my books with me to check, but I'm sure at least one very anthem-like title of a song is mentioned in the FF, at one of the events, maybe at the end of _ROAD_ or _MAGIC_. Here's the song I had the Ozites sing in "Pigmentation" (off the top of my head, so this may vary slightly from the version printed in Oziana): Ozma, dear Ozma, our beautiful Queen She rules from the city whose turrets are green Her lips are as red as a Quadling's dream And Gilliken violet her eyes. Dorothy, Dorothy, princess and friend The most wonderful gift that a cyclone could send Her hair is as yellow as Winkie Ice-cream And her eyes are like blue Munchkin skies. I cannot vouch for Ozma's eyes actually being violet, though I don't think I've come across any evidence to the contrary. But some poetic license must be allowed if we are to mention all five regions of Oz and their colors... David - I too, know at least some of the lyrics of "Waltzing Matilda". My grandmother had them printed on a tea-towel ;-). Aaron again - I would never in a million years have thought of reading Jinnicky's name the way you did. For one thing, the natural way to transcribe this name into Hebrew would be without an aleph at the end, so that the last syllable would not be spelled the same as the word "vomit". In my experience, both in English and definitely in Hebrew, names ending with the sound "ee" have a postive connotation: "ee" is used as a suffix of endearment or as a diminutive. (Gili is my middle name, not my first name, because my grandmother claimed it sounds like a nickname and isn't respectable enough for a first name). Compare Dave and Davy, John and Johnny, Rose and Rosie, Ann and Annie... Hence, conceivably, Jinnick and Jinnicky. Jinnicky could also be the derivative of a longer name (as Debbie is of Deborah, Abbie of Abigail, Mandy of Amanda...). But for what it's worth, my intuition is that the Arabic word for vomit is not "ki". The Arabic "kuf" is much more guttaral than the Hebrew, it is almost a G sound, and is often transcribed with a G instead of a K. (as in "gahwe" for "coffee"). Davey Jones - I can't resist the temptation to quote Tom Lehrer's "Irish Ballad", thought the connection is tenuous at best. Off the top of my head,in a greatly condensed version (every other line of the actual song is "sing ricketty ticketty tin"): About a girl I'll sing a song Who did not have her family long. Not only did she do them wrong, She did every one of them in. Her mother she could never stand, And so a cyanide soup she planned. The mother died with a spoon in her hand, And her face in a hideous grin. She set her sister's hair on fire And as the flames rose higher and higher, She danced aroung the funeral pyre Playing the violin. One day when she had nothing to do She cut her baby brother in two She served him up in an Irish stew And invited the neighbors all in. Her father she weighed down with stones And sent him down to DAVEY JONES (see, there was a connection) All they ever found was a pile of bones And occasional pieces of skin. But when at last police came by, Her little pranks she did not deny, For to do so she would have had to lie, And lying she knew was a sin. I think villains are usually much more interesting than heroes. ;-) I had zillions more things to say, but i'll skip them. I'm sleepy. Jetlag :-(. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gili Bar-Hillel abhillel@fas.harvard.edu gili@scso.com http://www.scso.com/~gili ====================================================================== "He thought he saw an Elephant |\ _,,,---,,_ That practised on a fife: /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ He looked again, and found it was |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' A letter from his wife. '---''(_/--' `-'\_) 'At length I realise,' he said, (cat by Felix Lee) 'The bitterness of Life!'" - Lewis Carrol, "Sylvie and Bruno" ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 16:54:23 -0500 From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-01-96 Dave and Everyone -- It's been a very Ozzy holiday season this year thanks to all of you in the Ozzy Digest. I haven't been this excited about Oz in years. I'm already planning to go to this year's Munchkin convention - the last time I went was in 1981! My wife, Terry, gave me BoW's "Enchanted Island of Yew" for Christmas. I read it in two sittings. I enjoyed it very much. It definitely reminded me that I like non-Oz Baum better than non-Baum Oz. (I may be in the minority here.) I too, noticed the anti-feminist thread. But I'm also thinking about Martin Gardner's essay, "The Royal Historian of Oz," which is reprinted in a new anthology of his writings. (I think it's called "The Universe is Large," or something like that.) Gardner writes that "Enchanted Island of Yew" is plagued by dark psychological undertones, but he doesn't explain what he means. Do you think he's referring to Nerle's masochistic quest for pain and misery? On another note, I'm so excited because I finally finished my collection of FF reading copies. I stumbled upon a first edition of "Hidden Valley" and was able to buy it for $35. It's 46 years old, but for me it's a new Oz book! I also found a place with a FE of "Shaggy Man" for $125, but I don't know if that's a good deal. Finally, I just checked out Eric Gjovaag's web page for the first time. (I used my office computer b/c, alas my home computer doesn't have enough RAM to run AOL's web browser.) I printed the whole thing out -- I love it! I'm especially pleased to see the Baum bibliography, including pseudonymous works. I also had no idea about IWOC's latest publications, such as "The Wicked Witch of Oz," or the new book planned for 2000. Another good reason to rejoin IWOC. Sorry so long, but it's been a revelation for me to rediscover Oz. Happy, Ozzy New Year! -- Craig Noble ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 18:10:15 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 12-30-96 David Hulan: The Lost Sea is located off Exit 60 on Rt 75 south, southwest of Knoxville, Tenn. Hope that's not too far out of your way. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 17:41:53 -0800 (PST) From: w_baldwin@juno.com (Warren H Baldwin) Subject: Oz Trivia More of those ubiquitous Oz references: In the book _The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to H---_ by H. Harrison (please, no remarks on my taste in reading matter) an actual yellow brick road plays a minor role in the plot. In the book _Moon Shot_ by Shepard and Slayton an allusion is made to Dorothy's ruby slippers as a comparative for astronaut gear. On the CD _World's Greatest Classic Books_, which purports to contain "over 3,500 of the world's best literary works from the greatest writers of all time," one of those works is _The Wizard of Oz_, which I thought was rather impressive because (a) this is a Canadian company, apparently, and (b) The Wiz keeps company with such documents as works of Shakespeare, Dickens, Poe, the King James version of the Bible, The Koran, that Manifesto, and many others. And it was under 20 bucks. Go figure with the million-dollar estimate for an Oz CD. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 17:19:45 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-31-96 > From: "Stephen J. Teller" > Subject: Ozzyness > > I am starting to need reviews > for the Spring 1997 issue. If you have something you would like to > review, or if you know of something that should be reviewed in the BUGLE > even if you do not want to write the review, please contact me > (steller@pittstate.edu). I'd suggest reviewing "Queen Ann in Oz," but I think I stuck my big fat foot in my mouth once again and did so. Which leads me to... > From: Robin Olderman > Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 12-30-96 > > Eric: Instead of publicly blaming IWOC (yeah, that's how it translates--as > blame, I mean), why not just write Steve Teller, the Review Editor of the > _Bugle_? Sorry, yes, foot-in-mouth disease strikes again. Seriously, I DON'T think there is an anti-BoW conspiracy, and I CERTAINLY don't think Steve is involved, but I did not do a very good job of conveying that in my note. > From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> > Subject: Oz > > Eric: > Glad to hear you're OK in Seattle. My dad lives in Bellingham, so he knows > all about snow. I went to school in Bellingham. They've been getting the worst of this latest set of storms. I know JUST how he feels. I hope he's all right. > Also, my _Laughing Dragon_ is probably about as fragile as yours. I think they're ALL pretty fragile. > From: Dave Hardenbrook > Subject: Ozzy Things > > Eric suggests that the CD-ROM shouldn't include original stuff by us-- I suggested nothing of the sort. I suggested that all that stuff should be a lower priority than the FF, works by Baum, et. al. Question is, what is the audience this CD-ROM will reach? Is it aimed at Oz fans in general (and those who may not have the vast knowledge, expertise, or contacts we do)? Or is it "The Ozzy Digest CD-ROM," just for us? > And so what if we don't agree? The CD will present opposing views then! Again, it comes down to, how will the material be prioritized for inclusion? Which is more important and useful for the intended audience? If you can fit on extra essays, great. But if we're going to limit this to one CD, which seems to be the case (and the most practical), something may not be put on. > True, we'll have to be selective on what issues we include, or else we > may have enough material for 50 CDs, but I think it can be done. How will it be decided? And who will do the deciding? > There > are definitely some very fundamental issues that could be included like, > "Do all HACC books have equal validity, or is the FF the only 'real' Oz?" Do you think people can't decide for themselves on this, then? Do they need the Guiding Hand of Ye Olde Digesters to tell them one way or the other? Or can you allow people to decide for themselves, even though they may disagree with you? In other words, WHY is this still an issue, and why are people trying to impose this beyond the Digest? > And while I know I'm being egocentric, I admit I would like to see the > debates that reflect on my own contributions to Oz -- Are ideas about a > resurrected Good Witch of the North, Adepts with dynamic personalities, > and an Ozma who is not only assertive, wise, and strong-minded but also is > interested in marriage valid concepts or do they represent total satanic > blasphemy (as I know all too well some of you believe)? Or can we let Oz readers come up with their own ideas? Which brings me to this little bon mot: > ( Dave ducks while Eric and other FF-purists > fling the Wicked Witch of the West's fireballs at him... :) :) ) Dave, I am VERY, VERY angry at this. I am NOT, by any stretch of the imagination, an FF purist. Would I have written my own Oz book if I was a purist? Would I have gone out in the snow to a bookstore just to buy "How the Wizard Saved Oz" after I got a "Sorry, sold out" note from Books of Wonder if I was a purist? (Don't laugh, I really did -- and paid more for it than BoW charged, too!) Would I have over FOUR HUNDRED Oz books in my collection if I was a purist -- including such gems (?) as "Wicked," "Was," "A Barnstormer in Oz," "The Lizard of Oz," "Dorothy and the Lizard of Oz" (probably one of the biggest wastes of paper ever), and "Radioactive Teddy Bear from Hell Destroys Oz"? Yes, except for "Mr. Flint in Oz" and a few March Laumer books, I have just about every original Oz story ever published, and even one or two that haven't been yet. And I have read and enjoyed them all (well, maybe not thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them, but you get the idea). So by no stretch of the imagination, I think it's fair to say, can I be accused of being a FF purist. You have totally failed to comprehend and appreciate my position. Therefore, I am going to spell it out yet again. As Oz fans, we (and by we I mean ALL Oz fans, not just those online, or those online who actually say things) need to have a common base of reference. Let's face it, as much as we'd like everyone to be able to acquire and read every Oz book ever written, it just isn't possible. Too many fans have different priorities, tastes, etc., for it to happen. Coming up with a common reference base is itself problematical, since some fans prefer one author (such as those who recognize only Baum as the one true Oz author), but since there is one generally agreed upon set of "official" books -- the FF -- that are generally more available and generally acknowledged by fans and researchers, this needs to be the common ground -- and this is also the common ground from which all the other books spring, directly or indirectly. Since there is a common reference base, for the sake of one's audience that common reference base needs to have a higher priority than any other Oz book. (Note that I said HIGHER priority, not that the FF should be the ONLY priority.) Because odds are, any fellow Oz fan you are talking to will be much more likely to have read -- or at least know about -- the FF than any other Oz book. Therefore, when discussing research, MOPPeT's, etc., I prefer to limit myself to the FF, not because I think it's in any way pure or sacred, but because I know that's what people are most familiar with. I do not want to alienate my audience by bringing in works they are most likely not familiar with and may no longer be able to easily access. (What *I* find especially irritating is when people use unpublished manuscripts to justify some theory or idea. How can ANYONE else access the material, read it, and form their own conclusion?) What this boils down to is, I am trying to appeal to as many Oz fans as I can, while remaining true to my own sense of Ozziness. Some fans are more into Oz than I am, for some it's not as big a deal. And that is perfectly all right, I am not trying to come in from on high and say, "Thou shalt read these Oz books and thinketh this," as unfortunately some posters on this Digest have come off appearing at times. So I am naturally upset when people think of this as some sort of elitism or purism, when in fact I'm trying to do just the opposite -- allow people to think for themselves and read what they want and make up their own minds as to what is and is not an Oz book. Dave, I want an apology, but more importantly, I want you and the other Digesters to finally understand my position. --Eric "And now I'll clam up again" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: 01 January, 1997 23:45:33 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things Eric wrote: >> From: Dave Hardenbrook >> Subject: Ozzy Things >> >> Eric suggests that the CD-ROM shouldn't include original stuff by us-- > >I suggested nothing of the sort. I suggested that all that stuff should >be a lower priority than the FF, works by Baum, et. al... Well okay, I misuderstood...But you DID say that you thought it should have priority just a tier above Nixon's "Checkers" speech -- Since that speech was of course a little less than 0% Ozzy, it left the impression that you didn't care to have original material on the CD *at all*... > Question is, what >is the audience this CD-ROM will reach? Is it aimed at Oz fans in >general (and those who may not have the vast knowledge, expertise, or >contacts we do)? Or is it "The Ozzy Digest CD-ROM," just for us? Well, I'm assuming that the average Oz fan might be interested in the kind of debates/research are going on in the Oz community, but perhaps I'm mistaken... >> True, we'll have to be selective on what issues we include, or else we >> may have enough material for 50 CDs, but I think it can be done. > >How will it be decided? And who will do the deciding? All of us who put the CD together can reach a concensus, I hope (But again, perhaps I'm mistaken). >Do you think people can't decide for themselves on this, then? Do they >need the Guiding Hand of Ye Olde Digesters to tell them one way or the >other? Or can you allow people to decide for themselves, even though they >may disagree with you? In other words, WHY is this still an issue, and >why are people trying to impose this beyond the Digest? I don't want us on the Digest to TELL anyone anything (except factual things like "Thompson wrote Oz books between 1920 and 1939")...If we include debatable issues, I want them to be presented as MOPPeTs (an acronym that we are all grateful to you for, BTW), and let the reader decide for himself if he agree or disagrees. >> And while I know I'm being egocentric, I admit I would like to see the >> debates that reflect on my own contributions to Oz -- Are ideas about a >> resurrected Good Witch of the North, Adepts with dynamic personalities, >> and an Ozma who is not only assertive, wise, and strong-minded but also is >> interested in marriage valid concepts or do they represent total satanic >> blasphemy (as I know all too well some of you believe)? > >Or can we let Oz readers come up with their own ideas? As I said, I was aware of my own egocentricity (that part of me that wants to "advertise" my own Oz writings at every opportunity)... >> ( Dave ducks while Eric and other FF-purists >> fling the Wicked Witch of the West's fireballs at him... :) :) ) > >Dave, I am VERY, VERY angry at this... I think this goes back to what has been pointed out before on the Digest: That the very impersonal-ness of the Internet makes it very easy to offend people even if we only mean it as a "joke". We all need to practice more tact... Ozma: A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a kind word is worth a HUNDRED thousand SMILIES... :) >I am NOT, by any stretch of the >imagination, an FF purist...You have totally failed to comprehend and >appreciate my position. Therefore, I am going to spell it out yet again... Okay, I get what you're saying, and apologize for chiding you for merely wanting to recognize the "Canonical" status of the FF over non-FF works... If it's all right, I like to put your comments in the Digest file containing everyone's MOPPeT's so that we are all aware of your position and don't misrepresent your views again. >(What *I* find especially irritating is when people use >unpublished manuscripts to justify some theory or idea. How can ANYONE >else access the material, read it, and form their own conclusion?) I recognize this is a crime I'm *very* guilty of, because I'm always using my unpublished manuscripts _Locasta_, "Fairy Princess", and even my Sci-Fi novel(!) as "evidence" of Ozzy theories...As I said, I'm arrogant and egocentric...Maybe someday I'll grow up...Even though I *try* to do better I still sometimes forget that Oz belongs to *everyone* and act like Baum left Oz to me in his will. :) >Dave, I want an apology, but more importantly, I want you and the other >Digesters to finally understand my position. I *DO* most emphatically apologize, and I think you finally got your point of view through my Emerald-coated cranium... :) -- Dave ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 2, 1997 (Part 2 of 2) *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 05:57:58 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Poll-DAVE, PLEASE READ FIRST AND ADD STUFF IF I FORGOT I POLL: Here are the questions in our _Ozzy Digest_ poll. Feel free to answer directly in the _Digest_, this time, instead of e-mailing me privately. This way, y'all can see all of each response, instead of only the condensed version of it. Answer only the questions you feel like answering. Please, however, answer the questions in sequence. Thanks! N.B. Not all of these questions will lend themselves to tabulation. NAME: DATE OF BIRTH: HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): PROFESSION: HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.) ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.) WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) ****************************************** NOTE: Please E-mail responses to me so they can be printed in the Digest... -- Dave ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 20:26:29 -0500 (EST) From: bmartine@sas.upenn.edu (Brook T Martinez) Subject: The timing of Oz Dear Dave, I'm a freshmean at the University of Pennsylvania and was recently told that if I listened to the Pink Floyd album "Dark side of the moon" with Oz they parallel each other. So I went out and bought Oz and watched them as imstructed and, sure enough , it worked. At first I thought that this was brilliant of Pink Floyd and still do. But then I realized that there something behind Oz that is also incredible. Oz is timed in a certain way that the movie parallels itself in several ways. I began to think this when I read on a web page that you can also start the CD when the house lands in Oz (not just at the beginning of the movie). I'm writing to ask if you have any information about the amazing parallels of time in the movie. Thanks for your time and please write back. Thanks again, Brook Martinez ps Another thing: what's up with the soldiers marching like the nazis? I noticed the film was in 1939, right as the nazis came into power. Just curious. [NOTE: I don't think this fellow is a Digest member, so please send him private E-mail if you want to respond to his question. -- Dave] ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 23:00:57 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* Re: Ozzy Digest 1-1 David H-- >chronology on PG indicates that it's a day's journey from the EC to Jack Pumpkinhead's, yet they also make it back from the Tin Woodman's castle in a day - even though we know, from both EMERALD CITY and ROAD, that Jack lives between the TW and EC.< You may also notice that in PG it takes Ojo's party two days to get to the border of the Quadling Country, but in JACK PUMPKINHEAD Peter and Jack make it to Scare City in a couple of hours walking. Of course, the IWOC Oz map show Mr Yoop and the Hoppers & Horners a lot further west than Scare City.... Danny-- >start "PATCHWORK GIRL" earlier when Dr Pipt started the batch of Life Powder?< Sure, it's possible... I just never thought of it. Feel free to add it if you choose... Chris-- I'm sure everyone else will tell you as well, but Boglodore is the master of the Umbrellaphant who originally kidnaped Tandy in CAPTAIN SALT. ******WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR "TIK-TOK" AHEAD******** Day 1 - Queen Ann Soforth resolves to conquer Oz and begins to gather an army Day 4 - "Three days later" the Grand Army of Oogaboo departs - Glinda enchants path Day 6 - They meet the Rak after wandering for "three unhappy days" - Betsy & Hank washed overboard Day 7 - Betsy & Hank enter the Rose Kingdom - meet Shaggy Man, pick Rose Princess - meet Polychrome - discover Tik-Tok in well - meet the Army of Oogaboo - Ruggedo dumps party down the Great Tube - the party appears before Tititi Hoochoo - night with Kings & Queens (Betsy & Polychrome with Queen Erma) Day 8 - Tititi Hoochoo passes sentence on Ruggedo - Betsy's party departs with Quox - Grand Army of Oogaboo captured & escapes through tunnel in pit - Ruggedo deposed & Kaliko made king Day 9 - Quox departs - search for the Metal Forest begins Days 9-11 - "For three days" their search is unsuccessful Day 12 - Polychrome meets Ruggedo -they discover the Metal Forest - Ugly One disenchanted - Poly, Ann, Army, return home - Tik-tok, Shaggy, Brother, Hank, Betsy go to Emerald City ****************END SPOILERS***************** Best of the New Year to all, KRS ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 04:48:44 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-01-96 Re: Dick's comment about Bugle space "given to Shirley Temple, and her association with Oz. I'm a fan of hers, but find her Oz connection rather weak." I agree. I would have, however, liked to see perhaps a more in-depth article about her 1960 Land of Oz T.V show. Maybe someday.... And to those of you who think the commercialism of Christmas is a recent phenomenon--note the date (November 12th, 1920!) of the Gimbel department store ad in the recent Bugle for "Santa's Cave of Oz" (whatever that is--sounds kind of frightening to me...) Note that it's 1 1/2 weeks before Thanksgiving! Re: Sky Island--It is my understanding that Baum considered this his best work. However, it's a shame that a color edition isn't available nowadays--but the mere fact that an edition IS availible is a sign of how fortunate we are. Happy New Year, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 3, 1997 (Part 1 of 2) *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 06:41:55 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (1 of 2) Craig: Please don't apologize for a long post like that. I thought it was delightfully full of enthusiasm. The _Shaggy Man_ may be a good deal if it's in reasonable condition. Gili: Welcome back and, even though the connection was tenuous, thanks for reminding me of Lehrer's "ballad." The man was brilliant and absolutely hilarious, from "Plagiarize" to "Be Prepared" to "The Vatican Rag." For those who weren't familiar with "The Irish Ballad," you may want to reread it repeating the last line of each stanza...preferably in a sardonic, reedy voice. Very effective. ...and occasional pieces of skin, of skin, and occasional pieces of skin. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 07:28:00 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) CLARIFICATION OF POLL QUESTION: The question after OZ BOOKS READ should be: OTHER OZ BOOKS BY CANONICAL AUTHORS. Response to Poll: Name: Robin Olderman DATE OF BIRTH: 6/24/44 I'm 52 (!) HOME:Oogaboo. (O.K., Houston, TX, but my heart is in the Pacific Northwest) PROFESSION: English teacher and antiquarian book dealer HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION: A.B. degree and a ridiculously large number of post-graduate hours. AGE I "DISCOVERED" OZ: Dunno. I can't remember a time when it wasn't a part of my life HOW: My mom read the books to me until I learned to read. Much later, I met Jim Haff, then the VP of IWOC. He hounded me until I joined IWOC. DIGEST: I was one of the first subscribers, I guess. Someone (and whoever you are, THANK YOU!) e-mailed me that Dave was starting it. I'd belonged to earlier e-mail Oz groups. This one's the best. OZ ORGS: International Wizard of Oz Club. I did belong to The Royal Club of Oz. It was cute, and I may rejoin. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST: Books. It took me years before I liked the movie. OZ BOOKS READ: All of the FF OTHER OZ BOOKS BY CANONICAL AUTHORS: All of the published ones. NON-OZ BAUM: Almost all of them, including the pseudonymous titles. I haven't read _The Book of the Hamburgs_ and haven't bothered really reading _By the Candelabra's Glare_. I also skipped some of Baum's Mary Louise titles (and all of the ones by Sampson). NON-OZ RPT: Omigosh. Lots. _Curious Cruise of Captain Santa_, _King Kojo_, _Princess of Cozytown_, _Perhappsy Chaps_, many of her pamphlets/brochures, many of her pieces from _Jack and Jill_, and bits and pieces of _The Wonder Book_. NON-FF OZ:Queen Ann, Christmas in Oz, Glass Cat, Lizard of Oz, Gardener's Boy, Button-Bright, Blue Emperor, Green Dolphin, Ork in Oz, several of the translated Volkovs, and an Emerald City Press book about Cayke's dishpan. I suspect I've forgotten to list some. I've been at this a long time. CURRENT OZZY PROJECTS: I'm trying to write my second Oz book. (I trashed _The Great Seal of Oz_ many years ago). I edit _Oziana_. I'm one of many who try to help Patrick Maund and Peter Hanff with Oz bibliography. And I "talk Oz" with my customers. I thoroughly enjoy sharing my enthusiasm with them. MOPPets:Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy. Boyoboy, are these responses gonna take up space! ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 09:21:11 -0500 (EST) From: Gili Bar-Hillel Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) Hi again! I have jetlag in a bad way. Woke up at 3:30!!! Eric: I agree with you, and I think that if anyone here is actually planning on producing a CD-ROM in the near future, it should be just those Oz or Baum books which are or were available online. Frankly, I don't think that our individual MoPPets would be of much interest to people outside the digest: it takes most new digest readers a while to even figure out what we're talking about. Also, only a small number of us actually have firm MoPPets that we would like to see written down and presented as our theories. For some of us, MoPPets are just ideas that we toss around as possibilities, no more than that. But though I agree with Eric, I do wish you would not react so emotionally. I would much rather you calmed down than clammed up... but then again, who am I to judge the emotional state of a man with a lake on his driveway? :-) About concensus: by now it should be clear that we are not very good at reaching a concensus. Seriously, we can't even reach a concensus about whether we can reach a concensus! A recent example that comes to mind is one digest in which two different posts tried to present the general opinion on the digest about Maguire's "Wicked", and reached more or less conflicting conclusions. Concensus on the digest was neither for nor against "Wicked": some digesters liked it, some loathed it, some decided in advance they didn't want to read it, some expressed no opinion at all.Many of the bruised feelings on this digest have been caused by one digester attempting to present a theory, any theory, as a concensus theory. This is dangerous territory. 2. Here's my poll response: > POLL: > NAME: Gili Bar-Hillel > DATE OF BIRTH: 10/19/74 > HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): > Ordinarily commuting between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv, this year Cambridge (Boston). > PROFESSION: student. > HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. > Fourth year of university studies.(but graduation still a year away...) > AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: saw the movie at three, read the books between ages six and ten. > HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which > one?, etc.): > I was on Nate Barlow's mailing list. > OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal > Club of Oz, etc.): IWOC only. > PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): > Books. > HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? > COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? > All of Baum, almost all of Thompson, Merry Go Round, Wonder City. > WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked > Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) > Wicked Witch, most of Runaway, Shanower Graphic Novels,Blystone translations of Volkov books, Giant Garden, Glass Cat, Queen Ann, Sawhorse of Oz, random house Oz books, Dorothy of Oz... I'll never remember them all. > HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: four or five. > HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: none. > HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, > VANITY, ETC.) Hmm, haven't I already answered that? > ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, > RESEARCH, ETC.) None at present. > MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next > question-- won't be tabulated, but should > prove interesting.) I like comparing different editions and different illustrations. I like the variety of Oz writings, I like having foreign editions. In short, I like the variety of Oz. > WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is > essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are > there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) I haven't formulated any firm MOPPets, or if I have, someone else is going to have to keep track of them for me! But here's a question I think should be added to the poll: Have you written any Oz stories, books, or articles that have been published or can be obtained by contacting you? Bye! Gili ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 09:41:16 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Dave Hardenbrook: The blonde Ozma isn't really a mistake in terms of Baum's text. Baum described Ozma (and Neill drew her) in "Land" as blonde. But in "Ozma" Baum didn't mention her hair color, and Neill drew her as dark-haired. Denslow had shown Dorothy in his color pictures as having brown hair, and in his monochrome pictures he had drawn her with moderately-shaded hair. Neill evidently wanted a dark/light contrast to make drawing the two girls easier, and evidently decided that light-to-medium brown should go to fair, which by default made Ozma dark-haired. Baum went along with Neill's idea of Ozma to the extent of not contradicting it, but I don't think he ever said anything after "Land" about Ozma's hair color. Rpt and the later authors took Neill's word for it, and did describe Ozma as dark-haired. Dave Hardenbrook, Eric Gjovaag, David Hulan, Gordon Birrell, Tyler Jones: Another early use of Davy Jones is in "The Pearl and the Pumpkin" by Paul West and W. W. Denslow (illustrated by Denslow). In their version, the locker is an under-sea boarding house run by Davy Jones, with the assistance of Bridget, an Irish mermaid. (That's "maid" as in "cleaning woman," so to speak.) The lodgers are mostly pirates with a longing for pumpkin pie. Robin Olderman: It doesn't really seem to me that Eric Gjovaag's comments about "Bugle" review amount to blaming the "Bugle." (The comments about a "conspiracy" to ignore Books of Wonder books didn't seem to be meant seriously.) His question about Couldn't someone review his book is mostly one that concerns Steve Teller rather than the Ozzy D group as a whole, but to some extent he's asking if there might be someone in the group who would want to volunteer to Steve to do such a review, so it's fairly appropriate to make it a group posting rather than just an individual note to Steve, I should think. (Along the same lines, I'll remark that I hope the "Bugle" will eventually run a review of the "Dunkiton pamphlets" I've been doing.) Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 11:12:31 -0500 (EST) From: better living through chemistry Subject: RE: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) >NAME: Scott Cummings > >DATE OF BIRTH: 11/24/67 > >HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): > Gambier, OH (north of Columbus, OH) >PROFESSION: Professor of Chemistry > >HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. > Ph. D. (doctor of thinkology) >AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 12 > >HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always > fun to know.): > Dover edition of The Marvelous Land of Oz, with introduction by Martin Gardner mentioning the Oz club. Of course, I knew about and watched the MGM movie before then. >HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which > one?, etc.): I was on Nate Barlow's original mail list. > >OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal > Club of Oz, etc.): > IWOOC since 1979 >PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): > books >HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? > COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? > 25? >WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked >Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) maybe 20? including most by "major" Oz authors, many Laumer. > >HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 5-8 > >HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 > >HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, > VANITY, ETC.) > see above >ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, > RESEARCH, ETC.) > still collect books; trying to round out a collection of the 40. >MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next > question-- won't be tabulated, but should >prove interesting.) > collecting books >WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is > essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are > there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) It's a wonderful land to read about, but I try not to take it too seriously. I am perfectly comfortable (and enjoy!) the inconsistencies found in the Oz books. I have found few recent authors who come close to matching the charm of Baum. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 12:39:24 -0500 From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Oz Poll Answers Name: David Hulan Date of Birth: 12/18/36 Home: Naperville, IL (near Chicago) Profession: Retired, former lens designer for aerospace Highest educational level: BA, all course work for Master's but no thesis. Age I "discovered" Oz: 5, I believe. How I found out about the Ozzy Digest: I'd been on the Ozzy repeater somebody was running in the summer of '95, so Dave sent me an E-mail asking if I'd be interested in the Digest, which I was. Oz organizations I belong to: IWOC and RCOO. (I assume that the Digest goes without saying.) Primary Oz interest: Books, though I like the movie. How many canonical Oz books have I read: All of them, frequently. Which non-FF books have I read: All the IWOC and BoW books, plus Shanower's graphic novels, the "Random Housies", MYSTERIOUS CHRONICLES, CORY, DINAMONSTER, BARNSTORMER, TOTO, INVISIBLE INZI, SILLY OZBULS, WINGED MONKEYS, DOROTHY, DISENCHANTED PRINCESS, RETURN TO OZ, TALES FROM MAGIC LAND I, WICKED...I think that's it. How many non-Oz Baum titles have I read: 17 How many non-Oz Thompson titles have I read: 3 How many non-FF books have I read: At least 36 Any current Ozzy projects: Writing a book for the Centennial Contest, waiting for BoW to decide whether to publish the book currently in their hands, writing the serial for the RCOO newsletter. Main Ozzy area of concentration: Writing new Oz fiction and keeping up with the Digest, though I enjoy doing research as well. Main MOPPeTs about Oz: That Oz is on a parallel earth, that the anti-aging enchantment didn't take effect until Ozma's accession, that not all animals in Oz can speak, that the FF authors got their information from informants and are therefore not inerrant...lots of others, as far as that goes; if there's a question about Oz, I probably have an opinion on it. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 12:39:32 -0500 From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 This one should take a while to answer - and I think I'll do my poll answers in a separate E-mail at that! Eric: I thought that picture of you sitting in the rocking chair was very accurate...oh, wait a minute, you meant the one near the end! Yeah, the photo is a very good likeness of the way you looked in July '95; unless you've grown a beard, or gained or lost significant weight, or something of the sort since then it's probably still a good one. If I ever run across that review of QUEEN ANN I'll copy it and E-mail it to you. Tyler: Books of Wonder ordering number: 800-345-6665. Now that you mention it, I remember a reference to "The Oz Spangled Banner" too. Sounds more like Neill than either Thompson or Baum, though. And more like Thompson than Baum, who didn't usually put "Oz" into words or phrases where it doesn't really make sense. Gili: Welcome back! We missed you! I don't think Ozma's eye color is ever described in the FF. In the only detailed physical description of her, when she's first disenchanted in LAND, it says her eyes "sparkled like two diamonds", but I don't think we're meant to infer that they were colorless. (Of course, Baum also compared her lips to tourmalines, which seems unfortunate - tourmalines vary all over the lot in color, anywhere from black to blue, green, or red. One assumes he meant the last, but I'd think garnets might be a better choice - rubies being somewhat trite.) I too love Lehrer's "Irish Song". Although, for the record, it was her brother she weighted down with stones, between doing in her mother and sister; the verse for her father (which is the second overall) goes: One morning in a fit of pique, She drowned her father in the creek. The water tasted bad for a week And we had to make do with gin. And "Sing rickety-tickety-tin" only comes after the first line of each stanza, but the first and last lines are doubled. Thus, the uncompressed version (of the first verse only): About a maid I'll sing a song, Sing rickety-tickety-tin! About a maid I'll sing a song, She didn't have her family long. Not only did she do them wrong, But she did every one of them in, them in, She did every one of them in. Craig: There's a lot of psychologically interesting stuff in YEW - more than any of Baum's other books, I think. Not only Nerle's masochism, but Marvel's transsexuality, the schizophrenia of the High Ki of Twi, King Terribus' deformity and its influence on his character, and probably other things that I don't remember, since I haven't reread it in a couple of years. "Dark" probably depends on how you look at it. Melody: Thanks for the info on the Lost Sea. That's a ways out of my usual path, but it's not unreasonably far for a day trip, so maybe I'll do it sometime. Eric: Pure text doesn't take up much room on a CD - and since that's all essays on Oz, MOPPeTs, and the like would be, I don't think it likely that including them would require excluding anything else. I don't think that including all the theories, MOPPeTs, arguments, and the like that have appeared on the Digest from Day One would take up more than 2-3 megabytes, and CD-ROMs typically hold 600 or more megabytes. I mean, the whole text of the uncut version of GLASS CAT was about 250 Kbytes, and it was nearly as long as the FF books. This implies that all the text of the FF (if permission could be gotten to include the ones not in PD) would take up somewhere around 13-14 Mbytes - which would still leave way over 500 Mbytes for art, or whatever else was to be included. I don't think there's the remotest danger that any CD-ROM this group could put together by the year 2000 would be filled - unless somebody really went to town on video clips, and who has both the time and talent for that? >> There >> are definitely some very fundamental issues that could be included like, >> "Do all HACC books have equal validity, or is the FF the only 'real' Oz?" >Do you think people can't decide for themselves on this, then? Do they >need the Guiding Hand of Ye Olde Digesters to tell them one way or the >other? Or can you allow people to decide for themselves, even though they >may disagree with you? In other words, WHY is this still an issue, and >why are people trying to impose this beyond the Digest? Certainly people can - and will - decide for themselves what they think about things like the HACC. But if they never see the matter discussed, then they don't even know there's something to decide about. Nobody has ever said they were proposing to present an Official History of Oz that they'd expect all other Oz fans to subscribe to. We're talking about MOPPeTs, of which the HACC happens to be one, presented as MOPPeTs to other Oz fans who would probably find them interesting and might find them persuasive. Ken S: It's very common for travel times between the same points to appear to change considerably from book to book. What I found remarkable in your PG chronology (and that I'd never noticed before) is that it apparently changes within the same book. And thanks again for the new chronology installment. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 09:52:45 -0800 (PST) From: Peter Hanff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) NAME: Peter E. Hanff DATE OF BIRTH: Jan 23 1944 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Berkeley, California (directly east of the Golden Gate) PROFESSION: librarian HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC.: M.L.S. and one-year plus post grad fellowship in rare-book librarianship at Indiana University AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 4 or 5 HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): my father read to me each night from his own Oz books HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): from a query from Dave Hardenbrook OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): International Wizard of Oz Club PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) All the above HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: all HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: all HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.) IWOC and some of the BOW and Vanity (say 12 in all) ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) continually working on Oz and Baum-related bibliography MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.) WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.): I am convinced that there are many historic threads alluded to in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz that would reveal a great deal about the early history and development of the land we call Oz. NOTE: Please E-mail responses to me so they can be printed in the Digest... -- Dave Peter Hanff ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 10:19:21 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (1 of 2) I think I've finally found that elusive Oz national anthem. In "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz," page 218, the National air is called "The Oz Spnagled Banner." > From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> > Subject: Oz > > Bob Spark: > Dave already mentioned Books of Wonder. Could someone post their 800 number > again? I've been persuing digests for the past few months, and can't find > it. It is in my FAQ and on my web page. (BTW, Peter Glassman, when is Books of Wonder going online with its own website? That's something I'd very much like to see.) > From: CrNoble@aol.com > Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-01-96 > > Finally, I just checked out Eric Gjovaag's web page for the first time. > (I used my office computer b/c, alas my home computer doesn't have enough > RAM to run AOL's web browser.) I printed the whole thing out -- I love it! > I'm especially pleased to see the Baum bibliography, including pseudonymous > works. I also had no idea about IWOC's latest publications, such as "The > Wicked Witch of Oz," or the new book planned for 2000. I ache to serve and inform. My goal with the web page is to be as thorough, informative, and balanced as I can. Yeah, too much about the movie in it, but I get too many dumb questions about the movie, since that's what most people know. The MGM movie pages are the ones that get the most hits . > From: Dave Hardenbrook > Subject: Ozzy Things > > >I suggested nothing of the sort. I suggested that all that stuff should > >be a lower priority than the FF, works by Baum, et. al... > > Well okay, I misuderstood...But you DID say that you thought it should > have priority just a tier above Nixon's "Checkers" speech Okay, so I exaggerated... It's not like others on this lsit haven't done that before... > > Question is, what > >is the audience this CD-ROM will reach? Is it aimed at Oz fans in > >general (and those who may not have the vast knowledge, expertise, or > >contacts we do)? Or is it "The Ozzy Digest CD-ROM," just for us? > > Well, I'm assuming that the average Oz fan might be interested in the kind > of debates/research are going on in the Oz community, but perhaps I'm > mistaken... Look at the subscribers to the Digest. How many people subscribe? Now, how many of them actually CONTRIBUTE to those debates? Every once in a while, when I mention that it's going overboard, I get letters of support, agreeing with me. (Why those posters don't say the same thing publicly in the Digest I'll never know...) So yes, you are mistaken, and many Oz fans aren't interested. > I don't want us on the Digest to TELL anyone anything (except factual things > like "Thompson wrote Oz books between 1920 and 1939")...If we include > debatable issues, I want them to be presented as MOPPeTs (an acronym that > we are all grateful to you for, BTW), and let the reader decide for himself > if he agree or disagrees. Fine. But let's present the material that brought around those MOPPeTs FIRST, so that people can also form their OWN MOPPeTs. > As I said, I was aware of my own egocentricity (that part of me that > wants to "advertise" my own Oz writings at every opportunity)... And that egocentricity is something we ALL need to keep in check. Nobody wants to be around anyone else who's overdosed on Vitamin I. > >> ( Dave ducks while Eric and other FF-purists > >> fling the Wicked Witch of the West's fireballs at him... :) :) ) > > > >Dave, I am VERY, VERY angry at this... > > I think this goes back to what has been pointed out before on the Digest: > That the very impersonal-ness of the Internet makes it very easy to offend > people even if we only mean it as a "joke". We all need to practice more > tact... Don't I know it! I've been on both ends of the problem here now... > Okay, I get what you're saying, and apologize for chiding you for merely > wanting to recognize the "Canonical" status of the FF over non-FF works... > If it's all right, I like to put your comments in the Digest file > containing everyone's MOPPeT's so that we are all aware of your > position and don't misrepresent your views again. egocentric to think that my opinion is any more valid or valued than anyone else's here. When people ignore, belittle, or misrepresent my opinion (or anyone else's, for that matter), THAT'S when I get angry. > >(What *I* find especially irritating is when people use > >unpublished manuscripts to justify some theory or idea. How can ANYONE > >else access the material, read it, and form their own conclusion?) > > I recognize this is a crime I'm *very* guilty of But not the only one, I might add. > ...Maybe someday I'll grow up...Even > though I *try* to do better I still sometimes forget that Oz belongs > to *everyone* and act like Baum left Oz to me in his will. :) Well, it's not like I haven't acted the same way myself at times . Everyone, repeat after me (to yourself, don't bother writing it in the Digest or sending it in a reply to Dave): OZ BELONGS TO EVERYONE! (Now if only everyone NOT on the Digest who gets all high and mighty and propietary about Oz can learn it...) > I *DO* most emphatically apologize... Thank you. > ...and I think you finally got your point > of view through my Emerald-coated cranium... :) Now, if only every other emerald-skulled Oz fan could learn as well... ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 10:36:44 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) > From: Robin Olderman > Subject: Poll-DAVE, PLEASE READ FIRST AND ADD STUFF IF I FORGOT I Okay... > NAME: Eric Paul Gjovaag > > DATE OF BIRTH: January 21, 1966 > > HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Redmond, WA, just outside of Seattle > PROFESSION: Teacher > > HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED Bachelor of Arts in Education. (Need to get serious on my Masters soon...) > AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Eight > > HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always > fun to know.): Third grade teacher was a fan, read us "The Wizard of Oz," then let me read some of her other books. The rest, as they say, is history... > HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which > one?, etc.): Dave asked me for my mailing list of Oz fans I'd discovered on the Internet, and sent out a mass mailing to them all inviting them to be a part of this. (So yes, I guess you can blame this all on me, in part...) > OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal > Club of Oz, etc.): IWOC, RCOO, The Oogaboos, The Ozzy Digest . > PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books! > HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? > COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? ALL of them! > WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked > Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) Er, this seems to be the same as the question below, but if you're asking what I think you're asking here, I've read "Visitors," "TheWoggle-Bug Book," "The Third Book of Oz," "The Little Wizard Stories," "Yankee," "Enchanted Island," "Runaway," "A Murder in Oz," "Wicked Witch," "Forbidden Fountain," and "Ozmapolitan." > HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: About 40, including many pseudonymous works (and one "Mary Louise" book in my to-read pile) > HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: One ("Curious Cruise of Captain Santa"), plus various short stories, poems, essays, etc. > HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, > VANITY, ETC.) Dave's going to have enough problems as it is without me adding this ENTIRE list. Suffice it to say I've read ALL the books from IWOC, BEOO (except one -- anybody have "Mr. Flint in Oz" for sale?), ECP, and any other Oz or Oz-related books I've been able to get my hands on. > ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, > RESEARCH, ETC.) FIANLLY inventorying my collection (partly for insurance purposes, partly for my own benefit, partly because I'm curious), updating my FAQ and upgrading my web page > WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is > essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are > there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) That everyone else's MOPPeTs are as equally valid and important as my own . > NOTE: Please E-mail responses to me so they can be printed in the Digest... > -- Dave So you want to make the Digests even longer this year, now, eh, Dave ? --Eric "Remember,Oz is for everybody!" Gjovaag ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 13:39:23 -0300 From: amyjones@MindSpring.COM (Amy Jones) Subject: for Ozzy Digest Perhaps trying to "market" a CD-ROM to the world of Oz fandom is too overwhelming a task to develop (though interesting to dream and plan). Maybe a basic text "archive" of musings, ideas, chronologies, etc. that the Digest has generated, in addition to texts, reviews, etc., that have been mentioned (which would include Oz books of all sorts) could be found on an "Ozzy Digest CD." It just might be a reality. Of course, I don't have a CD-ROM drive.... And a holiday story: I put figurines of the Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and the Tim Man (lovely Christmas presents) in my mother's nativity scene. She did not notice them until today when she was dismantling it. (They are the same size as the Wise Men, etc.) She did not agree with my "theological justification" of their inclusion in her display, but she was amused. Amy Jones ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 13:43:04 -0500 From: Michael Turniansky Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) References: <01IDQ3EJ95828ZGSVH@delphi.com> Dave L. Hardenbrook wrote: > > > POLL: > > NAME: Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky > > DATE OF BIRTH: 8/7/62 > > HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Pikesville, MD, within spittin' distance of "Bawlmer" > > PROFESSION: Computer Progammer > > HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. B.S., Computer Science > > AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Early...5? 8? > > HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always > fun to know.): > MGM movie first (TV), followed by my brother's copies of LAND and OZMA > HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which > one?, etc.): Member of Nate Barlow's Ozzian Times, which folded, and e-mail list transposed here. > > OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal > Club of Oz, etc.): My son belongs to Royal Club > > PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Both (Although I consider the books to be canonical) > > HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? > COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? Hmmmm...I have read all the Baums, and about 10 or 12 Thompsons. > > WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked > Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) > By FF authors, I presume you mean? None. > HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 > > HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 > > HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, > VANITY, ETC.) > All five Shanower graphic novels & Oz/Wonderland War trilogy. > ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, > RESEARCH, ETC.) Trying to get my son more interested in the books, and sending in his creative output to Royal Club. > > MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next > question-- won't be tabulated, but should > prove interesting.) None. > > WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is > essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are > there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) None in particular. ---- Scott Olsen writes: > > And to those of you who think the commercialism of Christmas is a recent > phenomenon--note the date (November 12th, 1920!) of the Gimbel department > store ad in the recent Bugle for "Santa's Cave of Oz" (whatever that > is--sounds kind of frightening to me...) Note that it's 1 1/2 weeks before > Thanksgiving! > I don't know 'zactly how far back it goes, but obviously it reached enough magnitude to have FDR move T-day from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday to give merchants a longer Xmas buying season in "short years" --Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 3, 1997 (Part 2 of 2) *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 11:36:57 -0800 From: Kevin Holmes Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) (POLL) > POLL: > NAME: Kevin Holmes > > DATE OF BIRTH: 5/21/83 > > HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): San Francisco > > PROFESSION: Student > > AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 7 > > HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): Read _Land_ at school, then decided to read all the Baum 14 > > HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): Searched Yahoo!, found Dave's web page and signed up! > > OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): Royal Club of Oz > > PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books > > HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? Just the Baum 14 > > WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) 0 > > HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 1 > > HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 > > HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, > VANITY, ETC.) 0 > > ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) Nope: just read more Oz books > Kevin Holmes ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 11:50:45 -0800 From: ozbot@ix.netcom.com (ozbot) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (1 of 2) Ozzy images for web sites: >>How about the picture of Ozma leaning her head on her arms? It would >>make a great interlaced image, so it wouldn't need to take a long >>time to download, either > >Where is this picture from? And in what context on my web page should >I put it? > I believe it is somewhere in EMERALD CITY, but I'm not sure. I think the Gazette or observer or BOW's Collector uses it a lot (I know I've seen it over and over. I suggest putting it above the title of the page, or using a graphics program to design a fancy title. Center Ozma above the title. I like the b&w images, because they don't take too long to download and still look "artsy." I used a lot with my wonderland page. >> As for "mailto" images, any of those pictures around Baum's "To my >> readers" prologues or even those around the copyright symbols? > >Good thinking. I'll take a look.(I just remembered the picture of Tip >reading mail in "Land," that may be perfect.) > Or how about the rabbits from Bunnybury? Danny ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 14:04:30 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) Dave L. Hardenbrook wrote: > POLL: > > Here are the questions in our _Ozzy Digest_ poll. Feel free to answer > directly in the _Digest_, this time, instead of e-mailing me privately. > This way, y'all can see all of each response, instead of only the > condensed version of it. Answer only the questions you feel like answering. > Please, however, answer the questions in sequence. Thanks! > > N.B. Not all of these questions will lend themselves to tabulation. > > NAME: Stephen J. Teller > > DATE OF BIRTH: Feb. 15, 1940 > > HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Pittsburg, Kansas (about 120 miles south of Kansas City, Mo, about 120 miles northeast of Tulsa, OK) > > PROFESSION: College Professor > > HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. PhD in English, specialization Drama (University of Illinois 1969) > > AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 6 (I suppose. I cannot remember when I didn't know Oz.) > > HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always > fun to know.): My father had about 20 + Oz books. He read them, I read them. > > HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which > one?, etc.): Chris Dulabone told me about it. > > OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal > Club of Oz, etc.): International Wizard of Oz Club > > PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books > > HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? > COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW All > WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked > Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) All mentioned plus over a hundred more. > > HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: All the fantasies published under his name. All Laura Bancroft. All AUNT JANE'S NEICES. MARY LOUISE. Both Staunton Schylers, THE LAST EGYPTIAN, TAMAWAKA FOLKS, two BOY FORTUNE HUNTERS + the reprint of SAM STEELE'S ADVENTURES in OZ-STORY Magazine. (NOT: BOOK OF THE HAMBURGS, DECORATING SHOP WINDOWS, the last three BOY FORTUNE HUNTER'S the last four MARY LOUISE. > > HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: PRINCESS OF COZYTOWN, CURIOUS CRUISE OF CAPTAIN SANTA, KING KOJO. > > HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, > VANITY, ETC.) Didn't I already answer that (except which ones: All IWOC, BOW, Buckethead, Opium Press, others too numerous to list) > > ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, > RESEARCH, ETC.) Judge for the IWOC Centenniel Book Contest. > > MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next > question-- won't be tabulated, but should > prove interesting.) Everything > > WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is > essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are > there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) I can't think of any. > > ****************************************** > > NOTE: Please E-mail responses to me so they can be printed in the Digest... > > -- Dave > > ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 13:37:09 -0600 From: Sandy Traylor Subject: RE: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) -----Original Message----- From: Dave L. Hardenbrook [SMTP:DAVEH47@delphi.com] Sent: Thursday, January 02, 1997 3:29 AM Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2)POLL: Here are the questions in our _Ozzy Digest_ poll. Feel free to answer = directly in the _Digest_, this time, instead of e-mailing me privately. = This way, y'all can see all of each response, instead of only the = condensed version of it. Answer only the questions you feel like = answering. Please, however, answer the questions in sequence. Thanks! N.B. Not all of these questions will lend themselves to tabulation. NAME: Sandy Traylor DATE OF BIRTH: December 26, 1948 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): = McKinney, TX (north of Dallas) PROFESSION: Secretary HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED-DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD = HOURS? ETC. High School AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 8 HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's = always fun to know.):the movie HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and = which=20 one?, etc.):Peter Hanff OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The = Royal=20 Club of Oz, etc.):International Wizard of Oz Club PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS):both HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS?4 THOMPSON? = NEILL?=20 COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked = Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.)=20 HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.) ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this-and the next=20 question-won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.) Collectibles WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 14:25:14 -0600 From: Jim Vander Noot Subject: RE: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (1 of 2) I also found a place with a FE of "Shaggy Man" for $125, but I don't know if that's a good deal. -- Craig Noble If it's a true first printing and in good condition, I'd consider that a good price. Jim Vander Noot ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 14:32:36 -0600 From: Jim Vander Noot Subject: RE: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) POLL: Here are the questions in our _Ozzy Digest_ poll. Feel free to answer=20 directly in the _Digest_, this time, instead of e-mailing me privately. = This way, y'all can see all of each response, instead of only the=20 condensed version of it. Answer only the questions you feel like = answering. Please, however, answer the questions in sequence. Thanks! N.B. Not all of these questions will lend themselves to tabulation. NAME:Jim Vander Noot DATE OF BIRTH:8/14/52 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the = "boonies"):Houston, Tx PROFESSION:Information Technologies HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD = HOURS? ETC.BA + AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ:6-7 HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's = always fun to know.):Read The Wizard HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and = which=20 one?, etc.): from the rec.arts.books.childrens newsgroup as it was = forming OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The = Royal=20 Club of Oz, etc.):IWOC PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS):books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? = NEILL?=20 COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW?All WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) All the majors =20 HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ:most HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ:King Kojo, maybe a couple others HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW,=20 VANITY, ETC.) all the IWOC, most of the BOW, plus others ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ = BOOKS,=20 RESEARCH, ETC.) All I can handle these days is maintaining the IWOC web = site & answering the resulting mail. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next=20 question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.) Arts and crafts? I don't know - I do Oz quilts WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is=20 essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are=20 there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) Assuming this refers to pet theories, although I like to research = inconsistencies in Oz literature, I'm REALLY put off by attempts to = over-rationalize the explanations. Oz needs to remain fun and exciting. = And inconsistency is part of the whimsy. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 16:07:03 -0500 (EST) From: BARRY ESHKOL ADELMAN Subject: Oz survey response Okay, Dave, here are my answers to the survey questions in order. Enjoy: Barry Eshkol Adelman, Slayer of Fruit Flies and Torturer of Frats October 18,1972 Philadelphia (current) therapist for kids with severe behavioral problems less than two years parents reading and the MGM movie my brother I listen to my brother *****BOOKS!!!***** I'm not sure (14, a lot, 1, 1, 0) _Barnstormer_, _Enchanted Apples_, _Green Dolphin_, _Little Wizard_, _Frogman_ _Sea Fairies_, _John Dough_, _Master Key_) none see above reviewing my brother's ideas I'm not sure I have one... Aaron is really an agent of Kaliko ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 13:45:14 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 -Answers, Appreciations, etc. David H., Tyler J., Robin O., I appreciate the replies about _Sky Island_. I have ordered a catalogue from Books Of Wonder (800-207-6988--from Eric's Wizard of Oz FAQ's), but haven't received it yet. I live in West Sacramento, CA., just across the (swollen) river from Sacramento, and couldn't find a Boarders in the yellow pages. I'm about a 3 hour drive from Pacific Grove and I am mulling over attending the Winkie conference there later this year. I love the Monterey Bay area and go there often. The 17 Mile Drive, Point Lobos, and the Aquarium are worth a trip from any distance. I sent in an application to the IWOC on the 10th of last month. Haven't heard anything back yet, but expect to shortly. I've just sent them email asking about it. Survey, here goes: Name: Bob Spark DOB: 9/5/40 Home: see above Profession: Retired Technical Manager-Pacific Bell, former pizza parlor owner, former night club bouncer (I see no problem with Craig Livingstone working at the White House :=)), etc. Education: A.A., Much subsequent technical electronic and telephony training Age I discovered OZ: Seems like I've always known it. I was given OZ books starting from my 2nd or 3rd birthday. How I discovered OZ: See above. How I found out about the _Ozzy Digest_: While surfing the web I came across the IWOC web site. I contacted Robin asking about the Winkie Conference and she told me about Dave and his most excellent publication. OZ organizations: IWOC prospective member. Primary Oz interest: The books, and to a lesser degree the movie( although I do have a tape and watch it from time to time). I also have a tape of _Return To Oz_ and probably like it better--hard to tell, the original movie is so much of an institution that I don't believe that comparison is possible. OZ Books read: I have (in no particular order): _The Road To OZ_ _The Land Of OZ_ _The Tin Woodsman Of OZ_ _The Emerald City Of OZ_ _The Patchwork Girl Of OZ_ _Dorothy And The Wizard Of OZ_ _The Magic Of OZ_ _The Wizard Of OZ_ _Tok-Tok Of OZ_ _The Scarecrow Of OZ_ _Glinda Of OZ_ _Ozma Of OZ_ _The Lost Princess Of OZ_ _Rinkitink In OZ_ _The Yellow Knight Of OZ_ (Thompson) _Queen Zixi Of IX_ I'm sure that I have read many others. I can recall as a kid reading all that my local (Roseville, CA) library had on their shclves. Non-FF OZ books: Just ordered _Wicked_ from Amazon.com As far as the rest of the questions, I'm just a newcomer to all this scholarly effort. Give me a while. If everyone's reply is of the same volume that mine is you're going to have some massive _Digests_. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 18:15:23 -0500 From: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-2-96 (Part 1.) I received the winter '96 issues of the Oz Observer and the Gazette today. Digest member Nate Barlow wrote a fine article describing this past Munchkin con, and Melody Grandy Keller , as the "Meet Member" featured in this issue, described her introduction to Oz and her involvement in it as an author and illustrator. A photo of the very attractive Ms Keller accompanies the article! Gili: Thanks for the bit of "Tomfoolery" with the lyrics to Mr. Lehrer's "Irish Ballad". It took me back to the mid 50's when I was first introduced to his comic genius. Does he still teach at Harvard? BTW, nice job on the Gazette article re: Oz party ideas. It was good to hear Allie's mom's report on her party. Apparently a big success. :) Craig: I can relate to your "rediscovering Oz" enthusiasm. It hit me about six years ago. I'll see you at the '97 Munchkin con! Dick Randolph ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 20:33:31 -0500 (EST) From: swarkala@concentric.net (Sharon Warkala) Subject: Oz poll Dave: Have not been very active in the digest these past months but I had to respond to the poll. NAME: Chris Warkala DOB :6/11/60 Home: Lawrenceville,New Jersey about 5 miles south of Princeton Profession: Construction Manager for a residential builder Education: BA degree in Anthropology from California Univ. of Pennsylvania Age I discovered Oz: 5 How I discovered Oz: I don't remember this but my mom told me she took me to see the movie and at the end I was crying because I would never see the movie again. How wrong I was. Found Out about the digest: It's been so long I don't remember Oz Orginizations: I've been a member of IWOC since 1988 Primary intrest: I started as a "movie person" but have really gotten into the books over the last few years. FF Books Read: All Baum also Gnome King, Giant Horse, and Hidden Valley. Non FF Read: Wicked Non Oz Baum: Sea Fairies and Sky Island Non Oz Thompson: I don't know if this counts but I read the pamphlet for Royal Baking Powder she wrote. Ozzy Projects: None to speak of Main Ozzy area of concentration: I will collect anything having to do with Oz Moppets about Oz:Sorry haven't devised one yet. Chris Warkala ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 21:12:26 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: New Year's Oz Growls I didn't know Ken Cope had a web page. Could we have a list of Ozish web pages and also in the FAQ.....or has that already been done? Hmmmmm. That makes me wonder, why doesn't IWOC have a web page? Or does it? TYLER - BOW - 1-800-345-6665 is the order number. While we are at it, THE BEST OF OZ - 1-800-593-5566 If you don't like Borders, a really nice independent, Future Fantasy carries BOW books. 415-855-9771 or email is futfan@netcom.com or fax 415-855-9963. They have a web page http://futfan.com/ Ah! Eric The Oz Impurist! Good to have you back. Now don't be a gooeyduck! :) OZ QUESTIONAIRRE NAME: Richard Bauman (aka Bear) DATE OF BIRTH: December 9, 1935 HOME: Palo Alto approximately between San Francisco and San Jose. PROFESSION: Engineer (Semi-retired) HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC.: BA, BSEE, 90% MA in math, many other postgrad courses, many subjects. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 6 HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: I was given a children's version of WOZ. I still have it. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ : I can't remember! Sigh. I was on the predeccesor digest. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO : IWOC since 1979. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? First 21 of the FF. WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? Barnstormer, Wicked, Was, Glass Cat, Lurline & White Ravens, Dorothy of Oz, HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: One, "Yew" HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: None HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.) 6, see above. ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) No, too many other current projects and work. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Completing the FF. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? Too far down on the learning curve to be developing MOPPeTS. Now opinions..... New Years Regards, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 21:17:47 -0500 (EST) From: Mark K DeJohn <103330.323@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, Robin's Poll From: Barbara DeJohn In response to the poll: Name- Barbara DeJohn D.of Birth- 11-3-61 Home- Pittsburgh PA Profession- full-time Mom and part-time manager for Discovery Toys Education- B.S.I.E. (Industrial Engineering) Age discovered OZ- movie~5 yrs. books~8yrs How discovered- through the movie How discovered the digest- Through an IWOC mailing Oz organization memberships- IWOC and Royal Club of OZ Primary interest- Books How many of the FF read- All Non-FF OZ books- I have about 30 alot of which are recent from Buckethead. Baum non-Oz- 7 Thompson non-Oz- 2 I am not involved in any research or in writing any books or stories, at least not yet. I do have some Moppets but none that I can recall right now, but I like hearing about others. I am looking forward to hearing about the rest of you. Barbara DeJohn 103330.323@compuserve.com ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 21:56:40 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Oz on CD: A very good point was raised yesterday. Specifically, is this CD going to be targeted to the general public or just a few people who are already knowledgeable about Oz? Hopefully, we can cram in enough material to satisfy all camps, especially with the new CD's that they keep promising to invent soon... I was not suggesting that we, through the CD, lay down the law as to which are real Oz books and which are not. I only meant that some discussion and opposing views be put on the CD as a way of presenting all sides of the issue. Letting people decide for themselves is central to my beliefs, but if we keep saying "Let people decide for themselves without all the comment", there will be nothing left to put on the CD. I believe we should publish as much as we can (concentrating on the FF), noting the difference between raw facts, FF material, non-FF material and original thoughts, and THEN let the decisions come. While it is true that most non-FF books are simply no longer available, I would like people to at least know SOMETHING about them, and putting in some notes in the Ozzy CD-ROM is the best way. Dave: I have never thought of you as arrogant (your word, BTW :-)). You simply have passionate beliefs and feelings about Oz and are eager to share them with people in a non-threatening way. Stating your theories is not the same as trying to force people to believe them. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 22:11:35 -0500 From: RMorris306@aol.com Subject: Oz Questionnaire NAME: Richard Morrissey DATE OF BIRTH: January 23, 1954 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Framingham, MA (20 miles west of Boston) PROFESSION: Circuit designer HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. Law degree AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 6 HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): My mother knew I loved books about magic, so she got THE WIZARD OF OZ out of the library. I liked it so much she looked for more, and they quickly became my favorite books...though, since the libraries were shelved by author and she naturally looked under "Baum," I didn't discover any of the others until much, much later. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): From Michael Turniansky, whose brother (The Shaggy Man's brother?) was my best friend at college. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): Just the IWOCC, if my membership hasn't expired... PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): The books, beyond a doubt. HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All the FF (I read my last one, OJO, about a decade ago). WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _WickedWitch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) Too many to count...all the above, most of the Books of Wonder books, all the Shanower graphic novels, etc. (Also A BARNSTORMER IN OZ, but none of Laumer's so far, and I'm still looking for WICKED at the library.) HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 16 (including WOGGLE-BUG BOOK and VISTORS FROM OZ) HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 21 (including YANKEE and ENCHANTED ISLAND) HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.): See above. ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.): I have a couple of ideas for Oz stories and articles, but haven't yet set them down on paper. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.) : Researching Oz and talking about the stories and characters. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.): That the apparent contradictions can be explained with a little work... Rich Morrissey ====================================================================== Date: 02 January, 1997 21:33:36 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things As some have pointed out, the two "NON-FF" questions on the poll appear to be redundant, but as Robin explains in her own resopnse to her poll, the first question regards the non-FF books by FF authors, whereas the second is for all the non-FF books by non-FF authors... I also thought of adding this question: ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE OZZY DIGEST? WHAT DO YOU LIKE/DISLIKE ABOUT IT? HOW DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE IMPROVED? And now my own response to the poll... Date: Wed, 01 Jan 1997 05:57:58 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Poll-DAVE, PLEASE READ FIRST AND ADD STUFF IF I FORGOT IT POLL: Here are the questions in our _Ozzy Digest_ poll. Feel free to answer directly in the _Digest_, this time, instead of e-mailing me privately. This way, y'all can see all of each response, instead of only the condensed version of it. Answer only the questions you feel like answering. Please, however, answer the questions in sequence. Thanks! N.B. Not all of these questions will lend themselves to tabulation. NAME: Dave Hardenbrook DATE OF BIRTH: 11/26/67 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Orange County, CA (South of Los Angeles) PROFESSION: Computer Programmer HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED...: T.E. :) But most employers in this universe won't recognize Ozzy degrees, so I'm working to earn a B.A. in Programming and possible certification from Microsoft) AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Hard for me to remember for sure...I was definitely an Oz fan by age 9 (because I definitely remember my trip with my parents to Big Bear Mountain, during which my dad read me _Sky Island_, but he started reading me the Oz books at least a year or two before that, and I was an instant fan! :) HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): I loved the movie as a "little shaver", and then my dad read me the books......My dad had a close friend who was a member of the IWOC, and so he knew of the existance Oz books...( Sadly, my dad's friend passed away before I ever had a chance to meet him and have any Ozzy discussions with him. :( ) Anyway, my dad read me the books, each of them several times, and I rapidly became what dinosaurologist Robert Bakker, in regard to childhood passions that never die, calls a "terminal case". :) :) :) HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): I *invented* the _Ozzy Digest_! :) (But I learned about its forerunner, Nate Barlow's _Ozian Times_, from the _Baum Bugle_.) OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: I'm a card-carrying member of the International Wizard of Oz Club and The Royal Club of Oz. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): THE BOOKS, THE BOOKS, THE BOOKS!!!!! :) :) :) HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? Baum: All 14 Thompson: _Royal Book_, _Kabumpo_, _Lost King_, _Giant Horse_, _Silver Princess_, _Handy Mandy_, _Wishing Horse_, _Ozoplaning_. Neil: _Wonder City_ Snow: _Mimics_ McGraw: _Merry-Go_Round_ WHICH ["QUASI-CANONICAL"] OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? _Wicked Witch_, _Little Wizard Stories_, _Ozmopolitan_ HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: _Zixi_, _Sea Fairies_, _Sky Island_, _Mother Goose in Prose_ HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: None. HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS [BY NON-FF AUTHORS] HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? Buckethead: _Seven Blue Mountains, vol. 1_ (a.k.a. _Disenchanted Princess_), _Colorful Kitten_, _Healing Power_, _Lurline and White Ravens_, _Red Reera the Yookoohoo and the Enchanted Easter Eggs_, BoW/ECP: _How the Wizard Came_, _Glass Cat_, _Masquarade_, _Magic Dishpan_, _Giant Garden_, _Patchwork Bride_ Graphic Novels: _Ice King_, _Forgotten Forest_, _Blue Witch_, _Enchanted Apples_, _Secret Island_, _Oz-Wonderland War_ Other/Unknown: _Queer Visitors_, _Locasta and the Adepts_ ( can I say I've read my *own* work? :) ) ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.): Well, as almost all of you know, I've written my first novel, _Locasta and the Three Adepts of Oz_, and am co-writing my second novel, i.e. the really controversial (and in the minds of some, "evil") one in which Ozma falls in love. I also do a lot of Ozzy drawing, including the illiustrations for _Locasta_ and my collection of Oz paper dolls. Among my projects that I am just embarking on is work on this Ozzy CD-ROM, my Ozzy computer text adventure game, and an Ozzy combination playing cards/chess set, which is based on an idea I saw in a movie on Turner Classic Movies recently (rotten movie, but great idea for a "pop-up" travel chess set whose pieces can also be used as playing cards!). MAIN OZZY AREA OF SPECIAL CONCENTRATION: My Ozzy area of specializtion is "Ozian Underdogs", or Oz characters who I feel have been treated unfairly be the exisiting Oz Canon and elsewhere. My goal is in my own writings to give these long-neglected and/or discriminated against charcters just compensation. The main "Ozian Underdogs" whose honors I am defending are: The Good Witch of the North -- According to the Oz Canon, the GWN ceased to exist in Thompson's _Giant Horse_, but I believe that Melody's "switcheroo"spell (see section 4.4 of the Ozzy Digest FAQ) allows for Locasta (the GWN whom Orin/Tattypoo was disguised as) to reappear and play an influential role in Oz. The Adepts at Sorcery -- In the Oz Canon (and until now, out of it as well), the Adepts appear only near the end of _Glinda_, and have not been heard from since...But as in my Ozzy writings they are my "informants", I have been able to find out much more about them...Including their individual personalities, their areas of magical expertise, and the fact that they are Locasta's granddaughters. Jellia Jamb -- Jellia plays a substantial role in the first two Oz books, and in _Land_ especially she endears herself to the reader as a sassy, mischievious, almost Moliere-ian sort of maid. But in subsequent books she largely disappears, and when she does show up, she is presented, IMHO, as a prudish, two-dimensional neat-freak. But in my writing Jellia is showing her previous spunk and spirit. Ozma -- OZMA???? How can *Ozma* be an "underdog"??? Well, there's no denying that Ozma is frequently (especially in the post-Baum books) depicted as a scatterbrained nincompoop who is about as effective at running Oz as Max Toy was at runnning Commodore-Amiga Computers, Inc. But I expose Ozma as a far more mature and able leader for her people, and in my writings she proves that she can do things for the health and welfare of her people besides throwing a lot of parties. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? All my MOPPeTs I've stated before, and they are described in detail in the Ozzy Digest FAQ and/or MOPPETS.TXT in the Ozzy Digest file archive, but I'll hit the high points here: "Switcheroo" Spell: I believe that Melody's "switcheroo" spell that Mombi uses to switch Ozma and Tip's bodies was also performed on Locasta and Orin, so that the Good Witch of the North is still a separate, distinct person (just as Melody reveals that Tip is). The "Magic of Everything": I believe that there is a fundamental set of incantations that lie at the root of all others. The "Magic of Everything" describes the inner workings of Magic, and how Magic can be reconciled with the Laws of Physics (which I speculate to be by and large indentical in the Ozzy universe and in ours). Oz's Location: I believe Oz exists in the same universe as that in which my Sci-Fi writings take place...It is a universe almost identical to our own, except that a "gravity well" wormhole links our galaxy to a "mini-bubble" of space-time in which Oz and other magical lands exist. "Baumgea": This is my name for the continent that the Oz Canon calls the "Continent of Imagination" -- My rejection of the canonical name is because Oz is REAL (in the context of the Ozzy Universe, at least), and shouldn't be purporting its own non-existance. "Yes, Prime Minister Ozma!": As I state above, I believe strongly that Ozma is actually a much more intellegent and effective leader than she is generally depicted as in the Oz Canon. Acting as always as my informants in Oz, the Adepts are still investigating the reason for the discrepancy, and as soon as we know, you'll hear it here first! :) Suffice for now to say that Ozma IS a wise and effective ruler, at least in recent years. Whew! Just answering the poll so took it out of me that I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to reply to the rest of today's Digest... :) -- Dave ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 4, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] [NOTE FROM EDITOR: I decided to take Eric G.'s advice and segregate the poll responses to a "supplementary" Digest edition, so that people who don't want to weed through long poll responses don't have to. This is the main Digest, and the other message I'm sending out now are the poll responses. -- Dave] ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 03:16:00 -0500 (EST) From: "Aaron S. Adelman" Subject: AARON ADELMAN VISITS BUTTONWOOD To: Dave Hardenbrook Reply-to: "Aaron S. Adelman" Organization: The Benevolent Absolute Monarchy of the Antipolitical Martian Empire Greetings, Digesters! I've been visiting Barry for the past few days, so I haven't had much of a chance to respond. As Barry lives in Philadelphia, on a whim I visited the house of Ruth Plumly Thompson (address given in the introduction of _The Silver Princess in Oz_). It turned out to be a nondescript two-story brick house conjoined to a similar building, the only feature worthy of note being the cardboard cutout of the head of some mammal that looked like an antlerless moose in the front door. Proceeding from there, I visited a street named Buttonwood I had noticed on the map in the hopes of finding any similarities to its namesake forest in _The Lost King of Oz_. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, I was too cold for comfort, and not noticing anything unusual other than the Pennsylvania Commerce Authority (or some other similar organization), I went back to Barry's apartment. On to other stuff: 1) Eric and others, concerning my failure to recognize that what I thought was the whole "The Star-Spangled Banner" was just the first verse, . 2) Robin and David, yes, I was referring to Robin Hess dealing with Button-Bright's family in _Christmas in Oz_. Sorry for the confusion. 3) Gili, off the top of my head, I belive that Ozma has violet eyes in _The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz_, though I don't remember any such claim in the FF. Also: I know Biblical Hebrew far better than I know Modern Hebrew, so I didn't think of the -y in Jinnicky being a diminuitive. I doubt it is, though; the Red Jinn certainly is older than the State of Israel, so I wouldn't expect his parents to have been influenced by Modern Hebrew when naming him. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 11:14:39 -0500 From: Michael Turniansky Subject: Tom Lehrer, More Poll questions, Personal egoboo To: "Dave L. Hardenbrook" References: <01IDRAW2JC6A8Y8MYA@delphi.com> As David Hulan pointed out, Gili was a little inaccurate in her "how to sing the 'Irish Ballad' But it got me thinking. Maybe the Hebrew version is different? _Have_ Tom's songs ever been translated into Hebrew? 'Twould seem a formidable task. Except maybe 'The Elements'... After reading the responses, I thought that maybe an adjunct question to Robin's poll might be "What Oz works have you experienced in other media (e.g., TV, movies, records/tapes/CDs)?" To which my own answer would be: MGM's Wizard of Oz (and "excerpt" tape), The Wiz (movie, soundtrack album to the movie, and working the lights in a synagogue production thereof), Return to Oz, one of the animated movies (I forget which one), 45 of a song from "Scarecrow of Oz" that I can't place right now ("Happy Glow", I think it's called?) Wow! To see my own name as the _answer_ to one of the questions....cool! --Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 13:32:24 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Digests To: DAVEH47@delphi.com David: I have seen the Shirley Temple BLUEBIRD, and it is not a terrible film, but it is derivitive of the 1939 WIZARD. It begins in black and white, changes to color for the dream sequence, but unlike WOZ remains in color for the ending, which is necessary for the Bluebird of Happiness to be blue. The story is highly sentimental, with the dead grandparents of the children only coming back to life when someone is thinking of them (this suggests that those who have no one to remember them are totally dead) and the unborn children knowing that they will have to change their way of being. Especially Myltyl and Tyltyl yet unborn little sister, who will only live for a short time. The remake with Elizabeth Taylor was the first American/Soviet co-production and was an unqualified disaster. I have never seen it, so have no personal judgments. The 1940 version is an interesting appendix to the 1939 WOZ. IWOC has published an index of the Baum Bugles. It was originally done by the late Fred Otto, and later extended and corrected (the most important change is it revised version gave year and season numbers for the articles instead of just volume and number. Aaron: That's the FIRST stanza of the Star Spangled Banner! Dec 31 Digest: Bob Spark: In the Jerry Tobias Auction there is a first edition SKY ISLAND in dust jacket that they estimate will sell for $3000-5000 (there is also a second edition at $150-200, but who wants seconds). It is also available for BoW in a reprint without the color plates, in both hard and soft cover. Eric: I'll be happy to run a review of QUEEN ANN as soon as Robin sends one to me. There is no prejedice against BoW in my mind. In fact some nameless persons think we review too many of their books too glowingly. Dave: Bill Stillman tells me the Winter BUGLE will probably also be 40 pages. Its ready to go as soon as I get my reviews to him (QUEEN ANN will not be in that issue). Finishing the Star Spangled Banner: "Bless the Power that has made And preserved us a Nation. Then conquer we must For our cause it is just And this be our motto: 'In God is Our Trust!' And the Star Spangled Banner In triumph shall wave, O'er the land of the free, And the home of the brave." (I love the verse of "The Boston Bequine" [From New Faces of 1952?] Boston!/ Land of the Free/Home of the Brave/Home of the Red Sock. . . . ) Danny: Baum is not anti feminine. Most of his protagonists are female. Oz is dominated by females, and Dorthy, Betsey, and Trot are the heroines of most of his Oz books. What the girls of Yew said was that girls in their world had less opportunities for going on adventures than boys did. This was generally true in the medievalized world of fairy tales. The interesting thing is not that Prince Marvel is male, but that the inner truth about him (like the inner truth of Tip) is feminine. Prince Marvel rarely used force to conguer enemies, rather he used his intelligence and some magic to turn them to friends. (BTW the fairy does not become a "mortal man"; she only took on the outward appearance of one. Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 12:15:06 -0600 From: Jim Vander Noot Subject: RE: Leo Singer To: 'John Nicholson' Cc: 'Dave Hardenbrook' Hi, John! Good to hear from you. I would think that some of the surviving Munchkins might have some information, however I'm not sure of the best way to contact them. John Fricke, past president of the Oz Club, undoubtedly has some information in conjunction with his research into the MGM movie. I'm passing this along to the Ozzy Digest discussion group in case they know of other sources of information. Sincerely, Jim Vander Noot ---------- From: John Nicholson Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 1996 3:05 PM To: iwoc@neosoft.com Subject: Leo Singer Leo Singer was my grandfather, My Mother Gloria Singer was his daughter,she passed away in 1995. If any one has a source of information on leo and his life please e-mail me, John Nicholson at captjohn@ptialaska.net [Leo Singer ] Singer midgets ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 00:30:51 -0700 (MST) From: Sandy Andrews Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-97 (2 of 2) I have a question. When we get questions that we really can't answer, would it be OK to send them to the digest? I am thinking especially of the occasional letter about where to buy Oz products. _____________ Sandy Andrews ozma@asu.edu Instruction Support Lab Arizona State University, Tempe AZ Floaters Gallery The Seamonkey Oz Page ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 04:23:57 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Oz Links (fwd) If anyone knows what Blair is talking about, can you let her know? (She's not a Digester, so you'll have to e-mail her directly.) And while you're at it, let me know so I can put the info in my FAQ. Thanks. --Eric Gjovaag ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 2 Jan 97 13:16:44 -0600 From: Blair Cohen Miller Subject: Re: Oz Links Hi! I enjoyed your Web page and thought you may be able to help me. I've heard there's an annual Wizard of Oz festival somewhere in Florida. Do you have any knowledge of this or know who I could contact? Thanks for your help. Blair Miller bcmiler@fcnbd.com ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 09:40:56 -0500 From: Scott Piehler Subject: Ozzy Items for sale Hi there! I have the following Ozzy items for sale if anyone is interested. Prices do not include shipping Giant Garden of Oz by Eric Shanower (1993, Emerald City press). Hardcover, sold-out hand signed, hand numbered edition. Book is in perfect condition, never read (I read my softcover instead, Great Story!). Book is #175/375. Note-this is a *regular* book w/ illustrations, not a comic book. Asking $35 Oz-Story Magazine #1-signed by Shanower-130 page trade-paperback style magazine from Hungry Tiger press-multiple Ozzy stories including a 1906 Baum novella-Sam Steele's Adventures on Land & Sea (non-Oz)- Asking $15 (cover price) Enchanted Apples of Oz- large format Graphic Novel (comic book) by Eric Shanower. Near-mint to Mint condition. (1986-First Comics). Asking $8 (cover price)-I have two copies. In the event of multiple offers, I reserve the right to go to an open-auction system. This is to get around any problems of *But I REALLY wanted that, and i sent a message, but the Nome King took over my ISP, and Nick Chopper sat on my modem, and then when I finally fixed it, Billina pecked the wrong address on my keyboard, and....* email if interested. rosco29@mindspring.com Thanks! Scott Scott Piehler Atlanta, GA USA http://www.mindspring.com/~rosco29/home.htm ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 09:52:42 -0500 (EST) From: Gili Bar-Hillel Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-97 (2 of 2) Hi Digest! I'm glad that "The Irish Ballad" was appreciated. In answer to your question, Dick, I ought to know if Tom Lehrer still teaches here, but I haven't seen his name in any of the course catalogs. He was definitely a math Professor here in the 50's to 70's. Perhaps he's retired? As for the Ozzy party ideas in the Gazette: I'm not sure I should have recieved credit for those! Jane basically reproduced one of my postings to the digest. While I think it was a marvellous idea to publish the party ideas in the Gazette where I'm sure they will be appreciated, many if not most of those ideas were not originally mine, and I feel a little odd having my name signed to them... I believe that the letter from Allie's mom also made its first appearance here on the digest. I admire Jane for her ability to continue coming up with material for the Gazette, despite how busy she must be with her new little 'un! The stick-puppet theatre was also a good idea. Gili ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 12:45:18 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-97 (1 of 2) Dave, may I make two suggestions here for future Digests? 1. How about putting people's poll results together in a separate edition, apart from all the other comments? That way people can read other people's poll responses at their leisure, or delete them if they're not interested, and it will clutter up the rest of the Digest less. 2. Next time we have a poll, how about asking only one or two questions a week? > From: Gili Bar-Hillel > Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) > > Eric, I do wish you would not react so emotionally. I would much rather > you calmed down than clammed up... If you thought TAT version was bad, you should have seen the first draft, before Laura edited it! > but then again, who am I to judge the > emotional state of a man with a lake on his driveway? :-) That's NOTHING compared to what happened yesterday -- I was in a car accident, the first of my life. (There goes my fourteeen-year spotless driving record!) I'm fine (yes, I went to the ER ASAP and got checked out), but it looks like my wonderful little car is a total loss. With the weather, Dave calling me a FF purist, and now this, 1997 is NOT off to a very merry start for Laura and me... (And yes, I'll be fine. So let's not clutter the Digest up with this, but I just wanted to let everyone know.) > From: DavidXOE@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 > > Eric: > I thought that picture of you sitting in the rocking chair was very > accurate...oh, wait a minute, you meant the one near the end! right back at ya! > Yeah, > the photo is a very good likeness of the way you looked in July '95; unless > you've grown a beard, or gained or lost significant weight, or something of > the sort since then it's probably still a good one. No beard, no major weight gain, the loss has been not as great as I'd like (but I doubt most people would notice even if I lost more), so yeah, that's still what I look like. One reason I chose that one, because it looks like me, and it's a good picture. (So many of those school pictures I've gotten have NOT turned out real well. Guess I take a better casual shot than posed.) BTW, if anyone wants to know what Laura looks like (and to see a few more of me), check out her web page, linked to mine. > From: amyjones@MindSpring.COM (Amy Jones) > Subject: for Ozzy Digest > > > Perhaps trying to "market" a CD-ROM to the world of Oz fandom is too > overwhelming a task to develop (though interesting to dream and plan). > Maybe a basic text "archive" of musings, ideas, chronologies, etc. that the > Digest has generated, in addition to texts, reviews, etc., that have been > mentioned (which would include Oz books of all sorts) could be found on an > "Ozzy Digest CD." It just might be a reality. Of course, I don't have a > CD-ROM drive.... Which is one reason I'm trying to encourage this to be a joint CD-ROM/WWW product... --Eric "Oz is for everybody!" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### "Get out the time-fracture wickets, Hobbes! We're gonna play Calvinball!" --Calvin, "It's a Magical World," page 99 ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 12:58:21 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-97 (2 of 2) > From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> > Subject: Oz > > Oz on CD: > A very good point was raised yesterday. Specifically, is this CD going to > be targeted to the general public or just a few people who are already > knowledgeable about Oz? I've tried to aim my web site at BOTH groups, but I've probably favored the newbies a bit more. > From: Dave Hardenbrook > Subject: Ozzy Things > > I also thought of adding this question: > ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE OZZY DIGEST? WHAT DO YOU LIKE/DISLIKE ABOUT IT? > HOW DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE IMPROVED? ASK IT LATER!!! I have to go back to work next week, and I won't have time to read all the Digests if we're still getting poll responses PLUS adding more questions on to it... And now, I'd like to share a discovery I've recently made -- Amazon.com. It's an online bookstore, and their catalog is TERRIFIC! (Okay, a lot of the descriptions and information leave something to be desired...) I went through yesterday, typed "Baum, L. Frank" in the catalog search engine's author line and, in a second search, "Oz" in the title line, and saw all kinds of good stuff, some of whihc I'd never heard of before! I ordered a bunch of stuff, like "The Lost Comics of Oz" (I wonder what THIS could be?) and the "Return to Oz" soundtrack on CD, which I'd been wanting to get for ages. Oh, yeah, and also one of the few books by Eloise McGraw I don't have. If you have access to the World Wide Web, go to www.amazon.com and take a look (you can browse without buying, or even making a commitment). --Eric "Oz is for everybody!" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### "Get out the time-fracture wickets, Hobbes! We're gonna play Calvinball!" --Calvin, "It's a Magical World," page 99 ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 17:14:01 -0800 From: ozbot@ix.netcom.com (ozbot) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest: Baum Bugle Hey guys, did the Baum Bugle come included in the package with the Observer and the Gazette? I didn't get it, although I got the Obs. and Gaz. and the usual advertiziments. Danny ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 22:20:43 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Oz (fwd) Somebody want to help this person out? (She's not a Digester, so e-mail her directly.) --Eric ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 15:15:20 -0800 From: gail lapins Subject: help Hi, I am an artist and I am currently doing a series of paintings on symbolism and metaphors in children's fables and stories. I am a newbee on the net and I am having a difficult time finding any articles or? on symbolism and metaphors on The Wizard of Oz. If you know of any I would greatly appreciate your help. thanks a lot Gail Lapins glapins@callamer.com ====================================================================== Date: 04 January, 1997 12:59:14 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things DIGEST AND POLLS: It took me forever to sort out the Digest messages from the poll responses for today, so I have a favor to ask: For any future poll responses, can you make them a separate post from anything else you have for the Digest, and just as you use "Oz" in your subject line for Digest submissions, could you use the word "poll" in the subject line for the poll response (and omit the word "Oz")? This will help me lots. Thanks! POLL UPDATE: I have received confirmation of a closer estimate of my age when I "discovered" Oz...My parents presented to me today an audio tape of the MGM _Wizard_ recorded off the TV ( don't sue us Turner!!! :) ) when I was 2 or 3. On the tape, very clearly audible, is my "running commentary" on the movie. Most of the time I'm gurgling happily, but I start crying in the Wizard's chamber ("I AM OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL...WHO ARE YOU??!!"). I am noticably silent during the scenes in the Witch's castle, but then most of the "traditionally scary" things in movies like "Night on Bald Mountain" in _Fantasia_ or the Queen's metamorphosis into a hag in _Snow White_ didn't bother me a bit as a kid. ( They scare the willies out of me now! :) :) ) And now, a word from our gracious queen... Ozma: Friends on Dave's _Ozzy Digest_, I need your help. We here in Oz are having a major problem with Windows '95...Half of the time when we single-click on the left mouse button, it registers a double-click when as sure as the snowy peaks of Mt. Munch we don't WANT a double-click!!! Trot: Oops! I only meant to close the Control Panel! I didn't mean to have a second click that also closed the NotePad with my 80-stanza poem that was un-saved!!! Ozma: Has anyone on the Digest experienced what we are, and have any idea how we might stop it from happening (an adjustment to something in the Control Panel?)...in frustration Dorothy, the Wizard, Scraps, and the Cowardly Lion have already gone back to their old Amigas! -- Dave ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 4, 1997 (POLL SECTION 1) *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 00:30:51 -0700 (MST) From: Sandy Andrews Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-97 (2 of 2) ozpoll: NAME: Sandy Andrews DATE OF BIRTH: 11/18/41 HOME: Earth. For the last 5 years I've lived in Mesa, which is in the same vicinity as Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, and Apache Junction, AZ. Around here cities cluster together where the waterholes are. PROFESSION: Grad student, Ed Media & Computers; also Supervisor, Instruction Support Lab, ASU...we help professors make CD's etc :) LEVEL OF EDUCATION ETC: I have an MA and an MEd. I'm entering the PhD program in Ed Media and Computers. It is a lot of fun. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 5 HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): My grandmother gave me my first Oz book for my birthday. I still have it. After that I got Oz books for birthdays every year, and Christmas; and I used my allowance almost solely for Oz books, except for the occasional Superman comic book. I don't have my other Oz books anymore :( HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ From Dave. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): None yet. Getting there. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All of them, I think. WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? Not any, actually, but soon, thanks to my 23-year-old who finds such things and gives them to me. HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 1 HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) I maintain the Seamonkey Oz Page with a whole bunch of children. I am no longer interning at the school where most of the illustrations were done, but that's OK, since the web doesn't rely on physical presence... MAIN OZZY INTEREST: this varies. I like making Oz (and, forgive me, other imaginative worlds) part of everyday life. I like using Oz in other creative endeavors. It used to be batiks. Now it's technology. So, if any of you (especially government workers) have occasion to use the Media4 internet Training and Tools CD which came out recently...check out the WWW section. The Seamonkey Oz Page is there, as is Piglet Press. I worked them both in. MOPPeTs: I especially like our idea locally (among the kids I work with) that there's a gateway between OZ and AZ. Especially since we've seen Ozma and Toto and the Shaggy Man and some of the others around here. And we really, really like the idea of seeding the Deadly Desert with some AZ cactus. If you lived here you'd see why. (We expect Iceland has a gateway also. It looks a lot like the scenery here, only colder.) ------------- I have a question. When we get questions that we really can't answer, would it be OK to send them to the digest? I am thinking especially of the occasional letter about where to buy Oz products. _____________ Sandy Andrews ozma@asu.edu Instruction Support Lab Arizona State University, Tempe AZ Floaters Gallery The Seamonkey Oz Page Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 01:06:48 -0800 From: ozbot@ix.netcom.com (ozbot) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) WHEW! There's going to be some nice size Digests these days! I knew I wanted to take a day to think about these very important questions, and looking back, I'm glad I didn't, or else I mighta proven to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Here's my $.02-- >POLL: > > >NAME: Danny Wall > >DATE OF BIRTH: (There's a lot of variety on this one, huh? Jan 3 '74. (Happy b-day to me! :) ) > >HOME: Nothern suburb of Los Angeles > >PROFESSION: Art teacher (at least until June) > >HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC.: > B.A. English UCLA >AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 9 > >HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: I lived close to the library and would ride by bike over to devour each and every Oz book, once my appetite was whetted by the movie and LAND. (You can see why Roald Dahl's MATILDA is also close to my heart!) Also, one of the first movies I saw on my own, you know, actually buying my own ticket and everything, was RETURN TO OZ, which might explain my last MOPPET listed in this poll . . . > >HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: Through an IWOC Gazette issue talking about Nate's TIMES. Unfortunately, it had just dissolved, but Tyler pointed me in the right direction. > >OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: IWOC > > >PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books! (And the Baum ones at that) > >HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: 13 of Baums (need LOST PRINCESS) and 3 of Thompson and 1 of Neil (And LAND is still my favorite!!!) > >WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ: Forbidden Fountain > >HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 7 (and currently reading YEW. "Who me?" No, YEW!) SKY ISLAND is my favorite > >HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 > >HOW MANY *NON-FF AUTHORED* OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES: 5, if you include Shanower's graphic novels, which were really great, and WICKED WITCH, which I didn't care for too much. > >ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING: Writing novel for the Centennial Book contest (and maybe two!); Developing a live-action role play Oz banquet for the Centennial convention; constantly drawing Oz pictures and developing card games based on Oz > >MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Baum's books. I have an affinity for the minor characters, especially those never seen again. > >WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ: I really like the Informant Theory, and believe the Wogglebug helped Neil out on his stories. I believe that Oz has its own unique culture and social norms (which we try to compare with our own too often.) I believe Oz should be located on Earth, but still only magically accessible. I toy around with the idea that Cap'n Bill was originally from Australia (No real reason. I just happen to like Australia) and is actually Trot's father. (This is the only time you will hear this, and will in no way color my perception of Oz or anything Ozzy that I am involved with) I will always think of Oz as the ideal not-quite-perfect paradise (is that an oxymoron?) As Tattypoo says, it is a "land often pleasant, and often dark and terrible." And Baum notes in Emerald City how even absolute perfection might get a *little* boring. Hmm. Didn't know I was so heretical :) Danny Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 10:27:24 -0500 From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-97 (1 of 2) Dave, did my poll responses get lost in cyberspace? Here's a repeat of yesterday's posting: NAME: Craig Noble DATE OF BIRTH: February 13, 1967 HOME: Rockville, MD (suburb of Washington, D.C.) PROFESSION(s) - TV journalist, consultant EDUCATION - master's degree in journalism ('91, UC Berkeley), bachelor's degree in English ('89, University of Virginia). AGE DISCOVERED OZ: 4 HOW DISCOVERED OZ: My mother gave me "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" for my fourth birthday. (I have a framed photo of myself surrounded by presents, including the book.) For the next few years, I received Oz books for birthdays and Christmas. (And even my First Communion!) My mother read the first eight to me. "The Scarecrow of Oz," was the first that I read myself. Somebody told my mother about IWOC about the same time that I finished "Glinda of Oz." The timing was perfect for me to join and start getting out-of-print RPT books from the "Oz Trading Post." Incidentally, Oz is a family tradition. When my mother was growing up in the 1940's, she used to read the Oz books to her younger brother, my uncle. He also collects Oz books, as does his son, my cousin. HOW FOUND OUT ABOUT OZZY DIGEST: I was getting frustrated about how few Oz postings there are on the alt.rec.books.children's newsgroup, when someone sent me e-mail: "Hey there's this internet mailing list called "The Ozzy Digest. I think you might be interested..." OZ ORGANIZATIONS BELONG TO: Was an IWOC member during much of the 1970's= and early 80's. Even went to a couple of Munchkin conventions where I met Margaret Hamilton. I'm rejoining this year. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST: The books. I never did like the movie very much. As a child, I thought it was scary! HOW MANY CANONICAL BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? 34 (I own all 40) Baum - all 14 Thompson - 18 (all except for Handy Mandy, which I recently bought but haven't read yet.) Neil - 1 (I've read "The Wonder City of Oz." I recently bought the other two, but haven't read them yet.) Snow - 1 (I've read "The Magical Mimics of Oz." I recently bought "The Shaggy Man of Oz, but haven't read it yet." Cosgrove - 0 (I recently bought "The Hidden Valley of Oz," but haven't read it yet.) McGraw & McGraw - 0 (You guessed, I recently bought "Merry Go Round in Oz," but haven't read it yet.) In sum, I've read 34 of the FF. Most of the rest are BoW reprints that I only recently acquired. I have some reading to do!! HOW MANY & WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? - 4 ("The Little Wizard Stories of Oz," "Yankee in Oz," "The Enchanted Island of Oz," "The Forbidden Fountain of Oz." (I also have "A Runaway in Oz," but haven't read it yet.) I haven't read any of the books by the new Oz authors.) HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? - 8 ("Mother Goose in Prose," "Dot and Tot of Merryland," "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus," "The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People," "The Enchanted Island of Yew," "Queen Zixi of Ix," "The Sea Fairies," "Sky Island.") HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ? - 0 ANY CURRENT OZZY PROJECTS? - Finish reading the FF, collect early editions of Oz books (I only have about a half-dozen first editions), and try to collect and read as many non-Oz Baum books as I can get my hands on. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION - See above. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? - I guess I'm not as advanced as most of the rest of you in this area. However, I do think it's most likely that Oz and the surrounding countries are actually on Earth, but in a parallel universe. I sure would like to go there! Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 03:16:00 -0500 (EST) From: "Aaron S. Adelman" Name: Aaron Solomon Adelman a.k.a. Aaron Solomon ben Saul Joseph a.k.a. the Amazing Appleman a.k.a. Nails a.k.a. Hiergargo the Magician. Birthdate: October 18, 1972 Home: Charleston, SC and New York, NY--for the moment. Profession: student. Educational level: BA in computer science, currently doing graduate work towards rabbinical ordination. Age I discovered Oz: less than 5. How I discovered Oz: don't remember. I have early memories of both the books and the movie, and in my parents' house in Charleston is a hardback copy of _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ which Barry and I tore the front cover off of as tiny children. How I found out about the Ozzy Digest: don't remember. Oz organizations I belong to: Except for the Order of the Zero, a mock-secret society I invented which practices mock-magick allegedly in the Ozite tradition, none. Primary Oz interest: Books, without question. FF books read: 40. Non-FF books read: Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz The Magic Chest of Oz The Mysterious Chronicles of Oz The Nome King's Shadow in Oz Oz and the Three Witches Dorothy and the Seven-Leaf Clover Mr. Tinker in Oz Ozma and the Wayward Wand Dorothy and Old King Crow Dorothy of Oz The Rewolf of Oz Little Dorothy and Toto in Oz Tik-Tok and the Nome King of Oz Ozma and the Little Wizard of Oz Jack Pumpkinhead and the Sawhorse of Oz The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman of Oz Masquerade in Oz Rinkitink in Oz Invisible Inzi of Oz The SillyOZbuls of Oz The Silly OZbul of Oz and Toto The Silly OZbuls of Oz and the Magic Merry-Go-Round Queen Ann in Oz The Wicked Witch of Oz A Murder in Oz Yankee in Oz The Enchanted Island of Oz The Forbidden Fountain of Oz The Glass Cat of Oz The Enchanted Apples of Oz The Secret Island of Oz The Ozmapolitan of Oz The Ice King of Oz Acinad Goes to the Emerald City of Oz The Forgotten Forest of Oz The Magic Diamond of Oz Skeezik and the Mys-Tree of Oz The Magic Tapestry of Oz Red Reera the Yookoohoo and the Enchanted Easter Eggs of Oz The Blue Witch of Oz The Giant Garden of Oz The Frogman of Oz The Green Dolphin of Oz "Sir Harold and the Gnome King" (in The Enchanter Reborn) The Evil Author of Oz The Wizard of the Emerald City=09 Urfin Jus and His Wooden Soldiers The Seven Underground Kings A Barnstormer in Oz Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West Dorothy--Return to Oz The Number of the Beast Seven Day Magic Dorothy and the Lizard of Oz How the Wizard Came to Oz The Visitors from Oz + The Wogglebug Book The Dinamonster of Oz Sail Away to Oz A Generic Oz Story Return to Oz (not sure which version) Baum non-Oz books read: 13 (not including _The Wogglebug Book_) and one volume of the _Ozman Tales_. Thompson non-Oz books read: 0. Current Ozzy projects: Lurline's Machine (in conjunction with my brother Barry), reconstruction of Nonestican languages, the HI/RCC (Historically Inaccurate/Rejected Chronological Chain). Main area of concentration: in writing, the future of Oz. In reading, anything which has claims to being in the HACC or the HI/RCC. In collecting, the FF with an admitted weakness towards non-FF books which are praised on the Digest. Main MoPPETs: The Magic Machine, which is the generator/director of all magic for Nonestica and possibly other places. All other MoPPETs of mine are minor or not yet for public consumption. Aaron Solomon (ben Saul Joseph) Adelman adelman@yu1.yu.ed Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 09:09:27 -0700 From: BRIAN_HALLISEY@HP-Loveland-om10.om.hp.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) X-Openmail-Hops: 1 WELL, AFTER BEING A 'DIGEST LURKER' SINCE IT'S INCEPTION, HERE IS MY FIRST= CONTRIBUTION/RESPONSE. BASED ON THE CURRENT POLL RESPONSES TO DATE, I'M= CERTAIN IT WON'T BE THE MOST POPULAR AND YOU'LL BETTER UNDERSTAND MY LACK OF CONTRIBUTIONS! TO DATE, MY WHOLE APPRECIATION OF OZ HAS REVOLVED AROUND THE MOVIE. POLL: Here are the questions in our _Ozzy Digest_ poll. Feel free to answer directly in the _Digest_, this time, instead of e-mailing me privately. This way, y'all can see all of each response, instead of only the condensed version of it. Answer only the questions you feel like answering. Please, however, answer the questions in sequence. Thanks! N.B. Not all of these questions will lend themselves to tabulation. NAME: BRIAN HALLISEY DATE OF BIRTH: 23-SEPTEMBER-63 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): FORT COLLINS, CO (60 MILES NORTH OF DENVER) PROFESSION: ELECTRICAL ENGINEER HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS?= ETC. BSEE PLUS A FEW GRADUATE CLASSES AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: ABOUT 5 OR 6 HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): MOVIE ON T.V. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): _BAUM BUNGLE_ -> NATE'S DEAL -> DIGEST OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): IWOC PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): MOVIE HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? 3 WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked=20 Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) 0 HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW,=20 VANITY, ETC.) 0 ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS,=20 RESEARCH, ETC.) NONE CURRENTLY. IN THE PAST, I HAVE DESIGNED OZ HALLOWEEN COSTUMES FOR MY SON AND CREATED A EMERALD CITY CAKE FOR HIS BIRTHDAY. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.) MOVIE, COLLECTIBLES, JUDY GARLAND, ETC. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) NONE, I JUST ENJOY THE MOVIE, STORIES AND PEOPLE I'VE MET THROUGH MY INTEREST IN OZ. I DON'T CARE TOO MUCH ABOUT THE DIMENSIONS OF OZ, INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN BOOKS AND AUTHORS OR WHETHER IT'S SACRILEGIOUS TO IMAGINE OZMA IN A BATHING SUITE. THE MOVIE AND THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH IT BRING ME PLEASURE AND FOR THE MOST PART I HAVE BAUM AND HIS STORIES TO THANK FOR THAT. ****************************************** NOTE: Please E-mail responses to me so they can be printed in the Digest...= -- Dave POST NOTE: AS YOU CAN SEE, I AM DEFINITELY IN THE MINORITY! (AT LEAST OF THE DIGEST MEMBERS WHO HAVE RESPONDED TO THE POLL.) IN CONCLUSION, HOWEVER, I MUST SAY THAT WHILE MY INTEREST/MOTIVES ARE NOT ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THE REST OF THE LIST I DO ENJOY/APPRECIATE READING THE DIGEST EVERYDAY! I HAVE LEARNED A LOT AND HAVE BEGUN READING THE FIRST COUPLE OF BOOKS WITH MY SON. WHO KNOWS, MAYBE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE I'LL HAVE A MUCH BETTER APPRECIATION FOR THE BOOKS AND LESS OF A LOVE FOR THE MOVIE! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK AND INPUTS! ALSO, UNRELATED TO THE POLL: I PAID $15 IN DUES TO THE IWOC EARLIER THIS PAST FALL. I RECENTLY RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT DUES ARE NOW $25. IS THERE SOMEBODY I CAN CONTACT TO FIND OUT IF MY MEMBERSHIP WAS CORRECTLY CREDITED THE $15 I SENT EARLIER AND I CAN JUST PAY A $10 BALANCE? THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP! BRIAN Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 11:47:45 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) Message text written by Dave L. Hardenbrook > NAME: Melody Grandy Keller DATE OF BIRTH:4-4-54 HOME: Asheville, NC PROFESSION: Commercial artist HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. Associate's Degree of Applied Science in Commercial Graphics, Certificate in Radiologic Technology AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 6. (I likely saw the Shirley Temple "Land of Oz" when 4 or 5, but did not remember the story took place in Oz.) HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ): MGM's Wizard of Oz HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From good ol' Chris Dulabone. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: (International Wizard of Oz Club. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): The books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: Every single last one of 'em! WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? Yankee., Forbidden Fountain, Ozmapolitian, Colorful Kitten, Bungle, Toto, Red Reera, Veggy Man, Cory, Fwiirp, A Trip, Denslow, Lunechien Forest, Gnome King, Mystical Magical Super Adventure, Lunarr, Magic Tapestry, White Ravens, Maybe the MIffin, The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz 1 & 2 :-), Enchanted Island, Thorns & Private Files, The Muppets, The Silver Shoes, Magic Bus, Viking, The Magic Belt, The Six-Leafed Clover, Mr. Tinker, Return to Oz, and that's all I can remember right now. Beware! Some of the above have not been published yet! :) :) HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Yew, Aunt Janes Nieces out West, The Baum Alphabet, Sea Fairies, Sky Island, Marvelous Land of Mo, Dot & Tot, Twinkle & Chubbins, etc. HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: The Wizard of Way-up and Other Wonders. HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? 3 IWOC, lots of Bucketheads, ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? Writng a new Oz book, hope to do a graphic novel--but suspect the pendulum of public taste will have to swing back to good instead of evil in order to see publication, & desktop publishing Mystical Magical and doing a Calendar illo for Chris. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION : Writing & illustrating Oz books. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? That Lurline enchanted Oz to eliminate the worst aspects of reality (death, taxes, etc.), to show the rest of the world how good life could be & isn't. (Certain authors out there in harsh reality, gnashing their teeth in jealousy, retaliate with books like Wicked, Barnstormer, Oz Squad, Oz, etc. :-) :-) ) Melody Grandy Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 12:26:09 -0500 From: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest Poll Dave, Here are my Ozzy Poll answers. Name: Richard (Dick) Randolph Date of Birth: March 4, 1929 Home: Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey Profession?: Retired - former Data Procesing Manager/programmer Age discovered Oz?: 10 How discovered Oz?: My 4th grade teacher read it the class (This was 1939, and the movie was about to be released) How I found the Ozzy Digest?: Subscribed to Nate Barlow's Ozian Times. Ozzy Organizations?: The IWOC & Royal Club of Oz Primary Interest?: Books How Many FF Books Read?: All Which Non-FF Oz Books Read?: Enchanted Island of Oz, Yankee in Oz, The Runaway in Oz, The Wicked Witch of Oz, The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, The Dinamonster of Oz, Dorothy of Oz, The Ozmapolitan of Oz, all of Shanower's graphic novels, The Lost Emeralds of Oz, The Glass Cat of Oz, Queen Ann of Oz, The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz, Book 1, The Deadly Desert Around Oz, Father Goose in Oz, How The Wizard Came to Oz, The Speckled Rose of Oz, Cory in Oz, Dorothy - Return to Oz, Wicked, The Healing Power of Oz, The= Crocheted Cat in Oz, The Braided Man of Oz, Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz,= Dorothy Returns to Oz, Christmas in Oz, The Tin Castle of Oz, and I'm presently reading A Silver Elf in Oz. How many Baum Non-Oz books read?: 3 How many Thompson Non-Oz books read: 0 How many Non-FF Oz books read, & which ones?: see above Any current Ozzy projects?: Upgrading my collection of the FF, cataloging and photographing my collection for insurance purposes,= purchasing any new Oz books when published. Main Ozzy area of concentration?: same as above What are your main MOPPeTS about Oz? That Oz should always be fun, and errors/inconsistancies are part of that fun. And that Oz is for everyone....you're never too old for Oz! Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 20:24:15 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) Ok, here's my response.... >NAME: Scott Olsen > >DATE OF BIRTH: 11-16-56 > >HOME: Chula Vista (San Diego), CA=20 > >PROFESSION: Technical Editor > >HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION: BA in English, San Diego State University > >AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: MOVIE: 5 or 6 yrs. old. BOOKS: About 7 (my friend's family owned a collection of about 20 books. I started acquiring and reading Oz books about 2 years later. > >HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: See above. > >HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST: The Baum Bugle > >OZ ORGANIZATION(S): IWOC since 1968 > >PRIMARY OZ INTEREST: Books > CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS READ: 40 > >WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? IWOC books, Laughing Dragon, etc. Own many others--no time to read yet. > >HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 10-15, but I've got several here I haven't read yet... > >HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 2 > >MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Book collecting=20 > >WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? That it shouldn't be taken too= seriously! Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 22:51:27 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest poll NAME: Kenneth R. Shepherd DATE OF BIRTH: 01/14/62 HOME: Metro Detroit, Michigan PROFESSION:=20 1) Adjunct instructor in ancient and medieval history, Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn, MI and Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor, MI 2) Chorister and soloist, Michigan Opera Theatre, Detroit, MI 3) Freelance writer and editor, Southgate, MI 4) Owner & operator, Kenneth R. Shepherd Inc. (writing & consulting), Southgate, MI HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: M.A. in history, Miami University, Oxford, OH; postgraduate study at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: So long ago I can't remember HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Probably had the books read to me before I was able to read HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: via email from Tyler Jones OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: IWOC member since 1980 PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Primarily books, but some interest in movie as well HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: All 40 WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? Little Wizard Stories, Yankee, Enchanted Island, Forbidden Fountain, Hidden Chronicles, novelization of Return to Oz by Joan Vinge, 4 Random House titles (Dorothy & Magic Belt, Ozma & Wayward Wand, Mr Tinker, Dorothy & Seven-Leaf Clover), Ozmapolitan, Runaway HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Mo, Ix, American Fairy Tales, Life & Adventures of Santa, John Dough, Sea Fairies, Sky Island, Dot & Tot, Enchanted Island of Yew HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ:Wizard of Way-Up & Other Wonders ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? Chronologies of canonical Oz books; an Oz story MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Ozian research WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? N/A ****************************************** Date: Fri, 03 Jan 1997 20:01:18 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Poll: I forgot to answer it yesterday, so here it is: NAME: Tyler Jones DATE OF BIRTH: 01-13-69 HOME: Tucson, Arizona PROFESSION: Computer Programmer AGE YOU DISCOVERED OZ: 5 HOW YOU DISCOVERED OZ: saw MGM, books soon thereafter HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE OZZY DIGEST: I was there when it arose from the ashes of TOT and Chris Heer's repeater list. OZ ORGANIZATIONS: IWOC PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (BOOKS OR MOVIE): BOOKS HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All 40. WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (IWOC): All 5 of five HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Most (not the pseudonymous ones) HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Most HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.) All of them (about 120 so far) ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS,=20 RESEARCH, ETC.) Someday, I may write _Prelude to Oz_. Aside from that, just continuing research into all phases of things Ozzy. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION - Probing into the misty and vague area of pre-Dorothean history. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ?=20 That the history of Oz CAN be reconciled into a smooth continuous whole with a little effort and no stifling of thought and creativity. That Oz was not always a nearly-perfect Utopian Fairyland. Such things as deathlessness, etc. only cam about recently after Lurlines enchantment. There was magic around before Lurlinem, just not Fairy magic. Oz is in a parallel Universe that is closely and intimately linked with our own world. --Tyler Jones ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 4, 1997 (POLL SECTION 2) *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== From: BARLOW NATE Subject: Digest: Poll Sender: BARLOW NATE To: daveh47@delphi.com (Dave L. Hardenbrook) Organization: Symbol Technologies NAME: Nate Barlow DATE OF BIRTH: July 6, 1975 HOME: Rocky Point, NY (on Long Island, about 1 1/2 hours out from NYC) PROFESSION: Digital Engineer HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: I was 7 or 8 when I first discovered the books and started to become a fan, although I had seen and enjoyed the movie before that time. HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: I found copies of the _The Land of Oz_ and of _The Emerald City of Oz_ in the library of the school I was attending in Moshi, Tanzania. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: Dave told me he was forming it, so I've received it since the beginning. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: IWOC PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: 40 HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: At least 18, and there might be more that I am forgetting. HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 1 (2 if you count _Way-Up_) HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? All the IWOC, _Runaway_, All the Shanower, the Little Wizard Stories_, lots of Buckethead titles,--since my collection is not available to check, I can't give an accurate answer, but I'd guess around 50. ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? Bugle CD-ROM, chairing the 1997 Munchkin Convention MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Currently, I'm trying to collect 1st edition, 1st stated of all the FF. Nate ===================================================================== Date: Thu, 02 Jan 1997 08:05:43 -0700 From: Ivan Van Laningham Subject: Reply to the poll. To: DAVEH47@delphi.com (Dave L. Hardenbrook) Cc: ivanlan@tzuk-te.callware.com Hi Dave-- NAME: Ivan Van Laningham DATE OF BIRTH: 28 Jan 1947 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Salt Lake City PROFESSION: Software Engineer HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. 4 years college, but no degree--it would have been in physical anthropology. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Um, probably 9--earlier if you count the movie. HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): I found a copy of ``The Gnome King of Oz'' in the garage of the house we had just moved into. I spent the entire afternoon reading in that smelly, musty, cobwebby old garage, lying on an old lawn furniture cushion. There was one color picture, and the binding was green. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): I think from a review in the New York Times Book Review. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): IWOC. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books. HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All. WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) All that you mentioned, plus a few more. HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Several--I haven't actually *read* the Aunt Jane's Nieces books, nor have I read The Book of the Hamburgs;-) HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Very few. HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.) Unknown. Quite a few, but not enough to make a significant portion of the whole list. ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) None. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.) I just love to read the books; they take me back to that smelly old garage;-) WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) I don't think I'm critical enough to have pet peeves;-) Take care, Ivan ----------------------------- Ivan Van Laningham | "Until NT is accepted as being | better than UnixWare, by a | substantial margin, I can't see CallWare Technologies, Inc. | why anyone would want to mess SLC UT | with it. It's like having a | Land Rover, and yearning after | a Big Wheel." -- Harrison Picot ----------------------------- e-mail: ivanlan@tzuk-te.callware.com (Unix) ivanlan@callware.com (GroupWise->forward to Unix) ivanlan@aol.com web: http://tzuk-te.callware.com ----------------------------- #include ----------------------------- ===================================================================== Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 12:17:11 -0500 From: JOdel@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-97 (1 of 2) Are you all certain that Rickety-Tickety-Tin is a Tom Lehrer creation? Ma used to claim that it's one of the songs that my grandad used to tease people with and he fell down his last staircase in '42... NAME: Joyce Odell DATE OF BIRTH: Aug. 12, 1946 HOME: L.A. (inner city) PROFESSION: Silly Service (City of L.A. Planning Dept. -Cartographer) HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: B.A. (Theater) AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: effectively pre-natal. HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 5-6 Baums and a Thompson, the survivors of my mother and her siblinbgs, formend the core of my "library". HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ : David Hulan OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: None PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: All WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: Secret Chronicles, Dorothy in, Queen Ann, How the Wizard Came to, Glass Cat, & Blue Mtns., Giant Garden, Forbidden Fountain, maybe a couple others. HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Sea Faries, Zixi, John Dough, Santa Claus HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: None HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES?: Mostly BoW, a couple of IWOC. See above. ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING?: No MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Read Digest MOPPeTs: None, but give me the wool and I'll spin a few. ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 09:22:04 -0500 (EST) From: "THEO C. CARSON" <103306.2562@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) In response to your poll Theo C Carson 11/17/39 Kalamazoo MI Certified Public Accountant BBA Always My mother read the books to me every winter, she was a great fan Peter Hanff IWOC (Treasurer) Books Many Few Several None Projects: Seeking memorabilia at auction, antique shows, ads etc Collecting memorabila and books None ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 5 - 6, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 12:17:11 -0500 From: JOdel@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-97 (1 of 2) Are you all certain that Rickety-Tickety-Tin is a Tom Lehrer creation? Ma used to claim that it's one of the songs that my grandad used to tease people with and he fell down his last staircase in '42... ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 16:54:46 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-04-97 Eric wrote: > I ordered a bunch of stuff, like "The Lost Comics of Oz" (I wonder what THIS could > be?) "The Lost Comics of Oz" was a project to reproduce (in full color) the "Queer Visitors" comic pages as well as Denslow's "Scarecrow and Tin Man" pages in one book. I thought that project fell through and never was printed. If it was published, please let me know. I want to review it in the BUGLE. Conxcerning reviews: Patrick Maund suggested that Fred Otto's OZIADS should be reviewed, but that he was not the person to review it. If anyone who has a copy would be willing to do a review of this book with the Rob Roy MacVeigh illustrations PLEASE let me know tout suite, ASAP. Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 18:19:14 -0500 From: OzBucket@aol.com Subject: Oz web pages I have just gotten AOL version 3.0. I was using a very old and extremely outdated version before, and it was unable to do much except receive E-mail. This new version has some conflicts with this slightly outdated computer that still cause angst, however. I can get to Tyler's page, Eric G's, and Ken Cope's (Ken, AHEM! You left out the biggest publisher of Oz books on the planet! I was very brokenhearted. Sob Sniff). But I can't get to Gili's or Dave's! I wonder... Is it http//people.delphi.com/DAVEH47? How about http://scso.com/~gili. Tyler had given me the wrong address for his page but I eventually found it anyway. Maybe I should take Tyler up on his offer to sell me a hot new computer. He said he'd even drive out here and set it up for me. All I need now is the $$$. Maybe all of the Digest members could chip in together like that little town in... was it Texas?... and we can buy a lot of powerball tickets and all become instant jillionairs! Then we could ALL have better computers! Oh, and speaking of which: Sorry, Dave, but I don't think that a place with such superior technology as Oz has would take much interest in arcane tools like computers at all, and certainly would not have such troubles with them. Oh, and NO WAY would anyone in Oz be using an IBM clone.. I mean, come on.... ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 22:21:24 -0500 (EST) From: Wes A Brzozowski Subject: Ozzy Digest Hi! I just thought I'd mention, before I say anything else, that my name is Annie and this is my first post so if I write soemthing stupid or offending (although I try not to) I'm sorry. I've gotten the digest for a while now but this is the first time my dad has let me use his computer to e-mail Ozzy stuff. As you probably guessed, I'm still in high-school (10th grade) Dave:You didn't see a review of QUEEN ANN next to PATCHWORK BRIDE in the Bugle. PATCHWORK BRIDE was in the Autum 1994 issue allong with THE WIZARD OF OZ COOKBOOK and THE WIZARD OF OZ WADDLE BOOK. Regarding the Star Spangled Banner, it really has four verses but no one liked the second so they cut it out. The third became the 2nd ect. The two verses you all have been wondering about are: On the shores dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty hoast in dread silence reposes. What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses? Now it catches the gleem of the morning's first beem, In full glory reflected now shines on the streem; 'Tis the star-spangled banner;Oh long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! Oh, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation; Blessed with victiory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land Praise the power that hath and preserved us a nation. Then Conquer we must, when out cause it is just, And let this be our motto-"In God is our trust"; And the star-spangled banner, in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. Also: Do any of you have a source of information of non-Greek mythology Pegasus? I want to use Pegasus in my next book. I just finished my 3rd and all my books have Pegasus in them but I don't know much about non-Greek winged horses. If you do you can e-mail me at the address at the top of this message because I don't know the address to write it here. Oz many good witches Oz pOzible, Annie BrzOZowski ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 22:52:07 -0500 (EST) From: Wes A Brzozowski Subject: Ozzy Digest Sorry about this. I forgot to write a couple of things in my other message. I feel really stupid now for wasting your time. About the Star-Spangled Banner, a little bit of trivia, the tune is not orrigional. It was taken from an olf tavern song called Anacreon in Heaven. You might already know that. I just figured I'd share it anyway. About the Oz CD-ROM: I think it's a great idea and when you make it, I'll be ammong the first to buy one. Annie Brzozowski ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 04:18:47 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* ******WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR "SCARECROW" AHEAD******** Day 1 - Trot & Cap'n Bill caught in whirlpool - overnight in cavern Day 2 - They meet the Ork - enter the Hole and the Tunnel - walk until night Day 3 - They start at 9 AM - reach Pessim's Island - Ork eats magic berries - night in Pessim's shed Days 3-5 - "For three days" they live on the island Day 6 - "On the fourth day" Ork suggests carrying Trot & Cap'n Bill to mainland - they reach Mo - night on mountain with Bumpy Man Day 7 - Snow overnight - Trot's party meets Button-Bright - they are carried over the desert to Jinxland - Ork leaves to find Orkland - Trot, Cap'n Bill, & Button-Bright are separated - Cap'n Bill enchanted - Trot & Button-Bright spend night with Pon - Scarecrow visits Glinda and begins journey to Jinxland Day 8 - Scarecrow crosses mountains surrounding Jinxland - Button-Bright gets lost in early AM - Blinkie enchants Gloria - Scarecrow meets Cap'n Bill, hatches plan to overthrow Krewl - Button-Bright meets Ork, who plans a rescue - Krewl, Googly-Goo defeated & Cap'n Bill & Gloria disenchanted Day 9 - Gloria made Queen - Orks carry Cap'n Bill, Trot, Button- Bright, & Scarecrow to Oz, and leave - night in Wizard's house Day 10 - Scarecrow caught in waterfall - night in Wizard's house Day 11 - Scarecrow restuffed in AM - Dorothy & Betsy arrive at Glinda's c. 4 PM - night in Glinda's palace Day 12 - Reception for Trot & Cap'n Bill in Emerald City ****************END SPOILERS***************** ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 00:52:31 -0500 From: Michael Turniansky Subject: Aaron, Birthdays, and amendment to poll (OZ) I noted Aaron has spread his Old Ozzish. If you'd like to know what "Iklan-ketel zaglu uni; nal-kepa ni" means (or the equivalent in Dan-Rur, "Nel akkeai-ugoil ureil; ai moirshoai nel."), see http://fas-www.harvard.edu/~emollick/created.html Happy belated birthday to Danny Wall, and early birthday greetings to Kenneth Shepherd, in case I forget.... BTW, I forgot: I did read "Queer Visitors", so you might want to update my poll response in that area from 0 to 1.... --Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 03:41:52 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-04-97 Poll: Dave, thanks for splitting poll from DIGEST. I was gonna ask you to, but didn't have the nerve. 29 responses so far. Please hold all future questions. We can always do another (shorter!) poll. If anyone wants it, I'll have a minimally edited (spaces deleted, questions condensed) version of all responses available after we're done. WARNING: It's a big mama of a file! IF YOU WANT THE POLL, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL AFTER IT'S OVER TO ASK ME FOR IT. If you ask me now, I'll lose track. BTW, I think we're pretty interesting! --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 08:29:26 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-04-97 > From: Sandy Andrews > Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-97 (2 of 2) > > I have a question. When we get questions that we really can't answer, > would it be OK to send them to the digest? I am thinking especially of > the occasional letter about where to buy Oz products. You can always send those latter letters to my web page, I have a huge list of places to get Oz stuff in my FAQ. As for forwarding notes, Jim Vander Noot (running the Club's pages), what's-his-face at Piglet Press (why can't I remember his name, he's a fellow Oogaboo!), and I do it all the time, and so far Dave hasn't objected, so until Dave rules we shouldn't do it or Digest consensus (if such a thing can ever be reached ) says it's a bad idea, I don't see why you or anyone else shouldn't. > From: Ozma, c/o Dave Hardenbrook > Subject: Ozzy Things > > Ozma: Friends on Dave's _Ozzy Digest_, I need your help. We here in Oz > are having a major problem with Windows '95... Gee, Your Highness, I always figured you for a Mac person. A lot fewer problems there... (/me ducks, hides, and runs from the wrath of all the die-hard PC users on the list, and gets annoyed at Apple yet again for discontinuing MacOS in favor of NeXT...) --Eric "Just got a new car yesterday, looks like I'm not going to be able to afford a new computer soon anyway" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### "Get out the time-fracture wickets, Hobbes! We're gonna play Calvinball!" --Calvin, "It's a Magical World," page 99 ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 12:31:00 -0500 From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digests 01-03 & 04-96 I wasn't able to download the first half of the 1/3 Digest, so any comments I have on that will have to wait until I can arrange to get it re-sent to me. 1/3 Part 2: Bob: I'm surprised that there isn't a Borders in Sacramento; you can find them in most cities that size. (Do note that it's Borders and not Boarders.) I know there are several of them in the Bay Area, if you get there any time. Dick: Your mentioning Lehrer reminds me that I forgot to add the last verse of his "Irish Song" to my post of 1/2: My little tale I'll not prolong, And if you did not enjoy my song, You've yourself to blame if it's too long - You should never have let me begin. Bear: The IWOC does have a Web page. Eric Gjovaag's page has links to just about all the other Ozzy pages that I know of, including that one and Ken Cope's. Go there and follow up all the links! Poll: Robin, when you compile results I suggest that you use the birthdate info to report how many Digest folks were born in each decade. I know that I found it interesting that of the poll answers I've seen (which don't include any from the first half of 1/3 - my own, among others), only two people on the Digest are older than I am. This is considerably at variance with my experience at Oz conventions, where a major fraction of the attendees are older than I am. I suspect that this is mostly connected with computer-familiarity; I note that the three of us born before 1940 (Bear, Dick, and I) are all retired engineers of one kind or another who've necessarily used computers professionally. I suspect most - though certainly not all - people now 60 and up had little need to use computers and probably avoided it. And so they're not found on the Internet. 1/4: Steve: I bet I could put a name to at least one of those nameless persons who think you review too many BoW books too glowingly... Gili: I imagine that Lehrer would be retired, if he's even still alive. I know he was a professor at Harvard when I was in college, which would make him a good few years older than I am. I'd guess he's at least 70 by now. Eric: Condolences on your auto accident; I'm glad that at least you're uninjured. I've been involved in five auto accidents myself since 1960, and in every case my car was sitting still when it happened. I did check Laura's Web page, but the picture of the two of you there is so indistinct that I don't think anyone could figure out what she looks like from it. Fortunately, I know what she looks like too (or at least what she looked like in July '95). Danny: The BUGLE is mailed separately from the GAZETTE/OBSERVER package. You should be getting yours any time now, though. Even West Coasters have mentioned getting theirs in the last few days. Dave: If your computer is registering double-clicks when you only click once, I'd suspect hardware more than software. If you're using the mouse that came with the computer, it's undoubtedly a cheapo one. I like trackballs much better myself, but admit that they're not as good for drawing as a mouse. (But since I don't do much drawing, that doesn't bother me.) See if you can borrow another mouse from someone; if that fixes the problem, then you need to buy yourself a new mouse. If it still happens, then there may be some kind of software glitch, and I can't help you there. (There's a control panel on Macs, and I imagine Windows has something comparable, that lets you set the interval between clicks that the computer recognizes as a double-click vs. two single clicks, but it doesn't sound as if that relates to your problem. Another possibility is that the mouse software is set for left-handed use, so that your computer thinks you're clicking the right button when you click the left one; that would only have the effect you're seeing if a right-button click acted like a double-click, though.) And if Trot had an 80-stanza poem unsaved in her Note Pad, she deserved to lose it! ;-) David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 11:29:12 -0800 (PST) From: Peter Hanff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-04-97 Dave, Some the Ozzy Digesters might enjoy looking at the following on the web: http://www.local.com/~tnewsom/tom.lehrer/index.html Peter ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 11:53:25 -0800 From: Ken Cope Subject: Ozzy Digest Warren H Baldwin wrote: ... > On the CD _World's Greatest Classic Books_, which purports to contain >"over 3,500 of the world's best literary works from the greatest writers >of all time," one of those works is _The Wizard of Oz_, which I thought >was rather impressive because (a) this is a Canadian company, >apparently, and (b) The Wiz keeps company with such documents as works >of Shakespeare, Dickens, Poe, the King James version of the Bible, The >Koran, that Manifesto, and many others. And it was under 20 bucks. Go >figure with the million-dollar estimate for an Oz CD. I don't mean to single you out, Warren, but this is the last I have to say about CD-ROM on the Digest, I believe it belongs on the Web first. I stand by my million dollar figure "for an Oz CD-ROM worth the title". That estimate was made before the committee members presently gathered defined the scope as a text-only collection of PD work. The type of product to which Warren refers is known as shovelware, a term I failed to define the last time I used it. It refers to the common practice of "shoveling" content requiring no creation into the space available. The example Warren cites may have cost the publisher as much as 20 bucks worth of connect time to download from various edu sites, more if they made bad choices in an ISP. Value would have been added had there been any sort of hypertextual linkage in the assembled verbiage, though most folks with a word processing program can run searches. I now retrieve the course notes and proceedings of the SIGGRAPH conferences on computer graphics from Adobe Acrobat files on CD-ROM. While it saves me the task of lugging about forty pounds of paper through the airport, I've used more than one ream of paper filling notebooks with printouts of pertinent material. Capital T Text works best on paper. However, if I want to look for info on a specific topic, I'll go to the siggraph.org site and use their search engine, which covers material that would require a large number of CD-ROMs to store. I made the silly assumption that an Oz CD-ROM would be the result of the work of at least ten professionals who would create something that would not otherwise be able to exist in any other medium. As Peter Hanff, in his talk at last summer's Winkies said, the Oz books represented what was at the time, the state of the art in book publishing. Metallic inks, illustration and typesetting and color illustrations smoothly supporting and balancing each other, raising the quality bar with each title through _The Emerald City of Oz_. A centenary Oz CD-ROM, IMHO, should do no less. As soon as there exists on our collective web pages sufficient material to utilize a CD, and unless you're working on a personal project, I can't see discussion about a CD-ROM being as productive as those of us with web pages collaborating and cooperating by making Oz available for the well-equipped web browser. I don't want to hear any whining about the time it takes to download material. Donate that old pig of a machine to a worthy school and take advantage of Moore's law! Ram is damn near free, Gig hard drives are the norm, and 200 Mhz CPU's are being paired symmetrically even on Macs these days! ISDN is being pushed for homes in California, and that will soon seem like a ripoff IF cable modems get out there. The user is responsible for keeping up, the rest of the class should not be held back by the slowest learner. You think we got a man on the moon by waiting until we all evolved the ability to jump to it? Elitist? Let's talk about Ozian immigration policies sometime. Conversely there is responsibility for making sure the material you provide can be readily accessed by the largest number of people out there, and that includes making sure your images are efficiently compressed, well designed and bypassable by those who are interested only in text. I worked on my first CD-ROM project in the eighties, I was the first animator Disney's Imagineering team hired to build their first 3D CGI characters for their VR labs, and I'm currently working on games for cartridges and CD-ROM. I am presently at work dig'tizing Oz settings and celebrities using Softimage, the animation software ILM and Disney use for 3D character animation. I am doing that on my equipment and time, and when I have something to share about it publicly, you folks on the Digest will be the first to hear about it. Free time is too rare and valuable to put a price on. Free consultations are valued at the rate paid, so I shouldn't be surprised when those not familiar with a given industry scoff at reports about its economics. Ken Cope Ones & Zeroes SurReal Estate pinhead@ozcot.com ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 13:58:27 -0800 From: ozbot@ix.netcom.com (ozbot) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest stuff Great idea Eric, to include poll repsonces seperately! Poll question-- Is some one tabulating responces? I think that we need a deadline, unless everyone has already responded. Some ideas on presenting poll results: Maybe we could have percentages as the results. For example: x percent in computer fields, n percent in teaching. Also, maybe we could have the "where you live" presented ozzily, too: how many Winkies, how many Gillikins, etc. I vote that we also have "most non FF books read" or "most diverse in reading" and "Most interesting story on how I discovered Oz" type things to tabulate those hard-to-quantify responces. Danny ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 20:10:09 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Sandy: Feel free to forward questions that you (and others) cannot answer. Jim and Eric do it all the time, and it helps to spread Ozzy knowledge. wOZdows 95: I don't suppose Ozma and crew had any luck with Microsoft tech support :-) If anything, I've had the reverse problem. That is, I double-click and Windows 95 only recognizes a single click. The Emerald City probably just got a bad shipment of mouses (or is that mice?). Brian: Please don't appologize for your area of interest or lack of knowledge of the books! The MGM movie is fantastic on its own terms, and even though it is only the tip of the Ozzy iceberg, it is a real treasure. We all have to start somewhere and one of the purposes of this digest is to foster an awareness of ALL things Ozzy, including books, movies, collectibles, conventions, festivals and other things. Being a book-person, though, I am happy to see that the digest has given you a spark of interest in the written material, and I assure you that your love of the MGM classic does not have to lessen. Digest: This month's digest is gonna be pretty ******* huge! :-) --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 17:25:53 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: OZ cards (fwd) An Internet "Doctor Who" correspondent of mine checked out my web page, and as a result, he has the following request I'm forwarding to the Digest. (Before anyone asks, no, I don't have the cards in question yet, but I have a box on order.) Gary's not on the Digest, so send responses to his e-mail, not mine or Dave's. --Eric "Oz is for everybody! (Who's sick of me saying that yet?" Gjovaag ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 22:06:11, -0500 From: MR GARY R ZIELINSKI Subject: OZ cards [irrelevant bits snipped by Eric] I finally made the time to visit your Oz website. MOST impressive! My wife spent a considerable amount of time reading the information there. I didn't know that you were considered something of an expert in the field! I was wondering if you were collecting the recent Wizard f Oz cards issued by DuoCards? Santa brought a box for my wife, out of which we got two complete regular sets, two of the four chromium cards, and the spiffy collectors binder. I'm looking to trade for the other two chromium cards (C1 & C2). Perhaps you could set me off in the right direction? Please let me know. Thanks! Gary Zielinski SJFG62C@prodigy.com ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 04 Jan 1997 15:04:29 -0800 From: John Bauman Subject: PBS Program Hello Dave, A few months ago (I believe Aug. or Sept.) I caught the last part of a PBS program featuring well known entertainers performing songs from the Wizard. Was about 2hrs long. I haven't been able to locate anything on PBS online. Have you seen it? Any idea what it was called? When it might be repeated? Thanks---John ====================================================================== Date: Sunday, 05 January, 1997 18:51:03 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things As I am writing this Ozzy message for today, on my stereo is Nana Mouskouri singing "Land of Make Believe" -- My personal nominee for Oz's National Anthem... WELCOME to Annie BrzOZowski! I'm glad to see we have a High School student on the Digest! :) I have no objection whatsoever to forwarded messages on the Digest -- (John Bauman's message is one *I* received today!) The more people we "interface" with the Digest the better! (Just make sure you reply to these messages privately, becuase since they don't subscribe to the Digest, they'll never see your comments if you just post them here.) Now if only we could find a way to "interface" the Digest to people who aren't online at all! :) -- Dave ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 7 - 8, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 00:06:58 -0500 From: Michael Turniansky Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-06-97 Dave: David is correct. There is, of course, in the control panel a way to set the double-click interval, but it is most likely a sticky spring in the mouse. You could try some WD-40 on it after opening it up, but a new one might be a better investment. Peter suggested http://copper.ucs.indiana.edu/~jbmorris/FAQ/lehrer.bio.html for Tom Lehrer stuff, but one that might be a little better if you're just interested in some bio stuff is http://copper.ucs.indiana.edu/~jbmorris/FAQ/lehrer.bio.html The short answer is he's alive and well and splitting his time in retirement between Massachusetts and California, having retired from show business back to teaching... --Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 05 Jan 1997 23:15:52 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-06-97 Poll: Deadline for your responses is this Friday, January 10. I'll try to tabulate over the weekend. David: I'm ahead of ya, but only because I find the age variance interesting, too. I've already split it out according to ages. I'm not as old as YOU are , but there don't seem to be many of my age in here, either. I'm just a right-brained English teacher who knows enough about one or two WP programs to simplify her life. Laziness led me to the computer! Anyone out there wanna start an Oz Old Folks Home for us aging ol' codgers? Annie: Welcome! Don't feel awkward about being in high school. No one here judges anyone else by their age. Actually, we TRY not to be judgemental at all. I'll check Pegasus references for you...if I remember. Monday is the first day back after our break (I'm a teacher) and I may forget. Feel free to remind me via private e-mail. (robino@tenet.edu) Eric, et al: The review for _Queen Ann in Oz_ is written. Steve has the first draft of it already. I didn't dare procrastinate on it, since I knew these next coupla weeks will be busy. Finals next week. Joy. --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 10:39:57 -0500 From: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-5/6-97 Joyce: No, we know Tom Lehrer didn't write the song, he just did the parody. :) OzBucket/Chris: I, too, have had difficulty, at times, accessing certain web pages of fellow Digesters. I think it may be one of the (many) problems with AOL that I have had over the past year. I'm looking into acquiring a different server. Annie: Welcome! And we don't consider any question stupid or time wasting. We're here to learn and enjoy! Thanks, by the way, for the "Star Spangled Banner" info. (:-) David: This mention of Tom Lehrer caused me to blow the dust off my Lehrer CD's, and play all three of 'em, one more time! Dick ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 11:14:35 -0500 From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-06-96 Joyce: I know "Rickety-Tickety-Tin" was on Lehrer's first album, and it was certainly implied that he'd written all the songs on the album. I suppose it's possible that that one was one he'd run across elsewhere and used because it fit in with his style. (Or that he wrote it before 1942, though I don't think so.) Steve: I have a copy of THE OZIADS but haven't read it yet, so I can't really review it. If you don't get any other volunteers I'll probably have gotten around to reading it in time to review it for the Autumn 1997 BUGLE, but probably not in time for the Spring issue. Chris: Have you tried getting to Dave's and Gili's Web pages using the links from Eric's? That way you can be reasonably sure you're using the right address, anyhow. And I agree with you - no way would anyone in Oz be using Windows 95! Annie: Welcome to the Digest! Digest "Dave" is Dave Hardenbrook, who runs the whole show, and I'm "David". (But I'm not offended by being called "Dave"; lots of people call me that. It's just that it's easier for everyone to keep track of whom you're addressing if you call me "David" and him "Dave".) There are lots of winged horses in fantasy literature, but I can't think of any that don't trace back ultimately to Pegasus in Greek legend. There are flying horses in Celtic and Norse mythology (e.g. the Wild Hunt, Sleipnir), but they don't have wings. Maybe someone else can think of a non-Greek winged horse - Arabian Nights, maybe? Chinese? Robin: Just let us know when you decide to close the poll. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 14:20:18 -0500 From: OzBucket@aol.com Subject: oz Gee, Dave refuses to accept the name "Continent of Imagination" because Oz is real, but now selects "The Land of Make-Believe" as its anthem. Did I miss something? :-) Good to see you, Annie. Hope you can get your own computer soon. When we get that powerball thing happening... ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 14:03:29 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzt Digest *please post* Thanks to Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky for his greetings--& my own personal b-day wishes to Danny Wall and to Tyler Jones, who is one day older and seven years younger than I am. Thanks for getting me on the Digest, Tyler! Eric--glad to see you're wheeled again. I'm still waiting to hear from the body shop about my poor Saturn.... All--I am still grinding out the chronologies. I plan to keep submitting them to the Digest at the rate of about 2 per week. I have actually finished chronologies for each of the canonical books, but I want to do some rechecking on the later Thompson and Neill titles. From about GLINDA through GNOME KING I've discovered some inconsistencies that I've commented on in a NOTES section included in the chronologies. More on this later.... KRS ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 19:32:08 -0500 (EST) From: "James R. Whitcomb" Subject: For Ozzy Digest Dear Ozzy Digesters: I don't know if anyone on the digest is a movie buff or not but, I saw the movie "One Fine Day" starring Michele Pfeiffer (s.p.?) and George Clooney over the weekend. It has a terrific "Wizard oz Oz" movie reference in it that comes toward the end of the film. Since I am a Oz movie enthusiast I was extremely surprised and pleased to see this reference. And, to top it off, the Oz movie reference used, is most appropriate. I don't want to say anymore because I don't want to ruin this for those who may see "One Fine Day" but, haven't yet. Has anyone seen the movie and know what I'm talking about? Anyway, I want to ask this question. I think the name of the person who directed and/or produced it was: Katherine Obst. I hope I got this right. Does anyone know if she is an Oz fan? I am so curious as to whether this Oz reference made it into the movie as happenstance or via her interest in Oz. Thanks! Jim Whitcomb. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 20:01:36 -0500 From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest Annie: I would like to join in welcoming you to the Ozzy Digest. One of the best things about Oz is that it brings together people of all ages. Poll: I, too, thought it was fascinating. Especially with the full responses. Great idea. It was nice to see that I'm not the only person who's pretty clueless in the MOPPeT category. Oz is a magical place after all. I think the folks in the Emerald City would have a good laugh at the attempts of us poor folks in the Outside World to make sense of Oz with logic. David: Your explanation of the demographics of the Digest is very plausible. I also noticed that most of the older Digesters are retired engineers. Most people of your generation are not cyber-warriors. Dick: I meant to thank you earlier. I look forward to meeting you at the Munchkin convention. The last time I went was 1981 -- 16 years is much too long too wait! I'm sorry to say that I was too busy in high school, college, grad school and during my early professional career to stay in touch with Oz... but I never forgot. Fortunately, it's never too late. (It's a major undertaking, however, to try to catch up with 16 years worth of IWOC publications!) Question: "The Scarecrow of Oz" was always one of my favorites. I'm not sure if it's because it was the first Oz book that I read by myself as a child or whether I remember reading that it was LFB's personal favorite. I know that I liked reading about Trot and Cap'n Bill enough that I told my mother that I really wanted to get "Sky Island" and "The Sea Fairies." That was no mean task, b/c at the time she was annoyed at me for "straying" from the FF. Another of my favorite Oz books is "Rinkitink," which spends even less time in Oz. It's evident to me that LFB felt constrained by Oz even as he continued to write books that had tangential connections to our favorite fairyland. What do you think? -- Craig Noble ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 21:05:38 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Annie: WElcome to the digest! I've got your book _Pegasus iz Oz_ on my to-read pile. As soon as I finish _Queer Quest_, I'll start in on it. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 19:57:33 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-06-97 > From: "Stephen J. Teller" > Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-04-97 > > "The Lost Comics of Oz" was a project to reproduce (in full color) the > "Queer Visitors" comic pages as well as Denslow's "Scarecrow and Tin > Man" pages in one book. I thought that project fell through and never > was printed. If it was published, please let me know. I want to review > it in the BUGLE. "Lost Comics" is listed at Amazon.com as being "available within 4-6 weeks, but maybe not at all, publishers don't always keep us up to date." IF it comes, I'll report on it here, and yes, I'll write a review for the "Bugle." (And possibly the updated review of Oz comics I'm contemplating proposing to Bill as an article.) > From: OzBucket@aol.com > Subject: Oz web pages > > But I can't get to Gili's or > Dave's! I wonder... Is it http//people.delphi.com/DAVEH47? How about > http://scso.com/~gili. Have you tried accessing them through my links page? Quite a few of them are out of date now, but these aren't. > From: Robin Olderman > Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-04-97 > > IF YOU WANT THE POLL, PLEASE WAIT UNTIL AFTER IT'S OVER TO ASK ME FOR IT. So when will that be ? > From: DavidXOE@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digests 01-03 & 04-96 > > Eric: > I did check Laura's Web page, but the picture of the two of you there is so > indistinct that I don't think anyone could figure out what she looks like > from it. Fortunately, I know what she looks like too (or at least what she > looked like in July '95). Check out her "Wedding Toast" page, then. That's got a MUCH better picture of both of us, and you get to see me in a tux! (That picture on the main page is one of Laura's earliest attempts at scanning, and REALLY needs to be replaced...) > Danny: > The BUGLE is mailed separately from the GAZETTE/OBSERVER package. You should > be getting yours any time now, though. Even West Coasters have mentioned > getting theirs in the last few days. *I* haven't gotten MINE yet. But I DID get a new "Emerald City Mirror" from the Royal Club of Oz today... > From: John Bauman > Subject: PBS Program > > Hello Dave, > A few months ago (I believe Aug. or Sept.) I caught the last part of a > PBS program featuring well known entertainers performing songs from the > Wizard. Was about 2hrs long. > > I haven't been able to locate anything on PBS online. Have you seen > it? Any idea what it was called? When it might be repeated? It's called "The Wizard of Oz in Concert," and I, personally, think it's pretty cool. PBS stations seem to be using it as a fundraiser now, so you'll have to ask your local PBS station when they plan on showing it again, since it's not part of the any national programming. There is a video release of it, BTW, available from Turner Home Entertainment. --Eric "Oz is for everybody!" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 21:43:43 -0600 From: Jim Vander Noot Subject: RE: Wizard of Oz Conventions Cc: 'Dave Hardenbrook' Blair, I do not know of any Oz festival in Florida. The "events" page on our = web site was recently updated to reflect known festivals in 1997. I'm = going to forward your inquiry to the Ozzy Digest. I don't know if any = of the subscribers live in Florida, but perhaps they might have some = information. If you do find out about such a festival, please forward = the details to "iwoc@neosoft.com" so that we can list it on our = calendar. Sincerely, Jim Vander Noot ---------- From: Blair Cohen Miller Sent: Friday, January 03, 1997 9:13 AM Subject: Re: Wizard of Oz Conventions Hi! I've been scouring the various OZ pages for information on an OZ =20 festival in Florida but have had no success. I heard about this from someone in Chesteron IN and was wondering =20 if anyone had any information or a name of someone I could contact. Thanks for your help! Regards, Blair Miller (bcmiller@fcnbd.com) ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 21:58:10 -0600 From: Jim Vander Noot Subject: RE: Prequel to The Wizard of Oz Cc: 'Dave Hardenbrook' Matt, Neat! Thanks for the info. In case it hasn't ALREADY been discussed in = the Ozzy Digest, I'll forward your note so that others can pick up on = it. Sincerely, Jim Vander Noot ---------- From: Matt Polson Sent: Thursday, January 02, 1997 12:11 PM Subject: Prequel to The Wizard of Oz Hi. I am not sure if this information is of any interest to you, but a = new book, "Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage", written by Roger S. = Baum(great grandson of L. Frank Baum), has recently been released. I just received = a copy of it, and it looks to be a great book(I haven't started it yet).=20 I personally am not a big fan of childrens books, but since my brother = and his wife just had a daughter, I thought it might be good to look into childrens books and I found this one.=20 If you have already heard of it, I hope I didn't waste too much of your time, and if this is the first you have heard of it, I hope you get a chance to take a look at it. Matt Polson ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 07 Jan 1997 10:30:56 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, late Dec and early Jan Sorry everyone; I've been home for the holidays and wasn't able to access my e-mail until today; therefore, some of my comments may be a little out-of-date. Everyone: I'm glad we've finally resolved the Baumega/Nonestica debate, if not in my favor -- that is, if we really have. . . . David: What's this about the Oz books on-line? Tell me how to get there please; I may have missed it while skimming past messages Dave: Speaking of anthems, if there is one, does anyone know the TUNE? All: (Oops) I have a feeling I missed some kind of monsterous poll recently. Hope I didn't mess things up too much by not responding to it . . . . . ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 07 Jan 1997 12:42:50 -0500 From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-03-96, Part 1 I finally got a readable copy of that Digest - thanks, Bear! - and can comment on it to the extent it's warranted after four days. Gili: Limiting a CD-ROM to the Oz or Baum books that are available on-line seems terribly wasteful to me. You're talking about maybe 10 Mb of information, when a CD-ROM can hold 600 or more. People who aren't interested in MOPPeTs don't have to read them, but including them isn't going to shut out anything else. I agree that we're not really likely to reach a consensus on this subject, though. My opinion on the subject of who decides what goes in is the only one that I think makes sense: whoever does the work of putting it together decides what goes in! All the rest of us can do is offer our opinions. (Well, we have the negative input of refusing to allow things we've written to be included. But that's all.) I just did an additional check: my Art Explosion 40,000 CD-ROM has a number of full-page black-and-white illustrations from the books saved as TIFF files, and a typical one is 44K. This has decent resolution - not book quality, but about as good as you can see at full size on a computer screen. If you take that as typical, and TIK-TOK as typical of the number of pages of illustrations per FF book, you get about 2.5 Mb required for all the b/w art in a book. Allow a generous 500K for the text (300 is probably enough), and you get an average of 3 Mb for all the b/w art and text for an FF book. If you want to include the color plates as well then you need more, but I'd guess another 2 Mb ought to do for that, so say 5 Mb per book for everything. For the 22 books that are now PD, you then need 110 Mb; if you get all the FF, make it 200. That leaves at least 400 Mb for other things. Eric: Ah, so "The Oz Spangled Banner" -was- in Baum! I'm sort of surprised; as I said, he was much less inclined that either Thompson or Neill to put "Oz" into a context where it really makes no sense. (A banner spangled with Oz?) I can understand it when people who aren't interested in the discussion of inferential minutiae about Oz want to keep it off the Digest (though in my opinion the Digest would be a pale shadow of itself if that ever happened), but that's because they have to wade through it to find whatever else it is that interests them about what's in the Digest. On a CD-ROM that sort of discussion would presumably be segregated off in a separate folder that could be completely ignored by those who aren't interested. As I said to Gili, running out of room on a CD doesn't seem to be an issue. (At least, not before everything canonical has been included. Once you go beyond that, then the question of whether people's MOPPeTs should be included vs., oh, video clips of some of Rob Roy McVeigh's preliminary work on a true-to-Baum animated Oz movie [if there are such things; I don't know, but it seems possible], I think has to be left to the person who's doing the work.) Poll: I note, in reading through other people's responses and then checking mine, that I forgot to answer the question of how I encountered Oz. To be honest, I don't know for sure. The earliest I remember for sure was a somewhat simplified version of WIZARD in a flat-size paperbound binding, with illustrations probably based on the MGM movie (I know the Tin Woodman had hollow arms and legs rather than the flat ones both Denslow and Neill drew). I liked it so much that my mother bought me the full-blown version of it shortly thereafter. Whether my mother read Oz to me before that I don't know; the only time I can remember having Oz read to me was when I had measles. Back in 1945 (and maybe still; I don't know whether it was true or not) it was believed that reading when you had measles might permanently damage your eyesight, so I wasn't allowed to read for myself. Most miserable illness I've ever had, even though it was far from the most serious. I was SO BORED!!! David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 07 Jan 1997 19:39:22 -0500 From: Ozisus@aol.com Subject: Oz Thanks Digest. In preparing my annual Certificates of Appreciation to contributors to The Oz Gazette (the IWOC's kid's newletter that I edit) the overwhelming majority named Digest posters. I took over the Gazette in 1991 or 2 -- I forget which. Some years I've had contributions from 40-50 kids and maintained a thriving correspndence with many of them. Other years, like this one, I scramble from issue to issue trying semi-frantically to find something, anything just to fill its pages. Even with out children's work, the Gazette us expected to help meet the expectations and interests of our younger Club members. After all Baum wrote to please children and author Rachel Cosgrove Payes will personally hire a hit man to go after any Oz Club director who overlooks the importance of our youngest fans. So whether I stole shamelessly from your posts or we went off-Digest to get a contribution together, thank you thank you thank one and all! Re: Gili's comment about credit on the party ideas, I knew it reflected the suggestions of many people (including me!) so used "contributed by" rather than just "by." Perhaps "compiled and contributed by" would have been better? And the missing years in the zodiak (sigh) go with Ozma. I had to recreate the entire wheel in order for it to be reporducable and thought it was ready to rock and roll before I sent it off, but the best laid plans..... particularly when you have to individually rotate 100 little text boxes. I'll include the entire Ozma wedge in the next issue so all you folks who want to copy that critter and use it for placemats at your next Oz party can do so with just a bit of careful cut and pasting. Jane Albright ====================================================================== Date: 07 January, 1997 00:06:47 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things "LAND OF MAKE-BELIEVE": I knew the minute I sent out the Digest yesterday that someone was going to get me on this! :) Actually, I don't advocate this as a National Anthem for Oz because of the words "Make Believe", but there's no denying some other of the lyrics are relevant: "It's a place where no one dies; It's a place where no one cries..." OZ OBSERVER/GAZETTE: I FINALLY GOT IT TODAY! HOORAY!!! :) :) :) Some comments: I like the story on you, Melody! I know I've said this before, but you are a very talented author and illustrator! And thank you for letting me use your "switcheroo" spell to resurrect the Good Witch of the North as well! I enjoyed Gili's list of party ideas and the report of the South Winkie Convention ( although it reminded me of my vast disappointment that of the folks there I "recruited" for the Digest, not a one of them actually ever subscribed or so much as dropped me an E-mail line... :( ) I like the Ozodiac idea! Here's the "signs" of some people of significance to me (outside the Digest :) ) -- Wogglebug: My dad, Carl Sagan, Gottfried Leibniz Jinjur: Oksana Baiul Ann Soforth: Enya, Robert Benchley The Wizard: W.S. Gilbert, Walter Matthau Yellow Knight: Frida (of ABBA), Teri Garr, Goldie Hawn Hungry Tiger: My dog(!), Ronald Coleman, Meg Ryan Tin Man: Agnetha (of ABBA), Arthur Sullivan Scarecrow: Galileo, George Sand (married a "Scraps" named Chopin!!!) Scraps: A. A. Milne Ozma: L. Frank Baum(!), Lewis Carroll, Louisa May Alcott, Roald Dahl Ruggedo: Your Exaulted Digest Editor :) , My mom, Vangelis, Jane Austen ( There were also a slew of others I found that for space's sake I omitted -- Almost all of them were either "Ozma"s, "Scarecrow"s, or "Ruggedo"s... Odd. :) ) -- Dave ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 01:58:59 -0500 From: HermBieber@aol.com Subject: Oz Poll NAME: Herman (Herm) BIEBER DATE OF BIRTH: Jan. 13, 1930 HOME: Kenilworth, NJ (about 20 mi. southwest of New York City) PROFESSION: Engineer and Entrepreneur. I am an engineering consultant in patenting new technology (and the disputes releating thereto). I also teach courses in (and consult on) creative problem solving. I organize and run engineering conferences, and trips for bird watchers. Finally, I run two hobby businesses: books, and minerals/jewelry. LEVEL OF EDUCATION ETC: I have a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering and a Doctorate in Engineering Science. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 50 (as a serious interest; I did see the movie in 1939, and after that my dreams turned from black and white to technicolor (really!) HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ By osmosis from the interest of my daughter, Judy, who discovered Oz at age 11, and became a bonafide book dealer at age 12. After all, Oz is like being on drugs: unless you are rich, you have to become a dealer to support your habit!. Initially, I became a part time (Oz) book scout in my travels to help Judy out, but when she entered college, I "temporarily" took over the business. Its been 10 years now! HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE OZZY DIGEST Don't recall exactly; probably from Robin Olderman or Jim VanderNoot. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO International Wizard of Oz Club (active convention goer, a Member of the IWOC Board of Directors, and on several IWOC committees). PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All of them. Skimmed, rather than read in the depth that characterizes most Digest subscribers. Some day, when I have the time, I'll go back and really read them. WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? Only the Mysterious Chronicles, and post FF stuff by McGraw and other Ozzy stuff illustrated by Eric Shanower. HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: All except the Maid of Arran HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: All books and her minor pamphlets, no matter how sappy (skimmed them, that is). ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) Research on early history of Baum, esp. the "chicken days". Finding unrecorded material by Neill or Baum or Denslow. Also working on a plate finder for Oz and non-Oz Baum books. MAIN OZZY INTEREST: Finding Oz stuff that I can use to improve my daughters collection, and / or that I can resell at reasonable prices. MOPPeTs: None, in particular. And I can't get excited over the sometimes petty bickering in the digest. To each his own, and live and let live! I think that Baum,Thompson, Neill, etc. were trying to create a reasonably structured Oz world in the FF, but also probably didn't care a whit if there were inconsistencies. Herm Bieber hermbieber@aol.com Oz and Ends Book Shoppe (mail order only); part of: Bieber Enterprises 14 Dorset Drive Kenilworth, NY 07033-1417 ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 07 Jan 1997 19:40:16 -0500 From: Ozisus@aol.com Subject: Oz poll response Jane Albright 7//3/58 Kansas City, MO Corporate writer/editor for Hallmark Cards Masters in Corporate Communications I grew up with Oz books in the house. The personal "EUREKA!" came at about 11. We had 13 Oz books and neighbors had an additional 20 they let me borrow. Nate Barlow told me about the Digest. I WOC member for 25 years and counting. Books more than movie(s), but I'm a collector of all kinds of Oz material now and I rarely reread the Oz books. I've read and have the FF and perhaps a dozen post-40 including Volkov, Eric S's comics. I've also read and have most all Baum's non-Oz works including the pseudonymous stuff. What I haven't read is a shorter list: Navy Alphabet, Annabel, Candelabra's Glare, a couple of the Boy Fortune Hunters titles. Thompson non-Oz? Just Cozytown, Perhapsy, a couple of the advertising fliers. I'm currently the vice pres. of IWOC.; edit its kids paper, the Oz Gazette; and chair the Centennial Committee (which consists of sending all kinds of information and personal ideas to a bunch of people who never respond -- not a very rewarding way to spend one's time). I recently compiled the chronology on the IWOC home page and send updates to it as I learn them. I put the Oz Observer together for Fred for a few years, so I also try to contribute to it as actively as possible; I know how much work it is for Carole Mackey. And finally, I'm the designated hitter to develop and direct a proposed comprehensive Oz museum on the grounds of the theme park that's been slated for Kansas City. My various responsibilities are all I have time to concentrate on! When it comes to collecting I prefer old hard-to-find stuff over new made-for-collectors things. I'll buy a Montgomery & Stone postcard over a Franklin Mint gewgaw anyday. I'm not a MOPPET person, however, I think diehard Baum/book Oz fans should leverage the popularity of the MGM film to introduce the public to the bigger Oz picture, rather than take an elitest stance that the more casual or "popular" Oz fan perceives as rejection. I think Oz is big enough for all of us. ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 9, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 00:19:32 -0500 (EST) From: Mark Anthony Donajkowski Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-07-96 > > > > Hello Dave, > > A few months ago (I believe Aug. or Sept.) I caught the last part of a > > PBS program featuring well known entertainers performing songs from the > > Wizard. Was about 2hrs long. > > > > I haven't been able to locate anything on PBS online. Have you seen > > it? Any idea what it was called? When it might be repeated? > > It's called "The Wizard of Oz in Concert," and I, personally, think it's > pretty cool. PBS stations seem to be using it as a fundraiser now, so > you'll have to ask your local PBS station when they plan on showing it > again, since it's not part of the any national programming. There is a > video release of it, BTW, available from Turner Home Entertainment. > > --Eric "Oz is for everybody!" Gjovaag > i have this recorded if anyone needs it ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 00:35:37 -0500 (EST) From: Gili Bar-Hillel Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-07-96 Hi Digest! I checked out the Tom Lehrer webpage that Peter suggested, and was surprised to discover an Ozzy reference: the page implied that Tom Lehrer had translated "The Wizard of Oz" into Latin, and that his translation is the "standard" Latin translation of the book. Unfortunately, this turns out to have been a fiction invented by Tim Newsome who runs the page, as a bit of added color. Tim was very excited to hear from me that there actually is a published Latin edition of the book (maybe more that one: the only one I know of is "Magus Mirabilis in Oz" translated by C.J.Hinke and George Van Buren), and has promised to update his page. Annie/David: Both my sets of Narnia books are away over the ocean, so I can't actually check this, but doesn't the cab horse in "The Magicians Nephew" grow wings at a certain point? My memory fails me. 22 and senile. What is the name of the cabhorse in "Nephew"? It couldn't be Jim - Jim the cabhorse is from "Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz" - or are they both Jim? Cambridge is great, but boy do I miss my library from home! Some of you may be interested to know that Caliber comics have recently come out with "Oz - number zero", a prequel to their much maligned "Oz" comics. The Oz comics so far have shown Oz as a pretty horrible place - issue number zero tells how the familiar idyllic Oz turned into the horrible Oz. The cover depicts a smiling Dorothy, Lion, Scarecrow, Tinwoodsman and Toto on the yellow brick road, with the Nome kings face floating ominously behind them. TTFN, Gili ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gili Bar-Hillel abhillel@fas.harvard.edu gili@scso.com http://www.scso.com/~gili ====================================================================== "He thought he saw an Elephant |\ _,,,---,,_ That practised on a fife: /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ He looked again, and found it was |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' A letter from his wife. '---''(_/--' `-'\_) 'At length I realise,' he said, (cat by Felix Lee) 'The bitterness of Life!'" - Lewis Carrol, "Sylvie and Bruno" ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 07:53:05 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Oz (fwd) (Here we go again!) If anybody here can help this person, please do so, but e-mail him privately, he's not a Digester. --Eric ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1996 12:36:49 -0400 From: David Curry Subject: Oz I have been trying to locate someone who makes reproductions of the ruby slippers. I read in a book on them that at one time there was someone who made them, but I can't remember who it was. Do you have any information on where a pair could be obtained? Thanks! D Curry Email: dcurry@life.edu ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 11:59:32 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-07-97 Shaggy: I checked out that Lehrer site that Peter recommended, and it was quite interesting. I'll try the one you list later as well. Robin: You can't be very right-brained. Verbal ability, of which you clearly have a lot, is a left-brain feature. (Mathematical insight, on the other hand, which is usually most important to being good at math, programming, etc., is right-brain. Contrary to what most people seem to think.) Me: A line got lost at the beginning of my second paragraph to Annie. It should read, "To avoid confusion, as well as to follow our personal preferences, on the Digest "Dave" is Dave Hardenbrook, who runs the whole show, and I'm "David"." I noticed two or three other places in this Digest where lines were apparently lost, but that's the only one I can correct personally. Craig: It's all a matter of personal inclination; some of us think about Oz a good deal, and in doing so develop MOPPeTs, whereas others are happy just to read and enjoy the books as they stand and not bother about apparent inconsistencies. There's room for all of us on the Digest and in Oz fandom in general. RINKITINK is one of my favorite Oz books (though it has little to do with Oz). I like SCARECROW well enough, but put it a notch lower in my purely personal grading system. I think as much as anything it's that the Scarecrow's own presence seems intrusive - much like Dorothy's in RINKITINK, but it takes up a good bit more of the book. It's as if Baum started writing another Trot-Cap'n Bill-Button Bright adventure, and then shoehorned in a subplot from the movie HIS MAJESTY, THE SCARECROW OF OZ just to make it an Oz book. Good enough, but slightly off-key somehow. I don't think there's any question that Baum was tired of writing about Oz, and that the strength of SKY ISLAND and RINKITINK (which I believe was written around 1910 as a non-Oz book) reflects that. (SEA FAIRIES, his other non-Oz book from that era, wastes too much time on silliness in the beginning, though once the Devilfish come into the story it becomes very strong as well. Unfortunately, nearly half the book goes by before that happens.) PATCHWORK GIRL was the only book he wrote between 1910 and 1917 that had much to do with Oz. Eric: I'll check the "Wedding Toast" page, then. I didn't go very deep into Laura's links. I got my new EMERALD CITY MIRROR yesterday, too. So how do you like the new serial so far? (Same question for anyone else who's read it.) Jeremy: Eric Gjovaag's Web page has a bunch of links to on-line Oz books, but the ones I've tried have been outdated. Sunny Koh got some of the texts and was planning to put them up at Web site www.home.aone.net.au/~sk/oz/; we haven't heard from him in a week now, so I don't know if he succeeded or not. Maybe I'll try to access it later today. I believe the poll was in the Digest of 1/2/97; you have until Friday to respond to it if you choose to. Dave: I can understand why so many important people were "Scarecrows". Not sure why regarding the "Ozmas" and "Ruggedos". (In the Oriental version, "Scarecrows" are called "Rats"...) ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 12:07:06 -0500 (EST) From: Ozisus@aol.com Subject: Oz posting In Steve Cox's new and much improved version of his 1989 book about the MGM Munchkinland cast, I was delighted to see lots of references to Oz outside the classic film. Several references to Baum; an anecdote from Ozma Baum Mantele lifted from the Baum Bugle (and credited); an entire chapter by Stillman and Scarfone that traces Munchkins in the Oz series -- several later book titles and plots are described -- and in stage/film productions beginning with 1902 (though I found The Wiz strangely absent; the Broadway Wiz Munchkins used a terrific gimic even if the film Munchkins were unimaginative). In general, readers will learn more about the MGM cast as promised, but they also will learn that there is much more to Oz. Jane ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 13:28:10 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-07-96 Pegasus: The Belerophon (sp.?) story with Pegasus is a Corinthian story with adventures in Lycia. That's all I can find. If you need elaboration, e-mail me. GAZETTE HOROSCOPE: Mea Culpa! I proofed the darned thing and missed the omission. Please, Jane and the rest of you, accept my embarrassed apologies. Poll: Any more responses out there? ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 15:52:44 -0500 (EST) From: BARRY ESHKOL ADELMAN Subject: Highest Level of Educational Attainment in Oz Dave, I think I left out my educational level from my poll response (master's in experimental psychology). Sorry. Uh, Dave, if I remember correctly, George Sand never married Chopin. They were just, uh (how do I put this?) seriously involved for a number of years unti they broke up. Note on the appeal of Oz: Recently I related a plot synopsis of _The Marvelous Land of Oz_ to one of my patients at work. She seemed to enjoy it a lot. What if any significance this has, I have no idea. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 07 Jan 1997 20:37:52 +0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-06-97 In re: "The Star-Spangled Banner" Aaron: Since no one else has corrected you yet, it's "o'er the ramparts we *watched*", not "fought". On the unsingability of the tune: The melody is not unsingable, but it does cover an octave and a half - rather a broad range for the average joe, but not impossible. The problem is finding a key that is generally comfortable for all. I can sing the thing perfectly well by myself, but I suspect that my "perfect" key would meet with disapproval from three-quarters of the other people at the fireworks display. Combine this with the tendency to have soloists sing it at public gatherings, and the tendency of soloists to want to show off their high notes, and you have a song that is already difficult to sing for half the people present transposed to the highest possible key, which leads to people wondering why our national anthem can *only* be sung by a trained professional. It's an old drinking song, for gosh sakes. They didn't *hire* people to sing at their drinking parties back then! Steve Teller: That's "Home of the Red _Sox_", you Kansas philistine! (I actually sang that song in a cabaret act once. It's a hoot. Unfortunately, that particular joke is only funny to people old enough to remember when they were the *Boston* Braves.) Annie: Stop apologizing. You do not sound stupid. And we all forget pieces of messages and then have to send them on later. (You might want to work on your spelling, though.) What you quoted were the *second* and fourth verses. (If you're really a foreign spy, I believe the CIA is still hiring.) All four verses are still "official", but I think no one talks about the third because it says some not-very-nice things about the British, with whom we'd made up by WWI, when Pres. Wilson "ordered it played by the military and naval services." (Quote from my almanac.) For all the rancid completists among us, here is the third verse. All others may allow their attention to wander. And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more! Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! My apologies to all for having made this topic go from bad to verse. -- Eleanor Kennedy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 16:27:55 -0600 From: Gordon Birrell Subject: Ozzy Digest Robin: Don't you think it would be a good idea to extend the deadline for responses to the poll at least a week? There may be a number of collegiate Digesters out there who, like Nathan, are away from their computers until classes resume later this month. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 15:36:10 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-07-96 > From: DIXNAM@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-5/6-97 > > OzBucket/Chris: I, too, have had difficulty, at times, accessing certain web > pages of fellow Digesters. I think it may be one of the (many) problems with > AOL that I have had over the past year. I'm looking into acquiring a > different server. It may not be on AOL or any of your servers' end, but at the web site's server. One thing to remember that if you can't access a site right away doesn't mean it's down and out for good. Just try it again a few hours (or days) later. If you do that three or four times and it STILL doesn't work, then something's more than likely wrong at your end. > From: DavidXOE@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-06-96 > > Chris: > Have you tried getting to Dave's and Gili's Web pages using the links from > Eric's? That way you can be reasonably sure you're using the right address, > anyhow. Except one or two are wrong, and I REALLY need to do an update as well... > There are lots of winged horses in fantasy literature, but I can't think of > any that don't trace back ultimately to Pegasus in Greek legend. I can -- Fledge in the Chronicles of Narnia. But I suspect Annie knows about him already. > From: Kenneth Shepherd > Subject: Ozzt Digest *please post* > > Eric--glad to see you're wheeled again. I'm still waiting to hear from the > body shop about my poor Saturn.... And I'm still waiting for my insurance adjustor to call to get my statement and tell me what I can get for my old, now battered car... (But Laura and I are already looking forward to driving the new car to Monterey this summer -- especially since this one has air conditioning!) > From: "James R. Whitcomb" > Subject: For Ozzy Digest > [comments on Oz reference in "One Fine Day" cut] > Anyway, I want to ask this question. I think the name of the person who > directed and/or produced it was: Katherine Obst. I hope I got this right. > Does anyone know if she is an Oz fan? I am so curious as to whether this Oz > reference made it into the movie as happenstance or via her interest in Oz. Was it a movie reference? If so, it's probably just because EVERYBODY knows the movie.* Now, if the director was Martha Coolidge, that would be a very different idea. (Am I the only one who spotted Lukas Haas reading "The Wishing Horse of Oz" in "Rambling Rose"? I asked Martha about this the next summer at Winkies, and she told me there was also a whole shelf of Oz books in the background of that scene. I've got to see it again... Oh, and Martha rented the books from Marc Lewis.) *And remember, Oz is for everybody! Yes, even the non-fans! RE: "The Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage": That's part of my order I just placed with Amazon.com. They'll send it when it's published, they say, so I expect to get it pretty soon. > From: Dave Hardenbrook > Subject: Ozzy Things > > OZ OBSERVER/GAZETTE: > I FINALLY GOT IT TODAY! HOORAY!!! :) :) :) Me, too! --Eric "Now, if I could only find time to READ them..." Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 15:48:54 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Oz videos Cc: Special K Club This is the second time now someone who's found my web pages has asked this question, so I guess I need to find out: Who's put out the latest version of the four generally available silent "Oz" movies as a boxed set? (For those wondering, they're "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," "The Magic Cloak of Oz," "His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz," all from 1914, and "The Wizard of Oz" (1925), with Oliver Hardy as the Tin Woodman.) Any information you can send -- company issuing them, price, ordering info, etc. -- would be greatly appreciated. --Eric Gjovaag ====================================================================== Delivery-receipt-to: Jeremy Steadman Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 19:17:24 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-07-96 Priority: normal Craig: True, it seems likely that Baum wanted to branch out from Oz in his books. Is there any way we can arrive at a conclusion that the Ozzier a book is, the less of it occurs within the Deadly Desert? I can't think of any, but it would be interesting, to say the least, if logic could get us there. Far from being my usual verbose self, I think I'm done for today. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 21:26:15 -0500 (EST) From: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-7&8-97 Craig: My Oz books were packed away from 1950 until 1990, so I have only recently begun re-aquainting myself, also. Unfortunately, for me, the IWOC began during that time, thus I am a rather new member. Chris D. & Melody: I received my '97 Oz Dragon calendar today, and commend you, Chris for a fine job, once again, and Melody for the wonderful dragons illustrating the months of January and June! Herm: Regarding your poll answers, what do you do in your spare time?? (:-) Dick ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 21:40:57 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Today's Oz Growls Dick - Come on over to Compuserve, the thinking persons ISP. Never a problem in several years of use. By the way, you have Tom Lehrer on CD? Incredible! Craig - Any engineer who has practiced, at least in the last 20 years, is a "cyber warrior." There is hardly a desk at the company where I have spent 38 years that doesn't have a terminal growing out of it. Even a lot of the managers have broken down. I think you are confusing us with our parents generation; the ones who lived through the Depression. Many of those who are still living still haven't learned to run a microwave or program a VCR. Hmmmm? When was this "Ozodiac idea" presented? In the Digest? ****WARNING TO OZ PURISTS - NON-OZZY MATERIAL FOLLOWS**************** I have heard Mark Helprin speak (he was fascinating) and he has written some interesting books including WINTERS TALE and MEMOIR FROM ANTPROOF CASE. Now he has written A CITY IN WINTER. Supposedly this is a children's book and I finally located it in that section at my local store. $22.50 in hardback. It is not a children's book. Not unless you have really strange children. It reminded me of Rushdie's HAROUN AND THE SEA OF STORIES. The blurb makes it sound like the kind of thing I really enjoy but is really misguiding. It is another in the genre which I think of as "books about a young person's adventure written by someone under the influence of drugs." It is all sort of weird and out of focus. The Chris Van Allsburg art is nice..... which is probably why it is $22.50. In any event, if you are thinking of picking it up for a grandchild, neice or nephew, IMHO, be warned. If you read it yourself and have a different opinion I would be interested in hearing about it off-line or on-line. Regards, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 22:24:16 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Ken S: Glad to have gotten you on the digest! Thanks for the B-day message, which will be a reality on Garfield's most hated day, MONDAY THE THIRTEENTH! :-) James: I for one saw that movie and remember the Oz reference. You could hear some of the songs in the background and they actually showed a quick scene. IIRC, it was just after Glinda and her snow had released Dorothy and the Lion from the poppy field. Something that involved could not have gotten into the movie by accident. SOMEBODY must have slipped it in there. Craig: Baum often felt constrained by the Oz books, which he did not consider his best stuff. In his Introductions, he often talked of "other stories" he would like to write, but couldn't because he was always writing Oz books. He got around this by writing "Oz" books that took place mostly outside of Oz, and _Scarecrow_ (one of my faveorites, too) is a perfect example. In fact, I heard once that Baum wanted to place Jinxland outside of Oz altogether, but changed his mind. THere are parts of the book that confirm this. In chapter 20, after the defeat of Krewl, the people of Jinxland ask the Scarecrow to be their new ruler. He declines, saying that he belongs in the Land of Oz. Also in 20, Trot informs Button-Bright that "we're going to the Land of Oz". Still in chapter 20, after the ork ride, the Scarecrow delcares "Here we are... in the Land of Oz. Trot says "Oh, are we?" and the Scarecrow confirms that they are "NOW within the borders of Oz". Baum obviously forgot to remove all references that Jinxland was not in Oz. _Rinkitink in Oz_ was originally written as _King Rinkitink_ and had no connection with Oz at all. Baum changed his mind and added that last few chapters. It seems obvious that Dorothy's intervention is jury-rigged at the least, although this is also one of my favorite FF titles. Clearly, Baum loved many other Fairy lands than Oz, although Oz remains his reader's favorite. MOPPeTs MOPPeTs everywhere: (in response to a poll response) I honestly do not consider discussing (even arguing) the finer points of the myriad of MOPPeTs to be petty bickering, as long as we don't take it too seriously. I look at it in the form of scholarly debate. This is not everybody's cup of tea, but I enjoy such pursuits and look at it as a fun activity that does not belittle or insult anybody in any way. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: 09 January, 1997 03:21:55 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things _SCARECROW_ AND _RINKITINK_ AS OZZY "SPINOFFS": I agree with the comments about these two books being valient attempts by Baum to break out of the Ozzy mold and write the stories HE wanted to... _Scarecrow_ is the only Oz book I know of in which not only does most of the action take place outside Oz but in which the Ozzy title character does not come into the story until about three-quarters of the way through. As for _Rinkitink_, I've always seen it as the Ozzy equivalent of the episode of _All in the Family_ that was really the pilot of _Maude_ in disguise... IIRC Archie and the other Bunkers appear in this episode only at the very beginning and at the very end...The rest is dominated exclusively by Maude, just as the Oz residents appear only at the very end of _Rinkitink_-- A vain attempt by Baum to launch a "spin-off series". Nice try Mr. Baum, but your "little tyrants" would have none of it... :) -- Dave ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 05:29:10 -0500 (EST) From: "James R. Whitcomb" Subject: Oz Poll Response NAME: Jim Whitcomb. DATE OF BIRTH: October 16, 1959. HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Columbus, OH. PROFESSION: Library Media Technical Assistant. HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC.: B.S. in Psychology; some graduate course work in History of Art with emphasis on Medieval & Renaissance illuminated manuscripts. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 5 or 6 I think, my memory really doesn't go back that far but, I'm guessing this is probably correct. HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): When I was little I remember seeing this cartoon that used to be on TV with Wizard of Oz characters. This was in the early-mid 60's. However, I can't for the life of me remember who did it but, I remember it ran as a regular series. If anyone thinks they know what I'm talking about, please let me know. I think there was also a comic book and a colorforms set based on this same cartoon. From there I remember obtaining my first edition of Baum's "Wizard of Oz" published by Scholastic Press, then, of course, the movie. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): I used to be on Nate Barlow's "Oz Listserv" which from what I recollect turned into the "Ozzy Digest" but with a new moderator. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): IWOC since 1985; Yellow Brick Road Oz Club since 1996. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): My primary interest is the movie. However, I have to include this point, also. One of my favorite things about Oz is the imagery and artistic interpretations that have resulted from it. I consider myself to be a very visual person and for that reason, my other equal interest is various artist's renderings of Oz and Oz characters in the many editions that have been published over the years. I also enjoy Oz advertising art. HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? Baum books (ALL); I know I will probably get flamed for this but, I can't stand to go beyond Baum. I truly believe that Oz belongs exclusively to him within a literary context. But, I respect the fact that other author's have carried on the Oz tradition and that other people have decided to explore this extension of Oz. WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.): 0. HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Magical Monarch, Queen Xixi, Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, Mother Goose in Prose, & American Fairy Tales. HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0. HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.): Was, Wicked, I have lots of books "about" Oz which I have read also. These deal mostly with Oz movie themes and are slanted toward general interest to reference-type works. ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.): I have several "Ozzy Projects" that I am pursuing. These include the following: 1. Maintaining my "Wizard of Oz" website which is geared towards the movie. This is a plug: For those of you who haven't visited yet, you can access my page by: http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/hills/6396/ or http://www.geocities.com/~ozfan/ I tried to do something original, thus my inclusion of the Ozzy themes from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Now that most of this stuff isn't there anymore, I'm glad I put this together for those Oz fans who didn't get to see it. Also, I have tons of Oz internet website Links. Please visit if you have time! In keeping with the world of Oz, my web pages are very colorful. 2. I am making some Oz ornaments out of FIMO clay. 3. I am desiging an Emerald City which a friend of mine is going to make for me out of stained glass. 4. I am making some Oz papercut pictures based on the German tradition of "Scherenschnitte". The only difference is I am cutting mine out with an exacto knife rather than scissors. 5. I am designing a "Wizard of Oz Illuminated Manuscript Page". This is very labor intensive because I am trying to incorporate, as authentically as possible, elements from some of my favorite manuscript pages including the Book of Kells, the Book of Durrow, and the Lindisfarne Gospels. Not to be sacrilegious or anything but, my four evangelists are going to be, and you probably guessed it correctly, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Lion. I hope to embellish this with lots of color and even gold leaf if I can pull it off. The center is going to start with the spiral motif that is found at the beginning of the Yellow Brick Road. For those of you who don't know, the spiral is a predominant motif in illuminated manuscripts, especially those with Celtic origin. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.): My main Ozzy area of concentration is collecting Oz movie memorabilia and obtaining as much info as I can about Oz. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.): I'm not really sure if this is a MOPPeT or not but here goes: I believe that the literary and cinematic concepts of "The Wizard of Oz" epitomize all of the elements necessary for great fantasy (my favorite genre in writing and film). These include: the notion of "a journey", "good vs. evil", and the desire to "get back home". ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 21:15:12 +0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) NAME: John W. Kennedy DATE OF BIRTH: August 11, 1948 HOME: Chatham, NJ (not far from NYC) PROFESSION: Computer programmer and semi-pro opera singer HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC.: 13 AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 7-ish HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Life Magazine Denslow article; Little Golden Book abridgements, 1939, Copelman "Wizard" and "Land" (same Xmas), in that order HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST: Proofreading the "Bugle" issue that mentioned it. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: IWOC PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) "Little Wizard", "3rd" and "Visitors", all the IWOC books and "Runaway", "Mysterious Chronicles", "Christmas", the four shorts that came out with "Return", "Harold Shea...", the 1st 4 by Volkov, and quite a few manuscripts. HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Almost all except a few of the "girl's" books and the real rarities, like the alphabets. HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Captain Santa and the recent "Hungry Tiger Tales" booklets. HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.): Duplicate question, n'est ce pas? ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.): Still hoping to get a book in under the wire for the contest. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: None, really WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? None, really // John W Kennedy -- Hypatia Software -- "The OS/2 Hobbit" ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 21:03:55 -0700 (MST) From: estelle@usa.net (Estelle E. Klein) Subject: Oz Profiles Although I'm primarily an enthusiastic digest spectator, I thought I'd introduce myself and my daughter and get a bit more actively involved: NAME: Estelle E. Klein DATE OF BIRTH: 29 August 1950 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Denver, Co. PROFESSION: Speech-Language Pathologist/College Professor/School Administrator/ Oz Enthusiast/Sports Enthusiast HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC.: Ph.D. Speech/Hearing Sciences (& Special Education); School Administrative Certification AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Young Child HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): Primarily as a child through the movie ; then, between my mother who adores Judy Garland and Oz memorabilia, and my daughter (profile next) who is an avid Oz reader and collector, I have gradually become an Oz addict and fanatic. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): Nate Barlow digest OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): IWOC and Royal Club of Oz PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Oz Memorabilia/ Books (just getting started on my education of Oz book collecting) HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? Currently up to book 10 and going strong. COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) -assorted HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.) ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.)- research about collectible oz books MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.)- collectibles (with a concentration on dolls and older items) and books WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) : Oz is... And now introducing NAME: Rebecca Klein (not from The Glass Cat) DATE OF BIRTH: 27 August 1982 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Denver,Co. PROFESSION: 9th grade high school student HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: as a mere child memorized most of the Oz script; then starred as the "Lollipop Boy" and the "Flying Monkey" in a summer theater group! HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): from grandpa HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): from mom OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): IWOC and Royal Club PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): both movie and books and collecting memorabilia (major doll interest) HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUMBOOKS?- all 14- THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) - Glass Cat, Little Wizard Stories, Queen Zixi, Magical Monarch, Mysterious Chronicles, Wicked:Life and Times, Roger Baum Books (4), Eric Shanower Books/Graphic Novels (5), Oz Story Magazines, Return to Oz, All Caliber Press Comics Series HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Mother Goose; Master Key HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ:- HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.)- see above question ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.)- collecting, reading, "conventioning", meeting and corresponding with others MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.)- collecting memorabilia (older items and dolls) and reading ALL books I can. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) Also, I have this book entitled "Die Ongelooflike-Towenaar Van Oz" by Hum & Rousseau Urtgewers-- Anyone know what language? Translation of title? Thanks! ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 10 - 11, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 07:30:37 -0500 From: Scott Piehler Subject: Ozzy Digest Gili: Not only has Caliber come out with OZ Zero, but they have a full backstory set: OZ #0 Scarecrow Special #1 Tin Man Special #1 Lion Special #1 Freedom Fighters Special #1 There is another prequel miniseries: OZ: Romance In Rags #1-3 All the above take place prior to the events of OZ#1 The regular series is up to issue #17 There are two collected books: OZ: Mayhem in Munchkinland (collects #1-5) OZ: A Gathering of Heroes (collects #6-10) While these books will most likely turn off purists, I found them to be a refreshing take on the whole OZ canon. Unlike the near-incomprehensible OZ SQUAD, the stories make sense, and the creators seem to have a genuine love for Mr. Baum. Again, not for everyone, but for those who enjoy a bit of *What IF?*, they're worth it. For a more traditional approach to Oz in comics, check out any of Eric Shanower's WONDERFUL graphic novels: ENCHANTED APPLES OF OZ SECRET ISLAND OF OZ ICE KING OF OZ FORGOTTEN FOREST OF OZ BLUE WITCH OF OZ Scott Piehler Atlanta, GA USA http://www.mindspring.com/~rosco29/home.htm ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 05:56:41 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-09-96 "King Rinkitink" was originally written around 1905, I believe. Gads, what I wouldn't do to read that original pre-Ozzified manuscript... I just got a note from Amazon.com. "The Lost Comics of Oz" isn't available from the publishers, and as Steve has mentioned here it probably was never even published. So much for my "Bugle" review of it... --Eric "Succinct today, no?" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### "Get out the time-fracture wickets, Hobbes! We're gonna play Calvinball!" --Calvin, "It's a Magical World," page 99 ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 09:44:18 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-09-96 David: I think that SCARECROW and RINKATINK are BOTH less Ozzy than Baum's other books, because as you said, they take place outside Oz. I would place then on a par with RPT's books, which although some occur entirely within Oz (I can't name them offhand, so perhaps not), are far from "the real thing"--LFB. rri0189 (or would that be Eleanor?): As to the Star-Spangled Banner as a drinking song: While I've never been drunk (really and truly!), I imagine that when one is, one doesn't care about being off-key. As to the Star-Spangled Banner as the national anthem: I think it is our patriotic duty to enjoy it being sung (hearing it) and to sing it as best we can. (I used to have an incredibly huge range--without straining--but then my voice changed. Now I need the right key. The author [F. Scott Keys] apparently didn't.) So, what is the best on-line service if not AOL? While I;m using the computers at college I use theirs, but once I leave college, I'd like to install one in my own computer at home. I must have enough free hours for AOL through their many mailings (as an attempt to save a failing company?) to last for days, but after that I'm interested in a (possibly) better alternative. I'd never had access to one before I came to Berry College. Tyler: I've not reread SCARECROW recently,and do not have access to a copy here at college, but is it possible that within the borders of Jinxland, Ozma and the government of Oz is not recognized, and therefore that patch of land is not considered part of Oz, even though it is within the borders? (I've encountered a similar situation where a county didn't want to be associated with a certain city so they drew the county lines so as to "cut out" the city. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 10:42:52 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: More Ozzy Poll results Rebecca: "Die Ongelooflike-Towenaar Van Oz" looks like a variant of Dutch - the spelling is a bit different from what I find in my Nederlands-Engels dictionary. I'd guess it might therefore be Afrikaans; does the title page give a city for the publisher? If it's in South Africa it's Afrikaans; if it's in Belgium it's Flemish; if it's in the Netherlands proper then it's presumably some non-standard dialect. (Standard Dutch would have "De" as the first word and "Tovenaar" as the third.) Anyhow, it's clearly "Wizard"; using my dictionary, it translates out "the unbelievable magic-worker of Oz", which would be essentially the same as "the wonderful wizard of Oz". ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 10:48:32 -0500 (EST) From: Mark Anthony Donajkowski Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-09-96 > From: Eric Gjovaag > Subject: Oz videos > Cc: Special K Club > > This is the second time now someone who's found my web pages has asked > this question, so I guess I need to find out: Who's put out the latest > version of the four generally available silent "Oz" movies as a boxed set? > (For those wondering, they're "The Patchwork Girl of Oz," "The Magic Cloak > of Oz," "His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz," all from 1914, and "The Wizard > of Oz" (1925), with Oliver Hardy as the Tin Woodman.) Any information you > can send -- company issuing them, price, ordering info, etc. -- would be > greatly appreciated. > > --Eric Gjovaag the answer to this seeing as i own the bx set is as follows american home entertainment 1800-422-6484 get the box set its 3495 the individual vids are 12 95 each ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 13:10:32 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Eric Gjovvag: Narnia's Fledge doesn't trace back to Pegasus in terms of Narnian history, but does in terms of influence on C.S. Lewis. I think David Hulan is right that all the winged horses in modern fantasy trace back to Pegasus. It seems odd, considering that winged beasts of various sorts were so popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean iconography -- lions and panthers and bulls (oh my) -- but the Greek Pegasus seems to be the only only who became famed in myth. Robin Olderman: I guess I'll pass on the poll -- don't feel like sitting down and counting things, I'm afraid. Dave Hardenbrook: Your mention in the poll of your "Ozma is not a wimp" theory reminds me that I've been feeling increasingly uncomfortable with this phrasing. The problem is that "wimp" is a pejorative. You're looking at the difference Baum's and RPT's characterizations of Ozma and saying that you prefer Baum's stoic Ozma to RPT's more openly emotional one. But I don't think RPT's version in fairness deserves the term "wimp." In fact, I'm not sure that the term "wimp," as it is normally used, deserves to be used at all. It generally means (as it does in your usage) a person who displays strong emotions -- or even someone who simply has a strong emotion, regardless of whether it's displayed. The idea is that someone with strong emotions will be too overwhelmed by them to do what needs doing. (For instance, the Cowardly Lion might feel too cowardly to fight and might run away.) But emotions, even when strong, are rarely all that strong, and this fear of crippling emotion is itself a crippling emotion, as is shown by the way general use of the term is extended to all feelings and all circumstances. For instance, you complained earlier that Ozma should not be excited at discovering that the father she had never known and believed long dead was alive. Well, why shouldn't she be excited? How does being excited in such a case weaken her? The kind of "macho" control it would take to not be excited in such a case, it seems to me, would amount to pscyhologically unhealthy repression. Beyond the problem of terminology, I'm not entirely convinced that Baum's and RPT's versions of Ozma are all that different. Baum's Ozma behaves stoically, facing danger with serene fearlessness -- so serene (as in her refusal to fight Ruggedo in "Emerald City") as to be inhuman. That's plausible enough, at face value. She isn't a human being, and a powerful fairy might not react as humans would. But Baum avoids giving Ozma's POV, and her stoic behavior might not necessarily reflect equally stoic feelings. RPT evidently assumed that Ozma was putting up a good front to encourage her friends and might be feeling much more emotional inside, and might show it in circumstances when showing feelings would not mean disheartening others. And that seems to me a plausible interpretation. So I think I disagree in any case with your belief that the difference needs any explanation. But if you stick to wanting an explanation, I wish you'd find one that doesn't dump on RPT's characterization so unfairly. Her Ozma is openly emotional, yes -- a wimp, no. Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 14:28 -0600 (CST) From: gbirrell@post.cis.smu.edu (Gordon Birrell) Subject: Ozzy Digest Rebecca Klein: In your poll response you asked >Also, I have this book entitled "Die Ongelooflike-Towenaar Van Oz" by Hum & >Rousseau Urtgewers-- Anyone know what language? Translation of title? >Thanks! That's Dutch--although I think it should be spelled De Ongelooflijke My Dutch is a little--a lot--rusty, but I'm almost sure that Urtgewers means "publishers", so Hum & Rousseau are probably the publishing house, and this must be an edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I'm delighted, and I know David must be too, that we have a Rebecca Klein amongst us, and you're just the right age too! (Do you know karate?) Okay, here's one of my unbelievably--ongelooflijk--picky questions. In _Dorothy and the Wizard_, there is the following exchange between Zeb and Dorothy: "Is Mr. Hugson your uncle?" she asked. "Yes. Uncle Bill Hugson married your Uncle Henry's wife's sister; so we must be second cousins," said the boy, in an amused tone. Alright. This means that Uncle Bill Hugson married Aunt Em's sister. If Zeb is the offspring of one of Uncle Bill's siblings, then he and Dorothy are not related by blood and are not second cousins, though they could be termed "cousins" in the loose sense of "distantly related kinfolk." But second cousins implies a blood relationship. If Zeb is the offspring of one of Uncle Bill's *wife's* siblings, then Aunt Em is his aunt too and Dorothy and Zeb are first cousins. I don't see how they could be second cousins under any conditions, unless Uncle Bill Hugson is actually Zeb's Great-uncle Bill, in which case Zeb would correctly be Dorothy's first cousin once removed, or--loosely speaking--her second cousin. One reason that this is even marginally interesting is that it indicates that Dorothy is related by blood to Aunt Em, not Uncle Henry. So their name could not be Gale, as the mailbox in the movie has it. Gordon Birrell ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 15:48:56 -0500 (EST) From: Ozisus@aol.com Subject: Oz post Hi Digesters (and Peter Glassman, who I'm copying), I've been approached to be on "Personal Fx" -- that collectors' television program -- when it is in Kansas City in early February. I remember that some early Digests talked about Peter being on it before, and I'm sure other Oz items have turned up from time to time. Can you all let me know Oz things that already have been included in the show so I can avoid being redundant? I have some of rarish books -- 1st Wizard & Emerald City and others, John Dough with coupon, Army Alphabet, Wogglebug, Sam Steele, etc., but if the show's audience has seen all that before I'd rather build the segment around toys, albums, sheet music, licensed merchandise, Christmas clutter or other "stuff." Let me know what you all have seen on the program, and I'll try to come up with something new and different. Jane ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 20:48:45 -0500 (EST) From: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-9-97 Bear: Tom Lehrer's albums, "That Was the Year That Was", "An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer", and "Tom Lehrer Revisited" have been available on CD's for several years. I purchased mine in a Sam Goody's store, here in NJ, and have also seen them in catalogs such as Wireless. Compuserve is certainly one of my options. They do have very loyal subscribers! :-) Dick ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 21:06:23 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: TODAY'S OZ GROWLS GILI - "TTFN" = That's Thirty For Now ???? Or what? I didn't know you were a journalism major. "Die Ongelooflike-Towenaar Van Oz" by Hum & Rousseau Urtgewers - Sure looks like "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Die is "the" in German. Van looks like the German von. Something northern European. It is not Norwegian. Why the hyphen? Hmmmm. Note the "aa." Ah, it must be Dutch. In Dutch die means "that." Van is "of." Checking, the book of conversational Dutch that I have doesn't contain the second and third words. Regards, Bear ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 21:34:24 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Gili: The cabhorse was originally named Strawberry, until Aslan gave him wings and changed his name to Fledge. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 11:18:46 +1100 From: Sunny Koh Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-09-96 > Eric Gjovaag's Web page has a bunch of links to on-line Oz books, but the > ones I've tried have been outdated. Sunny Koh got some of the texts and was > planning to put them up at Web site www.home.aone.net.au/~sk/oz/; we haven't > heard from him in a week now, so I don't know if he succeeded or not. Maybe > I'll try to access it later today. Okay, I should had confirmed that they are on the Internet, YES, they are back online!!! But I have a few problems with that because the text that Aaron send me is mostly out of aligment. And there is still a question of Proreading?? (Any people willing to take it up???) I'm in Singapore at the moment and away from my OZ books. The web address if you haven't write it down is www.home.aone.net.au/sk/oz/ <- This should get you a decend access speed (Being the Fastest Service Provider this side of the world) -- ------------------------------------------------------------ Sunny Koh Business SunnyKoh@t130.aone.net.au Personal sunnykoh@tmba.design.net.au sunnykoh@ozemail.com.au Mailing List d9530021@helios.usq.edu.au ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 20:11:31 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Oz: Somebody's Sig (fwd) Laura found this and forwarded it to me. This is somebody's sig, the last little bit that gets automatically tagged on to the end of notes. I thought I'd share it with you all, but I'm sure you'll understand when I tell you that I removed the original sender's e-mail address... --Eric Gjovaag ---------- Forwarded message ---------- ********************************************************************* "Click my heels? CLICK MY HEELS??? Why the hell didn't you say so in the first place!!???" -excerpt from THE WIZARD OF OZ: The Director's Cut. ********************************************************************* ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 00:17:32 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber@aol.com Subject: For Ozzy Digest Dick: In my spare time, I do nature photography, help evaluate the quality of university chemical engineering departments, and socialize. But I am a night person, and only sleep 4 to 5 hours per day. Working from midnight to 3 am, when no one interrupts, is a very efficient way to get a lot done! Tyler: I love scholarly debate, and I didn't mean to imply that the MOPPeTs themselves constitute petty bickering. Its the sometimes over reaction to a conflicting MOPPet that is petty bickering. Herm ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 10:02:27 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-09-96 Gili: It's true that Fledge grows wings in MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW, but my feeling is that this is traceable to Pegasus - that is, I think Lewis had Pegasus in mind when he wrote it. I guess it depends on what you consider "traceable" to Pegasus. I also remember that there was a flying (mechanical, IIRC) horse - I forget whether it had wings or not - in the Sabu version of THIEF OF BAGHDAD. Dave, you're an expert on that movie - did it have wings? And if so, was it from an independent Arabian-myth source, or did the script-writer have Pegasus in mind? (If not being Pegasus himself is sufficient, then there are all the winged horses in the "Pastoral" sequence in FANTASIA. But they were clearly inspired by the Pegasus legend.) Actually, OZ COMICS #0 has been around for quite a while; I bought it from BoW at the same time I got MAYHEM IN MUNCHKINLAND. Must be close on two years by now. Me: I checked out the "Wedding Toast" page and the picture of Eric and Laura is much better than the one on Laura's home page. Although I remember Laura as being prettier than she appears in that picture (not that she doesn't look nice in the picture). And I checked Sunny Koh's page and you can indeed access the on-line text, at least of MAGIC, from it. (I didn't check -all- of the links.) www.home.aone.net.au/~sk/oz/ does it. Eleanor: There's a quote from Pogo, which I tried to look up when Steve quoted that poem but couldn't find. One of the McCarthyite characters - I think Deacon Mushrat - said something like, "And who's playing in Boston? The RED Sox! Boston - what was once the Home of the Braves!" IIRC the line from the Star Spangled Banner that Asimov used in his mystery was in the verse you quoted - the protagonist was trying to pick out the spy from a group by doing word associations, and when he said, "No refuge could save," and one responded, "the hireling and slave" they -knew- he couldn't be a real American! I agree that the poll deadline should be extended another week or so, to let Nathan and possibly others get back on-line. Eric: Didn't somebody on the Digest mention who had the boxed set of Oz films, about a month ago? I'm almost sure I remember such a reference. Bear: The Oz Zodiac was in the latest OZ GAZETTE, I think (or maybe the OBSERVER). It's a variant of the Oriental version. Tyler: I agree with you about the discussing of MOPPeTs, but that should hardly surprise anyone. Dave: I don't really think Baum was trying to launch a new series with RINKITINK - even with the original version of KING RINKITINK (and I'd really like to know how he ended that book). I think it was supposed to be a one-off book, like ZIXI or JOHN DOUGH. (It looks a bit as if he was setting up a future romance between Inga and Zella, but that might have been part of the ending of KING RINKITINK, as Fluff's eventual marriage was an endnote to ZIXI.) One thing that's pretty clear about RINKITINK, incidentally, is that the Nome King in it was intended to be Ruggedo (the original version being written before TIK-TOK); not only doe he have Rug's personality, but he's described as being roly-poly, whereas Kaliko is usually described as skinny. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 22:32:42 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* Jim Whitcomb--I think the cartoon you are remembering might be OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD. It's the only Oz-related TV series I can find in the sources I've consulted. There were earlier TV broadcasts of the animated film RETURN TO OZ, but that wasn't a regular series. From THE OZ SCRAPBOOK (NY: Random House, 1977) by David L. Greene and Dick Martin: "Beginning on September 8, 1967, ABC presented its own Oz television show: Off to See the Wizard, with animations by M-G-M. The animations were quite good in a modernistic style, but the Oz portion of the program was relatively minor. Each broadcast showed the Oz characters going off to the Emerald City to see the Wizard; when they arrived there, he showed them a feature movie suitable for family viewing. The program lasted through the following spring." Stuart Fischer's KIDS' TV: THE FIRST 25 YEARS (NY: Facts on File, 1983) expands on this: "The hosts of this animated cartoon series were characters from THE WIZARD OF OZ, including Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion and Toto. They introduced theatrical movies such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Flipper, and Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion. The films were pressented in two episodes, shown on consecutive weeks. There were interspersed with made-for television material, including nature documentaries and "Who's Afraid of Mother Goose?" This was a live-action interpretation of the Mother Goose stories. Episodes included "Jack and Jill," starring Frankie Avaln and Nancy Sinatra in the title roles, and Dan Rowan and Steve Martin as, respectively, Simple Simon and the Pieman." Fischer lists Abe Levitow as producer and director of the series (he also directed Judy Garland's animated film, GAY PURR-EE, which features a wonderful Harburg and Arlen score) and Chuck Jones as executive producer. He says that the program was broadcast on Fridays from 7:30 to 8:30 in the evening. It ran between 9/8/67 and 9/20/68. Did you grow up in Columbus? I did, but I don't remember any Ozzy cartoons during the period you mention.... John W. Kennedy--Good to see another singist in the Digest. Operosi sumus dum cantat opima! And..... ******WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR "RINKITINK" AHEAD******** Day 1 - Kittikut shows pearls in Inga - Rinkitink leaves Gilgad for Pingaree Day 4 - Arrival of Rinkitink & Bilbil "a few days" after Inga first sees pearls Time passes--"day after day and week after week" (assume a minimum of 3 weeks) Day 25 - Fog - arrival of invaders from Regos & Coregos in early afternoon Day 26 - The invaders leave Pingaree - Inga finds Rinkitink, Bilbil - night at lower end of island Day 27 - They return to the palace in the AM - fix up a small room Day 28 - They move the marble from the banquet hall - Inga retrieves the pearls Day 29 - Inga consults the white pearl - storm in PM Day 30 - Boat appears on shore in AM - Inga, Rinkitink & Bilbil leave Pingaree Day 33 - Inga's party arrives at Regos - conquest of King Gos - Dorothy first reads about Inga in Glinda's Book of Records - Rinkitink throws shoe away in night Day 34 - Nikobob finds Inga's shoes & defeats Choggenmugger Day 35 - Queen Cor seizes Rinkitink, Inga - Zella harvests the honey Day 37 - Zella takes the honey to Coregos - Inga conquers Coregos Day 38 - Zella guides party in search of mines of Regos - Gos reaches mines in late PM - Inga's party spends night in boat after fruitless search Day 39 - Inga invades mines, frees slaves - Gos & Cor take Kitticut, Garee hostage, flee to Nome Kingdom Day 40 - Inga begins pursuit of fugitives - rows "hard and steadily for eight days" Day 46 - Gos & Cor complete their voyage "the morning of the eighth day" Day 47 - Gos & Cor reach the Nome Kingdom 'the second day of their journey" - Kitticut & Garee released to Kaliko - Inga reaches the beach Day 48 - Gos & Cor leave the Nome Kingdom - pass Inga's party en route to Nome Kingdom - Dorothy sees Inga in Magic Picture - Inga, Rinkitink spend night in Nome Kingdom Day 49 - Inga faces the Three Trick Caverns - Dorothy & Wizard arrive - Kittikut & Garee released Day 50 - Reception in Emerald City - disenchantment of Bilbil Inga's party "remained several weeks" in the EC before returning to Pingaree Several more weeks pass before Pinkerbloo locates Rinkitink - he returns to Gilgad after 3 days of feasting ****************END SPOILERS***************** ====================================================================== Date: Friday, 10 January, 1997 16:16:46 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things MY *TRUE* POSITION ON OZMA (AND RPT): Ruth Berman writes: >Dave Hardenbrook: >Your mention in the poll of your "Ozma is not a wimp" theory reminds me >that I've been feeling increasingly uncomfortable with this phrasing. The >problem is that "wimp" is a pejorative. I would *NEVER* call my Queen a "wimp" ( I wouldn't *dare*! :) ), though others on the Digest have... >It generally means (as it does in your usage) a person who displays strong >emotions -- or even someone who simply has a strong emotion, regardless of >whether it's displayed. _The New Dictionary of American Slang_ by Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D. (which is never absent from Glinda's desk) defines "wimp" as "An ineffectual person;...a weakling"...No impliction of strength of emotions or lack thereof is made. >The idea is that someone with strong emotions will >be too overwhelmed by them to do what needs doing. Not *my* idea at all! Ozma: And certainly not *mine*! >For instance, you complained earlier that Ozma should not be excited at >discovering that the father she had never known and believed long dead was >alive. Well, why shouldn't she be excited? How does being excited in such >a case weaken her? The kind of "macho" control it would take to not be >excited in such a case, it seems to me, would amount to pscyhologically >unhealthy repression. You must be confusing me with someone else because I have *NEVER* commented on Ozma's reaction to discovering that her father is alive. I would have objected only if she HADN'T reacted as she did, thinking that that would have been very cold and indifferent of her. >You're looking at the difference >Baum's and RPT's characterizations of Ozma and saying that you prefer >Baum's stoic Ozma to RPT's more openly emotional one. If I ever said that, I must have missed something... :) I did say I like it when she is strong-minded and assertive, but I assure you that I like her being emotional too. I don't regard the two as mutually exclusive. In both of my own Oz books, _Locasta_ and "Fairy Princess", Ozma is both emotional *and* a good, assertive leader...And everyone in Oz loves her the more for it! >Beyond the problem of terminology, I'm not entirely convinced that Baum's >and RPT's versions of Ozma are all that different... >So I think I disagree in any case with your belief that the difference >needs any explanation. But if you stick to wanting an explanation, I wish >you'd find one that doesn't dump on RPT's characterization so unfairly. Well, perhaps I haven't read enough RPT to see Ozma at her best in her books (someone said that it was in _Speedy_)...And I'll admit that saying RPT's Ozma was "scatterbrained" was in hindsight tactless and brusque, since it led Scraps to say to me: "Hickory Dickory Dock Dave's conduct is such a shock! Please Dave for Oz's sake Give Ozzy Digesters a break And stuff down your throat a big sock." I later explained to Ozma that I meant no offense to anyone, and that I didn't by any means think that of her, and that I just felt that sometimes RPT didn't do her justice... She accepted my explanation, but suggested that I take the Wogglebug's course on "Tact and Clarity in E-Mail Messages", which I have (two washed down with Ozade after every meal)... :) NOMES IN _RINKITINK_: David wrote: >One thing that's pretty clear about RINKITINK, incidentally, is that the Nome >King in it was intended to be Ruggedo (the original version being written >before TIK-TOK); not only doe he have Rug's personality, but he's described >as being roly-poly, whereas Kaliko is usually described as skinny. Also, look at Neill's accompanying illustation... :) And the book _The World of Oz_ attributes Kaliko's gripes about Ozma and Oz to Ruggedo. OZ CARTOON SERIES: Ken S. wrote: >Jim Whitcomb--I think the cartoon you are remembering might be OFF TO SEE THE >WIZARD. It's the only Oz-related TV series I can find in the sources I've >consulted. There were earlier TV broadcasts of the animated film RETURN TO >OZ, but that wasn't a regular series... Doesn't the _Oz Scrapbook_ also describe another show that was an "Ozzy" series (sort of)? I remember the _Scrapbook_ saying something about "trips into outer space, a heart for the Tin Man by growing ruby-red rutabega seeds, and 'mindless Munchkins'..." FLYING HORSES AND _THIEF OF BAGDAD (SIC)_: David wrote: >I also remember that there was a flying (mechanical, IIRC) horse - I forget >whether it had wings or not - in the Sabu version of THIEF OF BAGHDAD. Dave, >you're an expert on that movie - did it have wings? And if so, was it from an >independent Arabian-myth source, or did the script-writer have Pegasus in >mind? The flying horse is wingless, and like nearly everything else in the movie, I believe it was taken from a story in the _Arabian Nights_, though I don't recall which one. David, YRC ("You Remember Correctly") -- the horse *was* run by clockwork, like all of the Sultan's toys. ( I always wondered if Jaffar built it on his own, or if he got help from Smith & Tinker's :) ) The 1940 _Thief of Bagdad_ is a superb movie, for those who haven't seen it. Like _The Bluebird_, it may have been a "reply" to the MGM _Wizard_, but it's a movie that, unlike _Bluebird_, is a great movie in its own right, and doesn't look as though it's trying to "copycat" MGM's _Wiz_...Unlike _Bluebird_, _Thief of Bagdad_ is a wonderful, wholesome, imaginative, romantic, and "preach-free" fantasy. NOTE: If you want to get the movie to see it for yourself ( and I *highly* recommend you do :) ), make sure that it *is* the 1940 version starring Sabu, Conrad Veigt, and lovely June Duprez. :) (There are two--possibly three-- other versions, all BTW with completely different plotlines.) "BUT IT WASN'T A DREAM! -- IT WAS A *PLACE*!": Here is my MOPPeT about the MGM _Wizard_ being a dream: When Dorothy was returned home from Oz, the magic in the slippers sent her backward in time (on our universe's time frame) to right after the end of the storm, her house was rebuilt where it always stood, and Dorothy was placed inside it unconscious and with a large bump on her head. So Auntie Em and Uncle Henry emerged from the cellar to find everything apparently little the worse for wear; and as kind of a "last laugh" for the deceased wicked witches, the ruby slippers pulled an effective "Cassandra syndrome" on poor Dorothy because she KNOWS that Oz exists and that she went there, but NO ONE believes her... :) -- Dave ====================================================================== NOTE TO ROBIN: I agree that you should extend the poll deadline a week, especially since we've had some new Digest subscribers the past week who might want a chance to participate... -- Dave ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 10:32:35 -0500 (EST) From: DAVID PARKER HISTORY Subject: Ozzy poll NAME: David Parker DATE OF BIRTH: Nov. 28, 1956 HOME: Cartersville, Ga. (north of Atlanta) PROFESSION: US History teacher, Kennesaw State University HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: Ph.D. (Univ. of North Carolina) AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 6 or 7 HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: the movie HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: Nate Barlow's earlier list OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: none (although I read the _Bugle_ faithfully) PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: all of Baum's WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: _Was_, _Lizard of Oz_, a few others HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Santa Claus, American Fairy Tales, Master Key HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: none ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING?: I'm interested in various interpretations of Baum's works--Populist allegory, theosophical, feminist, utopian, etc. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: above WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ?: David B. Parker dparker@ksumail.kennesaw.edu Assistant Professor of History Kennesaw State University phone: (770) 423-6713 1000 Chastain Rd. or 423-6294 Kennesaw, Ga. 30144-5591 fax: (770) 423-6432 ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 14:01:16 -0500 From: Jennifer Schuetz Subject: Re: More Ozzy Poll results Name: Jennifer L. Schuetz D.O.B.: 12-14-72 Home: Indianapolis, IN (although my heart belongs to Boston) Profession: Administrative Assistant at The Summit Group, Inc. (a computer consulting company), & aspiring chef. Education: B.A. in General Studies at Indiana University Age discovered OZ: While I really don't know the exact age, it was probably around 5 or 6. How discovered OZ: The movie on T.V. How found out about Digest: I was just surfing the net for anything about OZ! OZ organizations: None at present, I am just getting started on the whole organized "fan club" stuff!! Primary OZ interest: The movie...and collecting anything that has to do with it! Books: Have not read any books, so while I enjoy reading the digest daily, I have no true connection to most of the discussion, other than my interest in OZ. I do collect memorabilia, as so many others do and will hopefully attend some sort of convention this year (although I do not know much about any of them, and would appreciate any input!) Note to Jim Whitcomb: Your "Ozzy Projects" sound wonderful, especially the ornaments out of FIMO clay. I was wondering if you will be selling those or if they are for a personal collection....keep us posted!! ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 11:36:12 -0500 (EST) From: dsparker@mail.utexas.edu (Douglass S. Parker) Subject: OZZY DIGEST POLL NAME: Douglass S. Parker DATE OF BIRTH: 27 May 1927 HOME Austin TX PROFESSION: Professor of Classics, University of Texas HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. Ph. D. in Classics, 1952 AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 5 years HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ Received _Land of Oz_ as Christmas present, 1932. Fate settled for next decade and more, with occasional returns. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ Web page: Either through Tyler Jones's page or Amundsen's compilation of a week's issues, beginning of Sept 1996 OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: IWOC off and on since 1971 [more off than on, I'm afraid; currently on]; RCO since last fall. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Still BOOKS; I was a 12-yr-old fanatic when the MGM film came out, and regarded it as a sin against the light, for the standard reason: the dream-frame. It took years to get over that--until the TV showings began in the mid-fifties. HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: All. WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? [I presume this means non-FF books by FF authors] BAUM: Little Wiz Stories, Visitors; THOMPSON: Yankee, Enchanted Island; NEILL: Runaway; MCGRAWS: Forbidden Fountain; COSGROVE: Wicked Witch. HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 13: The Sea Fairies, Sky Island, Mo, Ix, Yew, Merryland, John Dough, Twink&Chub [repr, with Prairie Dog tales, Policeman BlueJay, etc.], Santa Claus, Amer Fairy Tales, ElecKey, Runaway Shadows, Landlady HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 2: CurCruise, WizWayUp HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? IWOC: MARTIN: Ozmopolitan BOW: SHANOWER: Giant Garden BUCKETHEAD: KARR: Gardener's Boy; GRANDY: Seven Blue Mountains I ROGER BAUM: Dorothy; ReWolf ONYX MADDEN: Mysterious Chronicles VOLKOV: Wooden Soldiers SHANOWER GRAPHIC: all 5 MAINSTREAM: FARMER: Barnstormer; RYMAN: WAS; MAGUIRE: Wicked FRINGE: TEDROW: Dorothy--Return to Oz; SELTZER: Lizard ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? "The Uses of Oz" [see below] MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Oz is at the edge of my scholarly work, which has mainly been in Greek & Roman Comedy. I've given a course at Texas since 1973 on "Parageography: The Study of Imaginary Worlds" that starts with the Odyssey and ends in a rush with Oz, Narnia, and Middle-Earth. Now that I'm tottering towards retirement, I'm trying to pull the accumulated insights into a book. But Oz insists on being more than a part of something: Roused to detailed recontemplation by the novels of Ryman and Maguire, I gave a freshman seminar last fall in "The Land of Oz as Cultural Icon" that aimed to take on what has been done with the dear old place by those who have come after, in whatever medium. I barely touched things, of course, but I've got a better idea of what I'm doing, and hope to give it again next fall. In any case, it's turned into an immense undertaking, re-reading the FF with very different eyes, and pushing on into everything else Ozian: I've secured most of the Bucketheads and BoW Emerald Cities, and am plowing through those. I find the OzzyDig fascinating in the avenues it gives me to explore, and the ungusseted expression of all grades and shades of opinion. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? No "first-order" MOPPeTs--that is, no adumbrations of my own on the history of Oz *as real place.* And the "metaMOPPeTs" about influences received and changes mad are still building. In any case, it's a nice way to wind down. Or up. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 14:41:12 +0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-02-97 (2 of 2) NAME: Eleanor Kennedy DATE OF BIRTH: November 6, 1958 HOME (With nearest major city if you're somewhere out in the "boonies"): Chatham, NJ PROFESSION: HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED--DEGREE(S) EARNED, ANY POST-GRAD HOURS? ETC. BA in Theatre, no post-grad. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: The movie: too long ago to remember. The books: 23 HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ (This probably can't be tabulated, but it's always fun to know.): The movie: on TV. The books: something about the look on John's face when I said in response to a remark of his, "Oh, I didn't know there was a book, too." HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_ (From a friend? Web page and which one?, etc.): Proofreading the "Baum Bugle" OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO (International Wizard of Oz Club, The Royal Club of Oz, etc.): IWOC PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): books/movie about equal HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? 6 WHICH OTHER OZ BOOKS BY CANONICAL AUTHORS HAVE YOU READ? (_Yankee..._, _Runaway..._, _Wicked Witch..._, _Forbidden Fountain.._, etc.) "Wicked Witch", (also "Queer Visitors", if you count that) HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 6 (7 if you count Queer Visitors) HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC. All of Eric Shanower's ("Giant Garden" and the graphic novels), "Oz-Wonderland War" ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) A short story for the Research Table. Proofreading the "Observer" MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION (Again, this--and the next question-- won't be tabulated, but should prove interesting.) None WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? (Mine is that Glinda's function is essentially to help and/or protect Ozma. Also, The Americans in Oz are there for a purpose: they are needed...probably to fulfill a prophecy.) None // Eleanor Kennedy ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 09:14:45 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: More Ozzy Poll results Oh, I forgot to mention the non-FF books I've read--QUEEN LURLINE AND THE WHITE RAVENS and DAGMAR IN OZ, both published by Buckethead Enterprises. And I guess FORBIDDEN FOUNTAIN and THE OZMAPOLITAN fall into this category as well. Hope I've gotten this in before my responses are finally tabulated. ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 12, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 13:33:42 -0800 (PST) From: Peter Hanff Subject: The Master Key, first edition, second state Dave, As readers of the Ozzy Digest may recall, Patrick Maund is now consolidating information related to the bibliography of Baum's non-Oz works in preparation for completing the book version of Bibliographia Oziana. From time to time he or I may ask readers of the Digest to inspect their own collections to help us with locating special information. Of particular interest to us now is information about the variant states of Baum's The Master Key. We'll welcome information from the Digest readers. In the original Bibliographia Baumiana article on The Master Key (in the Bugle, 1968, Vol. 12, No. 2, p. 19) Dick Martin recorded three states of the book. During the preparation of a revised and expanded description for the Bugle in 1989, we were unable to locate any copy of the second state as described, despite contacting many collectors and book dealers. Once again, we are beginning to compile a thorough revision and expansion of Bibliographia Baumiana and seek to locate examples of the variant identified by Dick Martin as State #2. The first state is most readily identified by measuring the length of the publisher's name on the copyright page. That line, set in large and small capitals reads THE BOWEN-MERRILL COMPANY and measures just 1-21/32 of an inch. The typeface is a standard Roman face with regular serifs. Lower on the copyright page, the last line of the printer's imprint reads in all caps BROOKLYN ,N. Y. The comma is misplaced as transcribed. The first state is made up entirely of gatherings of 8 pages each (that is, four leaves per gathering). State #2, as described by Martin (and as later described in the November 2, 1978 Swann Auction Galleries catalogue of the Schiller collection) has an opening gathering identical with that of the first state (including the information relevant to the copyright page, as above). However the balance of that volume is described as being made up of gatherings of 16 pages (that is, eight leaves per gathering). State #3 has a reset copyright page (still in a preliminary gathering of 8 pages). The typeface for the publisher's information is in a heavily serifed typeface that is slightly larger than the one described above. It now measures 1-25/32 of an inch. The balance of the book is made up of sixteen-page gatherings. We should be very much interested in learning of any copies of State #2 in your possession (or of any other variations in page make-up or typography). Patrick Maund Peter Hanff ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 21:33:29 -0500 (EST) From: Mark Anthony Donajkowski Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-10-97 To: "Dave L. Hardenbrook" > Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 07:30:37 -0500 > From: Scott Piehler > Subject: Ozzy Digest > > Gili: > > Not only has Caliber come out with OZ Zero, but they have a full backstory set: > > OZ #0 > Scarecrow Special #1 > Tin Man Special #1 > Lion Special #1 > Freedom Fighters Special #1 > > There is another prequel miniseries: > OZ: Romance In Rags #1-3 > > All the above take place prior to the events of OZ#1 > > > The regular series is up to issue #17 its up to issue 18 now with a mention of some daemonstorm thing which explains the pumpkin that jack gets that issue for his head ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 22:44:19 -0500 (EST) From: Wes A Brzozowski Subject: Ozzy Digest To: DAVEH47@delphi.com Eric and every body who wrote stuff about Pegasus:Thanks. I did not know about Fledae. I read four or five of the Narnia books in second and third grade but all I remember is something about a closet. I'll read them again. Annie Brzozowski ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 21:53:09 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-09-96 To: "Dave L. Hardenbrook" I composed this yesterday, postponed the message, and then forgot to send it. Poll: Extend the deadline? Aargh!!! Aren't those collegiates back yet? O.K., I'll wait until this next Friday before I cut it off. The thing has grown to be quite a project. About 40 responses so far. My, how we like to talk about ourselves! (That includes me.) ;) Eric: I missed the Oz reference in "Rambling Rose." Shame on me. Don't tell Martha, o.k.? Bear:You said:>>Come on over to Compuserve, the thinking persons ISP. I think it's more for rich persons.... I wish I could afford it. Jim Whitcomb: The series you refer to must be _Off to See the Wizard_ which was, IIRC, sponsored by G.E. and spawned some nifty collectibles. If you bought a G.E. iron, you could get a charm bracelet. Someone else created some cute hand puppets based on the series. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 23:27:09 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Today's Oz Growls To: DAVE HARDENBROOK Jeremy and any other disenchanted AOL'ers - Y'all come on over to Compuserve. No spam, no junk, no logon problems, nice interface, same price, etc. Tell them I sent you. :):):) Ruth - No "wimp" I have ever known has ever displayed a strong emotion. They are characterized by passiveness, inability to stand up for themselves, weakness, in general spinelessness. Definitely a repressed personality type. Certainly not our Ozma! I thought you characterized Ozma ala Baum perfectly. She has characteristics that I would project on a powerful immortal in Baum. I can't imagine her acting like Jenny Jones, or Opra Winfree, or Judy next door. RPT, IMHO badly distorted the personality of our supreme ruler, which I think is what some of us are complaining about from time to time. Jane - Wonderful to hear you will be on FX - will you alert us as to the date. All of that "stuff" is nice, but I hope you will seize this opportunity to say some words for the books, the primary interest of most of us here. The shows audience may have "seen all that before" but if it was over a week ago, I'm sure they have forgotten. Oh my, I'm feeling cynical tonight. Actually I should be really up tonight. My brother-in-law was hauled off to Seattle to see if he had lukemia this week. The answer just came back NO! Lord, what a relief. Eric - Please explain CLICK MY HEELS??? I don't get it. Herm - Please explain how you are able to sleep only "4 to 5 hours per day." Does it come in a bottle, a pill, injection????? :) :) I'm sure many of us would like to know. Also remember, "petty" is in the eye of the beholder. :) Regards, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 15:48:56 -0500 (EST) From: Ozisus@aol.com Subject: Oz post To: daveh47@delphi.com Cc: glassman@ix.netcom.com Hi Digesters (and Peter Glassman, who I'm copying), I've been approached to be on "Personal Fx" -- that collectors' television program -- when it is in Kansas City in early February. I remember that some early Digests talked about Peter being on it before, and I'm sure other Oz items have turned up from time to time. Can you all let me know Oz things that already have been included in the show so I can avoid being redundant? I have some of rarish books -- 1st Wizard & Emerald City and others, John Dough with coupon, Army Alphabet, Wogglebug, Sam Steele, etc., but if the show's audience has seen all that before I'd rather build the segment around toys, albums, sheet music, licensed merchandise, Christmas clutter or other "stuff." Let me know what you all have seen on the program, and I'll try to come up with something new and different. Jane ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 15:35:24 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Digest Eric: The new box set of the Oz Silent films is from a company called American Home Entertainment. However, I do not have an address or phone #from them. Thorny Eiler in New Albany, Indiana was my source. Eleanor: Are you sure its Red Sox, not Red Sock (the joke comes from the play with the singular "Brave." And isn't the Boston team the Red Socks in contrast with the Chicago White Sox? (I could be wrong--I have been at least twice in the past 55 years.) SCARECROW: The Oz Film Manufacturing Company entitled their third feature: HIS MAJESTY THE SCARECROW OF OZ. This is the source for the Jinxland episode of THE SCARECROW OF OZ. The characters of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Wizard, and the Cowardly Lion all appear withoout any barrier separating their location from the land ruled by King Krewl in which Princess Gloria loves the gardener's boy. So I would seem that Baum always inteded the Jinxland section to be within Oz. Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 00:40:41 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-09-96 Dear Dick: Glad you liked those Oz draggies! :-) Dave Hulan: On Beekeeper again: I've known young people who were not hotheaded enough to throw things at a friend's horse to make it bolt. Youth does not excuse everything... :-) :-) Bear: In 'Beekeeper,' you probably also noticed the author's use of the Doylian technique of recording a two-person conversation by writing the words of only one person. The reader must use their imagination to fill in what the other person said. Great word-saving technique, that. Dave Hardenbrook: Glad you enjoyed the Observer article! :-) Carole Lackey edited the article while preserving pretty much what I meant to say, and that is greatly appreciated. :-) :-) Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 01:27:21 -0500 (EST) From: Gili Bar-Hillel Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-10-97 Bear - I always thought that TTFN stands for "Ta ta for now". That's what Tigger told Pooh and Piglet in a record I used to have. I'm not a journalism major, though I have worked as a radio journalist. I'm a theatre major - specifically, a dramatic writing major. I guess I should have put that in my poll answer... FLEDGE. So THAT was his name. Hmm, maybe it's time to reread the Narnia chronicles again? (for the fifth or sixth time, of course... the first time I read them, I was only six. I had to keep asking my mother: "what's this word?". I thought the name of the girl in the book was "Lucky".) I'd just like to say that I've really enjoyed reading all your poll responses. What an interesting group of people :-). ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gili Bar-Hillel abhillel@fas.harvard.edu gili@scso.com http://www.scso.com/~gili ====================================================================== "He thought he saw an Elephant |\ _,,,---,,_ That practised on a fife: /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ He looked again, and found it was |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' A letter from his wife. '---''(_/--' `-'\_) 'At length I realise,' he said, (cat by Felix Lee) 'The bitterness of Life!'" - Lewis Carrol, "Sylvie and Bruno" ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 12:33:39 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* Dave-- I find on looking back through the OZ SCRAPBOOK that you are right. The book tells about TALES OF THE WIZARD OF OZ, "a series of 130 four-and-a-half- to five-minute cartoons produced in 1960 and 1961 and syndicated for Saturday-morning broadcasts. There is continuity between each episode, though it is easy to lose track of what is happening. The cartoons bear almost no resemblance to Baum's story or toany other adaptation. Instead, they include trips to outer space, a heart for the Tin Man grown by planting `ruby-red rutabaga seeds,' and the `brainless Munchkins,' who swarm at inopportune moments and look somewhat akin to walking mushrooms, perhaps intentionally." The cartoons were produced by Videocraft International. I apologise for having missed this citation (especially since it's on the same page as the material I quoted in my earlier post! Very embarrassing...). Does anyone remember actually seeing this these cartoons broadcast? They're a little before my time. I checked the Fischer volume, which I've found to be pretty comprehensive in the past, and it has no reference to them at all.... --KRS ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 06:29:27 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-10-97 > From: Scott Piehler > Subject: Ozzy Digest > [re: The "Oz" comic book] > The regular series is up to issue #17 Oz #18 is supposed to be out now as well. I'm going to my local comic shop this weekend to find out. > From: Mark Anthony Donajkowski > Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-09-96 > [re: My inquiry about latest version of silent Oz videos] > The answer to this, seeing as I own the box set, is as follows: > > American Home Entertainment > 1-800-422-6484 > Get the box set, it's $34.95. > > The individual vids are $12.95 each. Thanks, Mark. I'll probably put this into the next edition of my FAQ. > From: Ruth Berman > Subject: ozzy digest > > Eric Gjovvag: Er, that's Gjovaag. One v, two a's. (Not that you're the first one to mess that up here, and probably not the last...) And yes, as a kid it took me a while to master my own last name... > From: gbirrell@post.cis.smu.edu (Gordon Birrell) > Subject: Ozzy Digest > > Okay, here's one of my unbelievably--ongelooflijk--picky questions. In > _Dorothy and the Wizard_, there is the following exchange between Zeb and > Dorothy: [exchange and follow-up questions deleted] This was all tackled in the "Bugle" several years ago (Christmas 1973, in fact), in Jim Haff's article "Dorothy's Family." (Our own Ruth Berman wrote a follow-up letter, which was published in the Winter 1986 issue.) It's pretty short, so if enough people are interested, I'd be willing to type it up and send it to Dave for everyone to read. (I'll let Ruth handle the follow-up again, unless she'd like me to enter her comments as well.) > From: Ozisus@aol.com > Subject: Oz post > > Hi Digesters (and Peter Glassman, who I'm copying), I've been approached to > be on "Personal Fx" -- that collectors' television program -- when it is in > Kansas City in early February. I remember that some early Digests talked > about Peter being on it before, and I'm sure other Oz items have turned up > from time to time. Can you all let me know Oz things that already have been > included in the show so I can avoid being redundant? Not long ago they had a collector from just down the road from me, in Tacoma, WA, who collected items based on the MGM movie. Trouble is, she didn't understand half of what she had! (I mean, she had a cel from "Journey Back to Oz" and didn't even know what movie that came from!) I suggest you keep the MGM stuff to a minimum. I'd also suggest you know what you have and not look as foolish as she did, but I have every confidence that that will not be the case. And Jane, you will tell us when it will be so we can all fire up our VCR's, right? > From: DavidXOE@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-09-96 > > Me: > I checked out the "Wedding Toast" page and the picture of Eric and Laura is > much better than the one on Laura's home page. Although I remember Laura as > being prettier than she appears in that picture (not that she doesn't look > nice in the picture). Yes, she's much prettier than any of the pictures on her web page. But then again, I'm biased . > Eric: > Didn't somebody on the Digest mention who had the boxed set of Oz films, > about a month ago? I'm almost sure I remember such a reference. Yes, I remember that, too. Which is why I was asking for the info, because I knew somebody had it... > From: Kenneth Shepherd > Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* > > Jim Whitcomb--I think the cartoon you are remembering might be OFF TO SEE THE > WIZARD. It's the only Oz-related TV series I can find in the sources I've > consulted. It could also have been "Tales of the Wizard of Oz" from a few years earlier, a set of 130 three-minute vignettes that may have been shown between other shows. --Eric "Dave, that was the other show you were remembering" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 10:00:03 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 1/10/97 Jennifer: The closest Oz convention to you by far would be the Ozmopolitan, at Lake Lawn Lodge on Lake Delevan in Wisconsin. I'd guesstimate it to be about a 5-hour drive from Indianapolis, though traffic (especially since you have to go through Greater Chicago) is so unpredictable that it could vary an hour or more either way. Still, that's a lot easier than getting to Wilmington, Delaware, or Monterey, California, where the other two major Oz conventions are held. Unless you were planning a West Coast vacation in July or an East Coast one in August anyway. Jeremy: It's true that SCARECROW and RINKITINK take place almost entirely outside Oz, but then so do OZMA, DOTWIZ, ROAD, and TIK-TOK, especially the first and last. RINKITINK's connection to Oz is tenuous, I admit, but SCARECROW is tied as firmly into the Oz canon as any of the aforementioned four. When one is drunk, one probably doesn't care about being off-key. But many if not most people drink without getting drunk, and may sing drinking songs in the process. Francis Scott Key just wrote the lyrics to "The Star Spangled Banner"; he had nothing to do with the tune. (I don't know that he even had it in mind when he wrote the lyrics, though he may have; it's a pretty irregular rhythm to choose if you didn't have a tune in mind. But the tune he had in mind might not have been "To Anacreon on High".) There are lots of patches of land within Oz that don't recognize Ozma's authority - or didn't before the events of the book where they're described, at least. Utensia, Jinxland, the Yips, Thi, Herku, the Forest of Gugu, the Skeezers and Flatheads, the Spider Kingdom - and those are just the ones in Baum that occur to me offhand. As far as Ozma is concerned, though, everything inside the desert barrier is part of Oz and under her rule. Ruth: I don't think "wimp", as I've generally seen and heard it used, means "a person who displays strong emotions -- or even someone who simply has a strong emotion, regardless of whether it's displayed." Usually "wimp" is used to mean a person who is unable to take decisive action. This may be because of strong emotion, but it may be just general wishy-washiness. Gordon: That question about Zeb's remark is one that's been kicked around in Ozzy Research circles quite a bit. There are two possible explanations. The one generally favored is that Zeb was using "second cousins" loosely, to mean "distant connections", because the way the relationship is described otherwise would imply that there's probably no blood connection between Zeb and Dorothy at all. (At least, if you accept the statement on the title page of DOTWIZ that Zeb's last name is Hugson, which would imply that Zeb's uncle Bill is his father's brother.) This is especially true because there's a very strong implication in the books (though it's never explicit) that Dorothy's blood relationship is with Henry and not Em. If, on the other hand, you take Zeb's statement and his name on the title page literally, then you're forced to conclude that (a) Bill Hugson and Uncle Henry are brothers who married sisters, and (b) Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are really Dorothy's great-uncle and great-aunt; Dorothy's mother would have been the daughter of yet another of Henry's siblings. This idea has the advantage of explaining why Henry and Em are depicted as being quite old; with a ten-year-old niece you wouldn't expect them to be much over 50 unless there was an exceptionally large age gap between siblings -and- Dorothy's mother was rather old for that era when Dorothy was born. And certainly Dorothy would have called them "uncle" and "aunt" even if they were her great-uncle and great-aunt - or at least, I always called my great-uncles "uncle", and so did everyone I knew. However, in at least one case Baum himself refers to them as "her uncle and aunt", which would go against this theory. Bear: "TTFN" is "Ta-Ta For Now", and is something Tigger says in the Disney Winnie-the-Pooh cartoons. (It may have another origin, but that's where I've run across it.) Ken S.: Your Rinkitink chronology, and the fact that I just reread that part of the book a couple of days ago, reminded me to wonder: why, when Inga & co. were looking for the entrance to the mines and wasting a whole day that meant Gos beat them there, didn't he consult the White Pearl? (Other than to keep the book going for another hundred pages or so, of course!) Dave: I remember the discussion of Ozma's reaction to finding her father in LOST KING, and I'm sure it wasn't you who objected to it. I'm not sure who it was, though, other than that I didn't either; I remember arguing with whoever said that about her at the time. Anybody wanna 'fess up? I don't think SPEEDY is the RPT book that shows Ozma at her best - she only appears in it briefly near the end, and doesn't have much to do. I suspect whoever said that was thinking of the other book in which Speedy appears, YELLOW KNIGHT; that's one where Ozma nips in at the end of the book and settles a collection of long-standing problems swiftly and decisively. I wasn't meaning to imply that the fact that the Nome King in RINKITINK was clearly intended to be Ruggedo was any special insight of my own; I think most Oz fans who think about the subject have probably reached that conclusion. And it's been published a couple of places, one of which you point out. I concur that the 1940 THIEF OF BAGHDAD is one of the all-time great fantasy movies. I've seen the silent version with Douglas Fairbanks, and it's a pretty good movie too, though not a great one. I haven't seen the version with Steve Reeves from around 1960, but it bombed at the box office, probably for good reason. (I did see a couple of other Steve Reeves movies, and they were Baaaaaad!) I don't know if there's been another version made since then; as you say, all of them have completely different plot lines, since there isn't any book they're based on - just a loose connection with the classic days of Baghdad and the Arabian Nights. (Anyone who's read GLASS CAT can probably guess that I'm a fan of the 1940 THIEF...) David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 13:21:25 -0500 (EST) From: RMorris306@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-10-97 Hi everyone! It's been awhile since I've posted, but there've been too many interesting threads these last few days! (As opposed to subjects like an Oz CD, which, not having the technology to play nor sufficient desire to obtain it, I'll have to take a rain check on.) Jeremy Steadman wrote: <> Although, now that I think of it, OZMA OF OZ took even longer than SCARECROW (and not that much shorter than the special case, RINKITINK) to bring the characters and action into Oz. Rather ironic for the book once characterized as "real Ozzy," but it justifiably *seems* so, since it stars Dorothy for the beginning, and includes her (and our) old friends from Oz throughout most of the action, whereas SCARECROW and RINKITINK feature new characters throughout. (Well, those in SCARECROW weren't new for readers who'd read THE SEA FAIRIES and/or SKY ISLAND, but many (most of my generation) hadn't...though, since I hadn't read the books in order, I did know Trot and Cap'n Bill from the later Oz books in which they'd appeared.) I've mentioned my theory that, just as RINKITINK was a rewrite of an unpublished Baum novel unrelated to Oz, SCARECROW may have been started as a third "Borderland of Oz" novel about Trot and Cap'n Bill (literally so, since they went to Mo), making it easy to bring the characters and action into Oz (with a plot taken from Baum's movie, HIS MAJESTY, THE SCARECROW OF OZ). SPIES AND AMERICAN TRIVIA: I don't remember Asimov's story about a spy remembering the second verse of "The Star-Spangled Banner," and I've read almost all his work. There *was* a Black Widowers story about a spy being betrayed by his memory of the second verse of "Yankee Doodle," ("Father and I went down to camp, along with Capt. Good'n/And there we saw the men and boys, as thick as hasty puddin'.") which is again more obscure but by no means utterly unknown...it was in several of my school music books, though admittedly those were decades old even in the early '60's. I know--and am reminded especially now with Boston going wild about the New England Patriots getting into the playoff--I once had a scenario about a spy impersonating an American and being betrayed because he of course had learned *all* about the Super Bowl, not realizing the man he was impersonating was one of those (like me) with virtually no interest in it... SPEAKING OF FOOTBALL: I've heard that Tom Lehrer was denied tenure at Harvard because the committee was Not Amused by one of his songs that poked a bit too much fun at that august institution (his version of a fight song, "Fight Fiercely, Harvard!") Sometimes the real world does intrude on how acceptable people find his satire...I remember seeing a musical compilation of his songs called TOMFOOLERY that included just about everything he'd written (even including songs about long-forgotten people and events like "Alma") *except* "Send the Marines," which would have been all too appropriate...this was during the invasion of Grenada. That same musical included a note from Lehrer as to why he wasn't writing any new songs...he considered his satire superfluous in a world where Henry Kissinger could win the Nobel Peace Prize. (I thought that was hilarious; my less conservative date didn't...) David Hulan wrote: <> My guess is that Baum actually kept Ruggedo in it when he began to revise the novel. (Note the passage: "The Nomes were ruled, at the time I describe, by a King called..." implying that this King no longer ruled the Nomes.) I suspect it was only when he started to write the Oz sequences that Baum changed his mind (having come up with a funny verse for Rinkitink to write when he met Hank the mule, which could only have happened if the events of his book took place *after* Betsy's and Hank's arrival in Oz in TIK-TOK) so went back and changed Ruggedo to Kaliko...at the expense of Kaliko's personality, though he did add a qualifier, having the Wizard admit "that the new King is not as wicked as the old one used to be." Maybe, as one BAUM BUGLE writer whose name I forget said, "a matter of power corrupting, as well as fattening." Then again, if Kaliko had been completely averse to the use of such things as the flying knives and the Three Trick Caverns, I doubt Ruggedo (whose inventions they may well have been) would have chosen him as Chief Steward in the first place... Dave Hardenbrook wrote: <> That was "Tales of the Wizard of Oz," a cartoon series of the early '60's that was put together soon after the first Oz book went into public domain. It gave names to Dorothy's three companions (Socrates Strawman, Rusty Tinman, and Dandy Lion) and characterized them much more superficially (the Scarecrow and Lion really *were* stupid and cowardly respectively, though children's TV standards required Rusty to have a more complex personality and not be *really* mean), but it had its moments...even introducing places (like a garden of living vegetables and Topsy Turvy Town, where everyone walked on the ceiling) that wouldn't have been out of place in the FF Oz. Even the more extreme additions (cars, elections, money) weren't out of place when one remembers that Neill's books were part of the FF. The Munchkins weren't mindless, but were shown not as (short) humans but as a distinct race, teardrop-shaped, that grew on plants (like the Mangaboos) and spoke in a babbling language incomprehensible to others. Unfortunately, the series is best remembered by its one long cartoon, "Return to Oz," which blatantly ripped off the MGM plot and was, on the whole, less original than the very uneven series. <> Parts of that are actually implied in the movie...we *see* the house flying back after Dorothy makes her wish. I'd theorized that the movie Oz might have a different passage of time, a la Narnia (explaining how Dorothy could have been there "for days and days," though she and the house were back in Kansas before Aunt Em and Uncle Henry realized they were missing), but your idea works even better...for one thing, it would leave open the possibility of Dorothy going back and not finding her friends aged or dead. (There was no indication in the movie that people in Oz *didn't* age, any more than there was in the book.) Now, regardless of whether Oz was a dream or not...what about that dangling loose end of how Dorothy could save Toto from having Miss Gulch put him to sleep? Or are we to assume that Dorothy wasn't dreaming even when she saw Miss Gulch *become* the Wicked Witch...which would mean she'd turn up missing after the storm and never come back? All for now! Rich Morrissey ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 16:21:39 -0700 (MST) From: estelle@usa.net (Estelle E. Klein) Subject: from Rebecca Klein re:Oz David H: Thanks- Towenaar van Oz appear to be from Eerste Afrikaansa (South Africa I suppose) with Human & Rousseau Uitgewers as the publishers. Gordon- Glad to be on the digest- yes I've spoken with and met David Hulan and of course adore Glass Cat! If anyone saw the TV show Clueless on Friday night (1/10)- they alluded to Oz several times when they got an new principal- first Cher wondered if she would be like the good witch glinda of the north, but subsequently decided she was like the wicked witch. At the end she realized that her father was going through "like total oz, i.e., there's now place like home" (spoken like a true Valley girl). Even my Rabbi in town made allusin to Dorothy and her own backyard, when delivering his monthly newletter report! Any info about new Oz DuoCard- where do you get them (Gary Z. wrote about them). Thanks. Annie B- Nice reading about you on the digest. If you'd like to keep in touch with another high schooler, please write to me privately at estelle@usa.net. ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 18:42:55 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Jeremy: Here, off the top of my head, are the RPT's that take place mainly in Oz: _Kabumpo_ _Cowardly Lion_ _Lost King_ _Giant Horse_ _Jack Pumpkinhead_ _Purple Prince_ _Ojo_ _Handy Mandy_ Note that _Ojo_ is the only RPT to take place ENTIRELY inside Oz! Also, I would have to say that CompuServe is one of the best online info services out there, and not just because of my loyalty to my former employer. If you just want raw internet access, however, there are a number of services to choose from. CompuServe may be reached at 1-800-848-8199. Jinxland is a case of de facto rule. It is technically within Oz and subject to Ozma, as the Scarecrow points out and King Krewl (silently to himself) agrees with. It's just that due to the extremem isolation, Krewl has been able to do pretty much what he pleased up until the story. Herm: Agreed. Sometimes we get a little too overzealous in our debating. David and Eric: As far as I know, the original manuscript to _King Rinkitink_ has never been seen or heard of by anybody. Most people I know have assumed that Inga somehow persevered and forced Kaliko to give up his parents. ***** A long rambling thing follows ***** Gordon: Your question has been remarked on before by the Oz Research Group. The question was dropped since there was not enough material to warrent a full study. The easy way out is that Zeb did not fully know what a second cousin is, but there are other possibilities. Since Zeb referred to Aunt Em as "Your Uncle Henry's wife", it implies that Dorothy is related to these people through Uncle Henry. One of Dorothy's parents is a sibling of either Henry or Em and one of Zeb's parents is a sibling of either Bill or Bill's wife. Given that Em and Bill's wife are sister's, it is conceivable that these two women had other brothers or sisters and Dot and Zeb are children of them. However, this would imply that they are first cousins without going through Em/Henry and Bill/Wife. From the way Zeb talked, this is not probable. From the four desendant possiblilities, it seems to me that they are indeed first cousins, and they are removed either zero, one or two times. With no further data, there is a 50% chance that they are removed once, unless you accept the arguement above that Dorothy is blood-related to Henry, in which case there is a 50-50 chance of the removal being once or twice. ***** March Laumer and his two cents ***** While Laumer did not cover Zeb and Uncle Bill, he claimed that Dorothy's father was the brother of Uncle Henry and that Aunt Em was the sister of Dorothy's mother. Therefore, brothers married sisters. According to Laumer, this was not uncommon. Therefore, Dorothy is blood-related to both. This still begs the question of where Zeb fits into the picture, unless Uncle Bill is another brother and his wife is another sister! This could become a very interesting soap opera, especially if you include the possibility that Uncle Bill's wife was originall from Oklahoma and her maiden name was Bobbin... :-) ***** end of rambling ***** --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 22:58:31 -0500 (EST) From: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-10/11-97 Jane: I believe I was the one who mentioned Peter Glassman's appearance on the FX show, "Personal Effects" last spring. On that show, he was showing the proper care and handling of books, and used Oz books in his presentation. It was mentioned on that show that Peter had appeared also the previous December (1995), but I don't know what the topic was on that one. Maybe Peter has seen your post, and will give us the answer. Herm: I am in total awe!! I salute you, sir! Dick ====================================================================== Date: Sunday, 12 January, 1997 01:28:48 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things CORRECTION: I'm glad to see that we have TWO High-School students on the Digest! :) (If only I could have had the Internet and the Digest and all you guys when *I* was in High!) I want to second Gili's expression of enjoyment in reading everyone's polls...We DO have a very interesting group! I'm glad Robin decided to move up the deadline a week...(Anyone who needs a copy of the poll, let me know!) Personally, I prefer the name "Stawberry", even for a flying horse(!); and I know that Audrey fforbes-Hamilton of the novel/britcom _To the Manor Born_ would concur: "That horse is called 'Fearless' because they know he's a total coward -- it's a common horse dealer's ploy...If anyone ever offers you a horse called 'Utter Rubbish', buy it!" :) :) Not much else to say today...Except: Have any of you ever tried to do a Web search using the keyword "Ozma"?...Interesting results...( Would *you* have ever guessed that there is a ROCK GROUP called "Ozma"??!! :) ) -- Dave ====================================================================== NAME: Annie Brzozowski DATE OF BIRTH: October 14, 1981 HOME: Endicott, New York PROFESSION: student, writer HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION: 1/2 of 10th grade(presently) AGE YOU DISCOVERED OZ: 3 or 4 HOW YOU DISCOVERED OZ: I had a Fischer-Price cassette of the Wizard of Oz which I listened to over and over. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE OZZY DIGEST:From Chris Dulabone OZ ORGANIZATIONS YOU BELONG TO: IWOC PRIMARY OZ INTREST: Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: the first 23 WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: Deadly Desert, Skaliwagons, the one with the chocolate soldiers, the one with the court jester, Wicked Witch. HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:3, Magical Monarch of Mo, Queen Zixi of Ix, American Fairy Tales HOW MANY TOHMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: None ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING?: my 3rd book MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Anything I can get MOPPeTS:Ancient Greece was somehow given a bit of Oz and surrounding country, which is where the myths origionated from. ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 13, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 08:30:30 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-12-96 Tales of the Wizard of Oz: Yeah, I saw a few of the episodes...just enough to make sure I didn't want to see more! There wasn't much Oz to it, and the Oz there was, wasn't *my* Oz. I didn't even get any of the collectibles from it until maybe 15 year later. Melody: You wrote:>>In 'Beekeeper,' you probably also noticed the author's use of the Doylian technique of recording a two-person conversation by writing the words of only one person. The reader must use their imagination to fill in what the other person said. Great word-saving technique, that. This technique is called dramatic monologue. Remember "My Last Duchess" in high school? Robert Browning is usually considered the master of the technique. Dick said:>>Herm: I am in total awe!! I salute you, sir! I've always been in awe of Herm, but I'd rather hug him than salute him. On top of all the stuff he lists, he hasn't mentioned how totally delightful a fellow he is. Jane: I know you'll do yourself proud on the TV show. I wish I got the channel so I could see you. For those of you who missed the poll, here it is again: Name: Date of Birth: Home (with name of nearest major city if you're in the "boonies") Profession: Highest Level of Education: Age you "discovered" Oz: How you discovered Oz: Canonical (ff) Oz Books read--(how many?) Baum Thompson Post-Thompson Oz books read that were not published by Reilly & Lee: (Buckethead, Books of Wonder, etc.) Non-Oz books read by canonical Oz authors: (Name 'em, if you feel like it.) Baum Thompson Cosgrove-Payes McGraw Main Oz Special interests and Ozzy activities you're involved in: What are your Oz MOPPets, if any? The poll is time-consuming--(the word processing document onto which I do my cut-and-paste from e-mail now runs over 25 pages)--but VERY interesting. What a nifty group of people! I wish some of you who responded to the poll would interact with the rest of us more. You sound interesting. --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 09:56:41 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 1/12/97 Annie: Actually, SCALAWAGONS and WONDER CITY ("the one with the chocolate soldiers") are part of the FF - numbers 35 and 34 respectively. Bear: I tried Compuserve once, several years ago, and didn't like it - besides its being quite expensive. I understand it's much better now, but I haven't had enough problems with AOL to go through the hassle of changing. Melody: I've known young people who weren't hotheaded enough to make a friend's horse bolt, too. But that's part of Mary Russell's characterization, remember? Her temper is always getting her in trouble - rather like Jenny Jump in WONDER CITY, to twist the subject back to Oz. :-) Her youth doesn't excuse her actions, but it mitigates them somewhat; most people with violent tempers get better control of them as they mature. Rich: The Asimov story I referred to is "No Refuge Could Save", and it's the first one in THE UNION CLUB MYSTERIES. (I just went and looked it up to settle the question conclusively.) According to the bio on the Lehrer Web page he was never actually a professor at Harvard; he was just a graduate student-instructor there. I don't think it's true he was "denied tenure"; he was never on a tenure track in the first place. Another interesting thing about the nomes in RINKITINK, which Eric Shanower pointed out in his slide show on nomes, is that the chief steward in it is named Klik - which is Kaliko minus its first and last vowels. Rebecca: "Eerste Afrikaansa" is "First African" in Dutch (and presumably in Afrikaans). Still, having that on the title page is pretty conclusive proof that the book is in Afrikaans. Speaking of Oz references in the media, an editorial in the Chicago Tribune a couple of days ago said that some people in Washington were reacting to the resignation of the current head of the IRS as if the Wicked Witch of the East had been killed. Tyler: I think GRAMPA really takes place mainly in Oz; there are only the Fire Island and Isa Poso incidents outside. (At least, I consider the Cloudland part to be in Oz.) That's about the same percent of the story as in PURPLE PRINCE. Certainly well over half the story takes place in Oz, even if you don't count Cloudland as part of Oz. And YELLOW KNIGHT, aside from the opening scene on Long Island and the Subterranea adventure, takes place entirely in Oz - again, well over half the story. But it is interesting, and not something I'd thought of before, that only OJO of all the RPT's takes place entirely in Oz. Of course, only LAND and PATCHWORK GIRL of Baum's books took place entirely in Oz until his last four, three of which did. And no FF book by any other author takes place entirely within Oz (though SCALAWAGONS comes close). If Uncle Bill's wife was from Oklahoma and her maiden name was Bobbin, then presumably the same would be true of Aunt Em, since they were sisters. However, this is unlikely; I believe all of Oklahoma was an Indian reservation at the time Aunt Em would have been a child. And while it's not impossible that Aunt Em and Mrs. Hugson were Native Americans, it seems quite unlikely. (It is, on the other hand, highly probable that the Wizard's mother was Native American. Omaha was nothing but a trading post in Indian territory until, IIRC, 1852 - and surely someone who was still in his 40s wouldn't describe himself as a "very old man", as the Wizard did in WIZARD. There usually weren't white women around those trading posts, so the odds are that Mr. Diggs Senior took a native wife.) Of course, there's nothing to say that Betsy's parents lived in Oklahoma when they were young; they could easily have been among the "Sooners". David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 10:28:12 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-12-96 Peter: Your post regarding Bibliographia Baumiana presaged my own question -- While we're waiting for it to come out, can anyone tell me which Bugle issues have the information? I don't know where to begin to look. Or is it spread out in lots of different issues? (I don't have the Bugle Index, although I do have the first 3 Best Of's. I've also just ordered the next 2 Best Of's.) Anyone: How can I get a copy of the made for TV special "The Dreamer of Oz." I think John Ritter played LFB. I missed it when it first played on TV. Is it any good? Anyone: I've never been a comic book person, but I'm curious about Eric Shanower's graphic novels. Should I check them out? I don't remember who: A few digests back, someone responded to my suggestion that the folks in Oz would have a good laugh at our feeble attempts to make sense of their world using logic. I just want to be clear that while MOPPeTs about Oz are not MOPCOT (My Own Personal Cup of Tea), I certainly didn't intend to offend those of you who enjoy exchanging theories about how to resolve apparent contradictions in the books. I simply meant to say that in such a magic realm, these questions are probably easily resolved in ways we may not understand. At the risk of sounding crazy, I also think there are mysteries and inconsistencies that exist in our own world that can't be explained by the scientific method (eg. religion, ESP and other psychic phenomena, memories of past lives, ghosts, etc.) I believe these things exist despite my skepticism as an experienced journalist. They can't be explained that way b/c the rules are simply different. I personally am fascinated by all this and have my own MOPPeTs that try to explain them. I know other sane people who believe in all this, but they don't bother trying to explain it -- they just accept it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can relate to those of you who like to theorize about Oz. It's just the subject matter that's different. So MOPPeT on! -- Craig ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 17:40:49 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-12-97 Re: Dream ending of MGM movie & MGM movie in general: I always thought a better ending would have been that after Dorothy says "there's no place like home", everyone except Dorothy and Toto leaves the room--then Dorothy discovers she has the ruby slippers on her feet. (Of course, that doesn't solve the problem about Miss Gulch coming to take the dog again...) In regard to the digesters whose main interest is the MGM movie--please do not apologize! Even though I listed my main area of interest in the poll as "books", I still consider the 1939 Wizard to be one of my favorite movies--I own and have read every book about this movie published in the past 20 years. Sometimes I think those of us interested in Oz don't realize how fortunate we are--for we not only have a whole series of generally interesting books, authors, etc. to enjoy and discuss, but in addition, the history of Oz includes a VERY famous and popular musical made during the golden age of MGM, produced by and starring some of the most legendary people in show business. Re: Article about _Tin Woodman_ in new Bugle: Maybe Peter can answer this: In this article is was stated that the original longhand manuscript for _Tin Woodman_ survives. I was under the impression that only the manuscripts for _Magic_ and _Glinda_ survived. Are there others? Has there been any discussion by the Club to publish reproductions of the manuscripts? I would love to see them. Sincerely, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 17:23:21 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-12-96 Roger: Actually, I think you misunderstood me; I'm not a disenchanted AOLer; I've never even belonged to (subscribed to) any such service; I'm able to have Internet access because for the first time I'm at a school (Berry College) where the Internet is free and available. I intend to join (subscribe to) some on-line service as soon as I can after leaving the campus, being as I have a computer and modem. If I choose Compuserve I'll try to remember to mention your name, although I can't promise. (Incidentally, I just read a personal letter from Amy Jones recommending Mindspring. So many choices, so little time...) With as little visual artistic ability as I have, I enjoy seeing computer "drawings" just about every issue. My sister can do it; I can only use words. Oh well. David XOE: You're right; from what I remember learning as a younger version of today's Jeremy I do remember that F. Scott Key wrote the words before he realized they fit the English drinking song. And by the way, I was trying to make a lame pun when I talked about the Key singers sing the anthem in. All: Okay, I'll get off the orange crate and stop accusing legit series books of being more and/or less Ozzy than others. True, now that I think about it, OZMA does take place primarily outside Oz; I'd forgotten. ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 16:59:42 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-12-96 References: <01IE42Q1JS1U934Y3V@delphi.com> > From: DavidXOE@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digest, 1/10/97 > Francis Scott Key just wrote the lyrics to "The Star Spangled Banner"; he had > nothing to do with the tune. (I don't know that he even had it in mind when > he wrote the lyrics, though he may have; it's a pretty irregular rhythm to > choose if you didn't have a tune in mind. But the tune he had in mind might > not have been "To Anacreon on High".) > For what it's Worth: The tune for the original To Anacreon in Heaven" can be found on the Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia on CD-ROM. It is not quite identical to "The Star Spangled Banner." > Dave: > I remember the discussion of Ozma's reaction to finding her father in LOST > KING, and I'm sure it wasn't you who objected to it. I'm not sure who it was, > though, other than that I didn't either; I remember arguing with whoever said > that about her at the time. Anybody wanna 'fess up? > I suspect that I might be the guilty party. I suggested that Ozma's willingness to turn over the rule of the Land of Oz to Pastoria was untypical of her actions in Baum's books. It is questionable if Pastoria was ever ruler of the entire land of Oz or only of the central green area where the Wizard later built the Emerald City. IMHO Ozma in LAST KING is a little bit gormless. I seen the Steve Reeves THIEF OF BAGDAD, and it was indeed far from the qualtity of its two predecessors. There was a fourth version, made for television which I saw and almost totally forgot. No later interpreter of the Thief ever had the verve and panache of Douglas Fairbanks (and I do think the Sabu version was a masterpiece). Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 19:27:28 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy reference in a surprising place! Don't know if there are any other NFL fans on the Digest - I'm not that much of one myself, but my wife is, so I watched the conference championship games today. And noted that the New England fans are using the "Oh-ee-ah, ee-oh-ah!" Winkie chant from the MGM movie as a cheer. (Why New England, the farthest east of all NFL teams, uses a Winkie chant is beyond me. But it was definitely there.) ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 20:00:26 -0500 (EST) From: "James R. Whitcomb" Subject: For Ozzy Digest Dear Ozzy Digesters: Thanks to everyone who gave me info re: the Oz cartoon that made my first Oz impression. I still am not sure what it is based on your descriptions but, at least I have something to go on. I'll follow-up by doing some research. When/if I discover the "answer" I'll you know. Thanks again! Jennifer: Re: my Ozzy projects. I wasn't planning on selling any of them. These are mostly hobbies that I enjoy doing to keep myself busy. So I kill two birds with one stone and incorporate Oz into them. I will keep you posted when I get them finished. Maybe I can include pics in my web page if they come out okay. David Parker: Since you are a history buff, thought I would mention an article to you that I recently came across comparing the Yellow Brick Road to the Information Super Highway. It speaks a little about the Wizard of Oz allegory to the Populist Movement but goes on to discuss the advances in computer technology. If you are interested in the article, here is the citation/abstract: Author: Gandy, Oscar H. Title: The information superhighway as the yellow brick road. Appears in: National Forum: Phi Kappa Phi Journal 1994, v74n2, Spring p. 24-27. Abstract: L.Frank Baum's story "The Wizard of Oz" has been viewed as an allegory about political protest, the populist movement, the gold standard and the place of agriculture in the power structure of turn-of-the-century US. The story of Oz as the underlying metaphoric hook concerning information technology and the Information Age it portends is presented. Tyler: Glad someone saw the Oz reference in the "One Fine Day" movie. The reason why I was so impressed with it is because of its timing/choice of clip used. After a very harrowing day, both with their children and jobs, the two main characters sit down to relax. The Wizard of Oz movie clip that the director chose to use was the scene with Dorothy et al coming out of the deadly poppyfield while the tune "Optimistic Voices" was playing. Call me crazy but, I think this particular clip was chosen purposefully for that reason not just because everyone is familiar with Oz. The words to this song sort of imply that despite hardships, things will be okay and get better. Guess maybe this is a MOPPeT(?) Jim Whitcomb. ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 19:22:04 -0600 From: Gordon Birrell Subject: Ozzy Digest Eric, David, Tyler: Thanks for helping me out with the vexed question of Dorothy's relatives. Eric, rather than going to the trouble of typing out that article yourself, why don't you fax it to me (214-768-4133) and I'll take care of typing it and posting it to the Digest. It hadn't occurred to me that Uncle Bill Hugson and Uncle Henry could be brothers (Henry Hugson--great name!), but of course that would explain a lot. Among other things, it would explain why Uncle Henry would want to race ahead to spend time with what would otherwise be a fairly remote in-law, while Dorothy visits friends in San Francisco. Still, it's odd that Zeb would speak of the convoluted connection through the women (Uncle Bill married Dorothy's aunt's sister) rather than just saying that the two uncles were brothers. I'm confused at David's comment that Zeb is identified on the title page as Zeb Hugson. There's nothing like that on the title page of the BoW edition or in my copy, which is a second state. Have I missed something here? The fact that Zeb recounts these relationships "in an amused tone" may well indicate that he is being a little flip in referring to himself and Dorothy as second cousins. I agree that there doesn't seem to be enough textual evidence to resolve this issue, but I was hoping that it might have come up somewhere else in the FF that I haven't gotten to yet. On the wimp question: here in Texas at least, Ruth is right in saying that expressing one's emotions, being forthcoming and open-hearted, is at least one factor in wimpiness. I well remember that a few years ago a new Texas license plate was to be issued with the words "The friendly state" emblazoned across the top. Even Ann Richards, otherwise one of the most compassionate governors we've ever had, let it be known that she considered that slogan wimpy. The consensus was that it was more appropriate for some apple-pie state like Nebraska. (Yes, Nebraska!) Dave: Your counter-argument to the odious it-was-all-a-dream ending of the MGM film is ingenious, and it really works. The problem is that the movie labors so hard to set up parallels between the "real" figures (farmhands, Prof. Marvel, Miss Gulch) and their Oz counterparts, with the clear implication that Dorothy is working through real-life problems in her dream narrative. Freud was very much in the air in 1939. If the film had been constructed without these parallels (which extend, incidentally, to the detail of the poppy pattern in the wallpaper in Dorothy's bedroom), it would be much easier to view your interpretation as the only satisfactory one. As it is, I'm glad to know that there is at least a good, well-reasoned alternative (yours) to the interpretation that the film makers apparently intended. Gordon Birrell ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 20:33:47 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: TODAY'S OZ GROWLS ROBIN - Compuserve is only $9.95 per month,FYI. Not in the rich person realm. A continuing peave - Would people with cryptic mail addresses mind signing their posts so we know who you are? It would be appreciated, I would think particularly by new arrivals. Gili/David - Thanks for the clarification. TTFN - Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 23:13:36 -0600 From: International Wizard of Oz Club Subject: RE: hello oz... from ozma That's neat, Dan! I don't see anything to prevent you from using the = name. "Ozma, Inc." is owned by Books of Wonder in New York, but I don't = know if they've registered a trademark. Sincerely, Jim Vander Noot ---------- From: superdan Sent: Saturday, January 11, 1997 3:28 AM Subject: hello oz... from ozma Hi all at the Oz web site... this is from a loyal Baum fan named Daniel... just thought you'd like to = know that I'm in a rock band called "Ozma." You don't think that's=20 violating any rights, do you? I mean, the name?=20 Anyway, check out our web site... http://members.aol.com/ozmamail/ozmasite.htm ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 01:30:05 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Annie: You're in for a real treat, getting to re-read the Narnia books after forgetting them. ALl seven of them are excellent. Have fun! Dave: You have cut out half of the supposing by noting that Zeb and Uncle Bill are both surnamed Hugson. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: 12 January, 1997 22:38:38 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things SHANOWER: Craig wrote: >I've never been a comic book person, but I'm curious about Eric Shanower's >graphic novels. Should I check them out? Shanower's artwork is excellent -- His characterizations are good and he gives us views of thing in Oz that Denslow and Neill never did, like the exterior of Glinda's palace, and the streets of the Emerald City. My only quibble about his artwork is that IMHO it lack that Ozzy whimsicalness. But then, so does his storylines, which are relatively somber and virtually devoid of humor. (Well, not REALLY somber like, say, Tolken; just semi-somber like one of the darker of the Baum books, e.g. _Magic of Oz_.) On the whole, his graphic novels are all good, and I would recommend them. MORE MGM THOUGHTS: In regard the the still-looming threat of Miss Gulch at the end of the movie, I had always assumed that the tornado swept HER away to the same wasteland where all the horrid nannies are blown off to at the start of Disney's _Mary Poppins_. :) (On the other hand, I've always had in the back of my mind an idea for a movie version of _Emerald City_ in which Miss Gulch is the one who gets the bank to foreclose the farm, leading to the great migration...) Another Oz-within-another-movie: In the otherwise IMHO lousy movie with Diane Keaton called (Arrrgh! I can't find last week's TV guide so I can't give the name of the film!!!), the children are watching the "These things must be done *deeeelicately*, or you hurt the spell!" scene and are mouthing every word by heart! :) And to Gordon, I concede that the Kansas-Oz character parallels are a major stumbling block to my "dream" theory... Hmmm...The day after I find the rock group "Ozma" on WWW, we get a message from them! Coincidence??? Dan: And their lead singer is named "Dan" too! Adepts: Very true, our dear Danny! Coincidences abound! Ozma: Have you met my cousins Abba, B. Teles, and Gilbert Sullivan? :) :) :) -- Dave ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 14, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 10:03:20 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* Re: Tom Lehrer--Lehrer did write at least two songs that (I think) never made it into TOMFOOLERY (which I admit I've never seen). In the late 70s/early 80s, Lehrer wrote and performed "Silent E" and "L-Y" for THE ELECTRIC COMPANY on PBS. They weren't satirical like his earlier work, but they are unmistakeably and characteristically Lehrer. It seems to me that there was a third song as well, but I can't recall the title.... Gili--If in your researches in the Harvard archives you come across references to my late father Jack T. Shepherd (Harvard '43) would you please let me know via private email? Dad (who helped introduce me to Oz) was very active in college dramatic and musical productions. He had a one-man show in Cambridge during the war, worked with the Peabody Players in Boston and something called the University Theatre Workshop, and put together a small group called The Happy Pallbearers that performed for the USO during the war. I'm trying to complete the autobiography he left behind for publication. My address is KSHEPHERD@MSN.COM. Thanks! Chronologies--one of the things I've noticed about doing these chronologies is that there are some differences between Baum's and Thompson's concepts of Oz that only come out when you read the books as a series. For one thing, Baum's Oz appears to be a lot larger and more rural than Thompson's. Baum's Oz adventures take on average a week to ten days to complete--with a few, such as WIZARD and RINKITINK taking several months--while Thompson's Oz adventures take as little as two to three days. Re: the Ozma character issue. I've always felt that the discrepency in Ozma's portrayal between Baum and Thompson is intimately linked with the question of her origins. Baum gave mixed signals about whether Ozma was a human (the daughter of Pastoria) or a fairy (a member of Lurline's band). I think that, for Baum, Ozma was primarily a fairy and he portrayed her as such. Compare his Ozma to his other purely fairy characters such as Lulea in ZIXI and Zurline and Necile in L&A of S CLAUS. (Jack Snow returned to this concept in MAGICAL MIMICS.) For Thompson, however, Ozma was primarily a little girl and she depicted her as such. I guess I don't see a conflict between the two different portrayals. Speaking strictly for myself, however, I find Thompson's Ozma more realistic and likeable--fun to be around. There's evidence that she matures as a ruler throughout the series as well--see David Hulan's excellent article ARE YOU A GOOD RULER OR A BAD RULER? An inquiry into the quality of Ozma's governance. ******WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR "LOST PRINCESS" AHEAD******** Day 1 - Ugu the Shoemaker climbs the Yips' Mountain at night - steals Magic Dishpan and all Oz magic that night - kidnaps Ozma Day 2 - Ugu enchants Ozma - Cayke misses her dishpan and goes to Frogman for help - the council of Ozma's advisors is summoned Day 3 - Frogman declares his intention to search for the Magic Dishpan - the search parties looking for Ozma disperse to the different countries - Toto follows Dorothy - Dorothy's party spends night in shepherd's cabin Day 4 - Frogman's party descends halfway down Yip Mountain - Dorothy's party passes Merry-Go-Round Mountains, Thi - night at edge of Great Orchard Day 5 - Button-Bright loses himself, eats enchanted peach - night at far side of orchard - Frogman crosses ditch, meets Wiljon Day 6 - Dorothy's party visits Herku - night in Czarover's palace Day 7 - Frogman bathes in Truth Pond ("the very morning when the travelers from the Emerald City bade farewell to the Czarover") - night on shore of Winkie River Day 8 - Frogman's party visits Bear Center - two parties spend night on opposite sides of a hill Day 9 - The parties join forces - Button-Bright gets lost again - night in "little grove" near Ugu's castle Day 10 - They sight the wickerwork castle - Button-Bright is found - they storm the castle - Dorothy enchants Ugu but he escapes - Ozma is disenchanted Day 11 - They begin the journey to the EC The river trip to the Emerald City takes "more than a day," and there is a week of celebration following Ozma's return. Sometime during this period the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow discover the Magic Dishpan and it is returned to its owner. "Weeks later" Dorothy meets the enchanted Ugu, who asks to be forgiven. ****************END SPOILERS***************** ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 07:44:33 -0500 From: Scott Piehler Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-13-96 At 10:56 PM 1/12/97 -0800, Dave H. wrote: >SHANOWER: >Craig wrote: >>I've never been a comic book person, but I'm curious about Eric Shanower's >>graphic novels. Should I check them out? > >Shanower's artwork is excellent On the whole, >his graphic novels are all good, and I would recommend them. Just casting a stronger recommendation here. Shanower may not have the light touch of Denslow & Neill, but his graphic novels are filled with a sense of wonder, and a deep respect for things Oz. To review, the books are: ENCHANTED APPLES OF OZ 1986-First Publishing SECRET ISLAND OF OZ 1986-First Publishing ICE KING OF OZ 1987-First Publishing FORGOTTEN FOREST OF OZ 1988-First Publishing BLUE WITCH OF OZ 1993- Dark Horse Comics If you really want a delightfully whimsical Oz-comic, attempt to get your hands on a copy of *The Oz-Wonderland Wars*, a 1985 miniseries from DC, starring Captain Carrot & His Amazing Zoo Crew. Capt. Carrot was a rather godd *funny-animal* (humorous anthropomorphic, for you intellectuals) book. In Oz=Wonderland, we meet most of the denizens of both Baum & Carrol's universes, as he attempts to defeat the Nome King. Great stuff! Buy them from a comic shop if you can. The shops are to busy speculating on the latest buxom-babe-in-spandex book to even worry about Capt. Carrot. You'll probably get a GREAT deal. Scott Scott Piehler Atlanta, GA USA http://www.mindspring.com/~rosco29/home.htm ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 10:00:49 -0500 (EST) From: Gili Bar-Hillel Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-13-96 Craig - don't let Martin Gardner catch you talking like that! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gili Bar-Hillel abhillel@fas.harvard.edu gili@scso.com http://www.scso.com/~gili ====================================================================== "He thought he saw an Elephant |\ _,,,---,,_ That practised on a fife: /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ He looked again, and found it was |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' A letter from his wife. '---''(_/--' `-'\_) 'At length I realise,' he said, (cat by Felix Lee) 'The bitterness of Life!'" - Lewis Carrol, "Sylvie and Bruno" ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 07:17:46 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-13-96 References: <01IE5BAIEGF691WEVE@delphi.com> Yo, Ozzies, In reference to the Miss Gulch conundrum in _The Wizard Of Oz_ movie: I have always assumed that the whole thing, including the scenes before Dorothy's arrival in OZ, was a dream that she had after being bopped in the head. Maybe there are holes in my assumptions, but I can't see them. Any comments (I'm sure that there will be)? I appreciate your attention. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 10:40:25 -0500 (EST) From: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-13-97 Robin: Herm Bieber certainly is a delightful guy. I had the pleasure of meeting him last August at the Munchkin Convention. But reading about all the projects and activities he's involved in made my head swim!! I feel like a such a slacker! :-) Craig: I'm e-mailing you privately, regarding The Dreamer of Oz. Dick ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 11:21:45 -0500 (EST) From: RMorris306@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-13-96 Two replies in three days! Not bad for my recent record: Robin Olderman wrote: <> These days, it's usually done by the device...the most common in the real world...of having a character talking on the telephone... David Hulan wrote: <> Which vindicates our theory about Ruggedo...if, as we surmised, Baum wrote those chapters with Ruggedo and then went back and changed him to Kaliko, it would've been easy to also change Kaliko (as Chief Steward) to Klik. (Which contradicts TIK-TOK, in which Kaliko, on his accession, had chosen ex-General Guph as his Chief Steward...though we could always assume that Guph didn't last in the job.) <> Technically LAND didn't take place *entirely* inside Oz; the Jackdaws' nest was said to be outside it. Still, I suspect the reason was that Baum's earlier books generally set out to bring the hero or heroine (usually Dorothy) to Oz in a new and different way; once she (and Trot and the rest) were safely *in* Oz that was no longer a factor. And, while none of the other FF authors besides Thompson did all-Oz books *in* the FF, at least two did so in later books; Cosgrove (Payes) in WICKED WITCH and McGraw and McGraw (Wagner) in FORBIDDEN FOUNTAIN. Dave Hardenbrook wrote (responding to Gordon): <> Not at all! If Oz is on a parallel Earth (a suggestion made frequently in various MOPPeTs, even with regard to the books), alternate versions of people on our own Earth...and even happening to be in the same place to meet visitors from it who know their counterparts...is an old and honored SF tradition. (The "Mirror, Mirror" episodes of the various STAR TREK shows, for example). The Wizard (who's allegedly *from* Earth) might be hard to explain, but not the others...not even the Cowardly Lion, given that C.S. Lewis' most famous Narnia character (Aslan) is *also* a lion who's the specific counterpart of an Earth human (Jesus). It all works! Rich Morrissey ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 08:29:14 -0800 (PST) From: Peter Hanff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-13-96 (i.e. 01-13-97) Cc: Scott Olsen , Craig Noble , Patrick Maund , Peter Hanff Dave, There were a couple of questions tossed in my direction in the January 13, 1997 (not 1996) "Ozzy Digest." Craig Noble wondered how to track down the contributions to the "Bibliographia Baumiana" series that has run in _The Baum Bugle_ since the 1960s. Fred Otto's excellent index (still available from the Club at $10.00) covers all the Bugles through 1988. But, as Craig suspected, the articles are widely scattered. In the 1980s we began revising and expanding the earlier entries in the series. In our current push to complete the task, we expect to publish some of the results in coming issues of the Bugle, and at the same time we are re-editing them to get them ready for the book version. In response to Scott Olsen's inquiry, I can report that The Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas, Austin, holds the holograph manuscripts of _The Tin Woodman of Oz_ and _The Magic of Oz_. The manuscript of _Glinda of Oz_ is still in private hands. I don't have my notes before me, but my recollection is that on the versos of many of the sheets of _The Tin Woodman of Oz_ is a typescript for one of Baum's Mary Louise titles. Those who have read the Oz manuscripts have been struck by how clean they are and how close to the final, printed version of the books. There are occasional crossed out words, and there are examples of editorial or authorial changes that must have occurred after the long-hand versions were completed, but compared to manuscripts of many other literary figures, these are remarkably finished. Peter ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 11:39:30 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-13-96 Craig: "The Dreamer of Oz" wasn't particularly accurate, but I enjoyed it a lot anyhow. Definitely worth watching, if you can find a copy. (I have one, but it's not very good quality.) And I concur with Dave's opinion on the Shanower graphic novels - certainly worthwhile, though darker than any of the FF. (All of them have "lessons". This is not bad in itself - a lot of excellent children's fantasy books have "lessons", as for instance the Narnia books. But the FF rarely did; for the most part they were pure adventures.) Gordon: Some editions of DOTWIZ include on the title page a statement to the effect of "being the further adventures of Dorothy, the Wizard, and their new friends Zeb Hugson, Jim the Cab-horse, Eureka the kitten, and the nine tiny piglets..." I no longer have the copy that had that information in it (one of the "white" editions of the Sixties), so I can't do an accurate quote. You're right that it's not in the BoW facsimile of the 1st edition, so it presumably was added later. I checked BIB OZ and it doesn't say when the notation was added. Maybe Robin or Herm or Peter can tell us. (If it was after Baum's death then I don't think we need to take it seriously.) Information on Dorothy's family seems to be pretty much confined to WIZARD, OZMA, DOTWIZ, and EMERALD CITY. If you've read those four books, you have essentially all the information that's available in the FF. Dave: I checked out the "Ozma" rock band's web site yesterday. If there's anything about Oz or Baum connected with the band, other than its name, it isn't apparent in anything I read. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 10:41:59 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-13-96 > From: DavidXOE@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digest, 1/12/97 > > Of course, only LAND and PATCHWORK GIRL of Baum's books > took place entirely in Oz... What about the scenes in the jackdaws' nest in "Land"? That's quite clearly meant to be outside Oz. > From: Gordon Birrell > Subject: Ozzy Digest > > Eric, rather than going to the trouble of typing out that article yourself, > why don't you fax it to me (214-768-4133) and I'll take care of typing it > and posting it to the Digest. Because I don't have a fax machine. Would anyone out there be interested in reviving weekly Oz chat sessions over IRC? I'd be willing to moderate this on Tuesday evenings, IF there's enough interest and people actually show up (which is what killed it last time). --Eric "Oz is for everybody!" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 10:50:45 +0000 From: "L. Beltz/M. Krueger" Subject: Ozzy Digest Re: Dream Ending of MGM film As a very young child I was dismayed that the people in Kansas didn't believe Dorothy at the end of the movie. Between annual viewings of the film I convinced myself that she threw off the blanket and showed them the ruby slippers. Imagine my disappointment the next time it was shown on TV and the ending wasn't the ending that I remembered. For awhile I was positive that they'd cut off the real ending just to show another commercial. Lynn Beltz (Yes, after lurking for months I've at last come into the light, possible very briefly). ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:30:55 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-13-96 Re the WWE and the IRS: Is there a difference? Steve: Re Ozma and Pastoria: Ozma is a wise, generous, and just ruler, right? I think these qualities explain her willingness resign quite well. After all, Pastoria's rule never formally ended, and so she naturally asked him if he wanted to return to the throne. (I think he ruled all of Oz.) Everyone: As a relative newcomer to the Digest, I have yet to get a handle on all the abbreviations. A question to start off with: Is it grammatically correct to say "a MOPPeT", or is that redundant? ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 15:43:47 +0000 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: Recent Ozzy Digests I'M BACK! Did you miss me? Bear: In _Yew_, it is not Baum himself who says that women are "poor, weak creatures," is it? Authors do not always share the opinions and prejudices of their characters, and Baum sometimes complained that his characters would not do what he wanted them to do. Eric: The Belt may have been kept secret to all but a select few. If I recall, Wutz was one of the few villains (aside from the Nome King, of course) who actually knew the powers of the Belt. Mogodore took the Belt, but I do not think he had heard of its powers before he came to the city. I have not read _Jack Pumpkinhead_ in some time, though, so this may not be entirely correct. Snow specifically states that the Mimics were unaware of the Belt's powers. Robin: I have heard of _Blue Emperor_, but have only seen one copy for sale (at a Munchkin Convention auction). Is this book available from anyone? Tyler: It is odd that Laumer had a German move to Oz, as I once thought of a similar idea. One of Randy of Regalia's names is "Brandenburg," which is also part of Germany. MOPPeT is that Blankenburg was known as Brandenburg before its people became invisible, and that this place had been founded by a Dwarf and a German woman. Are you sure that the Tin Woodman was not the Winkie Emperor mentioned in _Road_? I don't recall reading that the Tin Man was marching anywhere else in the parade. In addition to _Road_, we know when the events in _Silver Princess_ take place, due to the fact that Jinnicky comes to Bloff's cabin on 9 May. Many of Thompson's books take place in May. Also, we know that _Hungry Tiger_ begins on Betsy Bobbin's birthday, which, if you believe _Masquerade in Oz_, falls on Halloween. _Magic_ and _Wonder City_ both take place partly on Ozma's birthday, but, IIRC, the two of them both contain unspecified periods of several days. I personally prefer the name WindOz to wOZdows. Of course, this is not entirely relevant, as I doubt that this operating system, in any form, is used in Oz. I do, however, think that it would be neat to see a Pigasus Mail program. I am using Pegasus Mail right now. Dave: An Oziana story called "Santa Claus in Oz" contained Santa's wife as a character. I cannot really accept this story as historically accurate, however, since Ruggedo is portrayed as an inhabitant of the Emerald City, as sort of a not-too-serious, Grinch-who-stole-Christmas-type villain. While I do not really consider Ozma marrying to be blasphemous, I do think that it may be the most serious change in Ozian history since Ozma first took the throne. Jellia is a pretty strong character in _Ozoplaning_. "The snowy peaks of Mount Munch," eh? I don't recall Baum describing Mount Munch as snow-capped. Aaron: I remember learning in Economics class that the idea for the Stock Exchange on Wall Street was created at a meeting under a buttonwood tree. I immediately thought of Kimbaloo's Buttonwood when I heard this. So Ojo means "grief?" Well, you may recall that his father's surname is "Bad." If Ree Alla Bad passed on this surname, Ojo's name could be "bad grief." David: There's no way I can get an Oz manuscript finished in time for the Centennial Book Contest. I am working on an Oz novel, but it does not fit the Contest rules. Great Gollywockers, there are a lot of Digests to respond to! I'll just send this now, and make more replies later. Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu http://www.dragonfire.net/~VoVat/home.html "I've always wanted a smoking jacket, and now I've got one." -Kabumpo, after his robe catches on fire "Thinking causes all the trouble out of the world." -Kachewka "A kinglet without a sceptre is nothing but a flibberjig." -The Blunderer "Oz? Is that a place or a tonic?" -Humpy "I'm not responsible for the absurd things that happen in your country, and when you're in Mo you must do as the Momen do." -The Bumpy Man "If your heads were stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains." -The Scarecrow "In ancient countries prisoners were thrown to the wild beasts. Now I call that very neat. No fuss or worry, and practically no expense." -Ippty Ozma and Oz Forever! ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 00:51:50 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-13-97 I'm sure I won't be the only one to comment on David's post yesterday: >Of course, only LAND and PATCHWORK GIRL of Baum's [first 7] books >took place entirely in Oz....> > Of course, David must have forgotten that LAND does NOT take place entirely in Oz. (Don't worry David, it's an easy one to miss....) Robin: I second your comment about Herm. (Now I wonder if that'll get me a discount?);-) Sincerely, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 23:02:38 -0500 (EST) From: "Aaron S. Adelman" Subject: Spreading Ozite Heresies Doing some more Web searching, I discovered two new pages dedicated to heretical Oz, the URLs I give below for informational purposes only. Scary Page #1: The OZ SQUAD Home Page (If you thought the descriptions of the various issues of Oz Squad on the Digest were distasteful, they get worse here. They also get less plausible for Oz's world as well.) Scary Page #2: Wicked: The Unofficial Website of the Wicked Witch of the West (A page dedicated to Gregory Macuire's heretical _Wicked_.) Aaron Solomon (ben Saul Joseph) Adelman adelman@yu1.yu.edu ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 20:14:30 -0500 From: Homer X-Sender: tinman@dns.ncentral.com To: DaveH47@delphi.com Name: Tony Cavalline Date of Birth: 5-27-82 Home Elk County, PA (two or three hours north of Pittsburgh) Profession: student Highest Level of Education: 9th grade Age you "discovered" Oz: Got really interested in sixth or seventh grade How you discovered Oz: I guess the movie. I remember watching it with my cousins under an blanket-and-chairs tent when I was about five Canonical (ff) Oz Books read--(how many?) Baum All Thompson Have the first four Post-Thompson All three Neill's Oz books read that were not published by Reilly & Lee: (Buckethead, Books of Wonder, etc.) Giant Garden, Masquerade, four of Shanower's graphic novels Non-Oz books read by canonical Oz authors: (Name 'em, if you feel like it.) Baum None, really. I have the Books of Wonder biography Thompson Cosgrove-Payes McGraw Main Oz Special interests and Ozzy activities you're involved in: IWOC, RCO. I'd like to write a book, but wouldn't we all. What are your Oz MOPPets, if any? Hmmm... I don't think I'm going to get into this. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 13:05:31 -0500 From: smcguire@MIT.EDU (Scott McGuire) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest Poll Hi Dave, I've been a slacker, but I hope it's not too late to send in my poll response. Thanks, --Scott ----------------- NAME: Scott G. McGuire DATE OF BIRTH: 11/10/67 (makes me 29) HOME: Arlington, MA (essentially a suburb of Boston) PROFESSION: Computer Programmer HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: Masters of Education (specializing in Technology in Education) AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Early enough that I don't remember. HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Probably from watching the movie; I know I watched when I was very small. When I was 9 I had a friend who had some of the other Baum Oz books, and I borrowed them from him (and then the rest from the library). HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: I was on Nate Barlowe's original list (and the short-lived repeater), so I was e-mailed when this list was formed. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: International Wizard of Oz Club PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All Baum, several Thompsons, _Hidden Valley_, _Wonder City_ WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS BY CANONICAL AUTHORS HAVE YOU READ? _Wicked Witch_ HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 4 - _Sea Faeries_, _Sky Island_, _Queen Zixi_, _Magical Monarch of Mo_ HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.) 4 - BoW: _How the Wizard Came To Oz_, _How the Wizard Saved Oz_, _Christmas in Oz_; Buckethead: _Colorful Kitten of Oz_ ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? Nope, just read more of them! MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: ???? WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? None really... ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 10:29:15 +0000 From: "L. Beltz/M. Krueger" Subject: Ozzy Digest Poll Name: Lynn Beltz Date of Birth: April 23, 1953 Home: U. S. Customs Border Station at Ferry, WA located on the Canadian Border in North Central Washington State (population 2 persons/2 cats) - this is definitely the boonies, nearest town in the United States - Curlew, WA 15 miles (very small); next nearest town Republic, WA - 35 miles; nearest city Spokane, WA -135 miles. Profession: U. S. Customs Port Director Highest Level of Education: B.A, - anthropology Age you "discovered" Oz: I've known the MGM film ever since I can remember; however, I didn't develop an interest in Oz until I discovered the books. First learned of the Oz books at age 10. First read an Oz book at age 20. How you discovered Oz: This is a complicated one. Aside from the movie I first learned that there were other Oz books at age 10. A friend's mother had a whole shelf full from her childhood. However both our families moved out of town before I had the opportunity to read any of them. I remember being particularly intrigued by the title: "The Patchwork Girl of Oz." I finally read my first Oz book at age 20 (I think I may have read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz at around age 9 or 10; but, it didn't make a big impression on me). While attending summer school at Washington State University I discovered that the Pullman, WA public library (appropriately named Neill Public Library) had copies of the original 40 titles. Children were limited to checking out only 2 Oz books at a time; but, the librarian kindly allowed me to check out 4 or 5 at a time. I devoured the books which were much more interesting than calculus and chemistry. I probably read at least 20 of the first 40 that summer and knew that I wanted copies of my own. Canonical (ff) Oz Books read--(how many?) Baum - All Thompson - All Post-Thompson - All Oz books read that were not published by Reilly & Lee: Many of the Books of Wonder (2/3 or so) and all of the IWOC editions. One or two from Buckehead. Non-Oz books read by canonical Oz authors: (Name 'em, if you feel like it.) Baum - All the fantasies and many of the pseudonymns Thompson - Curious Cruise of Captain Santa and advertising booklets Cosgrove-Payes - None McGraw - Several Main Oz Special interests and Ozzy activities you're involved in: Main Interest: The books (canonical Oz, non-Oz Baum Thompson etc. and Denlow illustrated) and related items. I belong to the IWOC and regularly attend the Winkie Conference. I'm a member of that infamous northwest group - the Oogaboos. What are your Oz MOPPets, if any? - none worth mentioning ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 13:23:58 -0500 From: smcguire@MIT.EDU (Scott McGuire) Subject: Replacement, Updated Poll Response Hi Dave, Well after reading through several other people's responses, I realized I left out a few books. So I'm sending this replacement poll response; plese delete my previous one (or if you have done your magic and already incorporated it into the digest, delete this one!) Also later on you ask: >ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE OZZY DIGEST? WHAT DO YOU LIKE/DISLIKE ABOUT IT? >HOW DO YOU THINK IT MIGHT BE IMPROVED? of work to put this together every single day and you unfailingly manage it. Thank you! I never imagined people would have so much to say about Oz... The only thing that bothered me originally about the digest was the long list of subscribers that used to appear at the top, but you got rid of that a while ago, so now I have no complaints. My one regret is that sometimes I don't have time to read it - falling behind can be deadly! And I almost never participate... oh well. Better to have too much than not enough, I think. Keep up the good work, and many thanks. --Scott ----------------- NAME: Scott G. McGuire DATE OF BIRTH: 11/10/67 (makes me 29) HOME: Arlington, MA (essentially a suburb of Boston) PROFESSION: Computer Programmer HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: Masters of Education (specializing in Technology in Education) AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Early enough that I don't remember. HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Probably from watching the movie; I know I watched when I was very small. When I was 9 I had a friend who had some of the other Baum Oz books, and I borrowed them from him (and then the rest from the library). HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: I was on Nate Barlowe's original list (and the short-lived repeater), so I was e-mailed when this list was formed. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: International Wizard of Oz Club PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All Baum, several Thompsons, _Hidden Valley_, _Wonder City_ WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS BY CANONICAL AUTHORS HAVE YOU READ? _Wicked Witch_, _Little Wizard Storeis_ HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 4 - _Sea Faeries_, _Sky Island_, _Queen Zixi_, _Magical Monarch of Mo_ HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 0 HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.) 5 - BoW: _Giant Garden_, _How the Wizard Came To Oz_, _How the Wizard Saved Oz_, _Christmas in Oz_ Buckethead: _Colorful Kitten_ All the Shanower graphic novels ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? Read more of them and complete my collection (just need _Ojo_) MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: ???? WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? None really... ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 16:13:00 +0000 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: the poll Priority: normal Comments: Authenticated sender is Well, here it is at last, my poll entry. Name: Nathan Mulac DeHoff (a.k.a. Damon Zeus Pythias, a.k.a. VoVat) Date of Birth: 18 November 1977 (Yes, I'm a young 'un) Home: Downingtown, Pennsylvania (halfway between Philadelphia and Lancaster), but right now, I'm at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania, which is near Pittsburgh Profession: Student Highest Level of Education: Completed 1 semester of college Age I Discovered Oz: I don't know when I first saw the movie, but I read my first Oz book when I was 11. How I Discovered Oz: My father gave me _Wizard_ and _Land_. I had heard before that there were more Oz books, so I found and read as many as I could. I had seen the movie before I read the book, but it did not interest me as much as the books did (although it is a good movie). How I Found Out About Ozzy Digest: Baum Bugle Ozzy Organizations: International Wizard of Oz Club, and, uh, the Ozzy Digest Primary Oz Interest: Books Canonical Oz Books Read: All of 'em, except for _Pirates_, which I read part of at the Library of Congress, but never finished. Non-FF Oz Books By Canonical Authors: Yankee, Enchanted Island, Forbidden Fountain, Wicked Witch, Runaway, Little Wizard Stories Baum Non-Oz Books Read: Santa Claus, Yew, Sea Fairies, Sky Island, John Dough, Magical Monarch of Mo, Zixi of Ix, American Fairy Tales, some short stories (including those in IWOC's _The Runaway Shadows and Other Stories_) Thompson Non-Oz Books Read: IWOC's _The Wizard of Way-Up and Other Wonders_, stuff from the Baum Bugle Books Not By FF Authors: Ozmapolitan, several books published by BoW and Buckethead Enterprises Current Ozzy Projects: Writing stories, including a novel, tentatively titled _The Giant Rabbit of Oz_ MOPPeTs: I have a lot of them. Many are contained in my stories, some I express in the Digest, and others are still floating around inside my head. Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu I'm not posting my whole sig this time. ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 15, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 08:20:52 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-14-96 Peter: I e-mailed you privately about "The Master Key." David: Being a child of the 60's and 70's, my first copies of Baum's Oz books are those 60's white editions that you referred to. Here is the subtitle on the title page of DOTWIZ: "A Faithful Record of Their Amazing Adventures in an Underground World; and How with the Aid of Their Friends Zeb Hugson, Eureka the Kitten, and Jim the Cab-Horse, They Finally Reached the Wonderful Land of Oz." It doesn't say anything about the piglets, although they're on the cover. Scott: Thanks for the graphic novels info. Gili: Then please don't tell Martin! ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 10:09:57 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-14-96 Re Oz time inconsistencies: Possibly Oz was simply different sizes depending on who was taking down the histories. That is, Baum might have seen Oz as larger than RPT did; perhaps the fault of the historian. (Not that I'm knocking RPT's books, merely saying that they might not be quite as accurate. Rich: You said that no FF author besides Thompson did all-Oz books, and named a few non-FF books that did. However, you failed to mention that THE OZMAPOLITAN fits in the latter category. I'm sure you'll read hundreds of similar responses, but here's mine. Eric: As I'm somewhat "green", please tell me what the "chat sessions" you alluded to were--I'm curious. Nathan: Did Laumer's Brandenburg write concertos (stupid joke) Also: I, too, am using Pigasus (Pegasus) Mail--funny I can't contact Oz this way And: Where do you get your quotes? They intrigue me. By the way (I should have passed this on last month): If anyone receives an e-mail message called PENPAL GREETINGS, delete it immediately; it is a Trojan Horse virus which will destroy your hard drive. That's all for now, Jeremy Steadman ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 09:27:40 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Gordon Birrell: As you noted in your second set of comments on the topic, Zeb gives his "second cousins" remark "in an amused tone." He isn't being serious -- he's just trying to come up with a way to describe a connection which in our culture is not counted as kinship. He and Dorothy have relations related to each other, and that's actually a fairly close connection, but hard to describe clearly and concisely. David Hulan commented that taking Zeb's comments literally would mean that Henry and Em would be Dorothy's greant-uncle and great-aunt, and that the distance of an extra generation's remove would explain why they are so much older than she is -- but they aren't really as much older than she is as their looks imply. The narrative in the opening of "Wizard" explains that they are prematurely aged in appearance by being out in harsh Kansas sunshine so much. Dave Hardenbrook: Apologies for thinking you were the one who objected to Ozma's excitement at finding her father in "Lost King." But if you're defining "wimp" more narrowly as someone who is ineffectual or weak, rather than loosely as someone who shows emotions, then it seems to me peculiar that you have been describing RPT's Ozma as a wimp. She is neither weak nor ineffectual. I might go along with Steve Teller in thinking that her offer to give the throne back to her father is gormless (i.e., brainless), but it's gormless in the same way that Baum's Ozma was in planning no resistance to attack in "Emerald City" -- taking a stand on principle regardless of personal and social consequences. Craig Noble: "The Dreamer of Oz" was a bit soupy, but had a good deal of charm. John Ritter did a nice job as Baum. I think it's available commercially -- a video-store ought to be able to order you a copy. Ruth Berman ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 08:40:56 -0800 (PST) From: Peter Hanff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-14-96 Hi Dave, Is the date generated in your Subject line generated automatically? I noticed yesterday and today that it hasn't flipped the year forward to 1997, yet. Peter ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 11:49:06 -0500 From: Michael Turniansky Subject: Jinxland To: DAVEH47@delphi.com On Jinxland: perhaps Ozma unilaterally "annexed" it, like Hitlerian Czechoslovakia, Northern Ireland, or the Golan without asking the inhabitants their opinion? Bear asks Eric to explain "Click my heels??". Well, it's the same joke that Dennis Miller did: "(as Glinda) You had the power to go home all along... (as Dorothy) And you had the power to tell me that two hours ago!" I subscribe to the "Zeb was just confused" theory, myself. Strangely enough, this weekend we went to a double birthday party. My son's second cousin, and HIS second cousin (unrelated to us). My thought was, "What if that boy had attended the birthday party of my son's OTHER cousins, on the other side? They'd be his second cousin's second cousin's second cousin...." Re: Steve Reeves...."if you want something visual, that's not too abysmal, we could take in an old Steve Reeve's movie." Re: Tom Lehrer's stuff on Electric Company..."Who can turn a cub into a cube? Who can turn a tub into a tube? It's elementar-y, it's silent E!" Yay! Robin: Stop complaining about the amount of poll responses. You weren't even sure you'd have enough interest to make a poll worthwhile. Guess you were wrong, huh? :-) Poppy wallpaper, huh? I never noticed. As to the "opposite counterpart" theory: It would be an interesting story if Oscar Zoroaster meets his Nonestican counterpart. Perhaps an actual magic-user who had been spending the last 8 decades visiting our Earth! --Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 11:35:12 -0500 (EST) From: Ozisus@aol.com Subject: Oz fan? Does anyone know if Scott Hutchins is on-line? In the last Oz Trading Post he mentioned an Oz Filmography he's working on. I'd like to see if he'd be willing to include it as an appendix to the Oz Chronology on the IWOC reference site. Sounds like it could be a valuable tool for researchers. E-mail me if you know him (or if you ARE him) at Ozisus@aol.com Jane Albright ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 10:49:42 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-14-96 _Blue Emperor_: I don't know where you can get this unless Henry Blossom still has some. I'll ask him next time we talk. _Tin Woodman_ ms: Pete wrote:>>...the University of Texas, Austin, holds the holograph manuscripts of _The Tin Woodman of Oz_ and _The Magic of Oz_.... my recollection is that on the versos of many of the sheets of _The Tin Woodman of Oz_ is a typescript for one of Baum's Mary Louise titles I remember something like that. Also, there is some correspondence from Michael Patrick Hearn that they bring out when they allow a person to look at the mss. I wish they'd allow photocopying. I don't have the time to comppare/contrast ms. to final draft while I'm visiting Austin, and a copy would make it much easier. I can't help but wonder why Baum made the specific changes he did make, esp. since he made so few revisions. IRC?? Maybe more of us would join the chat if we knew how to access it in the first place. Gordon or someone out there, how 'bout telling us less computer-literate folks how to go about doing whatever we'd need to do to get to "chat"? Do we use UNIX? Dave, do you know? The last time I asked Eric about this, he couldn't answer, although now that he's married to Laura he may be able to do so. Poll: More than 45 responses so far. Final deadline is this Friday. --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 12:33:47 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-14-96 Ken S.: I'm not sure that Baum's Oz is a lot bigger than Thompson's, but it does seem to be more rural. Neither author seems to be terribly consistent about the size of Oz, actually, though I think Baum has more variance. For instance, it took Dorothy five or six days to get from where her house landed to the EC in WIZARD, and her party took six days to get from the EC to Ugu's castle in LOST PRINCESS, but it took her only two days to get across the Deadly Desert and then to the EC in ROAD, and that by a rather indirect route. Thompson's books are harder to gauge because most of the journeys include at least some magical transportation (counting the Sawhorse, whose speed is undetermined but definitely fast). Neill, OTOH, seems to have envisioned quite a small Oz, as did the McGraws and Cosgrove. Rich: Kaliko seems to have gone through chief stewards or chamberlains (both titles are used, but the office seems to have had the same function under either) at about the rate Ruggedo did generals (though less lethally). He doesn't have the same one for any two consecutive appearances. There's Guph in TIK-TOK, Klik in RINKITINK, Guph again in HUNGRY TIGER, and Shoofenwaller in WISHING HORSE. A quick scan doesn't turn up a steward or chamberlain in GNOME KING or LUCKY BUCKY, which are the other two books where Kaliko makes an actual appearance. (There's a Nome called Quiggeroc in LB, but his title is "chief digger", which is probably different from steward or chamberlain.) Ouch. I is covered with rue. Forgot about the Jackdaws' nest sequence in LAND. (Although that just makes my argument stronger...) And lots of people caught me on it, too! Eric: Weekly Oz chats on IRC? I would probably be interested if I have access to IRC, whatever that is; I've never done anything like that. Could you explain? (In private E-mail if you think it's not of general interest.) And anything that's at a fixed time weekly requires that I remember what time it is, which isn't nearly as easy as something like the Digest that I can do at my convenie nce. (Also, I'm pretty much an early-to-bed person, meaning that if it continued past about 8:00 PM your time you'd lose me.) Lynn: I can remember scenes I was sure were in movies that had disappeared when I saw the movie again later; I'm not sure whether they were once there and were cut, or if I imagined them. Welcome to active participation in the Digest, and we hope to see more of you! I was interested to note in your poll that you're three days younger than my wife. Jeremy: While technically "a MOPPeT" is ungrammatical (though not redundant; "my MOPPeT" would be redundant), I think that through constant usage "MOPPeT" has in effect become a noun in its own right (like "laser" or "radar"), in which case "a MOPPeT" (or "his MOPPeT" or "your MOPPeT") would be fine. Nathan: Welcome back! Yes, we missed you! There's a city on the Belgian coast named Blankenberge. We passed through it a couple of years ago and it amused me no end. (It was a very attractive little city, actually, but it was a cold day and we hadn't worn heavy enough jackets, so we didn't get out of the tram we were riding.) If you think Blankenburg in Oz was originally Brandenburg, do you think it was once ruled by the kings of Regalia? (In SILVER PRINCESS there's a line, "Hail, Randywell, King Handywell of Brandenburg and Bompadoo", which implies that he's ruler of Brandenburg and Bompadoo in addition to, or as part of, Regalia - or at least, that the King of Regalia claims to rule them. The King of England styled himself King of France as well for quite a while in the Plantagenet era, though most of the time he couldn't enforce it.) Actually, you're right - the Tin Woodman almost certainly -is- the Emperor of the Winkies marching with the other rulers of the quadrants. It's not stated explicitly, but the band of the Emperor of the Winkies plays the tune "There's No Plate Like Tin," which wouldn't make much sense if Nick Chopper weren't the Emperor in question, and he isn't shown marching elsewhere though we know he was in the parade because he does an axe-handling demo at the end of it. The GWN and Glinda, however, march separately from the Gillikin and Quadling rulers. I suppose it's not surprising that many of Thompson's books take place in May. I understand May is usually a very nice month in Philadelphia. (Though you'd know better than I.) Ruggedo could plausibly be an inhabitant of the EC if "Santa Claus in Oz" takes place between MAGIC and KABUMPO. I don't remember reading the story, so I don't know if something else in it contradicts that. Baum doesn't describe Mt. Munch as snow-capped. In fact, since the Hyups obviously have a thriving agricultural economy, it can't be snow-capped year round - though it may be in the winter. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 12:49:09 -0500 (EST) From: OzBucket@aol.com Subject: oz It has probably been splashed all over the Digest already millions of times, but I tend to skip over what doesn't catch my interest at the particular time. I am in need of info on Montgomery & Stone. We found a 2-part article by Dan Mannix in some old BUGLEs, The Perfect Scarecrow. Was there a similar article on Montgomery? Any biographical material at all? Can I get a Xerox from someone? If this has already been discussed heavily on the Digest, I can also take private E-mails and (at least from AOLers, IMs). I do not know what was meant by weekly chat sessions on... was it IRC? I might well be interested, if I knew what that meant. So far, no one has commented on my Powerball suggestion. Am I the only one who wants to get rich here? I can't do it alone, but I think it'd be worth a try if all or most of the Digesters wanted to try it. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 21:15:52 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: TODAY'S OZ GROWLS David - Compuserve is the same price as AOL. $9.95 per month. I thought the Winkie Chant was being played from a recording to add to general din at the game. If there are any nearby Laurie King fans, she will be reading/signing near Santa Cruz, CA - actually at Capitola on Friday, January 17th at 7:30 pm, at the Book Cafe, 1475 41st Ave. 408-462-44415. I'm trying to decide if I want to devote the time to driving over the mountain and back. Bob Spark - I think you are implying that Oz is merely a dream. Ridiculous. Next you will be saying there is no Santa Claus, Narnia or Middle Earth! Can you possibly imagine that we would devote all of this energy to a mere dream? Get real! :) Ozzily, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 00:54:04 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Scott: Just to throw in some more support, I also greatly enjoyed Shanower's book, graphic novels/comics and illos. I like him better than Denslow, and close to Neill, although I am not sure which one I like better. Also, _The Oz-WOnderland War_ is very good and hilarious. Get it if you can! Bob Spark: Well, her trip to Oz (MGM-version) was clearly intended to be a dream. People on the digest have been speculating that her trip may have been real. I am not sure of the status of the images she saw in the cyclone. Since I do not consider the MGM movie to be "real Oz", I tend to agree with the theory that the entire scenario was simply a dream, as MGM intended. Jeremy: I also believe that Pastoria ruled all or most of Oz, in that by his time, the royal family claimed the entire area inside the deadly desert. Even to this day, though, there are cities and areas that do not know of Ozma's rule, so it is doubtful that Pastoria actually ruled over the entire area, although I think he ruled most of it. You can probably put "MOPPeT" in any grammatical context you wish and we should be able to understand it. Nathan: Welcome back! The Tin Woodman is not mentioned as marching elsewhere in the birthday parade, so he may have been the "Emperor of the Winkies". Glinda and the Good Witch of the North (Tattypoo, the "fake" GWN, according to Dave) WERE mentioned elsewhere, so I still believe that the four people with the emeralds around their necks were not the official rulers of the four quadrants. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: 15 January, 1997 00:53:46 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things RUTH'S COMMENTS: >Apologies for thinking you were the one who objected to Ozma's excitement at >finding her father in "Lost King." Thanks for that, anyway. >But if you're defining "wimp" more narrowly as someone who is ineffectual or >weak, rather than loosely as someone who shows emotions, then it seems to me >peculiar that you have been describing RPT's Ozma as a wimp. Again, I have never used the word "wimp" in connection with Ozma...NEVER AT NO TIME... >She is neither weak nor ineffectual. *I* know that she is neither weak nor ineffectual; *you* know it; the *Ozites* know it...My only question is, does *RPT* know it? But like I said before, I may have an unfair impression, based on my limited exposure to RPT's books, of her depiction of our Queen. Can you be more specific and cite RPT books in which Ozma shines with her real wisdom and leadership? "SCARY" WEB SITES: Sadomasocist that I am, I checked out the "heretical" sites Aaron listed... It frightens me that _Wicked_ may someday soon be how most adults view Oz! (Now someone tell me my previous sentence is false...PLEASE!!!) OZZY IRC: The reason I showed no interest in Ozzy IRC (Internet relay chat, for all you Internet novices -- It's a way for people to talk via Internet in "real time") before was because then Delphi was charging by the minute for usage and I knew staying online for such periods would soon force me to move to Oz to hide from the bill collectors... :) But now that Delphi charges a flat monthly fee, I would now be more likely to particpate. I REMEMBERED TODAY TO WRITE '97' FOR THE YEAR ON THE DIGEST SUBJECT LINE! HOORAY!!! :) :) :) -- Dave ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 09:23:37 -0600 From: Richard_Tuerk@tamu-commerce.edu (Richard Tuerk) Subject: Re: Poll X-Sender: litrt@tamu-commerce.edu To: DAVEH47@delphi.com (Dave L. Hardenbrook) Message-id: MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT NAME: Richard Tuerk DATE OF BIRTH: 7/10/41 HOME: Commerce, TX PROFESSION: College teacher of English HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: Ph.D. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: When I was about three or four HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: My parents read to my brother and me Oz books by both Baum and Thompson HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: I read about it on H-Amstdy, the American studies electronic discussion list OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: International Wizard of Oz Club PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Baum's books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? In recent years, all by Baum, about four by Thompson. When I was a child, all of Baum, most of Thompson, all by Neill, one--as I recall--by Baum's son WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS BY CANONICAL AUTHORS HAVE YOU READ? Little Wizard Stories HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Sky Faeries, Sea Faeries, Dot and Tot in Merryland, Queen Zixi of Ix, Magical Monarch of Mo, Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross (both versions), American Fairy Tales, Policeman Bluejay, John Dough and the Cherub, one tale about the Wogglebug in America, Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, The Master Key, The Enchanted Island of Yew HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: None HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.): none ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? I'm writing and presenting essays on various aspects of Baum's works, including individual Oz books, and studies of things like magic, antiwar sentiment, and utopian ideas. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Baum's Oz books WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? I think that Baum was a more accomplished writer--more of a literary craftsman--than most people give him credit for. I'm especially interested in the way he structures and unifies his first four and last two Oz books. =============================== Date: Tue, 14 Jan 1997 17:47:00 -0800 (PST) From: "Koupal, Nancy" Subject: Digest Poll response--belated To: "'Dave Hardenbrook (Ozzy Digest)'" Message-id: <32DC4D5C@sdmailgw.state.sd.us> X-Mailer: Microsoft Mail V3.0 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Encoding: 51 TEXT Dave and Robin: Sorry to be so slow. I had to work up my courage; Herm Bieber's response helped--he discovered Oz even later than I did--but I'm afraid I can't compete with his other accomplishments. Name: Nancy Tystad Koupal Date of Birth: 11/13/47 Home: Pierre, South Dakota--state capital and almost the center of North America Profession: editor--director of Research and Publishing, South Dakota State Historical Society Education: M.A. in English with Linguistics Emphasis; doctoral work in English literature Age discovered Oz: While few Americans can be totally ignorant of Oz, I only knew of it through the MGM movie and did not become interested in reading the book until age 32 or so. How discovered Oz: I met Matilda Jewell Gage, Baum's niece, in the mid-1970s while working for the state Commission on the Status of Women. We were microfilming parts of her Matilda Joslyn Gage collection but she wanted to talk about Baum. Within minutes, so did I. She had a wonderful collection of books, letters, photographs, and family papers. How discovered Ozzy digest: Baum Bugle Oz organizations: IWOC Primary interest: books How many FF books: Baum only, but I hope to read others when I retire How many Baum non-Oz read: lots, but not yet all. I have also read a lot of his newspaper writings. Current Ozzy projects: I am currently editing the catalogue of the above-mentioned Matilda Joslyn Gage collection, which is housed at the Alexander Mitchell Library in Aberdeen, South Dakota. My research right now is centered on Baum's politics, and I hope to look at the Populist thesis from a number of points of view--historical, historiographical, and literary. Projects that combine my literary education and historical training/experience are particularly appealing. Main Ozzy concentration: The life and times of L. Frank Baum Main MOPPets: Probably, but they need some further consideration! ===================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 16, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 04:44:37 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-15-97 > From: Dave Hardenbrook > Subject: Ozzy Things > > "SCARY" WEB SITES: > Sadomasocist that I am, I checked out the "heretical" sites Aaron listed... > It frightens me that _Wicked_ may someday soon be how most adults view > Oz! (Now someone tell me my previous sentence is false...PLEASE!!!) I had a similar fear when I read "Was," that people were going to think that was NOT a work of fiction. May we both be wrong in our guesses. (MOPPeT, however, is that while these books may get a few believers, nothing's going to overswhadow the power of the MGM movie's influence on the general public.) As for Oz IRC chat, I'll have to post a long, detailed note later about it. But suffice it to say that I, too, am going to need Laura's help in explaining this, and getting it started... --Eric "Oz is for everybody!" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### "Get out the time-fracture wickets, Hobbes! We're gonna play Calvinball!" --Calvin, "It's a Magical World," page 99 ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 09:37:12 +0000 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-15-97 Priority: normal Comments: Authenticated sender is David: You mentioned that Fluff's marriage was discussed at the end of _Queen Zixi_. In one of my stories, I identify Fluff's husband as the recently disenchanted Bobo of Boboland (It takes place soon after _Rinkitink_). On Kaliko being thin: Actually, I believe that Kaliko was described as fairly roly-poly in _Emerald City_. Neill, however, except in _Rinkitink_ (I don't think there was a picture of Kaliko in _Emerald City_), draws Kaliko as thin, and Thompson describes him as such in _Gnome King_. Actually, my idea with the Brandenburg thing was that Randy's mother was a Princess of Brandenburg/Blankenburg. "Bompadoo" might have been an old name for Regalia (or even the Old Ozish equivalent for the Kingdom's name). I once came up with a theory that Klik was Kaliko's son. This was just a passing thought, however, and not one that I shall necessarily use at all (although I did start a story in which Klik was identified as the son of Kaliko). Mike: I do not think that Ozma had to "annex" Jinxland. It was clearly described as being within the borders of the Deadly Desert, and therefore part of Ozma's country. In regards to the counterpart theory: I don't know if the Wizard would have a Nonestican counterpart. The idea of Ozites parallelling Outside Worlders was an MGM idea, and I do not really consider the movie to be "true Oz." It is interesting to note, however, that at the end of _Sky Island_, Button-Bright's letter to Trot states that his father locked up the Magic Umbrella and put the key in his own pocket, similar to what the Boolooroo did earlier in the book. If the counterpart theory is correct, maybe the Boolooroo is the counterpart of Button-Bright's father. Jeremy: While travel times through Oz were generally not great in the Thompson books, there were many more small Kingdoms in her books than in Baum's (Patch, in _Gnome King_, is identified as the seven hundred fifth), making it necessary for Oz to be rather large. The quotes: They are all from Oz or Baum books. Kabumpo's is from _Purple Prince_, Kachewka's is from _Speedy_, the Blunderer's is from _John Dough_, Humpy's is from _Lost King_, the Bumpy Man's is from _Scarecrow_, the Scarecrow's is from _Wizard_, Ippty's is from _Hungry Tiger_, and my latest is from the Truth Teller in _Forbidden Fountain_. Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu http://www.dragonfire.net/~VoVat/home.html "I've always wanted a smoking jacket, and now I've got one." -Kabumpo, after his robe catches on fire "Thinking causes all the trouble out of the world." -Kachewka "A kinglet without a sceptre is nothing but a flibberjig." -The Blunderer "Oz? Is that a place or a tonic?" -Humpy "I'm not responsible for the absurd things that happen in your country, and when you're in Mo you must do as the Momen do." -The Bumpy Man "If your heads were stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains." -The Scarecrow "In ancient countries prisoners were thrown to the wild beasts. Now I call that very neat. No fuss or worry, and practically no expense." -Ippty "I found out folks don't really care much for the truth." -The Truth Teller Ozma and Oz Forever! ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 06:43:27 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-15-97 References: <01IE89G1ZAKI91WXY9@delphi.com> Tyler and Bear, Tyler, thanks. You have expressed my thoughts much more cogently than I did. I certainly didn't mean to imply that Baum's universe had much in common with MGM's and would like to apologise to Bear and others for any mistaken impressions that I may have left. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 16:48:47 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-15-97 Ruth wrote: >"The Dreamer of Oz" was a bit soupy, but had a good deal of charm. John >Ritter did a nice job as Baum..> **POSSIBLE MINI SPOILER FOR DREAMER OF OZ** The only part that bothered about DREAMER was when Ritter as Baum throws the _Wizard_ manuscript around the room, threatening to burn it, holding his hand over the lantern flame, etc. Other than this perhaps small point, however, I thought it was pretty good. Oh yes, one more thing--when Ritter/Baum asks "Denslow" to make the _Wizard_ Dorothy look like the Dorothy in Aberdeen. Well he does (one picture), then all the others bear no resemblance! Nancy Tystad Koupal: I didn't know you were on-line. Thank you for the _Our Landlady_ book. Excellent. Peter: Thanks for the manuscript info. Robin: You said the University of Texas, Austin, doesn't allow photocopying. But do you think they'd make an exception if a formal request was made by an esteemed non-profit institution (i.e. International Wizard of Oz Club) to photocopy them just once, to further the knowledge of L. Frank Baum? Re: Surviving Oz Manuscripts: IMHO, a booklet of the surviving handwritten Oz manuscripts would make a great special publication project for the Club. I would imagine the owner of the _Glinda_ manuscript is a Club member, and perhaps he/she would possibly be willing to have his/her manuscript included, too. Anyway, just a thought.... Sincerely, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 20:54:48 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Today's Oz Growls Mike - Dennis Miller??? Must be someone from your generation. Now could you do one of your excellent evaluations of the latest "Trojan Horse" threat (refering to Jeremy's PENPAL GREETINGS)? Getting taken in once was enough. Regardez vous, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 21:15:43 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Jeremy: One possibility is that RPT telescoped some time out of her journeys. For example, if a journey from point A to point B took four days of real time, RPT may have only mentioned the first and last day, since the two middle days probably just consisted of walking. Tin Woodman: I now beleive that there is a very good chance that it was indeed the Tin Woodman who was marching in the group of four. I still believe that the other three were either local rulers or liasons of some kind. Ruggedo: As far as I know, in and out of the FF, no mention has ever been made of Ruggedo's three-year residency in EC prior to his actions in _Kabumpo_. Can you confirm this, Chris D.? Bear: Unless I am mistaken, it seems to me that Bob Spark was referring to the MGM movie when he mentioned it as a dream, not the "real" Oz. Dave: I can only think of a couple examples In _Grampa_, Ozma takes definitive steps to release herself from the custody of Atmos Fere. In _Yellow Knight_, Ozma quickly restores order. In the past, I have griped about her actions as another example of the almighty hand of magic stepping in at the last minute and solving everything with a whispered command to the magic belt, but the fact is Ozma displays strong character here. One problem is that Ozma appears so rarely in the RPT books that there may not be enough material to render a full judgement. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 20:25:30 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-15-97 For those who read Nancy Koupal's poll response (and for those who didn't, too) you may find her_Our Landlady_ book interesting. I did. It's the first time I've been able to easily read any of the "Our Landlady" columns without squinting at the _Bugle's_ tiny reprints. Nebraska Press. (1996) Complaining about the size of the poll response? Did I? Sorry if I did. I'm just overwhelmed, and tickled pink. No complaints at all. I'm enjoying this immensely. Good luck to all of us who are bidding at the PBA auction Thursday (today). I used to want to be rich and famous. Now, I don't care at all about the fame. Just gimme the money. There are books and illustrations and lotsa STUFF out there that I covet. ;) Dave: How many subscribers are there to the _Ozzy Digest_ now? --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 23:33:24 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-07-96 Dave Hulan: Holmes: (after he stops his horse): When is that woman EVER going to mellow out?!?! :-) Scott: One thing I like about "Blue Witch" is that Shanower depicts Abatha as having gained a little weight with pregnancy and age. (She lived back in the times when people aged and died in Oz.). Too many comic book artists think women can stay perfectly gorgeous and shapely forever.... Oh, yes, and I've seen exactly one TV-movie (written by a woman) that carefully shows a bespectacled girl getting contact lenses ("They hurt! They hurt!) to replace her glasses. Lots of male screenwriters (and some female ones) seem to think myopic women can miraculously obtain 20/20 vision by simply throwing their glasses away. Oh, would that it were so... :-) The latest movie where I've seen this idiocy committed was "Mom and Dad Save the World." (Bespectacled Mom is Unspectacled Mom at the end--with NO explanation.) Of course, this movie was idiotic in a lot of *other* ways, but I enjoyed most of the other idiocy. "Mom and Dad" features their wacky trip to the planet Spengo, a "planet of idiots" with sets, costumes and characters that remind one VERY much of Oz! :-) :-) :-) Well, come to think of it, there was an old show called "Square Pegs" featuring a female nerd-type who begged her parents in vain for contacts. And periodically she would make the point that she hated her glasses, but had to wear 'em anyway. Getting back to Oz--in Scarecrow of Oz, Button-Bright meets a man and wife when he is lost in Jinxland. The couple cannot give him information because one is deaf and one is dumb. Looks like Lurline's enchantment didn't clear up all physical problems--which is one reason I introduced a Sorcerer with an affinity for the healing arts in Seven Blue Mountains of Oz 1. The immortal fellow became skillful at it in pre-Ozma times to make his mortal friends last longer. Also too, Ozians must have been at least semi-immortal before Ozma ascended to the throne--otherwise Nick Chopper could never have survived the Wicked Witch's attacks. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 10:40:45 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-15-97 Craig: Thanks for giving the accurate quote of that title-page squib from DOTWIZ that refers to "Zeb Hugson". Now, does anyone know when it was inserted? Jeremy: As I said yesterday, I think there's more size inconsistency among Baum books than there is from Baum to Thompson. (That is, I think Thompson's Oz seems relatively constant in size, somewhere between Baum's extremes. Neill and McGraw, on the other hand, seem to have an Oz that's even smaller than Baum's smallest version) So it's hard to say that Baum is more accurate than Thompson - unless you postulate that Oz actually does vary in size from time to time. Nathan's quotes are from various Oz or Baum books. In sequence, from KABUMPO, SPEEDY, JOHN DOUGH, LOST KING, SCARECROW, and HUNGRY TIGER. (I mention this in case he hasn't caught up to current Digests yet and doesn't answer you himself.) I don't think it's possible for an E-mail message itself to contain a virus, since E-mail is limited to ASCII text. It would certainly be inadvisable to download any attachments to E-mail from unknown correspondents, though. Any of the programmer types on the Digest want to comment? (The temptation to send out some E-mails titled PENPAL GREETINGS, on the "made you look" principle, is considerable...) Ruth: The opening of WIZARD explains that Henry and Em's looks are aged by exposure to the harsh Kansas sun (though why the sun in Kansas should be any harsher than anywhere else at that latitude isn't clear), but I had more in mind remarks in EMERALD CITY like, "But they were getting old and feeble and she feared that they could not take care of Dorothy...", or "'...No one wants to employ old people who are broken down in health as we are,'" or "'Oh, he is old, and has worked enough in his lifetime'." All these imply to me that Henry and Em are in their 60s at least, if not older. Farm people have one of the healthier life-styles, and rarely become "feeble" until they're into their 70s or 80s. Shaggy: I think it's clear from the books that Ozma considers everything inside the desert to be subject to her rule, whether the inhabitants know or approve of it or not. Presumably this sovereignty was granted her by Lurline, which is the Ozian equivalent of Divine Right. I think the analogy is less with Czechoslovakia or the Golan than with the US and the Native American tribes - or even better, with Australia and the aborigines. Chris D.: I have no objection to getting rich, but I don't think the Powerball is a very likely avenue to it. Also, it would be hard to collect the money for tickets from as geographically dispersed a group as the Digest. When I was in California I did regularly put down $5 a week for the Lotto, on the theory that although the odds are always against you, raising them from zero (if you don't buy any tickets) to very small (if you buy a few) is a difference in kind. Buying yet more tickets, however, doesn't improve your odds any. (It improves your probability of winning, but not your odds, since you're putting more money in.) Since I moved to Illinois I haven't started buying tickets again, though I probably should. Winning several million dollars is the only thing that would allow a significant change in our lifestyle. (That's another reason why I'm not particularly interested in a "pooling" arrangement. While I certainly wouldn't turn down a couple of hundred thousand dollars, it wouldn't allow that big a change in the way we live. My wife would still have to work; any amount that didn't let her quit wouldn't be enough to make what I consider a big difference. Not the kind of outcome that's worth betting much against the odds.) Bear: Could well be that the Winkie chant was being played from a recording - but that still leaves open the question of why it was chosen. Dave: Ozma doesn't play that big a role in most of RPT's books, so she doesn't "shine with her real wisdom and leadership" either. But I think the cases where she shows to poor advantage are mostly the two cases where the EC is captured and she's taken prisoner - JACK PUMPKINHEAD and PIRATES. The former in particular is hard to believe - an army with no magical assistance comes overland to the EC and arrives at Ozma's palace to find Ozma and all her court playing Blind-man's-bluff, so they're all captured before they can resist. At least Ruggedo had Clocker and the magic staff to assist his conquest. Ozma has almost nothing to do in ROYAL BOOK, GRAMPA, GNOME KING, GIANT HORSE, PURPLE PRINCE, SPEEDY, WISHING HORSE, CAPTAIN SALT, SILVER PRINCESS, or OZOPLANING. In COWARDLY LION, YELLOW KNIGHT, OJO, and HANDY MANDY she turns up at the end and settles things, sometimes with help, but otherwise had little to do with the plot. There are only three RPT books where Ozma is really given significant characterization - KABUMPO, LOST KING, and HUNGRY TIGER. I personally have no problem with her behavior in any of those books; she seems quite reasonably consistent with Baum's depiction to me. I don't think it's likely that WICKED will ever be "how most adults view Oz." Most adults don't read books, so most adults will continue to view Oz as being the MGM movie. (Unless, of course, they make a successful film from WICKED.) It is, unfortunately, not beyond conjecture that more adults' view of Oz will be influenced by Maguire than by Baum. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 15:24:19 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-15-97 David XOE and others: Thanks for the clarification re his, my, the MOPPeT confusion That's it for today ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 08:49 -0500 (EST) From: "Allen, Marshall T." Subject: Poll Posting-date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 08:49 -0500 (EST) NAME: Marshall T. (Mark) Allen DATE OF BIRTH: 6/24/54 HOME: Elkridge, MD (Between Baltimore & Washington DC) PROFESSION: Contract Negotiator for a Government funded University Affiliated Research Center HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: BS AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: The movie on TV very early, the books around 18. HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Stumbled across a cheap paperback copy of LAND at a bookstore near my college. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: I was on Nate Barlow's list. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: International Wizard of Oz Club PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books, but also enjoy the various translations to other media. HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All of Baum, about half of Thompson. WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS BY CANONICAL AUTHORS HAVE YOU READ? Little Wizard Stories HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: 6 HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: None HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.): Barnstormer ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? None MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Enjoying WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? None ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 10:22:56 -0500 (EST) From: Exequiel Sevilla/HNS Subject: Thank you To: DaveH47 Dave - Please un-subscribe me from the Ozzy Digest. I've lurked for a long time - it is a good resource. Unfortunately for me, this e-mailbox will close for me soon - but I'll definitely re-subscribe if my new e-mailbox allows. Oh....that worthy poll (albeit very late): NAME: Exequiel R. Sevilla III (Kelly) DATE OF BIRTH: April 21, 1958 HOME: Fairfax, VA (a Washington, DC, suburb) PROFESSION: Systems Analyst and Fixer (as in business procedures and processes) LEVEL OF EDUCATION ETC: BSJ AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: 21 (as a serious interest - although Oz is part of the American societal fabric) HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ Oz grew like a mushroom in my brain - from an intellectual awareness to active reading. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE OZZY DIGEST Some internet guide. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO None. PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Books HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? All Baum and Thompson. Am also in the process of reading them aloud to my children. WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ? Barnstormer HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: None HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: None. ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? (WRITING NEW OZ BOOKS, RESEARCH, ETC.) None. MAIN OZZY INTEREST: Passing on the glee and wonder of Oz to my children. MOPPeTs: No coherent ones. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 09:50:00 -0800 (PST) From: "Koupal, Nancy" Subject: oops, an Oz poll error Sorry--for the record, I am currently editing the catalogue of the Matilda Jewell Gage Oz collection, not the Matilda Joslyn Gage collection, at the Alexander Mitchell Library. Thanks, ntk ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 20:40:01 -0500 (EST) From: BuckyB12@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest Poll (finally) Name: Dwayne Best Date of Birth: 1/10/57 Home (nearest major city if you're in the "boonies"): San Francisco, CA Highest Level of Education: BA, Russian literature Age you "discovered" Oz: ?? (pretty young) How you discovered Oz: I would have seen the movie in one of its early TV showings, whereupon it became an annual ritual. I recall reading WIZARD and LAND as a child, but didn't really know of the others until I found a copy of COWARDLY LION while visiting my father's aunt and uncle. They gave me the book (the only Thompson I had read until recently), which I still have. At this point I vaguely knew that there was a series of books (growing up during those 15-or-so years when most of them were out-of-print), but didn't see any more of them until the mid-to-late 70s when I found the Rand McNally paperbacks (all but RINKITINK and LOST PRINCESS). When Ballantine/DelRey reissued the Thompsons, I bought them all, but am *just* getting around to them (a little behind in my reading, I know...). Also, at that time, I was a bookstore manager, and always made sure the stores I worked in stocked all the available titles. I still haven't quite forgiven Ballantine for abandoning the series before the end! How you found out about the Ozzy Digest: Baum Bugle Oz organizations: IWOC (finally joined last year after thinking "you should do that" for almost 20 years) Canonical (FF) Oz Books read--(how many?) Baum: all (at least twice) Thompson:ROYAL BOOK, KABUMPO (in progress), COWARDLY LION Post-Thompson: none yet (they're in the pile of unread stuff) Oz books read that were not published by Reilly & Lee: (Buckethead, Books of Wonder, etc.): HOW THE WIZARD CAME TO --, FATHER GOOSE , CHRISTMAS, NOME KING'S SHADOW, (lots more to go, obviously), one or two of the Shanower graphic novels... oh, and WAS, which I thought packed a real emotional wallop (taken on its own terms). The OZ SCRAPBOOK and Snow's WHO'S WHO are also great fun to leaf through from time to time. Non-Oz books read by canonical Oz authors: (Name 'em, if you feel like it.) Baum SKY ISLAND, SEA FAIRIES, DOT & TOT Thompson none Cosgrove-Payes none McGraw none Main Oz Special Interests and Ozzy activities you're involved in: Trying to slog through that aforementioned pile, because the unread Oz books I own now outnumber the ones I've read. I've currently scheduled one per month, going through the FF in order (up to KABUMPO now), but I may have to step this up... I am also quite a fan of Baum's 'minor' characters (Jellia Jamb is a favorite of mine, too, Dave). What are your Oz MOPPeTs, if any? Well, every time I start to formulate one, I read something shortly thereafter that invalidates it, so...none. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 01:17:28 -0800 (PST) From: Barbara Belgrave Subject: Procrastinator's Poll results > > NAME: Barbara Belgrave > > DATE OF BIRTH: 10/26/55 > > HOME: Portland Oregon > > PROFESSION: Computer Operator, Domestic Engineer > > HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: AA in Computer Science, Going for Masters in Life > > AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: I first remember around 8. > > HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: MGM movie > > > HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: In an Internet class we had to do a project on info on the net and I was interested in Oz so I started searching GOPHER, ARCHIE, Newsgroups and listserves. In the listserves I found the group Nate Barlow had going. When Nates list went down I was given the info to get onto the digest Dave so graciously started here. > > > OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: International Wizard of Oz Club, Oogaboos, Royal Club of Oz > > PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): movie or book, movie or book, movie or book, ummmmmmmm I can't decide! > > HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?:BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? > COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? I am ashamed to say I have only read the one that started it all. But I'v read it several times and I listen to the tape all the time. Hope that counts as more than one! > > > > WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS BY CANONICAL AUTHORS HAVE YOU READ? Little Wizard Stories, The Oz Cookbook! (Well it's a book! And a good one too) > > HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Adventures of Santa Claus. > > HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: None > > HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, > VANITY, ETC.): None > > ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? I'm planning on reading the rest of the books as time permits and I'd like to start my own Oz Club in the Portland area. I have a lot of ideas and a lot of dreams in my head too! > > MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Bringing Oz into every life I can as long as I can. I find it a deep honor when my friends tell me they can't look at anything Oz without thinking of me. > > WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? I think Oz exists in everyone. > Some of us live it, and some just have to dream to find it. Appropriate thought for the day....today we celebrate Martin Luther King's dream, some of us celebrate Baum's dream everyday. > > Z * / \ * OzO :zOz: OzO O_O_IIIIIII_O_O ___ ___ I I I I I I (___)------------------------------------------(___) O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O_O | | Barbara and Scott Belgrave | | \_______________/ | | belgrave@teleport.com | | I ___ I | | | | I I | | ~If my computer only had a brain, | | I / i \ I |___| a heart, some courage~ |___| I I: i :I I (___)------------------------------------------(___) I___I:_i_:I___I ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 17, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 15:12:35 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-16-96 Nathan: Hmm... I'll ponder over the sizeable information you gave. Oh, and if Oz IS rather large, as would be concluded given the number of small kingdoms therein, that would support the hypothesis that Oz as a dimension surrounds ours (or did we put that question to rest before the holidays? I'm not great with spatial or time reasoning). Thanks for the quote info; as I said, I'd been curious. Now, reading all the books you quote from will be a bit difficult, much as they interest me, because of the resources I have (or don't have) here at college. Ah, well--all the more to do when I return home . . . Tyler: Wow! If only I could do some time telescoping with some of the lectures I hear in college! Melody: I may be a male, but I wouldn't trade my ordinary glasses for contact lenses in a million years! (I'm not attached to them, or anything; I just like the convenience of being able to remove them and not being able to see anything at all if my eyes get tired.) David: I guess we can all put aside our differences and call Oz the "Elastic Country" or something. Also, I'm almost sorry I contributed the virus warning--it was a month or two late anyway. Being as it was sent from a top administrator here, I don't think it was a joke, though. And by the way, the urge to peek would be very strong in me (so I hope I never receive it). I read your comment that "Most adults don't read books" with alarm-- although I fear you may be right. Talk to Chris D. for more info. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 15:33:35 +0000 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-16-96 Tyler: The only time that I can recall reading about Ruggedo's life in the Emerald City between _Magic_ and _Kabumpo_ was in "Much Ado About Kiki Aru," a story in the 1986 Oziana, and this was just a brief conversation between Rug and Wag. I remember reading that Dave's _Locasta_ will touch upon this subject. We are informed that, even when Ruggedo regained his memory, he pretended to be nice at this time. In "Santa Claus in Oz," Ruggedo is shown as fairly villainous. At the beginning of the story, we are informed that he has been punished by being put in charge of the Emerald City Miniature Golf Course, and at the end, he is sent to Santa's workshop. Atmos Fere appeared in _Hungry Tiger_, not _Grampa_. Melody: It is fairly obvious that Lurline's enchantment did not end all physical ailments. Thompson says that no one gets sick in Oz, but she contradicts herself. I know that Mrs. Sew-and-Sew catches a cold in _Grampa_, and, in _Silver Princess_, Randy is able to trick his uncle into thinking that he has a cold. I think Baum might also mention a few characters catching cold (the Czarover of Herku comes to mind), but I am not totally sure. Also, in addition to your mention of the deaf and dumb Jinxlanders, Alexample in _Runaway_ wears glasses, as do some FF characters, IIRC. David: I also don't think it is possible to get a virus from looking at e-mail. What Jeremy mentioned was a Trojan horse, which must be activated by a user (like the way the Trojans willingly let the wooden horse into their city). I do not think that looking at that "Penpal Greetings" thing would have harmed the computer, but it probably contained an attachment, which, when run, would have some harmful effects. Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu http://www.dragonfire.net/~VoVat/home.html "I've always wanted a smoking jacket, and now I've got one." -Kabumpo, after his robe catches on fire "Thinking causes all the trouble out of the world." -Kachewka "A kinglet without a sceptre is nothing but a flibberjig." -The Blunderer "Oz? Is that a place or a tonic?" -Humpy "I'm not responsible for the absurd things that happen in your country, and when you're in Mo you must do as the Momen do." -The Bumpy Man "If your heads were stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains." -The Scarecrow "In ancient countries prisoners were thrown to the wild beasts. Now I call that very neat. No fuss or worry, and practically no expense." -Ippty "I found out folks don't really care much for the truth." -The Truth Teller Ozma and Oz Forever! ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 16:30:08 -0500 (EST) From: ZMaund@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-16-96 When I wrote the review of _The Dreamer of Oz_ for the _Bugle_ the first sentence was this: "It could have been much worse." It was editted out before publication... Patrick Maund ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 17:31:36 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-16-96 Scott O.: No, the Henry Ransom Library won't allow photocopy without permission from the head of the Baum Trust. ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 18:58:01 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-16-96 Nathan: Great minds run in the same circles, I guess - my original story idea for GLASS CAT (when all I really knew I wanted to do was a book with that title) started off with preparations for the wedding between Fluff and Bobo. It's not too much of a coincidence, though, I suppose - if the prince she married is anyone we know, it must be Bobo, Evardo, or Inga, and Inga is unlikely both because I think it's pretty clear that he's going to marry Zella eventually, and because Pingaree isn't "a great nation" by any stretch. Since most of the small "kingdoms" in Thompson's Oz cover much less than a square mile, Oz doesn't have to be all that big to contain 700 or more of them. Oops. I misidentified the "smoking jacket" source. I was thinking it was from the Illumi Nation sequence in KABUMPO, but it's from the Torpedo Town one in PURPLE PRINCE. Those two are so similar in so many ways that it's hard to keep them straight. Tyler: I think I'll wait for Ken's chronologies of Thompson books to assess the probability that she was telescoping time as you say. Since she often had two plot-lines going at a time, you might have to believe that she did the same compression in both of them. And in any case it's hard for me to think of a Thompson book where characters simply walked from the EC to the desert or back; there was almost always magic of some kind involved, that makes speed hard to assess. Actually, it was in HUNGRY TIGER that Ozma freed herself from Atmos Fere. Melody: They're just going through a bespectacled-girl-gets-contacts sequence in FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, which is one of my favorite strips. (Probably my favorite next to DILBERT of those that are in the Trib, though I greatly miss JUMP START, SALLY FORTH, and especially 9 CHICKWEED LANE from the LA Times.) There was clearly a lot of magic floating around in Oz before Ozma's accession. MOPPeT is, though, that Nick's survival was possible because the enchantment on the axe was able to make it cut off his limbs, but not to make him bleed or suffer otherwise. Certainly we know that animals that had their heads cut off before Ozma's accession died; remember the wildcat and the wolves in WIZARD, and for that matter the Gump. It's true that I can't think of a case of a human who was destroyed in pre-Ozma days other than by being dropped into a bottomless ravine (of which Oz seems to have quite a few), but that may just be because the right example hasn't occurred to me. Incidentally, the above discussion reminded me: does it strike others as peculiar as it does me that in the small kingdoms of Oz, if something happens to the rightful ruler anyone who jumps up and claims the crown seems to be accepted by the people? Makes it mighty easy for usurpers. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 19:21:29 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Over time, I've noticed that Jellia Jamb seems to be the most popular of the minor characters, kind of like the NBA's "sixth man". I hereby nominate Jellia for the Ozzy 47th person award. :-) --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 00:18:02 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-16-96 Robin wrote: "Good luck to all of us who are bidding at the PBA auction Thursday (today)......" You mean people are bidding against me!!?? On a serious note, this was the first time I've placed bids at an auction of this type.... I tell you what, I'll tell if any of my bids were successful or not, if anyone else will... Considering the amount of items I bid on, I kinda hope none of my bids were successful, or at least certainly not all of them. Is it just my imagination or are auctions like this becomming more and more common? Good luck, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== Date: 17 January, 1997 12:08:18 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things "THE EVIL OF TWO LESSERS": David H. wrote: >Incidentally, the above discussion reminded me: does it strike others as >peculiar as it does me that in the small kingdoms of Oz, if something happens >to the rightful ruler anyone who jumps up and claims the crown seems to be >accepted by the people? No, because in most cases the rightful ruler (e.g. King Krewel) is such a son of a <*** WORD CESORED BY ORDER OF PRINCESS OZMA ***> that whoever seizes power is considered a definite improvement, even if it's Jack Pumpkinhead! :) :) :) "NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN OR FAIRIES": I was channel-hopping last night, and I think I know why Zurline and other fairies have come to shun mortals so...Because they've been seeing what's on cable lately... :| Zurline: You mean *this* is what mortals are watching these days instead of reading??? RUGGEDO: Nathan Mulac DeHoff wrote: >The only time that I can recall reading about Ruggedo's life in the >Emerald City between _Magic_ and _Kabumpo_ was in "Much Ado About >Kiki Aru," a story in the 1986 Oziana, and this was just a brief >conversation between Rug and Wag. I remember reading that Dave's >_Locasta_ will touch upon this subject. Yes -- The Prologue explains how Ruggedo regained his memory and ergo his evilness... JELLIA: Tyler wrote: >I hereby nominate Jellia for the Ozzy 47th person award. :-) I'll heartily second that! :) Jellia: Who are the 46 ahead of me? :) Audah: 47 is a good number, Jellia! It's the "Agent of Infinite Change". Jellia: "Infinite Change"? That'll be a nice switch from changing the sheets! :) -- Dave ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 10:27:21 -0800 From: Ken Cope Subject: Ozzy Poll References: <01IEA8EACPR691XA5L@delphi.com> NAME: Ken Cope DATE OF BIRTH: 4/17/55 HOME: Would rather live in no place like it, but Gen and I are in Sausalito, CA. PROFESSION: Animator HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION ATTAINED: I haven't stopped yet; attended college for play production, audio visual geekdom, video production, a real social life and the education required to someday own that philosophy store in the minimall. I flunked my animation courses, but have since attained two FWDA degrees. (Former Walt Disney Artist), with a Steamboat Willie pin from Feature Animation, and one from Imagineering. I wasn't gonna stick around for the Duck they give you after 5 years, sorry Disneyana collectors. AGE YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: Around the first or second grade, prior to having seen a TV. HOW YOU "DISCOVERED" OZ: In the local library between reading the Heinlein juveniles (and non-juveniles) Tom Swift books, Doyle, Asimov, Bram Stoker, C.S. Lewis, some Plato, some yawner gone public domain attributed to a Nomadic Thunder Deity (from cover to cover), anything I could get my hands on about astronomy, all of which I'd finished by the fourth grade. Guess which ones had the most influence on me. Had to wait until the eighth for Tolkien, whose _Hobbit_ looked like kid stuff to me. HOW YOU FOUND OUT ABOUT THE _OZZY DIGEST_: One day it was in my mailbox. It's still there. OZ ORGANIZATION(S) YOU BELONG TO: IWOC PRIMARY OZ INTEREST (MOVIE OR BOOKS): Neill's illustration, which is best with Baum wrapped around it. I also love the movie. HOW MANY CANONICAL (FF) OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ?: BAUM BOOKS? THOMPSON? NEILL? COSGROVE-PAYS? McGRAW? Nearly all of each, to my tastes, the Thompson's are a chore. Maybe if I hadn't been so appalled by Royal Book... WHICH NON-FF OZ BOOKS BY CANONICAL AUTHORS HAVE YOU READ? Most of the Baum alternate Oz candidates. HOW MANY BAUM NON-OZ BOOKS READ: Only his fantasies. HOW MANY THOMPSON NON-OZ BOOKS READ: I just got _The Wizard of Way-Up_... HOW MANY NON-FF OZ BOOKS HAVE YOU READ AND WHICH ONES? (IWOC, BOW, VANITY, ETC.): Emerald City Press, Mysterious Chronicles, Wicked, Barnstormer, you couldn't get me into the same room with a Laumer. I have no problem with alternate universes, as long as they are unattended by the pedantry beneath that of the Wogglebug which glazes my eyes so frequently here on the digest. ANY CURRENT "OZZY PROJECTS" THAT YOU ARE PURSUING? Yes. I'll be more interested in what you think of them when they're out there than in talking it out of existence. MAIN OZZY AREA OF CONCENTRATION: Illustration, computer animation, writing. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN MOPPeTS ABOUT OZ? That I'll believe anything that can be entertainingly supported in the context of a ripping yarn, as long as it doesn't go much farther afield from Baum than he did himself while writing for children. Mere endless cant of assertion that could fit once on a web page does nothing for me. Among all of the fantasies I've read, Oz has the greatest ring of Truth about it. ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 18, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 16:41:32 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-17-97 Jeremy: I agree; I wouldn't trade my glasses for contacts, either. (Even though classically in movies, glasses are a sign of wimpiness in males as they are of drabness in females.) mean that most adults never read a book. But I think it's clear that most adults don't read enough books that they're likely to run across WICKED. I've seen surveys that indicate that the average American adult reads only 2-3 books a year, and a good many of those are of the "self-help" sort - especially diet and cookery books. Dave: >David H. wrote: >>Incidentally, the above discussion reminded me: does it strike others as >>peculiar as it does me that in the small kingdoms of Oz, if something happens >>to the rightful ruler anyone who jumps up and claims the crown seems to be >>accepted by the people? >No, because in most cases the rightful ruler (e.g. King Krewel) is such >a son of a <*** WORD CESORED BY ORDER OF PRINCESS OZMA ***> that whoever >seizes power is considered a definite improvement, even if it's Jack >Pumpkinhead! :) :) :) I was thinking more of Kettiwig in PURPLE PRINCE and Kerr in HANDY MANDY, actually. I don't think you could say Pompus or Kerry were nasties and that anyone would be an improvement. (If those happen to be among the Thompsons you haven't read, then your interpretation is understandable.) And neither Kettiwig nor Kerr seemed to have any legitimate claim to the throne, especially the latter. Kettiwig was at least supposed to be Pompus's brother, though when a king magically disappears, rather than dying outright, it would make more sense to choose an emergency council to run things until more could be found out about what happened. Especially in a peaceful land like Oz, where you don't really need to worry about invasions or public disorder or other matters that might require a strong hand. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 16:56:03 +0000 From: Nathan Mulac DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-17-97 David: If I recall, it was not beheading that killed the Gump. I think that he was shot before being decapitated. (Wow, that sounds so morbid.) Dave: King Krewl wasn't the rightful ruler of Jinxland. He was Prime Minister to King Phearse, who in turn had been Prime Minister for King Kynd, the rightful ruler. I wonder if it is customary to pass the crown to the Prime Minister, or if Phearse and Krewl just kinda took power. Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu http://www.dragonfire.net/~VoVat/home.html "I've always wanted a smoking jacket, and now I've got one." -Kabumpo, after his robe catches on fire "Thinking causes all the trouble out of the world." -Kachewka "A kinglet without a sceptre is nothing but a flibberjig." -The Blunderer "Oz? Is that a place or a tonic?" -Humpy "I'm not responsible for the absurd things that happen in your country, and when you're in Mo you must do as the Momen do." -The Bumpy Man "If your heads were stuffed with straw, like mine, you would probably all live in the beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains." -The Scarecrow "In ancient countries prisoners were thrown to the wild beasts. Now I call that very neat. No fuss or worry, and practically no expense." -Ippty "I found out folks don't really care much for the truth." -The Truth Teller Ozma and Oz Forever! ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 17:10:33 -0500 (EST) From: swarkala@concentric.net (Sharon Warkala) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-17-97 Errors-to: swarkala@concentric.net Scott: I was also in the PBA auction and out of my 7 bids I was only successful in one. Oh well have to wait for the Munchkin Auction now. Hope you were sucessful. Chris Warkala ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 17:01:00 -0800 (PST) From: "Koupal, Nancy" Subject: Ozzy Digest Scott O. and Robin: Many thanks for your kind words. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. Best, NTKoupal ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 19:04:11 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: TODAY'S OZ GROWLS Since this thing about "adults don't read books" has come up again, I will share what I sent to David on the subject yesterday. Also you said, "Most adults don't read books..." I had the same view, but I think we better review this. I read last night that the world market for books was $80.1 billion in 1995 (Locus, Jan 97, p.8) The U.S. accounts for nearly one-third of that, $25.5 billion. So, someone is buying a LOT of books. At least some of them must be getting read. I know I do my part.:) Also according to Locus, p.9, the four biggest U.S. bookstores did $1.1 billion in the 4th quarter. Another interesting item, p.8, was that Dean Koontz just did a book deal for three books for Bantam that will pay him more than his last deal in 1992 for three books that was worth $18-20 million!!!! So......want to consider changing genres to do your writing? :) Does anyone have any hard data to show that we in the U.S. do not read all these books we buy? Hmmmmm. I have to admit, checking my computer, that I bought or was given 279 books last year. I did a lot of consulting so I only managed to read 52. Is anyone else compulsive enought to keep track of such things? David also wrote ".....in the small kingdoms of Oz, if something happens to the rightful ruler anyone who jumps up and claims the crown seems to be accepted by the people?" This simply suggests to me that most Ozians have good sense and don't want to rule anyone except themselves. So anyone who wants to take on such a chore is welcome to it. Bookishly, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 23:48:35 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-17-97 Robin wrote: No, the Henry Ransom Library won't allow photocopy without >permission from the head of the Baum Trust. Oh well... Re: Auction Well, it appears I was successful with one item (BFH in Egypt) at the PBA auction. Of the 12 items I bid on, I was way off on 3, within $50-80 on another 3, and within $10-20 on the other 5. (Now I know about "close" only counting in horseshoes....) The women on the phone told me all their phone lines were tied up, there were people there she'd "never seen before" and somebody in person "bought a lot of stuff" (are you out there?) Anyway, it's kind of fun getting at least one item from as great a collection as this one was. Sincerely, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 03:01:06 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-17-97 Jeremy: I'd be willing to trade my glasses for 20/20 vision! But then there's that presbyopia problem... Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 03:01:43 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-17-97 Dave Hulan: I like "For Better or For Worse," too. And it's drawn by a woman! In all fairness, there were some women in high positions in the credits of "Mom and Dad Save the World," which had Mom lose her specs with no explanation. Shame on those ladies for letting that sneak by them! :-) Perhaps Ozian immortality affected humans first, animals later. Jeremy: Would you believe my husband and I have the same prescription? I can look through his specs and see fine! Melody Grandy ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 19, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 11:15:41 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-18-97 Re: Non-Greek flying horses, Just a couple of thoughts. In LOTR couldn't the horses of the Nazgul fly? I've tried to find some reference to it but only come up with ambiguities. Also, in _Through The Looking Glass_, I believe there was some reference, or maybe it was a horse fly, or maybe a rocking horse fly. Oh well. Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 16:38:16 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-18-97 Just curious, did anything at the PBA auction sell at a price that's affordable for mere mortals like me? -- Craig ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 14:47:28 -0800 From: ozbot@ix.netcom.com (ozbot) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest stuff Just a quick question I need to throw out-- I was browsing Piglet Press's web glossary, and Jellia Jamb is listed "By Region" in Gillikin contry. I assume this is because she was orginially born there, or what? Danny ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 18:24:52 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-18-97 Nathan: It's probably true that beheading didn't kill the Gump - as I recall, he didn't know what killed him - but he was certainly beheaded. Bear: >David also wrote ".....in the small kingdoms of Oz, if something happens >to the rightful ruler anyone who jumps up and claims the crown seems to be >accepted by the people?" >This simply suggests to me that most Ozians have good sense and don't want to >rule anyone except themselves. So anyone who wants to take on such a chore is >welcome to it. But the claimants I had in mind - Kettiwig and Kerr - are tyrants who misrule their kingdoms rather badly. Giving them the power doesn't seem to show good sense to me. Melody: That presbyopia problem is the reason why I wouldn't consider radial keratotomy, which some friends of mine have had and are very happy with. If I have a choice between wearing glasses to read and wearing glasses to drive, I prefer the latter. (Now, if I could have 20-year-old eyes again, that would be different.) David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Sat, 18 Jan 1997 20:10:31 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Jeremy: The issue of where Oz is has never been fully settled. People have stated their MOPPeTs and others have decided what they believe in. However, I personally believe that Oz is contained inside our Universe instead of the other way around. David's point that most Ozzy kingdoms are really no more that small villages combined with my theory that many of these are not really in Oz but are themselves tiny Universes temporarily hooked to Oz through interdimensional gateways, and Oz does not have to be so big after all. Also, there is ample evidence to suggest that the entire Ozzy Universe is much smaller than our own. Finally, I attribute Thompson's comment of Patch being the seven hundred and fifth as dramatic license. While it is possible that Ozma has catalogued and numbered all of the known kingdoms, it is not likely, IMHO. David: IIRC, the wildcat and the wolves died after their heads were cut off, much like the Gump, who was only revived when the Powder of Life was used. However, I agree with your theory that there was plenty of magic along with some level of life-protection and un-aging before Ozma ascended. I tend to follow Aaron Adelman's theory of the magical hotspots. That is, some areas got this faster than others and may have even gained the various advantages at different rates. ********** SPOILER FOR CAPTAIN SALT IN OZ ********** As for easy acceptance of new rulers, the only one that ever really bothered me was one that never took place in Oz at all. In _Captain Salt_ we have the nation of Ozmaland. From the name, perhaps Lurline visited this place too. Anyway, they have been isolated for centuries. They take an enormous amount of pride in the fact that nobody knew precisely where they were. Olive O. Sudden (sorry, I couldn't resist), Prince Tandy arrives, takes his rightful place as King, and then announces that "Oh, by the way: We're now all under the rule of someone named Ozma of Oz". The people are simply ecstatic that their sovereignty has been wiped out. It is the opinion of many, including myself, that Captain Salt's mission to bring other countries under the rule of Ozma was simply a ruse to keep Salt busy and out of trouble. Still, the reaction of the Ozamalanders was peculiar. ********** END OF SPOILER ********** Ken Cope: Am I mistaken, or is Sausalito a suburb of Oakland, just across from the Bay Bridge? --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 02:05:00 -0500 (EST) From: "Aaron S. Adelman" Subject: The HI/RCC I have recently decided to expand the HI/RCC (Historically Inaccurate/Rejected Chronological Chain) and need some information to do it. 1) Who is the author of _Was_, which with _The Lizard of Oz_ will be placed in the Dishonorable Mention category (works which attempt to pass themselves off as Oz books but deny the reality of Oz)? 2) Damon Z. Pythias, where is your home-page? I'd like to include your Ozzy short stories (I'm including anything published on the Internet as well as material in book form), but I recently accidentally deleted my links file, and I can't find find your home-page using Metacrawler or Ahoy. (Side question: Attempting to search for your page revealed that Damon and Pythias were knights of some order. Is "Damon Z. Pythias" a pen name (like "Onyx Madden" or "Anon E. Mouse"), or did your parents deliberately make a historical reference in your name?) 3) Is there any material anyone out there thinks I should add to the HI/RCC? Thanks in advance for your help. Aaron Solomon (ben Saul Joseph) Adelman adelman@yu1.yu.edu ====================================================================== Date: 18 January, 1997 23:29:14 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things DAVE'S TOTALLY POINTLESS QUESTION FOR TODAY: Just out of "idle" curiosity, in the (HICC of course) story _Sir Harold and the Nome King_, was Ozma in love with Evardo, or was her marriage to him all political (like most royal marriages)? MY WEB PAGE -- UPDATES: I've made some little changes to my web page I'd like to inform everyone about... The most significant one is that the Ozzy Digest FAQ on my web site is now fully hyperlinked (click on a question in the Table of Contents, and it will jump to that question). Also a few of the questions have been revised, including a re-wording of Question 4.2 (The HACC) that is now more impartial on the debate over the value of having a HACC and explanations for inconsistancies. And be sure to take a look at my "prettied up" Scale of Magic! There are also other little changes on my site, but the others are non-Ozzy. (If you're a fan of the musical, _Cats_, you might want to look at what I now have about it!) My URLs are: My main page: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/ Oz Home page: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/Oz.html Ozzy FAQ: http://people.delphi.com/DaveH47/Ozzy_FAQ.html -- Dave ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 20, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 13:07:04 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* Bob Spark--No, the horses of the Nazgul couldn't fly. They were just regular horses, stolen from the herds of the Rohirrim. When the Nazgul flew they rode specially-bred mounts that Tolkien artists have always depicted as resembling pterosaurs. Dave Hardenbrook--My impression, both from my reading of SIR HAROLD and my (long-ago) conversation with Sprague de Camp on it, was that he was basing the Ozma/Evardo relationship on that of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. I don't know if that's correct because he never confirmed it directly. If it is, however, then Ozma IS certainly in love with Evardo; she just isn't very demonstrative about it. ******WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR "TIN WOODMAN" AHEAD******** Day 1 - Woot the Wanderer arrives at the Tin Castle Day 2 - The party leaves the Tin Castle - arrives near Loonville toward evening - night in open - Dorothy looks in Magic Picture Day 3 - Woot's party visits the Loons - they cross the Rolling Lands and reach Yoop Castle - night in Mrs Yoop's outer chamber Day 4 - Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, and Woot are enchanted in the AM - they meet the enchanted Polychrome - at night the Green Monkey slips into the Yoop bedchamber & releases friends - night in forest Day 5 - Green Monkey encounters Jaguar in AM - they cross to Munchkin Country and find Jinjur's house - party disenchanted by Ozma - they are carried by Red Wagon to Munchkin forest - night "camped underneath the trees" Day 6 - The party meets the Tin Soldier - they visit the Witch's cottage, then Ku-Klip - they cross the Invisible Country - night near Swyne's home Day 7 - They visit Nimmie Amee - Polychrome returns home ****************END SPOILERS***************** ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 10:32:29 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-19-97 About vision: As someone who's been wearing contact lenses for 16 years, I had to weigh in. When your vision is as bad as mine (20/300 in my good eye, 20/400 in my bad eye) the advantages of contacts become quite evident. Peripheral vision with contacts is much better b/c they move with your eyes. This is very important when you're doing thing such as changing lanes while driving. I started wearing contacts at the age of 14 and have never looked back. Incidentally, I started wearing glasses at the age of 8, and while it's true that I used to read Oz books under the covers with a flashlight, I think don't think strain is to blame. Dreamer of Oz: Dick Randolph was kind enough to send me a copy. I enjoyed it very much although some of the artistic license did bother me. Maybe if I'd read "To Please a Child," I'd know better, but <> it seemed a stretch in places to find the "real" life inspiration for all the characters in the Wizard. And yes, I too, thought the scene where he's destroying the manuscript is too much. I thought Ritter did a decent, though typically shallow, job of playing LFB. My biggest complaint: once again non-Oz fans are left with the impression that "The Wizard of Oz" was it. I would have loved to see the years when he wrote the other Oz and Borderland stories dramatized too. Oh, well, that's television. <>. Handy Mandy: Just finished reading it for the first time-- the only RPT Oz book I hadn't read. Was pleasantly surprised about how readable it was. <> Except for the Topsy-turvy folks or whatever they're called, it stayed remarkably well on plot. <> It does remind of me of the debate about Baum's vs. Thompson's Ozma. I wouldn't call her a wimp, but she certainly seemed to be a weaker character than I remember in Baum's Oz books. -- Craig ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 17:59:36 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-19-97 Craig N. asked: > >Just curious, did anything at the PBA auction sell at a price that's >affordable for mere mortals like me? > The answer: No. Sincerely, Scott Olsen ;) ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 13:42:01 -0500 (EST) From: JoelHarris@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest Date: January 19, 1997 From: Joel Harris > JoelHarris@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest Here is my first appearance on the Digest! I attended the PBA auction last Thursday, and would be happy to type up a highlights report if anyone is interested. (I can even snitch about which club members were there). Please let me know. I bid on many items and only got three - I agree with Craig, many prices were obscene, especially books missing plates and/or pages! But there were also a few deals to be had - reinforcing the need to preview books at PBA if possible. Joel Harris ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 14:28:54 -0500 (EST) From: Nathan DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-19-97 David: When Nishibis showed up and enchanted so many people, the Pumperdinkians (except for Kabumpo, and possibly General Quakes) were probably so frightened that they would have agreed to letting anyone that this magician suggested rule the country. As for Kerr, he did claim to be Kerry's uncle, but it does seem that his rule was accepted too readily. Bob: "All right, halfway up that bush you'll see a Rocking-horse-fly, if you look. It's made entirely of wood, and gets about by swinging itself from branch to branch." -The Gnat, in _Through the Looking-Glass_ Danny: In _Land_, Jellia states that she was born in the Gillikin Country. I suppose that this would be why she was placed there, although she lived in the Emerald City throughout the entire Oz series. Tyler: Samuel Salt's claiming countries was only a ruse? Well, I can see that Ozma really wouldn't want much outer-Oz territory, but I really don't like the idea of the Captain being played for a sap. I don't know about the reaction of the Ozamalanders. Perhaps they were just so glad to be rid of the Ozamandarins that they would have agreed to anything that Tandy said. Tandy: "Everyone hop around on one foot and cluck like a chicken." Ozamalanders: "Bok, bok, b-gok!" Tandy: "Now, go jump into the ocean." Ozmalanders: "Sure thing, Your Majesty!" Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. You get the point. The hard drive on the computer I am using recently crashed, so I lost Pegasus Mail, and am using the school's VAX to send this. I don't know how to create a signature on this, so the quotes aren't here today. Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu http://www.dragonfire.net/~VoVat/home.html Ozma and Oz Forever! ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 14:37:31 -0500 (EST) From: Nathan DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-19-97 Aaron: Damon Pythias is my pseudonym (Nathan Mulac DeHoff being my real name). My mother had wanted to name me "Damon," but did not, so I decided to use it as my pen name. I had remembered hearing something about Damon and Pythias, so I decided to make "Damon Pythias" my pen name. (BTW, if anyone knows exactly who Damon and Pythias were, I'd like to know.) My home page is at http://www.dragonfire.net/~VoVat/home.html The stories are at http://www.dragonfire.net/~VoVat/stories/index.html You can get to the story page from the home page through the Oz page. I probably should alter the design a bit. The name VoVat is another pseudonym (sorta). It was derived from a physics problem involving initial velocity, final velocity, acceleration, and time. I attempted to make my stories historically accurate. I wouldn't really place them alongside heretical works. Nathan Mulac DeHoff (or VoVat, or Damon Zeus Pythias) lnvf@grove.iup.edu ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 16:50:47 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-19-97 Danny: >Just a quick question I need to throw out-- I was browsing Piglet Press's web glossary, and Jellia Jamb is listed "By Region" in Gillikin contry. I assume this is because she was orginially born there, or what?< Yes, in "Land of Oz", Jellia tells the Scarecrow that she was born in the Gillikin Country. David Hulan: 20-year-old 20/20 vision eyes! I could go for that, too. :-) :-) David Hardenbrook: Just out of "idle" curiosity, in the (HICC of course) story _Sir Harold and the Nome King_, was Ozma in love with Evardo, or was her marriage to him all political (like most royal marriages)? In that book, Ozma's marriage to Evardo is definitely political, especially since the author obviously does not believe in real love or friendship, only sex. He depicts Ozma as an insufferable snob. Yuck. :-P By the way--I found your Web site again, and enjoyed looking at your Oz graphics. Especially the Emerald City. Oh, yes. And have you solved your mouse woes? Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 17:55:47 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-19-97 Bob: IIRC the horses of the Nazgul couldn't fly; the Nazgul rode pterodactyl-like creatures when they acted as Sauron's air force. Danny: In LAND Jellia is brought in to translate between the Scarecrow and Jack Pumpkinhead because she was born in the Gillikin country and could therefore speak its language (which of course is standard Ozish, but the Pumpkinhead didn't know this). Tyler: Sausalito is across the Golden Gate from San Francisco, in Marin County. It's not far from Oakland, but by no means a suburb of it. Aaron: Damon Z. Pythias is Nathan Mulac De Hoff when he's home. Damon and Pythias are characters from Greek - legend, I guess, though they might actually be historical. They were close friends at the court of, IIRC, Dionysius of Syracuse. One of them - I think Damon - got into trouble with the king and was condemned to death. He asked permission to go back to Greece to say goodbye to his parents, and Pythias agreed to stay behind and be executed in his stead if he didn't come back in time. Through considerable tribulation Damon barely got back in time, and the king was sufficiently impressed with the loyalties of the two friends that he pardoned him. There's also a group called the Knights of Pythias; I don't know any more about them than that they're some kind of civic/social group like the Elks and Masons and Oddfellows and Knights of Columbus and the like. Dave: I haven't reread "Sir Harold and the Gnome King" lately, but as I recall Ozma was at least fond of Evardo, whether she was madly in love with him or not. I don't think the subject really came up. Maybe I'll check it out one day soon. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 19:31:38 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-18-97 Melody: This is perhaps an inconsequential topic to belabor on the DIGEST, but I'm not even sure I'd trade my glasses for 20/20 vision, personally; as I said, it's nice to be able to "turn off the set", so to speak, whenever I want. Tyler: Not to belabor a point, but how do we know that the "real world" that we know isn't a conglomeration of "little kingdoms" too? That is, when I'm on one continent I have no way of knowing that another exists (and not to get metaphysical here, that I exist, either). ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 23:31:52 -0500 (EST) From: BillyOzFan@aol.com Subject: OZ POLL Sorry So Late in Sending . . . NAME: Billy Miller EMAIL: BillyOzFan@aol.com DOB: 4/21/60 HOME: Dallas, Texas currently, born Buffalo, NY Profession: AT&T Account Executive, Graphic Designer DEGREE: BFA, Parsons School Of Design/The New School (Had to go their for a Heart, Courage and a Brain) AGE I DISCOVERED OZ: 8 through TV HOW DISCOVERED OZ: enjoyed show as a kid, at age 15 found the first fourteen by Baum and a copy of Who's Who in OZ (Complete with Dust Jacket - only $7) then my collecting and fasination started. Currently have over 500 items in my collection. HOW FOUND DIGEST: Was on orginal Nate Barlow list OZ Orgs: IWOC Primary Oz Interest: Movie, Animated Movies, Ilustrations of Oz in Books... How many canonical oz Books Have Read? 6 of the 14 Which Non-FF Read? Wicked Witch of Oz How Many Baum Non Oz Read? Aunt Jane's Nieces How Many Thompson Non Oz Books Read - None How Many Non FF Books Read? All Eric Shanower's Books, Was, Barnstormer, and all the books relating to the movie, muchkins, the wiz...collecting Any Current Oz Projects? Collecting! Main area of concentration? The Art of Oz...illustration, films, animation, collectibles What are your main MOPPeTS about OZ? That its hard to find a good twister or hot air balloon blowing in the right direction when you need one! ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 18:17:34 +0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-14-96 Ken Shepherd wrote: >Chronologies--one of the things I've noticed about doing these chronologies is >that there are some differences between Baum's and Thompson's concepts of Oz >that only come out when you read the books as a series. For one thing, Baum's >Oz appears to be a lot larger and more rural than Thompson's. Baum's Oz >adventures take on average a week to ten days to complete--with a few, such as >WIZARD and RINKITINK taking several months--while Thompson's Oz adventures >take as little as two to three days. Um, I hate to state what appears to be the obvious (she said, putting on her asbestos suit), but couldn't the difference be put down to the difference in age and life experiences of the two writers? Baum lived generally in more rural areas (especially as a child) at a time when everyday travel took longer. Thompson lived in Philadelphia at a time when automobiles were becoming increasingly common. Just look at ourselves: Is there anyone on this Digest who thinks of ten miles as "a long distance"? By car, or streetcar, or carriage, of course not. But if we had to walk it? Just a thought. -- Eleanor Kennedy ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 02:46:35 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Danny: In _Land_, Jellia says that she "was born in the north country". Even though she lives in EC, I guess Bill based her location on that. David and Nathan: According to the Gump himself, the last thing he hears is "a loud noise". This implies that he was shot. The beheading, I assume, came later. Aaron: Geoffery Ryman was the author of _Was_. Dave: A cursory glance at _Sir Harold_ indicates that Ozma and Evardo really do love each other. Evardo does not seem to hunger after power, so the marriage was probably not political. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 21, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 09:22:19 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-20-97 Tyler: By "loud noise", I think it possible that the Gump was hearing the axe clanging into whatever was behind its head (the Gump's, I mean, not the axe's). So I don't think we can draw any definite conclusions about how the Gump met its fate. Until next time, Jeremy Steadman ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 09:19:43 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-20-97 Herm: Are you back yet? IWOC publications: I recently ordered some books from IWOC. How long does it usually take? "In Search of Oz": Now that I've seen "Dreamer," I'm wondering what people thought of the BBC production. Heretical Oz: I've ordered "Wicked" from Borders (in hardback). I also see lots of references to "Barnstormer" (by who?) and the books by March Laumer and Alexandr Volkov -- does anybody like them? (I don't care if they're heretical, as long as they're entertaining and well-written.) Cosgrove: Didn't she write a Newberry Award runner-up? Anybody read that? -- Craig ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 11:28:51 -0500 (EST) From: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-20-97 Joel: Yes, by all means give us the lowdown on the PBA auction. Chris Warkala: Can you tell us what item you successfully bid on? (but not the price, of course.) Dave: I took another look at your web pages over the weekend and, like Melody, was impressed with the graphics. Also, I received two copies of the Digest today. Does this mean Glinda's Great Book of Records shows two copies, as well? (;-) Dick ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 11:35:31 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-20-97 Craig: I don't really know what my eyesight is now in the 20/X type expression; I know that I have a -5 diopter correction in both eyes. (And at age 20 it was 20/20, *sigh*) But I don't have any trouble with peripheral vision for things like changing lanes driving. Cars are Big; you don't have to have acute vision to tell that one's there. I need glasses to drive so I can read signs, not so I can avoid cars or pedestrians. Despite that, if I were your age and as myopic as I am now, I might go for contacts; their biggest advantage is that they actually correct your eyeball, so that the image on your retina is the size it would be for a normal eye, rather than creating a virtual image that's both closer and smaller than the real object, as glasses do. But I didn't get myopic enough for that advantage to overcome my reluctance to put things in my eyes until I was old enough that I was losing accommodation, and would have had to go to reading glasses if I wore contacts for distance. HANDY MANDY is one of RPT's better books, I think, although there's disagreement about that. I don't think Ozma has enough to do in it to say much about its treatment of her character, though. Nathan: See my short summary of the Damon and Pythias story in the last Digest. Melody: Oh, c'mon! You may not have liked "Sir Harold and the Gnome King", but saying "the author obviously does not believe in real love or friendship, only sex," isn't fair at all. Aside from the fact that de Camp has been married to the same woman for over fifty years, very few of his books have any overt sex in them at all - including, I'm pretty sure, "Sir Harold and the Gnome King." (There's the incident of catching Walter Bayard in bed with his girl-friend when Ozma uses the Magic Belt without checking what they're up to first, but that has nothing to do with Ozma or, basically, Oz. It's comparable to my saying that when Ozma brought Uncle Henry and Aunt Em to the EC, one of them could easily have been in the outhouse at the time, and I'm reasonably sure that Sprague was thinking of the same kind of thing. It was clearly intended as humor, not titillation.) David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 13:37:56 -0500 (EST) From: RMorris306@aol.com Subject: Recent Ozzy Digests A few quick comments on recent topics... OZ KINGDOM RULERS: I think many of the smaller Oz/Baumgea kingdoms that didn't have a specific rule of succession, whether traditional (old king's eldest son, or, if he didn't have a son, eldest daughter) or unusual (Noland's "47th person through the gate" law) were willing to pass it on to anyone reasonably within the rule of succession. Look at the real world; I know of no country where the law states that when a president is deposed the commander of the army should rule; but that's the way it's too often been in the Third World. For that matter, PURPLE PRINCE's odd succession...the king's brother becoming the next king, even though the old one *had* a son and heir apparent... parallels exactly the situation in HAMLET (apart from Kettywig not marrying Posy Pink, that is...) CONTACT LENSES: I started wearing them at 35, at a female friend's suggestion. Before that I'd been wearing glasses most of my life (since I was 7 or so), so they took some getting used to, but on the whole are more comfortable and great for long-distance viewing (even if my old glasses with the 1982 prescription prove to be better for reading and close-up viewing, especially at night). CAPTAIN SALT'S MISSION: Well, colonialism seems passe to us *now* (although the vestiges of it actually seem to be appreciated by those who live under it...Puerto Rico seems to prefer its current status to becoming a state of the Union, and Hong Kong isn't generally looking forward to becoming part of Communist China), but when Thompson wrote CAPTAIN SALT most strong countries did have colonies in less developed parts of the world...so it made sense for Oz, the strongest country in Baumgea, to have some. I doubt Ozma retained the rule, even to a limited extent, of Baumgea for very long. (Parenthetically, I note that Thompson's introduction referred to Salt discovering "a whole new hemisphere," perhaps implying that Oz is indeed on an alternate earth whose "New World" hadn't been explored (unless Tititi-Hoochoo's land was somewhere in that hemisphere). On a final note, Jack Snow claims in WHO'S WHO IN OZ, quoting George MacDonald, "that *every* boy or girl is born a prince or princess, and loses the title when either one says or does that which no prince or princess would ever say or do." Well, I think I can honestly say that *I've* never said or done anything "which no prince or princess would ever say or do" (when I consider Stephanie, Charles, and Diana), so, just for once, I can justifiably sign off-- Prince Richard Morrissey ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 14:02:08 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Joel: Glad to hear from you! A report on the PBA would be really cool. I have never been to an auction myself, but I hear the prices can be a little steep. Nathan: I don't tink Sammy was really being played for a sap. He is an explorer at heart, and Ozma is just letting him do what he wants to do. If Ozma never follows up on the claim of conquest, Sam probably would not mind so much. Damon and Pythias: My source for this is "Leave it to Beaver", so it may not be accurate :-) From what I heard on an episode of this show, Damon and Pythias were friends from Greek Mythology. One (I think it was Damon) was sentenced to death, but he needed to do something in a land far away. His friend (probably Pythias) offered to take Damon's place on death row. If Damon Did not return in one year, Pythias volunteered to be executed. Damon vowed to return in one year and left. One year later, he came back and the king was so impressed by the strength of friendship exhibited, that he pardoned Damon, and they all lived happily ever after. :-) Sausalito: I knew it was near San Fransisco (I lived for a year in Menlo Park), but was not just sure where. Jeremy: When you get down to it, the only evidence we have is that astronauts were able to see more than one continent at a time. The only reason I came up with my MOPPeT about most (not all) kingdoms being in their own mini-Universe with temporary connections to Oz was to explain the large number of kingdoms in Oz (FF and non-FF, including books that have not been written yet) and to explain how people could make the same journey over and over again, yet run into different kingdoms each time. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 17:46:19 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Re: That Ozzy Feeling! Dear Dave: Got another idea. What if Zurline, who knows she really should not be keep mortals in Burzee, comes up with the notion of rejuvenating our heroes? Tip: AAAAAAGH! Dan: What if nobody adopts me THIS time either? Zixi: Hey, wait a minute! I'm the one who needs it! Of course, Ozma and Zim rescue our heroes before Zurline carries out her notion. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 23:40:21 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-20-97 Joel: Yes, please. I'd love to hear a report about the auction! Thanks, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 21:44:05 -0300 From: amyjones@MindSpring.COM (Amy Jones) Subject: for Ozzy Digest Hello. Could someone tell me about THE THIRD BOOK OF OZ? Thanks, Amy Jones ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 02:50:01 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* Eleanor Kennedy-- I think you are absolutely right. The differences in Oz reflect the differences in the experiences of the authors, and since Oz is an American fairyland it reflects differences between nineteenth and twentieth century America. I thought it was interesting that Thompson's Oz is described as being full of tiny kingdoms, which (one would think) would require more room, while Baum's Oz is largely rural farmland, which (one would think) would look larger than it is. It seems, based on the chronologies, that the opposite is true. Characters in Thompson's books take less time to travel the same distance that Baum's characters do, even though they're using the same forms of transportation (mostly walking). This will become more obvious when I begin posting the Thompson chronologies in the next week or so. And please don't be afraid of critiqueing my posts. I don't "flame" people--it's self-indulgent and a waste of time. I'm always glad for constructive criticism. It means people are paying attention to what I write! Thanks for your input! Best, KRS ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 00:58:50 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber@aol.com Subject: FOR Ozzy Digest These responses are rather late because I was in Italy the past nine days. Anyone: If there is interest securing the Dutch Wizard of Oz, I next expect to be in Holland in early April, and will try to find copies. I can't promise, but let me know of your interest by personal e-mail. Anyone: Regarding The Dreamer of Oz, I was out of the country when it aired, and didn't get a videotape of it. (actually I tried, but a power outage screwed up my videocorder timer!). If anyone knows of a reasonably priced source, please advise me. Many thanks. Dick, Regarding my sleep regime, its probably genetic. There are many records of others (Edison, most notably) who slept even less. Rather strangely, as an infant, I slept so many hours a day (16+) that my mother and her doctor thought I was going to be impaired. But as I progressded through school, I slept less and less, leveling out around puberty. I do sleep very soundly, and can fall asleep in seconds, whether on a hard floor, in an airplane, or hanging on a subway strap. Now, as I am into "the golden years", I do feel a gradual need for more rest. As my wife used to say, Getting old is the pits."! Robin: I'm more hugable now as I've dropped 25 pounds since you saw me last. My battered (read ski-worn) knees were sending me messages, and its amazing what a difference a few pounds make. I too am fed up with AOL. I can almost never get thru on my local numbers between noon and midnight. Good thing I'm up late! I would drop them in a minute but for the hassle of telling all my correspondents of a new address. But AOL IS INSTALLING MORE CAPACITY, and they promise things will improve. Let us hope! Craig: Yes, definitely get Eric Shanower's graphic novels. Neat stories and great art work. I expect Eric to a famous artist some day, so his early work will likely also be collector's items. Gordon and David, The title page reference to Dorothy's friends in Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz says: "A Faithful record of their amazing adventures in an underground world; and how with the aid of their friends Zeb Hugson, Eureka the kitten, and Jim the Cab-Horse, they finally reached the Wonderful Land of Oz" I checked ALL of the D&W hard cover editions (including Copp Clark) and find no other copies of this except for the "white" plastic bound edition. It is however present in the later Rand McNally softcover edition. Scott: Sorry, no discount! I try to keep my prices lower than what you would pay from most dealers AFTER a discount. Robin also has fair prices considering her overhead. I have no store, or employees, but the service can be slow if I am traveling. Nathan: I probably have a Blue Emporer hidden in one of my boxes. It is in the $100 range, as I recall. If you are serious about it, e-mail me, and I will undertake a search. (One of these years, I'll have to find a few spare days to get the book inventory organized and current!) Chris, The best reference on Fred Stone is his autobiography "Rolling Stone", available in many libraries. I incover several of these a year, but don't currently have a copy in my inventory. I'm not aware of a Montgomery biography, but there is much information in the magazines and playbills of his day, and I seem to recall at least one thesis on him by some aspiring degree candidate of yesteryear. Ask your library to do a computer search of Dissertation Abstracts and other likely Dialog files. Herm Bieber ====================================================================== Date: Tuesday, 21 January, 1997 00:29:16 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things "DAMON", "PYTHIAS", AND THE ORIGINAL "DAN": Well Tyler, if that's what _Leave It to Beaver_ says the story was about, then it *must* be correct! :) "Damon and Pythias" is also the name Louisa May Alcott gave to one chapter in _Little Men_-- In this episode, Jack (by far the least attractive or morally sound of the boys) steals some money and frames kind-hearted Nat. Presuming him the culprit (and the circumstantial evidence seems persuasive), the boys then shun Nat, taunt him, and otherwise make his life hippikaloric. So miserable is Nat, and so sympathetic to his friend's misery is Dan ( Gee, do I know that name from somewhere??? :) :) :) ) that he tells Jo and the Professor that *he* took the money, just so the other boys will leave Nat alone. Then it's Dan who becomes a "marked man", until at long last Jack cravenly runs away, leaving a "confession note" which of course exonerates both Nat and Dan, to whom everyone sincerely apologizes. Dan especially is heralded a hero by Jo for his willingness to risk sacrificing his reputatation for Nat's sake, and the Professor likens Dan's loyal devotion to Nat to Damon and Pythias. MY WEB PAGE AND "DOUBLE DIGESTS": Dick's remarks today reminded of two things I wanted to say: 1) Thanks to everyone for their comments on my new Web Page, and 2) Some of you may have received two Digests yesterday...It was because Delphi's mail server "timed out" during the first send, and since I had no way of knowing how many were sent successfully, I had to send the whole thing all over again, hence the duplicates. Sorry, everyone! Maybe tommorrow I'll have something Ozzy to say... :) -- Dave ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 22, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 12:08:35 +0100 From: Bill Wright Subject: Return to Oz (Digest that is) After an extended absence, I'm now back to the Digest, listening from my frozen Nordic outpost. Twelve weeks of the daily doses of Oz had been dutifully stuffed into my digital mailbox, waiting patiently for my eventual return to the on-line world. I've been ploughing doggedly thru them for a week now.......and it's wonderful to zee that the zany zenses of humor, inscrutably inquiring minds, and clamorously creative juices of the inhabitants of this electronic corner of Oz are undiminished. I also received some questions from non-digesters that I will need to post for aid in answering. I read with interest the poll responses which filled in many shadows for me, and reconfirmed the richness of spirit that clearly abounds in this dispersed clan. I'll try to get mine added to the pile before the Friday deadline. I was intrigued by the Oz CD-ROM discussion that reached a crescendo in December, and now seems to have abated. I will post some comments on that subject, having been laboring in that direction for some time now. And I have received several recommendations for corrections to the Oz Encyclopedia at my website, for which I am extremely grateful. The updates will be made shortly. I would like to get the 1997 conventions' data correctly posted at my website, so input from the organizers or equivalent is requested. Happy to be back!!!! Bill in Ozlo ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 08:27:38 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-21-97 David: You're right. Ozma doesn't do much in Handy Mandy. I was referring to her reaction to the robbery at the Emerald City, but after a second reading I don't get the same impression. Anyway, I'm finally catching up on the gaps in the FF that I finally acquired in the last year. Now I'm reading Scalawagons. So far, I'm not too impressed. I remember not caring too much for The Wonder City when I read it years ago. I'm looking forward to reading Shaggy Man (b/c I enjoyed Magical Mimics and seem to remember reading that Snow made a conscious effort to be more true to Baum's Oz), as well as Hidden Valley and Merry Go Round, about which I have no idea what to expect. This is fun. I feel like a kid all over again!! -- Craig ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 09:34:18 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-21-97 David Hulan: My turn to be envious. Without MY glasses, I'm barely able to see that something's there, let alone what it is or how far away. I can at least see colors (barely). Speaking of which: Out of curiosity, can anyone tell me if one has to take one's contacts out before putting reading glasses on? I'm not to the stage where I need two separate pairs of glasses--yet--but if I could combine the use of contacts and glasses, that would be easier. Tyler: Your account of the Damon/Pythias story sounds too peaceful for Greek mythology (and way too peaceful for Roman mythology, of course). I imagine it was a perverted story that fit into the "LItB" episode. By the way, I like your MOPPeT concerning the "mini-kingdoms, mini-dimensions". It makes sense to me. Until next time, Jeremy Steadman ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 09:27:33 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-21-97 > > Heretical Oz: > I've ordered "Wicked" from Borders (in hardback). I also see lots of > references to "Barnstormer" (by who?) and the books by March Laumer and > Alexandr Volkov -- does anybody like them? (I don't care if they're > heretical, as long as they're entertaining and well-written.) > > -- Craig A BARNSTORMER IN OZ is by Philip Jose Farmer. SPOILER FOR BARNSTORMER--It is highly heretical, being based on the assumption that a real Dorothy from South Dakota had been blown to Oz and told her story to L. Frank Baum who changed it to make it suitable for children. After her return to America Dorothy became a chorus girl, had a son, who was a pilot in WWI, and who flew his plane through a green cloud into an Oz very different from Baum's. In the course of the story Glinda "the ambiguous" was responsible for the death of President Warren G. Harding (he was planning an invasion of Oz). There is considerable sex in the novel. It is not one of Farmer's best. END OF SPOLER. I happen to like Volkov's books very much. The first four are available from Red Branch Press as TALES OF MAGIC LAND 1 & 2. Laumer's books are a mixed bag. They are often amusing, but often maddening. They are not consistant among themselves. Whatever you do, do not read GREEN DOLPHIN, at least until you have read several others. It is most confusing and has no continuity with Oz. It is an interesting puzzle book being filled with numerous literary allusions, some of them quite obscure and esoteric. > Damon and Pythias: > My source for this is "Leave it to Beaver", so it may not be accurate :-) > >From what I heard on an episode of this show, Damon and Pythias were > friends from Greek Mythology. One (I think it was Damon) was sentenced to > death, but he needed to do something in a land far away. His friend > (probably Pythias) offered to take Damon's place on death row. If Damon > Did not return in one year, Pythias volunteered to be executed. Damon > vowed to return in one year and left. One year later, he came back and the > king was so impressed by the strength of friendship exhibited, that he > pardoned Damon, and they all lived happily ever after. :-) > > --Tyler Jones > Not to be too much of a pedant, but according to the CLASSICAL DICTIONARY "Pythias plotted against the life of Dionysius I of Syracuse . and was condemnedto die." The rest of the story is accurate. > Joel: Yes, please. I'd love to hear a report about the auction! > > Thanks, > Scott Olsen > So would I > From: amyjones@MindSpring.COM (Amy Jones) > Subject: for Ozzy Digest > > Hello. > Could someone tell me about THE THIRD BOOK OF OZ? > > Thanks, > Amy Jones THE THIRD BOOK OF OZ is the name given to a reprinting of the stories of THE QUEER VISITORS FROM THE LAND OF OZ (the first time these stories were published complete in one volume) and THE WOGGLEBUG BOOK, with new illustrations by Eric Shanower. As all of these works are hard to come by it is very nice to have them all available at a low price. The editor, however, silently removed some racial references from Baum's original writing and so they are not the pieces as originally written. After the first edition of this sold out, Buckethead Enterprises re-issued it with some different story endpictures by Shanower. There may still be some copies in stock. Herm: > > Anyone: > If there is interest securing the Dutch Wizard of Oz, I next expect to be in > Holland in early April, and will try to find copies. I can't promise, but > let me know of your interest by personal e-mail. Do they have original illustrations or reprint the Denslow ones? > > Robin: > I'm more hugable now as I've dropped 25 pounds since you saw me last. My > battered (read ski-worn) knees were sending me messages, and its amazing what > a difference a few pounds make. Congratulations, I would love to drop 25 pounds--If I could do so without giving up eating all the things I enjoy. > SPOILER FOR LION OF OZ: Roger Baum's LION OF OZ AND THE BADGE OF COLURAGE is his best book to date. It is written from the point-of-view of the Lion, from his birth in North Africa, his capture and being sent to a circus in Omaha to his meeting with Dorothy, Scarecrow, and Tin Woodman in WONDERFUL WIZARD. Oscar Zoroaster Diggs, a circus balloonist gave the young lion a badge with the word Courage on it, then took him for a balloon ride which took them to a four-colored oblong country surrounded by desert. There they are separated. Lion (e is never "the" Lion) meets the Wicked Witch of the East who threatens he will never see Oscar Diggs (who she knows as The Wizard) again unless he finds and brings her "The Flower of Oz." The rest of the book is is quest for that flower. He meets many friends including a girl named Wimsik who lives alone with her toys in a Grey Castle. He also is joined for a time by Silly OZbul Jenkins (R. Baum bringing in a being from his earlier books), and meets Wiser from DOROTHY OF OZ. It is determined that the Flower of Oz represents all the good in Oz which the Wicked Witch cannot approach herself but wants Lion to find so it can be destroyed. When he defies her at the end, she must retreat before the goodness (symbolized by Wimsik) but gets her revenge by seizing Lion's Badge and renaming him the Cowardly Lion of Oz. He becomes a coward, and seemingly forgets all of his past. Oscar (the Wizard) only appears once in the latter part of the book, and he and Lion do not have a recognition scene. The book has its anachronisms: The lion cub is captured by men in a truck and when the balloon goes up they can see the cars on the ground like insects. There are toys (in Oz!) powered by solar batteries. The book is beautifully illustrated with fourteen full page color plates and a double page colorplate at the very end, showing the meeting of Lion with Dorothy et al. It is listed in Baker and Taylor, so it can be ordered through bookstores, or through the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. END OF SPOILER Steve T. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 10:31:37 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber@aol.com Subject: For Ozzy Digest Still catching up on old Digests, but now only three days behind! Scott, Yes, there have been a lot of Oz auctions of late. Besides some of the IWOC's Dick Martin collection, a lot of other private collections have gone under the gavel. I think collectors may have gotten "over-OZed" in 1995, as some of the sales brought prices much lower than expected. So it is wise to put in bids, even if you can't go too high with your budget. One never knows! Sometimes at general book auctions, Oz materials may also go quite low if there are no children's book dealers in the audience. But this is happening less frequently. Many generalist, and especially antique, dealers now know that all Oz books are "pure gold", and will, not knowing what a first edition is, actually overprice Oz books drastically. Joel, Yes, I think a PBA auction highlights article would be very informative for Digest readers. I didn't bid because a lot of the items were not in top condition, and without seeing it, too dangerous to bid on. Normally, I might have flown out for the affair, in Europe! Glad to hear that you, Scott, and hopefully some other Digesters were successful on some items. Herm Bieber ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 10:55:38 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber@aol.com Subject: For Ozzy Digest Patrick and Peter, I only have three copies of Master Key on hand just now, and no "second state." There seems to be nothing unusual about these (two 1sts, one 3rd). Therefore I checked all of Judy's old catalogs (beaucoup copies of MK over the last 20 years), and find that we never sold a second state! Since Dick Martin was a very careful bibliographer, and probably didn't err, I conclude that after the first state printing, Bowen Merrill had a surplus of the first state initial 4 page gathering left over and used them up before switching to the larger type size. Or, less likely, Dick's copy could have been a one time, unique error. In any case, my theory would explain the apparent rarity of the so-called second state. Herm Bieber ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 16:16:19 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-21-97 Craig wrote: > >Now that I've seen "Dreamer," I'm wondering what people thought of the BBC >production [In Search of Oz]. > I missed that one too. I'd like to hear comments. >Cosgrove: Didn't she write a Newberry Award runner-up? Anybody read that? > I think it was McGraw who was the Newberry Award runner-up, unless something happened recently I haven't heard about. Tyler wrote: >My source for [Damon and Pythias] is "Leave it to Beaver", so it may not be accurate> I do not doubt for a moment the wisdom of Ward Clever. Herm wrote: >Scott: Sorry, no discount! Herm, dealing with someone like you is better than a discount. In addition, you're right--your prices are lower than what you would pay from most dealers AFTER a discount. Re: Prices at PBA auction: I only know the prices for a few items. The complete list should be on PBA's home page soon, though. I do know that a near fine edition of _Tic-Tok_ sold for $850.00, and a copy of _Glinda_ sold for $550.00. These were Reilly & Lee "white cover" editions. JUST KIDDING! They were 1st editions. (P.S. It wasn't me who bought them--these were two items where my bids were not even close.) Anyone have the answer to this question: We all know that Baum printed 99 copies of By The Candlelabra's Glare. Does anyone have any idea about how many copies are known to exist today? Sincerely, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 11:18:33 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-21-97 Craig: A BARNSTORMER IN OZ is by Philip Jose Farmer, first published in 1982. About as heretical as WICKED, though I enjoyed it more because it's much lighter-hearted. Also definitely adult fiction, not children's. I don't think it's still in print, but it's not too hard to find in places that carry used SF PBs. I've never read a March Laumer book, so I can't comment on those. Volkov wrote in Russian, but the translations in the TALES OF MAGIC LAND versions are quite decent, and I enjoyed the stories quite a bit. They're alternate-Oz, though - Volkov's WIZARD OF THE EMERALD CITY is a loose retelling of WIZARD, with a lot of new material and new names for all the human characters, but the rest take off from that and have no connection with the remaining Oz books (although there are some bits that indicate that Volkov probably read later books). I never heard of Cosgrove writing a Newbery runner-up, but that doesn't mean she didn't. Eloise Jarvis McGraw definitely wrote at least one Newbery Notable, or whatever they call their "close but no cigar" books, and maybe more. Could that be what you're thinking of? Amy: THE THIRD BOOK OF OZ is a collection (lightly bowdlerized to take out some racist stuff) of Oz stories originally published in newspapers under the collective title "Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz", plus the 1905 title THE WOGGLE-BUG BOOK, all of which deal with a visit to the United States by the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Woggle-bug, and Jack Pumpkinhead, via the Gump. For various good reasons, these stories are not considered canonical even though they're by Baum and include Oz characters. It's called THE THIRD BOOK because the stories were published, and apparently take place, between the events of LAND and OZMA. It was published in 1986 by Armstrong State College Press, and I'm sure is long out of print. It's quite nicely illustrated by Eric Shanower (though not as well as his later books; he was still finding his style), although the text is clearly done on a typewriter and not a very good one at that. I imagine Herm or Robin could locate a copy for you if you want one, though I've no idea what they'd charge for it. Herm: I must be lucky; I rarely have any difficulty in getting through to AOL on one or another of the local lines. It's true that I rarely try after about 7:00 PM, because I'm doing other things then; I'm sure that helps. If the reference to "Zeb Hugson" was only added for the "white" editions then I think it can be ignored for purposes of figuring out Dorothy's family relationships. Dave: I think you inadvertently included a personal E-mail from Melody in this Digest. At least, what she says doesn't seem to have any context in past Digests. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 05:58:43 -0600 (CST) From: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest OzBucket: I don't recall biographical material on Montgomery as such in the "Bugle," but in addition to Dan Mannix's 2-part article on Stone ("Perfect Scarecrow"), there were 2-parters on the stage-play as a whole by Dan Mannix and by another by Ethan Morddern, and I think those had some background on him, too. Dave Hardenbrook: You've never used the word "wimp" in connection with Ozma? Sure you have. You use it when you're describing RPT's Ozma. And, as I've said, I don't see much evidence for wimpishness in the RPT Ozma. Examples of RPT's Ozma being wise and leaderlike -- well, Tyler Jones mentioned her cleverness in stopping Atmos Fere ("Hungry Tiger") from kidnapping her and her clearing up of remaining problems when she arrives at the end of "Yellow Knight." David Hulan mentions as examples of poor planning the capture scenes in "Jack Pumpkinhead" and "Pirates," so I suppose you might complain that Ozma is a wimp for not having elaborate security precautions to keep out intruders, but on the other hand, she is courageous in standing up to the captors (and heartening the other captives), and the courage under stress strikes me as more relevant than the security lapses. Nancy Tystad Koupal: I'm another who much enjoyed your edition of the "Our Landlady" columns. They show off his growing abilities in humor and characterization and imagination, but on their own, without footnotes to explain the references, they're hard to follow. You did a nice job on providing the contexts. David Hulan: There probably is a reason why the sun in Kansas should be harsher than other places -- other places outside the Great Plains, that is. (Baum's experience was with the Dakotas rather than Kansas.) The climate really is harsher than most places, although it's more the dryness and the wind than the sunlight, as such. You're right that the descriptions in "Emerald City" sound as if Henry and Em are very old, but they don't really seem to be specific enough to make "very old" necessarily meanm "so much older than Dorothy as to be two generations older." They might be, but there isn't any direct evidence. (Zeb's comment about being Dorothy's second cousin, as I was remarking before, isn't relevant, because he is speaking non-seriously, trying to come up with terms to describe the non-kin relationship of two people who are connected as in-laws of in-laws.) Amy Jones: "The Third Book of Oz" was an edition (edited by Martin Williams) of the texts of Baum's "Queer Visitors" comic page and his "Wogglebug Book." The original illos were not included, but some new illos by Eric Shanower were added. ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 16:11:55 -0500 (EST) From: swarkala@concentric.net (Sharon Warkala) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-21-97 Dick: My only success in the PBA auction was a copy of John Dough and the Cherub. I got the copy that did not have the contest blank in it. It wasn't what I was really hoping for but I got outbid by an astronomical amount on almost everything else. I need to win the lottery for a decent shot next time. Robin, did you get anything? Chris Warkala ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 19:37:24 -0500 (EST) From: Nathan DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-21-97 David: I also enjoyed _Handy Mandy_. Mandy herself was a great character, with her stong personality and abundance of arms, and Nox was also good, although he was quite similar to Kabumpo. According to the laws of Noland, it is not typical to pass the crown to the 47th person through the gate. This system was only to be used if the old King had no surviving relatives (as was the case at the beginning of _Queen Zixi_). A similar situation existed in Pumperdink in _Purple Prince_. Nishibis enchanted the King and all of his relatives, except for Kettywig. Tyler: Maybe some of the one-time Kingdoms were in alternate dimensions. The major ones, however, like Oogaboo and Pumperdink, are probably in the same dimension as the Emerald City. Melody: I'm not really sure I understand your idea. What do you mean by "rejuvenating heroes?" Amy: _The Third Book of Oz_ is a collection of Baum's "Queer Visitors From the Marvelous Land of Oz" stories, along with "The Woggle-Bug Book." It is published by Buckethead Enterprises, and has Eric Shanower's illustrations. I do not own a copy of this. Herm: Don't bother locating _Blue Emperor_. I'm a little too tight on funds to spend $100 on a book just now. Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 20:27:03 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Jeremy: The only thing we can be sure of is that the Gump did indeed die. Just how, we are not sure. Craig: _A Barnstormer in Oz_ is by Phillip Jose Farmer. Heretical to the FF, it tells the story of Dorothy's grown son and his own trip to Oz, and Oz that is rather different from the one most of us know. THis book is, IMHO, a well written story, although not Ozzy in the traditional sense. March Laumer is the author of several Oz books. His writing is definitely more adult than traditional Oz books, but I found his stuff to be of excellent quality and I loved all of his books, with the exception of _Green Dolphin_. SOme people denounce Laumer and being filled with porn and other disgusting things, but I have never found it so. Sadly, Laumer's books are almost impossible to get. Volkov wrote six Oz books in Russian. At present, the first four may be obtained from PEter Blystone. Does anybody have his address? Amy: _The Third Book of Oz_ is a collection of short stories that Baum wrote for newspapers of his day. They are supposed to take place between _Land_ and _Ozma_ and are about the Scarecrow, Tin WOodman and the Wogglebug and their travels in America. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 17:50:54 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Oz -- For the Digest As I'm sure many of you have heard by now, Adriana Caselotti died over the weekend. She was eighty years old, and had lived a good long life. She is best known to the world as the voice of Snow White in Disney's first full-length animated feature, but she also has a slight "Oz" connection. Who do you think it was who sang "Wherefore art thou, Romeo?" to JAck Haley's Tin Woodman in the MGM movie? And the script even read "Voice of Snow White." --Eric "Just thought you'd all like to know" Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 23:44:31 -0500 (EST) From: BuckyB12@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest - For Immediate Release **MINOR SPOILERS FOR ROYAL BOOK, KABUMPO, and COWARDLY LION MAY FOLLOW** As I said in my poll answer, I've been reading KABUMPO. I was pleased to find a few references pertinent to our recent talk about national anthems. p. 70 ...the old (g)nome (Ruggedo) sat playing the accordion and howling doleful snatches of the (G)nome National Air... p. 124 "Sing the National Air for them," said the Candle King carelessly... (the two-verse anthem of the Illumi Nation follows) Actually, I've been pleasantly surprised by RPT's first two books, having been led to expect much less by the conversation on the Digest. ROYAL BOOK may have a few PC problems when we get to Silver Island, but on the whole I enjoyed it. KABUMPO seems even more well-thought-out, with RPT determined to leave her own stamp on Oz with her new characters while still involving many of Baum's. (I liked Sir Hokus, Doubty, and Camy better than Kabumpo, Pompa, and Wag, though) Many of her minor characters in ROYAL BOOK come and go a little too quickly (the Rattlesnake and the A-B-Sea Serpent, Memo and Randum, the unnamed candy giant); Baum usually devoted whole chapters to interludes like these. But there were LOL moments in each of the books ("Little Girl Beginning With D!" -- my favorite). I've been a little annoyed at her changes in spelling, and wonder if they were hers or her editors'. But, on the other hand, I finally got a joke from MAGIC that I'd missed. I'd assumed Hyup was pronounced as a sort of exclamatory affirmative (H-yup), but when she spells it Highup, it makes a lot more sense. And I'm really looking forward to COWARDLY LION, which I read a few times as a child, but it's been at least 20 years since the last time. I remember lots of it, though...Mustafa of Mudge, Doorways, Notta Bit More and Bob Up, Crunch the giant, the Flyaboutabus...and there's that unforgettable Neill illustration of the Lion turned to stone. Can't wait until next month! **END SPOILERS, IF INDEED THEY WERE** Which leads me (sort of) to Bear's inquiry about the organization of our reading habits. While I couldn't give you the number of books I read last year off the top of my head, I do have them all written down, with the dates I started them, so I could go back and add them up. I know I was averaging about 12 a month a while back, but that's down to 9-10 these days, now that I'm online (keeping up with the Digest, Savoynet, and a few message boards on AOL has been more time consuming than I'd thought). I also have the next several dozen books I'm planning to read listed in order, evenly spacing the biographies, mysteries, SF/fantasy, social history, 19th century women's fiction, etc....assuming one Oz title per month, also, and allowing for interpolations as the mood (or a new acquisition) strikes. (Gee, it feels odd parading my obsession around like this, but...) I think the "adults don't read" maxim is taken a bit too much for granted. I worked for a national bookstore chain some years back, and that was an unspoken assumption. They wanted us to run stores nationwide with the same limited number of titles, because it didn't matter. They thought people would buy whatever was put in front of them and no one really had to know anything about what was sold. I think the growth of larger superstore chains like Barnes & Noble and Borders has proved them wrong. Obviously there are people looking for a much broader range of titles. I support small independent stores, too, but sometimes you just want to go out and see what's really available, not what you can look up in Books in Print, and not having to wait for the local library budget to be unfrozen. Sorry to ramble, DJ ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 23, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 03:35:43 -0500 (EST) From: Karpaj@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest Dave, I am writing an article on L. Frank Baum and was told you run a listserve called the Ozzy Digest that deals with some Oz related issues. Can you advise me how to subscribe? I am looking for some information on Baum's knowledge of 19th century Utopian writers. Thanks. Andrew ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 22:49:37 +0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-14-96 Some days back, Nathan said: >I personally prefer the name WindOz to wOZdows. Of course, this is >not entirely relevant, as I doubt that this operating system, in any >form, is used in Oz. WOzdows? WindOz? Never! In Oz, where the good guys always win and creatures like Bill "Morden" Gates are melted, or at least reformed, they could only use OZ/2. (But I confess to being pusilanimous, myself, and attributing the 1999 computer in my book to "Helium Graphics".) // John W Kennedy -- Hypatia Software -- "The OS/2 Hobbit" ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 08:25:36 +0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-15-97 DavidXOE@aol.com wrote: >The King >of England styled himself King of France as well for quite a while in the >Plantagenet era, though most of the time he couldn't enforce it. The formal claim lasted well into the Hanoverian era. In fact, until 1800, the royal arms displayed the lilies of France in the first quarter, thus giving the theoretical claim to France priority over the actual rule of England. (1800 was the year that the harp of Ireland was added to the arms, providing an excuse to remove the lilies; it was in the same year that the cross of St. Patrick [argent, a saltire gules] was added to the existing crosses of St. George [argent, a cross gules] and St. Andrew [azure, a saltire argent] to create the modern form of the union jack. The present arms were adopted in 1837, when Victoria's accession required the deletion of the arms of Hanover, as a woman could not inherit there. // John W Kennedy -- Hypatia Software -- "The OS/2 Hobbit" ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 09:06:28 +0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-16-96 Scott Olsen said: >Robin: You said the University of Texas, Austin, doesn't allow photocopying. >But do you think they'd make an exception if a formal request was made by an >esteemed non-profit institution (i.e. International Wizard of Oz Club) to >photocopy them just once, to further the knowledge of L. Frank Baum? In my experience, sometimes permission can be obtained by offering to pay in full for making a microfilm that the library will keep, and then further paying for a hard copy taken from the microfilm. Of course in a case like this, it might be part of the conditions of their possession that copying not be allowed; perhaps the family, rather than the library, must be consulted. // John W Kennedy -- Hypatia Software -- "The OS/2 Hobbit" ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 13:19:59 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-21-97 Dave: You're correct in thinking "Sir Harold and the Gnome King." left me cold. :-) De Camp has been married 50 years? Could be true love or dogged loyalty.. :-) As for humor--de Camp could just as easily have had Ozma catch that pair smooching, arguing, having a pillow fight, etc.... :-) However, the book does have funny moments, like the scene where Sean tell Roquat why everybody hates him. Perhaps I was unfair. It's possible de Camp's belief in true love and friendship were at low ebb when he wrote "Sir Harold." By the way, I tend to believe that when you read fiction, you get an instant replay of the emotional state the author was in when he/she wrote it. Example: I got a feeling of great grief from reading Anne McCaffrey's "Helva" stories. Much later I learned she wrote them to work through her grief over the death of her father. Another author wrote fiction with characters motivated by money or revenge. Turned out the author was that way, too. Based on that conjecture, it would have been nice to meet the man who wrote "The Wizard of Oz"! Has anyone else had a similar experience? Prince Richard, David Hulan & Jeremy Steadman: I once wore gas-permeable semi-soft contacts--couldn't wear soft ones because of astigmatism. Then when their maintenance proved impossible--cleaning them eventually damaged them, and *not* cleaning them eventually damaged them--I got hard contacts. Which were painful to remove without a special little suction cup designed for the purpose. Plus, I had my baby not long after. Just the thought of sticking contacts in my eyes with fingers that had handled diapers--yecch. :-P Even with washed hands. So I gave up hard contacts. Sigh. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 18:07:09 +0000 From: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-22-97 Re: My spelling i question yesterday regarding _By The Candlelabra's [sic] Glare_ (_By The Candelabra's Glare_) Boy, did I mangle that one! Sincerely, Scott Olsen ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 13:47:41 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-22-97 Nathan & David Hulan: No, I'm not losing my mind and babbling nonsense. Yet. :-) Yes, that *was* a private E-mail that got in the Digest by mistake. Melody Grandy ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 12:00:14 -0700 (MST) From: estelle@usa.net (Estelle E. Klein) Subject: ozzy digest I could use some advice from book dealers/experts please- I was at a flea market the other day and picked up a "poor" WOZ by Lebeck-there is no front cover and many of the pictures are "colored in" with pencil. Is there any way to effectively remove the pencil marks without totally erasing the pages? BTW, I bought it because I had never seen all of the illustrations before, most of them are neat, the pages are intact, AND I only paid fifty cents!! So ... There was a mint one with sleeve advertised in Toy Shop magazine for $195! Is that "reasonable!?" Thanks ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 13:16:16 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-22-97 PBA Auction: No, I didn't get anything. I bid on the first of _Ojo..._ and lost out to a (gasp) $600 bid. The dj had creases in it and the hinges were starting to go, so I don't know why it went so high, but it did. Like Herm, I really don't care to get anything now unless it's pretty sharp. I wanted more Neill art, but knew it'd go too high for my budget. I'm just glad I got in there when the art prices were in the hundreds, not the thousands. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 13:11:05 -0600 From: Jim Vander Noot Subject: RE: Ozzy Digest, 01-22-97 Date: Tue, 21 Jan 1997 12:08:35 +0100 From: Bill Wright Subject: Return to Oz (Digest that is) I would like to get the 1997 conventions' data correctly posted at my website, so input from the organizers or equivalent is requested. Happy to be back!!!! Bill in Ozlo Bill - The IWOC web site convention pages and the events page should all have the information in the greatest detail available at this point Jim Vander noot ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 14:24:36 -0500 (EST) From: Nathan DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-22-97 Craig: I usually consider _Scalawagons_ to be the worst of the FF. It has some redeeming qualities, but lacks plot. Also, the characters who are not unique to this volume act quite different than they do in their other appearances. Most of the Ozites seem rather immature in _Scalawagons_. David: _Who's Who_ also states that Zeb's last name is Hugson. I would not necessarily accept it as correct because of this, however. _Who's Who_ contains many inaccuracies. DJ: Actually, in his rhyme, the Candy Giant states that his name is Bangladore. This is the name under which the Giant is listed in _Who's Who_. I also found Thompson's books to be quite humorous. Baum's books had some funny episodes, but they seemed more rare in his works than in Thompson's. Also, Baum's best humor often appeared in his more weakly-plotted works (like _Emerald City_ and _John Dough_). _Cowardly Lion_ was the first Thompson book, and the fourth Oz book (having been preceded by _Wizard_, _Land_, and _Tin Woodman_) that I read. I enjoyed it, but found it to be one of the oddest of Thompson's Oz books. For some reason, it kinda reminded me of Neill's works. Regarding Anthems: I wonder why the National Anthem of Oz would be called "The Oz Spangled Banner." This anthem may have been written when the Wizard informed an Ozian song-writer that the anthem of his homeland was "The Star-Spangled Banner." Whether or not it has the same tune as the American anthem is unknown, but it is possible. After all, Francis Scott Key took the tune from another song, so an Ozite could have done the same. Any thoughts on this matter? Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu "Having an Emperor's spirit wished upon you is no joke, Tappy. It's a blinking bore!" -The Scarecrow ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 15:06:03 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber@aol.com Subject: For Ozzy Digest Scott Olsen wrote: >We all know that Baum printed 99 copies of By The >Candlelabra's Glare. Does anyone have any idea about how >many copies are known to exist today? NOT SO. Actually, Baum kept a number of unnumbered copies, around ten, I believe, that he distributed later. For example, my daughter owns the deluxe, leather-bound copy he later presented to Ike Morgan (illustrator of Baum's Alphabets) as a wedding present. As to surviveablity, I guess one could estimate the attenuation with time of a large printing, but for a short run like Candelabra, there would be little correlation. I have only found one copy in 20 years, and there is no way of knowing how many survive in private hands. However, most large libraries now have on-line catalogs, so the number of their holdings could be ascertained. On the PBA prices: If the Tik-Tok and Glinda firsts were truly fine, the $850 and $550 would not be off the wall. But not if they were almost fine. Condition is everything, and there is always a better copy out there (except for mint, unread, and stored under glass.) Dave: On AOL access, I'm sure it depends entirely on how many subscribers are in one's area. I only have two toll-free numbers, and they are apparently overloaded, at least until AOL adds another. Herm Bieber ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 15:26:22 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-22-97 Bill of "Ozlo": What is your website? I've perused with interest many others, and am interested in adding yours to my addressbook. David H: Newberry "second-best books" are called Newberry Honor Medal books, not that that has any relation to Oz Tyler: Oh, dear. You assured me that "the Gump did indeed die". What question did I ask? (Sorry, I'm a paranoid college student with a creative mind, more health problems than I want to talk about, and no memory either.) Bucky (or DJ): I envy you in a way--as a college student, I barely get any time for pleasure reading (and I spend most of that time on the Digest--but that's even better than a book, since it keeps going and going and going Energizer Bunny-style). May the Digest never end, Jeremy Steadman ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 12:35:30 -0800 From: Ken Cope Subject: Jerry Tobias Oz Auction Another perspective on the P.B.A. Auction: I found the secured door at Kearney street at 11:00 am, was admitted and spent some time just wondering about the time it had taken to amass so many Oz books, and from where they had all come, to end up all together in one place. It took me a minute to recognize that the gentleman flitting about the room and running quite a scholarly commentary on the assortment, both to the proprieters and fellow bidders, was Peter Glassman. There were whispers that we should lock him up in a room somewhere just before one o'clock so any of us might have a chance at all, but he was quite frank in his evaluations of the assorted material, and quite helpful to anybody with questions for him. When he and Warren Hollister spoke after the auction, more than a few gems of Dick Martin lore and hindsight about collections and their values were shared with bidders still reeling from the dizzying zeros that had just flown through the room. An hour before the bidding was to begin, I left for lunch, and when I returned, moments before they were to begin the auction, two bidders were stopped at the street's intercom listening to PBA's answering machine for the 3rd time. Of course all lines were tied up by phone bidders, so I buzzed a taylor at another number who kindly let us in in time to find seats among the others gathered; perhaps 40 people. I'm used to seeing fewer Oz books and more Winkies in one room, the ratio was reversed, here. I don't think I bid against anybody on the phone, and kept to a quickly made decision not to even think about trying; too rich for me. I stuck to a budget Gen and I agreed upon beforehand, but forgot the house was taking 15%, so I still went over. I guess that this collection showed me that I already had quite a bit of what I've been looking for, primarily Neill plates and RPT's, and various scholarly Baumographies. I was fortunate to get the "assorted Oziana" for $300, some of it I'll make available next Winkies. (Two copies of _To Please a Child_, an Oz Scrapbook, _50th Ann WOO_, and _The Annotated WOO_.) I didn't look at it beforehand, so was pleasantly surprised to see the Aljean Harmetz book signature to Jerry Tobias, and Margaret Hamilton's too! The _50th Ann. WOO_ has Meinhardt Raabe's auto to Patty Tobias in it. But the best surprise was getting a first of _Pirates in Oz_ that had been James Haff's in 1931. Finding connections like that (that make me feel like less of a pirate myself for having found a link to the actual territory so well mapped by the noted late cartographer) draws the magic that surrounds Oz just a little closer for me. (Though the early Patchwork Girl I found in North Hollywood a few years ago with two stamps and handwriting indicating it was property of The Uplifters still gives me a wondering chill.) I got a first of _The Marvelous Land of Oz_ (lot #13) for $750. No prior bid had been placed, via e-mail or phone, and I could be wrong, but it looked to me to be the better of the two firsts I recall being there. I was lucky, for the next lot had a prior bid of $950 to start, perhaps assuming the other one would go for more, so they'd bid for the one they thought they might have a chance on. I had just missed a Wizard first, then a Road with rainbow pages, and after that just sat on my hands hoping for a chance at the complete run of Bugles that was had for only $800. Not by me, sadly. What I was hoping for was any of the original Neills, all of which I believe Peter Glassman has now; the watercolored Electra went for $10,000. The others, (I'm in denial and will probably stand corrected) went for $5000 and one for only $500! Peter has advised his clients (some on whose behalf he was bidding) to consider these as prices for 5 years for now. The Neill illo from _Tik-Tok of Oz_, page 211 in my copy, was described in the catalog as a funny king seated on a bubble. In the original size, the 'bubble' looked to me more like it was part of a pair belonging to a much larger woman, though it was certainly composed of silicone. I did get a Neill illustrated _Hiawatha_ for $130, and the assorted collection I mentioned before filled in some gaps that I'm happy about, like the Gardner/Nye _WoO and Who He Was_ as well as the Fantasy and SF magazines that contained Gardner's original essays. In retrospect, I wish I had been bidding on the RPTs without fooling myself about the original art's accessibility to mere mortals; glad I at least got to bask in the glow. I am only missing one or two reading copies, and I might have been able to correct that had I planned beforehand. With poorer material fetching high prices, the days of Oz being unappreciated and unrecognized for its value by a larger market appear to be quite finitely numbered, especially with the Centenary approaching. May all your collections do so well if you decide to place them on the block, and may they find collectors who will appreciate them as well as you have. Something you should be able to do without spending as much money, is run out and find a bar of chocolate. Yesterday a co-worker brought me a bar of Newman's Own Organics Espresso Sweet Dark Chocolate. It was a delicious 3 oz. surprise, and if you know what I'm talking about, please don't spoil it for those who haven't yet tried it. Ken Cope Ones & Zeroes SurReal Estate pinhead@ozcot.com ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 13:02:47 -0800 From: ozbot@ix.netcom.com (ozbot) Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest stuff I think it was here that someone was mentioning viruses via e-mail. My friend sent me this message regarding a new virus that uses e-mail, so maybe that was what brought some confusion. > >I just heard about a new virus going around, you can get it from java >enabled web pages. If you get an e-mail message with the subject "Deeyenda" >erase it immediately. The virus searches for passwords and credit card >info. The virus then e-mails the info to anonymous re-mailers. > > I don't know how valid this claim is, but I guess any precaution would be better than none at all Maybe something Ozzy next time, Danny PS thanks to all who responded about Jellia Jamb! ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 16:16:39 -0500 (EST) From: "Mark A. Semich" Subject: Re: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-21-97 Cc: DAVEH47@delphi.com > Anyway, I'm finally catching up on the gaps in the FF that I finally > acquired in the last year. Now I'm reading Scalawagons. So far, I'm > not too impressed. I remember not caring too much for The Wonder > City when I read it years ago. I was very unimpressed with the Neill books, but it's worth reading them so that you can read his recently published "Runaway (in? of?) Oz", (written back in the 40's, now available from Books of Wonder) which is surprisingly very good. I thought Magical Mimics was an excellent novel - Shaggy Man wasn't as memorable. In addition to Hidden Valley, Rachel Cosgrove(-Payes) also wrote "Wicked Witch of Oz" back in the fifties sometime. It is now available from the International Wizard of Oz Club. I found the book to be brilliant - much better than her Hidden Valley. Both "Runaway" and "Wicked Witch" are illustrated by Eric Shanower - perhaps he has the magic touch that somehow makes books that he goes near extra-brilliant - I highly recommend both of them. ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 18:07:13 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-22-97 Bill: Welcome back! Craig: For my taste, WONDER CITY and SCALAWAGONS are the two weakest FF books by a fairly substantial margin. Each has its moments, but they're few, and neither one has much of a plot. (Neill's other two books, LUCKY BUCKY and the non-FF, Shanower-edited RUNAWAY, are much better; I rate them C to C+.) As for the others, I don't think SHAGGY MAN is as good as MAGICAL MIMICS, but it's still solid Oz, in the C+-to-B- range. (It's clearly inspired by JOHN DOUGH AND THE CHERUB, and takes place almost entirely outside Oz.) HIDDEN VALLEY vies with OZOPLANING as the worst FF book not by Neill. And MERRY-GO-ROUND is a solid A, one of the half dozen best of the FF. (All of the above, of course, IMHO.) Jeremy: I haven't ever worn contacts, but I can't think of any reason why one couldn't wear contacts and glasses at the same time. Certainly no optical reason (I made my living in optics for over 30 years, so I know what I'm talking about there); the only reason I could think of would be that the press ure of the glasses on one's nose might have a physiological effect on the eyes that wouldn't work well with contacts. But I doubt it. Tyler's account of the Damon and Pythias story is accurate in its outline. The story of how Pythias got into trouble with Dionysius, and the trouble he had getting back in time, probably are where the Greek love of violence got its due. (And Dionysius was a historical person, so D&P might have been as well. Damocles was another well-known character at that court, incidentally.) Steve: Like you, I'd love to lose 25 pounds, if I could do it without giving up the food and drink that I enjoy. (And without having to give up the time that a serious exercise program would demand.) Heck, I'd love to lose 50 pounds. LION AND THE BADGE OF COURAGE may be Roger Baum's best book so far, but that's not saying a great deal - and it sounds pretty heretical, too. Ruth: I don't think Ozma needs "elaborate security precautions" to keep out invaders, but maybe somebody at each of the four city gates who can see a hostile army approaching and run tell her? Actually, the flaw seems less in Ozma than in the citizens of the EC; it's hard to believe that Mogodore's army wasn't seen by someone long before it got there. (In SCALAWAGONS the Puckerts take on the warning function, but they're never mentioned in later books. Of course, there was never an overt invasion in a later book; everyone saw the Mimics coming but didn't recognize them as an invasion, and Conjo arrived by magic.) In any case, this isn't evidence of wimpishness on Ozma's part - it's either lack of forethought or such a high level of self-confidence that she doesn't think she needs warning of invaders, which is the reverse of wimpishness. I didn't say there was any direct evidence that Henry and Em were two generations older than Dorothy. It just seems a possibility. DJ: Depends on who you've been listening to on the Digest. Ruth and I, for instance, think RPT's books are often as good as or better than Baum's (depending on which book by which author, of course). WISHING HORSE is still my favorite Oz book of the whole FF. COWARDLY LION, unfortunately, is not one of her better books for adults, although it seems to go over better with children. What the heck, I think I'll give my ratings for the whole FF. Give everyone a chance to jump on me if they strongly disagree. A+: LOST PRINCESS, WISHING HORSE A: OZMA, PATCHWORK GIRL, RINKITINK, SPEEDY, MERRY-GO-ROUND A-: OJO, HANDY MANDY, SILVER PRINCESS B+: WIZARD, LAND, SCARECROW, MAGIC, LOST KING, YELLOW KNIGHT, MAGICAL MIMICS B: GLINDA, ROYAL BOOK, KABUMPO, HUNGRY TIGER, JACK PUMPKINHEAD, PIRATES B-: TIK-TOK, GNOME KING, GIANT HORSE, PURPLE PRINCE, CAPTAIN SALT, SHAGGY MAN C+: EMERALD CITY, GRAMPA, LUCKY BUCKY C: TIN WOODMAN, COWARDLY LION C-: DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD, ROAD D+: OZOPLANING, HIDDEN VALLEY D: WONDER CITY, SCALAWAGONS Within grades books are listed in publication order. If I did this again in a month, a few books might shift up or down one line, but not likely more than that. And I've read all of the books at least four or five times. "Adults don't read" is clearly false - you wouldn't have a group like the Digest (only three or four of whom aren't old enough to buy a drink if they wanted to) if that were true. "Most adults don't read books to any great extent," though, I think is true. There are probably 200 million adults in the US, and it's a rare book that sells more than 2 million copies. That's 1% of the adult population. It's still a substantial market, but if you pick adults at random off the street (at some distance from the nearest bookstore or library) and ask them if they've read a book in the last month, I'd bet that better than 90% would say "No." If you confine it to fiction, that would probably move nearer 95%. David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 18:49:32 -0500 From: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Bill: Welcome back! Your comments have been missed :-) Damon and Pythias: My version, obviously, was shortened to fit in with _LITB_, as an analogy to Beaver's giving of his homework assignment to his lazy friend, even though it meant Beaver paying the price for not doing his homework. Nathan: You made the point I thought of last night. Pompa had disappeared too, so Pompus's line was gone, leaving Ketty the nearest person to the throne. If I forgot to do so two days ago, my MOPPeT about the mini-Universes for kingdoms does not necessarily apply to all of them. Clearly, there are several that are physically in Oz. Thanks for the note, though. --Tyler Jones ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 21:06:43 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-22-97 Thanks to all who corrected me: Yes, I was thinking of McGraw, not Cosgrove, who was a Newberry Award runner-up. So has anyone read it? Tyler: I tried accessing your web page, but I got a message that it was not available. Do you know if that's a problem with my end or yours? -- Craig ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 18:43:36 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Ozzy Comments "The Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage" may be available to just about everyone else, but I recently ordered it from Amazon.Com, and they sent me an e-mail some time later saying they couldn't get it. (If Books of Wonder doesn't have it in their next catalog, I'll try Amazon.Com again and my local bookstore.) I think I may have missed something -- what was the PBS auction? Was it online or something? And someone mentioned their website -- what's the URL? --Eric Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 22:20:19 -0500 (EST) From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: TODAY'S OZ GROWLS Nathan - FWIW, I enjoyed your quotes. However, it must be time for some new ones. General Query - Is the Wizard of Oz Waddle Book simply WOZ with some associated paper dolls? Another - I was reading an obit of Adriana Caselotti and saw she had a bit part in WOZ. Does anyone know what that was? Although I live near SF I didn't bother to go to the auction. I expected a feeding frenzy by dealers. Apparently that is what happened. Herm's comment that the market is over-Ozified certainly isn't true around here. Prices are still sky (island) high. Bucky B12 = DJ = Who are you? Enjoyed your post. Just had an idea. We have a real diversity on the Digest as far as having read the famous forty. Would anyone be interested in getting Dave (or I will do it) to designate an "Oz Book of the Month." Then we could all read it and discuss it that month. It would put a large number of us on the same page at the same time. What do you think? (Can you tell I spent some years in Great Books Discussion Groups?) Bookishly, Bear (:<) ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 23 Jan 1997 00:25:00 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things I like this "Book of the Month" idea of Bear's -- It might give us a chance to really discuss certain books, and perhaps might encourage others ( e.g. me :) ) to read some of those books they haven't yet. O.K., here's my "scale" for the Oz books I like in order from best to least (I don't believe in grades, so I have not included any - just a list in order of preference). _Patchwork Girl_, _Seven Blue Mountains_, _Locasta_ ( modest, ain't I? :) ), _Scarecrow_, _Tik-Tok_, _Merry-Go-Round_, _Wicked Witch_, _Glinda_, The other Baum books, _Wishing Horse_, _Giant Horse_, _Silver Princess_, The EmCity Press Books, The Graphic Novels, The other Thompson books I've read, _Magical Mimics_, _Wonder City_. -- Dave ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 24, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 09:00:17 +0500 From: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-20-97 Melody G. Keller wrote: >In that book [sc. Sir Harold and the Gnome King], Ozma's marriage >to Evardo is definitely political, especially since the author >obviously does not believe in real love or friendship, >only sex. He depicts Ozma as an insufferable snob. Yuck. :-P It's been a while since I read that particular episode of the Shea stories, so I am not sure how far it may be said that it give such an impression, but this is, in general, a gross libel upon them. The "Enchanter" tales are, in fact, quite romantic, or at least as romantic as fiction written by and for science-culture males ever gets. // John W Kennedy -- Hypatia Software -- "The OS/2 Hobbit" ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 12:42:23 -0500 (EST) From: Ozisus@aol.com Subject: Chatty Oz post Hi posters. Looks like my Oz collection and I will be featured on the television program Personal Fx on Monday, Feb. 3. I hope those of you who get the fX channel it will watch, then lie and tell me you didn't if I wind up making a fool of myself. I will at least mention the IWOC and can probably state the URL for our Web site. I'll ask them to show the mailing and web site addresses on screen but I've never known the program to do that so I don't know if they'll agree. Don't know yet what I'll show in addition to the core Oz books and a Wizard 1st edition, but I've left a tree up decorated with Oz ornaments; the 1921 Parker Brothers game will show well on camera; I'm thinking about something international (could hang my French "Return to Oz" poster and Spanish lobby cards for "Journey Back to Oz" as well as the few foriegn Wizards I have and Russian titles by Volkov); would love to include the 1902 stage production. None of my dolls/toys are particularly interesting. Could do my John Dough copy with the contest blank to incorporate Baum's non-Oz, or else of his pseudonymous titles. Feel free to make suggestions! In any case, the way I display things in my Oz room means that people like you folks who know what you are looking at will spot interesting things even if they aren't pulled out and discussed. After the collection is seen by the program's advance scout, I'll rearrange my little heart out to make every bit of space count for you careful watchers. It also appears that we'll be doing family show and tell; my mom, who watches the program religiously, wants to bring on something to be appraised. Since her house is practically a museum of curious things, she hasn't decided what to bring though she's narrowed it to a dozen choices. And my Dad is pondering coming on camera with a turn-of-the-century wooden fly rod. So, watchers, the "Sarah" and "Bill" you'll see are otherwise known as "Jane's parents." I was delighted to learn yesterday that I, too, was successful in one bid in the recent Tobias auction. It had been long enough that I figured I was out. I paid $250 (plus the fees and stuff -- it came in just under $300) for one of the two Father Goose's Yearbooks. That price didn't seem unreasonable to me when I bid it. I will be interested to see what the other copy sold for. Does anyone know when all the prices realized will be posted on the Pacfic Book Auction Galleries web site? "Soon" is such a relative term. I already have Father Goose (three copies if you can swallow hard enough to count a horrendous one bound in gaffer tape), his Song Book (two copies here, too, if you count the black and white 1952 reprint) and two different song-sheet supplements from newspapers. I've been viewing the missing Yearbook as an ugly gaping hole in my Father Goose display. I've often thought about making color copies from one of the more battered copies to make a frieze around a room. Re: the search for info on 1902's Tin Man, Dave Montgomery. I managed to get an obituary on him by calling the public library in St. Joseph, Mo. Not much in it, however. It did say he was survived by a wife, though gave no name for her. Re: Prompted by discussion of Koupal's Our Landlady (which, Nancy, I both enjoyed and found extremely helpful when editing/adding to the Oz timeline that's posted on the IWOC's web page). An individual at Ozmopolitan last June who's attended that event for years and has been a member for at least 5 years, thought it was a biography of some housekeeper of the Baums. The moral to that story: We all need to do a better job of talking about Ozzy stuff with enough general description for others to learn and enjoy along with us. I hope I can meet my own standard for that on TV Feb. 3!! (I once attended a business meeting where people kept refering to "QuickSet" -- a fixture installation method at Hallmark. Afterward, someone told me they were puzzled when we talked about using ice cubes in jello. Another memorable jargon moment followed a Hallmark reference to "signing" -- our word for sets of in-store signs -- when I was asked if we had "lots of deaf people here." As editor of Hallmark's daily employee paper, I'm always pushed to remember that people don't know what we are talking about unless we cut the jargon. The Digest's list of acronyms on Dave Hardenbrook's home page is a great help here). Saddened to read of Adriana's death. At least one version of the obituary included a reference to her "bit part in The Wizard of Oz" because my sister noticed it and called me. Enough rambling for today, Jane ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 14:21:00 -0800 (PST) From: "Koupal, Nancy" Subject: Ozzy Digest Robin: Is your poll compilation going to include the raw data or do I need to keep the original responses? Ruth: By the time I finished the annotations I knew more about the 1890s than the 1990s, but I think they do allow Baum's wit to surface, and comments like yours make the work all worthwhile. Thanks. thought you might be interested in knowing that the conference kick-off involved the announcement that Aberdeen, South Dakota, will be hosting its first annual Oz festival this summer, 8-10 August 1997. The Aberdeen Oz Council, which is organizing the event, is planning tours of Baum sites, an original chautauqua on Baum's Dakota Heritage, theater presentations of his plays, an Emerald City arts fair, and so on. The group had great press packets and great visuals. They came in costume, including the Patchwork Girl, Scarecrow, Dorothy, and Jack Pumpkinhead. The official name of the event is The L. Frank Baum Oz Festival. The director is Karelyn Farrand, who can be reached at (605) 229-5430, or P.O. Box 2076, Aberdeen, SD 57402-2076. Cordially, Nancy Tystad Koupal ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 19:10:13 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-23-97 Re humor in Oz books: Contrary to what Chris Dulabone might conjecture, I believe humor should be kept to a minimum--even in Oz books. Nathan: Where've your quotes gone? I thought they added spice to your responses. Re PBA events: So that's where all the auction is! Richard B: `Oz Book of the Month'--now there's a neat idea! That will help bring memories back to people who've read it but forgotten (like me). The only thing we have to worry about is the ***SPOILER*** phenomenon. Those who rated PATCHWORK GIRL highly--curiously enough, that's the first book I read after the first. Before I found it, I believed WIZARD to be the only one of its kind (rather naive of me!). Ozzily yours, Jeremy Steadman ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 18:18:57 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-23-97 John: U.T. is caught in the throes of the Baum Trust, I guess. They will *not* allow photocopying of the Baum mss. Not only that but, IIRC, their information as to who to contact for such permission is out of date. Lebeck Oz: Over $100 seems a bit silly to me unless the fragile spine is in really fine shape (as well as the boards, etc.) To remove the pencil, try an art gum eraser or (carefully) use the rubber cement method that is so successful with crayon removal on this kind of paper stock. Dick: The Waddle Book is WOZ with cardstock Oz figures that can be removed and assembled and will "waddle" down an enclosed YBR. Only a very few (it used to be only two, but I think we know of more now) complete copies have been discovered. Applewood recently issued a very attractive reprint of the Waddle Book. It should still be around on some remainder tables. Bear: Book of the month?! O.K. Why not?! David: Our taste in Oz books doesn't tally perfectly, of course, but our Oz likes and non-likes (I hate to say "dislikes" here) are remarkably similar. --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 16:21:55 -0800 From: Bob Spark Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-23-97 DaveH47 & Bear, That "book of the month" idea of Bear's sounds good to me. If it is implimented, please allow some lead time for those of us who do not have copies to acquire them as they are selected for discussion. Thanks, Bob Spark ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 19:38:12 -0500 (EST) From: Wes A Brzozowski Subject: ozzy digest I haven't posted in a while so some of this might be out of date. Bob:I agree with your MGM, Miss Gulch dreem assumption. Since Miss Gulch wasn't in the book it isn't saying that Oz is a dreem. About the Nome King in Rinkatink (I know I spelled that wrong). Although Kaliko was skinny in Ozma of Oz, when he became king he could sit on his throne and he wouldn't get much exercise but when he was steward he had to run arround a lot and dodge the stuff that was throne at him. Rich Morrisey wrote might be hard to explain. This wouldn't be too hard to explain because when Dorothy came from Kansas, the wizard could have come through the same worm hole in Nebraska a few years before in his balloon. About the chat session:Can you get to that if you don't have the web? Barbra Belgrave: I loved the picture on your poll response. Jereny Stedman:The virus warning about Pen Pall Greatings was not a joke, however it can not do anything to your hard drive unless you subscribe to it because there is so much stuff to program for, like types of computers and internet servers, it would take so much memory to send then you would have to have another computer running it, which I don't think you can do. Annie ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 20:14:21 -0500 (EST) From: Nathan DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-23-97 Bear: Yes, it's probably time to get some new quotes. I don't have my signature file anymore, and, since I don't know how to (or if I even _can_) create a sig file on the VAX, which is what I am using now. I might put some new quotes in my messages, if I can find any. The "Oz Book of the Month" is a good idea. The problem I might have with this is that I don't own every Oz book, and I don't have all of the ones I own with me at college. I've read all of the FF except for _Pirates_, however, and can probably still get involved in discussions. Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu "Time! TIME! When did time ever break an enchantment?" -Wutz ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 21:52:18 -0500 (EST) From: "James R. Whitcomb" Subject: For Ozzy Digest Hello Ozzy Digesters: Eric Gjovaag: Re: The Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage. If this is the one by Roger S. Baum, which I think it is, you may want to try contacting him directly to obtain a copy if you can't find it elsewhere. He is the President of the Yellow Brick Road Oz Club and the phone number/address follows. I am a member and haven't received my copy from him yet. If I don't receive in a couple weeks, maybe I'll have to write him a letter. 619/779-1420; Yellow Brick Road Oz Club, 73091 Country Club Dr., Suite A4-40, Palm Desert, CA 92260. -------- Jane Albright: I discovered an error in your Oz Chronology that you may want to correct. For the year 1979 it says: June 7 - Actor Jack Haley dies in Los Angeles [which is correct]. However, in the next section for the year 1980 it says: May 12 - "Wizard of Oz Day" in Los Angeles unites Jack Haley, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, etc. ... I don't recall seeing mention of the "Yellow Brick Road Oz Club" in your Oz Chronology. You may want to consider adding it(?) It began in 1995 by Roger S. Baum. If you'd like more info about it, please let me know. -------- Everyone: I have noticed lately when looking at "Wizard of Oz" movie credits printed in various sources that Clara Blandick, who of course played Aunt Em in the film, is omitted from the list of cast members. However, Charley Grapewin who played Uncle Henry is mentioned. Does anyone know why Clara Blandick is overlooked in these credits? In my opinion, her role was every bit as significant as Charley Grapewin's. This seems a trifle bit sexist to me. I have received many nice comments, lots via personal email, from Ozzy Digesters and other non-Ozzy Digester oz fans re: my website. I just wanted to thank everyone from the Digest for your comments. I learned last evening, and am pleased to let you know, that I won a "Best Website Award" from "Roadkill Cafe". While the same sounds strange, they are a very well-known and respected internet site because they offer "free graphics" to folks who are designing their own websites. Also, I uploaded another page devoted to the ruby slippers if anyone is interested in taking a peek. URL: http://www.geocities.com/~ozfan/ Jim Whitcomb. ====================================================================== Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 02:53:43 +0000 (GMT) From: Richard Tuerk Subject: Oz as Utopia On 22 Jan. Andrew wrote: > I am writing an article on L. Frank Baum and was told you run a listserve >called the Ozzy Digest that deals with some Oz related issues. Can you >advise me how to subscribe? I am looking for some information on Baum's >knowledge of 19th century Utopian writers. Thanks. I too am now working on Oz as a utopia. I don't have the kind of information Andrew wants, but I too would appreciate seeing it in the Digest. Rich Tuerk ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 23 Jan 1997 23:50:14 -0500 (EST) From: Gili Bar-Hillel Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-23-97 8-* (recoiling in horror from grades given to Oz books) That hurts. I feel so sorry for the Oz books that didn't get high scores. :-) Welcome back, Bill! Harvard has a copy of "By the Candelabra's Glare", or so says the computerized catalog. Harvard has an impressive collection of Oziana, filed as rare books which means I can't check them out. :-) Ken C.- I'm SOOOO jealous. I actually put in an online bid for those assorted Oziana, though I bid so stingily I must have been outbid within seconds. Must admit feeling a bit smug to find you didn't have "The Wizard of Oz and Who He Was". Anyone with Netscape access who has not yet payed a visit to Amazon Books is behaving irrationally. You too can have a brand new copy of "The Wizard of Oz and Who He was" delivered to you for $17 plus postage, without having to outbid Californian millionares for it. And Dick Martin's Cut and Assemble Emerald City, and the Waddle Book, and Salman Rushdie's Essay about the movie, and lots of BOW books, and other goodies. http://www.amazon.com . I can't believe some of the prices people pay for Oz books. I can't even believe the prices I'VE paid for Oz books, and I only have about six books that were in the $50-$100 range. (Though I'm sure if I put my collection up for auction I could get much more for it than I put into it - take the $6 _Emerald Rain_ for example, or the Oz-book-that-folds-into-a-match-box that was comissioned to be hand illustrated for me as a gift from another Israeli book collector). Speaking of collectors' items, do any of you know anything about the "Opium Books" press in Hong Kong? I have a couple of books that were printed there, and I know Alla T. Ford had some connection with them but unfortunately I never got around to asking her about that, as she was taken ill shortly after we began corresponding (by overseas snailmail, so it took time, too...) I'm most interested to find out a little about my copy of "John Dough and the Cherub", illustrated by Lau Shiu Fau in different colored inks (that is, each illustration is outlined in one color only, but every two pages of the book the color is different - tan, light blue, green, dark blue, mauve...) As for various virus warnings, I've reached the point where I am receiving more parodies of these warnings than actual warnings. Here are the first few lines of the latest one (it goes on quite a bit after this): BEWARE THE GOODTIMES VIRUS! Goodtimes will re-write your hard drive. Not only that, but it will scramble any disks that are even close to your computer. It will recalibrate your refrigerator's coolness setting so all your ice cream goes melty. It will demagnetize the strips on all your credit cards, screw up the tracking on your television and use subspace field harmonics to scratch any CD's you try to play. It will give your ex-girlfriend your new phone number. It will mix Kool-aid into your fishtank. It will drink all your beer and leave its socks out on the coffee table when there's company coming over... (etc.) G'night! Gili ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gili Bar-Hillel abhillel@fas.harvard.edu gili@scso.com http://www.scso.com/~gili ====================================================================== "He thought he saw an Elephant |\ _,,,---,,_ That practised on a fife: /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ He looked again, and found it was |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'-' A letter from his wife. '---''(_/--' `-'\_) 'At length I realise,' he said, (cat by Felix Lee) 'The bitterness of Life!'" - Lewis Carrol, "Sylvie and Bruno" ====================================================================== Date: 24 Jan 97 10:22 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things Jeremy: Don't feel bad about your initial unawareness...Remember that most people think that _The Wizard of Oz_ is an original screenplay by Noel Langley, et al! :) Seriously, *I* probably would never have heard of the Oz books at all (and I feel bad for forgetting to mention this in Robin's Poll) if it weren't for my dad's close friend, Bob Patrick. He was a member of the IWOC and he told my dad about the Oz books, and years later my dad got them and read them to me. Sadly, Mr. Partick died before I was born so I was never able to say to him, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for my knowledge of Oz!" as I would like. (Is there by any chance anyone here on the Digest who knew him?) Gili: Can you sent me the complete text of that virus paraody? Funny! :) -- Dave ====================================================================== ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 25 - 26, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 05:02:54 +0000 =46rom: Scott Olsen Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-23-97 Bravo, Ken, for an excellent report on the Tobias auction! And your e= nding comment about the Newman's Own Expresso really put things in perspect= ive. Thanks again! (Now Joel, where's your report?) Scott Olsen Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 09:55:23 -0500 (EST) =46rom: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-23-97 Bear and Dave: I think the book-of-the-month ideas is great. Let's do it! Regarding the auction: Hearing about all those numbers with zeroes really depresses me. I w= onder how much of the market is dictated by collectors who truly love Oz ve= rsus speculators who are out to make a killing. I also wonder about the availability of reading copies. I have readi= ng copies of all the FF and 7 first editions, so I'm definitely ready to upgrade. However, I'm still in the reading copies stage of my non-Oz= Baum collection. It seems like the only books for sale are a few paperbac= k Dover reprints (which I already have) and astronomically-priced first and s= econd editions. How many clothbound reprints did books such as "John Dough= ," "The Magical Monarch of Mo," and "The Master Key" go through anyway? Are = reading copies scarce because they simply went through far fewer editions tha= n the Oz books? Or are they scarce because dealers only want to deal in expen= sive first editions? -- Craig Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 10:54:11 -0800 =46rom: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-23-97 References: <01IEK7H4GETU9AMHVF@delphi.com> > Craig: > I usually consider _Scalawagons_ to be the worst of the FF. It has= some > redeeming qualities, but lacks plot. Also, the characters who are = not unique > to this volume act quite different than they do in their other appe= arances. > Most of the Ozites seem rather immature in _Scalawagons_. of the FF. I am amused by the Neill books but really bored by HV. P= art of the problem might be the Dirk illustrations which are the worst in the FF. It would have been interesting if Eric Shanower had re-illustrated HV. I might like it better. > From: HermBieber@aol.com > For example, my daughter owns the > deluxe, leather-bound copy he later presented to Ike Morgan (illust= rator of > Baum's Alphabets) as a wedding present. =20 > Herm Bieber >=20 Herm: I am amazed at you! Ike Morgan illustrated THE WOGGLE-BUG BOO= K,=20 not the alphabets. They were illustrated by Harry Kennedy. > > LION AND THE BADGE OF COURAGE may be Roger Baum's best book so far,= but > that's not saying a great deal True > - and it sounds pretty heretical, too. >=20 > David Hulan >=20 There are degrees a heresy. It is anachronistic, but there is little that is truly heretical in LION OF OZ. This is largely because it chiefly covers ground not covered in the FF. > >=20 > I think I may have missed something -- what was the PBS auction? W= as it > online or something? And someone mentioned their website -- what's= the > URL? >=20 > --Eric Gjovaag PBS's URL is > From: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> > General Query - Is the Wizard of Oz Waddle Book simply WOZ with som= e associated > paper dolls? >=20 It is more than that. The book (rarely found in the original edition with the Waddles) contained a walkway and several jointed figures wit= h special metal hinges that would enable them to walk down the walkway.= =20 The cover of the edition is unique, and it has several pages in back which tell how to assemple the waddles. It was reissued a few years = ago by Applewood Books with the waddles. > Another - I was reading an obit of Adriana Caselotti and saw she ha= d a bit part > in WOZ. Does anyone know what that was? She was the voice that says: "Wherefore art thou Romeo" in "It I only had a Heart." >=20 > Just had an idea. We have a real diversity on the Digest as far as= having read > the famous forty. Would anyone be interested in getting Dave (or I= will do it) > to designate an "Oz Book of the Month." Then we could all read it = and discuss > it that month. It would put a large number of us on the same page = at the same > time. What do you think? (Can you tell I spent some years in Grea= t Books > Discussion Groups?) >=20 > Bookishly, Bear (:<) > From: Dave Hardenbrook=20 > I like this "Book of the Month" idea of Bear's -- It might give us > a chance to really discuss certain books, and perhaps might encoura= ge > others ( e.g. me :) ) to read some of those books they haven't yet. >=20 I think I would be a good idea also. It might prompt me to re-read s= ome of the books I have not read in years. To get the whole thing starte= d I propose we make February DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD month. This is one = of the more contraversial books. David gives it a C-. =20 Steve T. Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 11:52:07 -0600 =46rom: International Wizard of Oz Club Subject: RE: oz scenery Pat, That's a tough one. I don't have that information, but am passing yo= ur question on to the Ozzy Digest discussion group, which is made up of folks from all over the world. Hopefully someone will be able to provide some help. Sincerely, Jim Vander Noot ---------- =46rom: =09PBrown6995@aol.com Sent: =09Wednesday, January 22, 1997 8:58 PM Subject: =09oz scenery We are doing a ballet based on Oz and charcters in the books. We are= in need of stage scenery for the production. Do you know of any for rent -or= other organizations that have produced similar productions. (amateur , of = course) pat brown Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 14:03:56 -0500 =46rom: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-23-97 Herm: You have ONLY two toll free access numbers to AOL? I only wish I had one! (:-( Mark: I agree wholeheartedly with your comments on "Runaway in Oz", = and "The Wicked Witch of Oz". The former being the best of Neill (with help f= rom Eric Shanower), and the latter the best of Cosgrove/Payes. David: Without re-reading the FF, my only obvious differences with your ratings would be (1) to switch the positions of "Dorothy an= d the Wizard", which I liked, with "Merry-Go-Round" which I didn't, and (2) move "Hidden Valley" up a notch or two. Bear: Your "Oz Book of the Month" suggestion is a great idea. Dick Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 13:22:40 -0800 =46rom: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-24-97 In my last response I answered Eric's query about a PBS URL. Now I f= eel like a fool. What he really wanted was the PBA URL which is >=20 >=20 > Speaking of collectors' items, do any of you know anything about th= e > "Opium Books" press in Hong Kong? I have a couple of books that wer= e > printed there, and I know Alla T. Ford had some connection with the= m but > unfortunately I never got around to asking her about that, as she w= as > taken ill shortly after we began corresponding (by overseas snailma= il, so > it took time, too...) I'm most interested to find out a little abou= t my > copy of "John Dough and the Cherub", illustrated by Lau Shiu Fau in > different colored inks (that is, each illustration is outlined in o= ne > color only, but every two pages of the book the color is different = - tan, > light blue, green, dark blue, mauve...) >=20 > Gili Opium Press was March Laumer's imprint while he lived in Hong Kong.= =20 Even now the books he puts out in "Provisional" editions are given Op= ium Series numbers. One of his most interesting projects was MISTER FLIN= T IN OZ by Ray Powell which was also illustrated by Lau Shui Fau. The book was finally published by Buckethead. He did do a monochrome ZIXI with the Richardson illustrations. He also published WOODEN SOLDIERS= IN OZ, the first English translation of a Volkov book. It changed the names of characters and places to be consistant with the Oz books. Dave: I didn't know Robert Pattrick, but he was one of the earliest members= of IWOC. He wrote the original version of UNEXPLORED TERRITORY OF OZ= =20 (still available from IWOC) and he collaborated with Fred Meyer in an edition of A RUNAWAY IN OZ which never got published. Steve T. Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 14:44:46 -0500 (EST) =46rom: Nathan DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-24-97 Jeremy: The hard drive on the computer that I am using (my roommate and I sha= re it) recently crashed, and we lost Pegasus Mail. I don't know how to crea= te a signature file on VMS, which I am currently using, which is why I don= 't have the quotes at the end of every message. My roommate downloaded Pegas= us Mail before, but I don't know where he did this. He knows more about comp= uters than I do. Gili: I haven't ever paid all that much for Oz books, but I don't have very= many old editions. I do have a copy of _Yellow Knight_ which is fairly old (p= ossibly a first), but it is in rather poor condition. I got it for $20 at the = Munchkin Convention. I'd like a copy of that virus warning parody. =09Nathan Mulac DeHoff =09lnvf@grove.iup.edu =09"I must ask you to leave everything in the disorder in which you f= ind =09it." -Professor Wogglebug Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 14:03:10 -0600 (CST) =46rom: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-24-97 Nancy: Keep the raw data if you want specifics. I'd planned to draw o= nly=20 broad conclusions from the poll. I e-mailed Dave a brief summary on= =20 Monday, but haven't seen it posted yet. Did he post it and I just mi= ssed=20 seeing it? Anyway, I've kept all the responses for those who really = want em. Book of the Month: Two suggestions: 1.Why not just go in published or= der=20 since, otherwise, we'll likely drive each other nuts trying to sequen= ce=20 the list of material. 2. To avoid the possible aggravation of havin= g to=20 spot and then scroll through possible spoilers created by our=20 discussions, perhaps Dave would be willing to do for this what he did= for=20 the poll? That is, to split it from the main mailing. Or maybe we co= uld=20 save him that trouble by all agreeing to make our first response on a= =20 particular day and then to make our rebuttals and commentaries on oth= ers'=20 responses on yet another given day. Then those things would sorta fo= rm=20 their own grouping so Dave won't have to hassle with it. On t'other= =20 hand, that may be too structured and impose too many limitations on= =20 discussion. We need some thoughts here on practical implementation. = Bear? Gili: Opium Books published stuff that March Laumer supervised. That= 's=20 all I remember abut it. Maybe Herm or Pete will respond. Dave: I missed meeting Robert Patrick, but he's a legend in IWOC. I= =20 assume you have a copy of his "Unexplained Territories..." He was= =20 apparently much loved and revered by many. I wish I'd had the opportu= nity=20 to meet him. Funny how one active Ozmaniac influences another.=20 --Robin Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 15:32:38 -0500 (EST) =46rom: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-24-97 Re humor in Oz books: I have no idea what I was thinking yesterday when I said "humor=20 should be kept to a minimum--even in Oz books". I must have been in= =20 a rotten mood for some reason. (Either that or in an awful hurry.) Wes: When I make those kind of comments at college ("[W]hen Kaliko =20 became kind he could sit on his throne and didn't get much exercise,= =20 but while he was stward he had to run around a lot and dodge the=20 stuff that was throne at him"), I usually get threats about being= =20 throne out of school! Annie: I feel much relieved, knowing the "Pen Pal Greetings" virus can't get= =20 at me in the safety of this computer lab. (I hope.) Re virus warning parodies: Like the false fire alarm pulls here at college, I think it better to= =20 consider them true until proven otherwise (better safe than sorry, I= =20 mean). Now, if computers somehow had an internal screening device= =20 (pun not intended), THAT would be nice! Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 14:27:00 -0600 (CST) =46rom: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 16:03:27 -0500 =46rom: Michael Turniansky Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-20-97 References: <01IEF80R19IA91XZHA@delphi.com> Dave L. Hardenbrook wrote: > >Is it just me, or does Kenneth Shepherd's chronology for TIN WOO= DMAN remind=20 anyone else of the Passover hymn "It Came to Pass at Midnight"? > > ******WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR "TIN WOODMAN" AHEAD******** > > Day 1 - Woot the Wanderer arrives at the Tin Castle > Day 2 - The party leaves the Tin Castle - arrives near Loonville to= ward > evening - night in open - Dorothy looks in Magic Picture > Day 3 - Woot's party visits the Loons - they cross the Rolling Land= s and reach > Yoop Castle - night in Mrs Yoop's outer chamber > Day 4 - Tin Woodman, Scarecrow, and Woot are enchanted in the AM - = they meet > the enchanted Polychrome - at night the Green Monkey slips into the= Yoop > bedchamber & releases friends - night in forest > Day 5 - Green Monkey encounters Jaguar in AM - they cross to Munchk= in Country > and find Jinjur's house - party disenchanted by Ozma - they are car= ried by Red > Wagon to Munchkin forest - night "camped underneath the trees" > Day 6 - The party meets the Tin Soldier - they visit the Witch's co= ttage, then > Ku-Klip - they cross the Invisible Country - night near Swyne's hom= e > Day 7 - They visit Nimmie Amee - Polychrome returns home >=20 > ****************END SPOILERS***************** Dave Hulan: > There's > also a group called the Knights of Pythias; I don't know any more a= bout them > than that they're some kind of civic/social group like the Elks and= Masons > and Oddfellows and Knights of Columbus and the like. =09My father-in-law belonged to the Knights of Pythias. I'm not sure= if it is=20 a sectarian (Jewish) or non-sectarian fraternal organization, but it = was formed in=20 reaction to the Knights of Columbus, which was a sectarian Catholic g= roup, which in=20 turn was formed because Catholics were (self-?) discouraged from join= ing the Masons. My Dad, BTW, was on Odd Fellow. Billy Miller: > HOW DISCOVERED OZ: enjoyed show as a kid, at age 15 found the firs= t fourteen > by Baum and a copy of Who's Who in OZ (Complete with Dust Jacket - = only $7) > then my collecting and fasination started. Currently have over 500= items in > my collection. > How many canonical oz Books Have Read? 6 of the 14 =09That's an interesting anomaly. You found the first 14 when you we= re 15, you=20 have collected over 500, but you have only read 6??? --Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 16:33:38 +0500 =46rom: rri0189@ibm.net Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-24-97 Bear: I love the "Oz-of-the-month-club" idea. It's exactly the incentive I need to get off my duff and read those Oz books! However, we'll need lead time, not merely to procure the books, but also to read them! Do you think two weeks would be enough? Annie B: I really liked your explanation of the change in Kaliko's weight! See what happens when you're not on an exercise program? Now, when do you think "Lose Weight the Nome Way", the infomercial, is coming= =20 out? :-D -- Eleanor Kennedy Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 19:12:47 -0500 =46rom: Tyler Jones <104707.656@compuserve.com> Subject: Oz Jeremy:=20 The thread we were discussing revolved around the final moments of th= e=20 Gump. At least, when he was a REAL Gump. We were discussing how he di= ed.=20 Some people think he was shot, while others think he died from his he= ad=20 being chopped off.=20 Obviously, his head was removed, but the question is, did this happen= =20 after he died or while he was alive? The Gump himself says that the l= ast=20 thing he heard was a loud noise. I myself speculate that this was a g= unshot=20 and that his head was removed later.=20 Craig:=20 My web address has actually changed. Right now, it is:=20 http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/tylerjones=20 Note that the whole thing is lower-case. You may still be able to acc= ess it=20 with upper case characters, but it's best to play safe. There are man= y=20 pages out there, and some may still have my old URL, but that is the = one=20 that is out there, and it is OK as of 3pm, January 24.=20 The "book a month" idea sounds great.=20 Jeremy:=20 By your post, did you mean that Chris Dulabone believes as much humor= should=20 be shoehorned into Oz books as possible or that Chris believes that Y= OU=20 believe this?=20 Annie:=20 I believe Rich was commenting on the theory that people on our world = have=20 their opposites in the Oz world. I forgot how the thread went exactly= , but=20 someone may have mentioned the Wizard's parallel person on earth, whe= n the=20 Wizard was from there the whole time, or something like that.=20 Dave:=20 Was that the same Robert (Bob) Patrick who wrote those four essays ab= out Oz?=20 --Tyler Jones=20 =20 Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 17:56:36 -0700 (MST) =46rom: estelle@usa.net (Estelle E. Klein) Subject: oz Robin- thanks for the info about "pencil" marks, but, what exactly is= the "rubber cement" method. Thanks And for those of us who need visual aids, yes , you can wear contacts= and glasses effectively-- but now I have one lens for far sight and one = for near and it's much better than having reading glasses on top of conta= cts (I couldn't see the point!) (but I need 2 far sighted lenses for tennis = and the theater!!) =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 20:47:09 -0500 (EST) =46rom: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-23-97 John: I wasn't sure how long the English claim to the French throne had las= ted; I was sure about the Plantagenets, though. Thanks for the elaboration. Melody: Oh, I think the relationship between the de Camps is true love. They = seem quite devoted to each other. I just checked and he said they had been= married 14 years in a book published in 1953, so they were married in either = 1938 or 1939. They're approaching their 60th anniversary by now. Herm: One odd thing I've noted about AOL: they've recently stopped giving o= ut the access numbers that go through SprintNet or TymNet or any of the othe= r outside services. They only list the AOLNet numbers now. Those number= s are usually busy for me, too, but I have a couple of SprintNet numbers th= at I got back last summer, and those almost always work. (I cannot, unfortunat= ely, tell you whether there are SprintNet numbers available to you, or wha= t they are. But if you know any other AOL users in your area, especially one= s who have been on the service more than a year, it might be an idea to ask= them if they know any non- AOLNet local numbers.) Ken C.: Thanks for the rundown on the PBA auction. Very interesting. (Makes m= e glad that I'm not really into Collecting. Good-quality reprints suit me ju= st fine.) I'll have to look for that chocolate bar you mention. I don't like ch= ocolate myself (yeah, I know I'm weird), but my wife does, so I have an excus= e for buying it. I assume there must be some kind of Ozzy connection. Mark: RUNAWAY was heavily edited by Eric Shanower, which is probably why it= 's so good. All of Neill's books were heavily edited, as I understand it, b= ut the three in the FF were edited by people at Reilly & Lee who weren't all= that good writers themselves, whereas Shanower is an excellent writer (alt= hough his original plots are generally too depressing for my taste). Craig: McGraw has written at least two Newbery (note spelling, by the way - = only one "r") Honor books - MOCCASIN TRAIL and THE GOLDEN GOBLET. I have a cop= y of the latter but haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I was on Tyler's Web page day before yesterday (1/22) with no problem= s, so your problem accessing it is probably at your end. Bear: Yes, the WOZ Waddle Book is just WOZ with some pasteboard punch-out f= igures. Nothing new in the story line. I could go for the "Oz Book of the Month" discussion. I usually get t= hrough four or five Oz books a month anyhow as my bedtime reading, so all I'= d need to do would be to make one of them the one to be discussed on the Dig= est. It would probably be best to avoid the ones that are hardest to find (PU= RPLE PRINCE and OJO in particular, but YELLOW KNIGHT and PIRATES are also relatively scarce). And any but the Baums and the ones BoW has reprin= ted that are available at Borders (CAPTAIN SALT, HANDY MANDY, SILVER PRINCESS)= should be announced far enough in advance to let people order them from IWOC= or BoW (or used from Herm or Robin) in time to read them. Dave: Your tastes in Oz books are considerably different from mine. And I m= ade no attempt to rate the non-FF books I've read. Your lumping all the Emer= ald City Press books together seems rather odd to me - my own book aside, I th= ink there's a huge difference between books like QUEEN ANN and CHRISTMAS = on the high end and MAGIC DISHPAN and SPECKLED ROSE on the low. Everyone: There was some discussion a while back about the boxed set of videos = of silent Oz movies. It's currently available from Critics' Choice Video= for only $26.77 for the set, which I believe is less than American Home V= ideo was charging for it. Toll-free order number is 800-367-7765. Item number = is AAFAL000335. David Hulan =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 22:23:39 -0500 =46rom: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-24-97 Jeremy: >Re humor in Oz books: Contrary to what Chris Dulabone might conjecture, I believe humor should be kept to a minimum--even in Oz books.< The humor should be appropriate to the story--the reader shouldn't th= ink "Hey! The author stuck an out-of-character line in that character's mouth!". A lot of humor (though humor is in the eye of the beholder) = is appropriate with a "Class Clown" type character in a book. Melody Grandy =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 19:34:02 -0600 (CST) =46rom: Robin Olderman Subject: DIGEST POLL Poll Results: Here is a brief summary of some of the info garnered fr= om our poll. If you want more specific information where I've been vagu= e, e-mail me. If you want conclusions about any of the other data, post your requests in the _Digest_. Average age=3D38 Education: Not everyone replied to this question. High school only--less than 12, mostly because they're young. =09Those who are old enough to hold advanced degrees * without =09exception* have logged many hours of education past high school. Bachelor's Degree: More than 25 of us. Out of these, most have t= aken =09course work past the baccalaureate level. Master's: I count 7. Doctorate: Eight Where we live: all over, but we knew that, didn't we. California lea= ds with 10. =09TX=3D6=09=09NJ=3D5=09=09PA=3D4 =09CO, MD, NY, and MA tie with 3 each (if we count Gili in Mass.) =09AZ, GA, MI, OH, and WA each have 2 =09IL, IN, KS, MO, NC, OR, SD, UT, and VA each have one of us. Oz preference was definitely for books over movie, but many of us wer= e =09careful to mention how fond we are of the movie. How we got "into" Oz: More than 20 were first intrigued by the movie,= but =09the majority of us seem to have been primarily "hooked" by the boo= ks. =09N.B.: Many of us have fond memories of having been read to. : - = ) Oz Organizations we belong to: IWOC members=3D44 RCOO=3D10 =09A few of us belong to smaller groups like the Oogaboos or =09the Yellow Brick Road group. We all belong to the _Ozzy Digest_. Books read: Many of us have read most or all of the Oz books. Baum's = Oz =09books led the way, but post-Baum's were well-represented. Quite = a =09few of us read IWOC, BoW, and/or Buckethead Oz books. Relatively f= ew =09have read non-Oz books by Oz authors. MOPPeTS: All over the board! We're certainly creative! 56 responses were received. Dave wrote the other day that the _Ozzy Digest_ has 128 subscribers. This was fun. Now, what else do you want to know? Next time, the po= ll will be shorter, O.K.? If anyone wants a complete copy of the poll, I'll e-mail it to you, b= ut be warned that it took 37 pages of text, even after I condensed some = of it. --Robin =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 14:27:00 -0600 (CST) =46rom: Ruth Berman Subject: ozzy digest Gili Bar-Hillel talked a while back about back about finding the programs of some Boston performances of the "Wizard of Oz" stageplay in Harvard's file. I felt curious to look up what some of the papers had to say about the productions, so I looked at microfilms of the Boston "Globe." The play had opened on Broadway in 1902, and came to Boston for five weeks, opening November 30, 1903, at the Boston Theatre. The reviewer (Dec. 1) said, "The word 'magnificent' inadequately describes 'The Wizard of Oz,' a most unusual musical extravaganza.... The trouble with 'magnificent' is that it describes only the spectacular side of 'The Wizard,' and it hardly does that justice. It is more than a mere spectacle. It is the most unique combination of comedy characters and one of the most perfectly stage-managed shows Boston has seen in many years." Although praising all aspects of the show, the reviewer was most impressed by Fred A. Stone's Scarecrow: "It is hard to believe that the bundle of rags and straw first seen is a human being, and even when he is 'endowed with life' his limberness seems almost impossible. Mr. Stone is one of the funniest comedians in his grotesque line of work, and he certainly made his audience shout with laughter last night. His dancing is especially worthy of praise and won round after round of applause. His song, 'The Traveler and the Pie,' in the last act was the hit of the show." Of Montgomery's Tin Woodman, the comment was, "His makeup was only a trifle less grotesque than that of Mr. Stone. His comedy was equally as impelling in its effect, and his only solo, 'Must You,' was well received." September 12, 1904, the show was back in town, with pretty much the same cast, and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Boston Theater. The review repeated much the same praise, although more briefly. I would guess that the show may have played town a couple more times, but haven't tried to check the intervening years before 1911. John Craig, who was then doing annual holiday productions at the Castle-Square Theater, revived "The Wizard" December 22, 1911, for a two-week production as that year's holiday bill. Arthur Hill, who had been the Cowardly Lion in the original production, repeated the role. The Scarecrow and Tin Woodman were played by George Hassell and Donald Meek (the Dec. 23 review said they were fun makers "of persistent humor," which seems to be intended as a compliment). The people who asked about Eloise McGraw's Newbery honors -- "Golden Goblets" and "Moccasin Trail." I wouldn't be surprised if her new book, "Moorchild" was another. John W. Kennedy: Ah, a heraldry buff. I've sometimes thought it would be amusing to put together something on the heraldry of Oz and the surrounding lands -- but it would be mostly in the illustrations, not the text. Melody Grandy: I haven't re-read "Sir Harold and the Gnome King," but I'm startled at your impression that De Camp disbelieved in love or friendship. Certainly didn't give me that impression. David Hulan: There probably are a few security precautions in Oz =FE the barrier of invisibility for the whole country, and the Guardian of the Gates for the Emerald City, I suppose, fallible though these sometimes are. Jane Albright: I don't get the channel, but it's nice to hear you and your Oz collection are going to be making an appearance. Hey, are you any relation to the new Secretary of State? Dave Hardenbrook: Yes, Bob Pattrick was a dear man, very generous in introducing people to all kinds of Oz, fantasy/sf, Sherlockian, etc. enthusiasms. It's nice that the Oz Club wa able to publish that collection of his essays on Oz, as it gives some of the flavor of his letters (and I'll add conversations, although I was abl= e to get together with him only once, on a visit to California). =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 12:18:53 -0500 (EST) =46rom: JoelHarris@aol.com Subject: Re: email Thanks to everyone for the many replies, both through the digest and personally. What follows is my attempt to report on the 1/16/97 PBA OZ auction (with editorial comments). Please feel free to reply or send questions. I arrived at the auction at 11:00 am to finish previewing the books. I started to preview on the previous Thursday but ran out of time (there were a lot of books). It is extremely important to preview auction books, especially at PBA, were the grading can be "difficult", especially on children's books. Some very poor books sold for very high prices to absentee bidders! (Note: I do preview some PBA auctions. If you have questions about specific items in future Oz/childrens/illustrated auctions, I will be happy to tell you how they really are if I have seen them). I was one of the first to arrive Thursday. Peter Glassman from New York (Books of Wonder) and Bonnie Vitti were already there. By 12:30 there were about 50 bidders present, most of whom were dealers or local Oz Club members (I do not know most of their names, but Gary Wood and Rik Thomson were among them). Most of the books were displayed on open shelves, with the higher priced or more fragile items in glass cases. Attendants helped bidders to examine books in cases. Of particular interest was item 63, the Little Puzzle Books. The catalog indicated no puzzles, but in fact both puzzles were present, complete and on display (that's why it sold for $1,100). Just before 1:00 the auctioneer took his podium and we "eager bidders" took our seats. I was towards the front so I am not sure who bought many of the bigger items. There was a bank of telephones in back for live phone bidders. Absentee bidder forms were handled by the auctioneer, who sometimes bid against attendees. As the auction progressed, the auctioneer moved faster and faster =A9 you had to be quick and pay attention! What follows is a summary of what, in my inexpert opinion, were the highest prices and best deals of the day. The prices noted DO NOT reflect the 15% commission and sales tax tacked on by PBA. Here's what made us gasp: (18) Ozma =A9 allegedly hand=A9bound by Bau= m, and certainly disintegrating $1,800; (21) Dorothy & Wiz =A9 missing one plate and not nearly as good as #20 =A9 which sold for $350, sells for $475 (isn't the price supposed to go down when plates are missing?); (45) Rinkitink =A9 granted, it had a beat=A9up DJ and 12 plates, but $500 for a R&L reprint must be a first; (102) Purple Prince =A9 a 1st with a very chipped DJ and mediocre book fetched $850; (106) Ojo's DJ was no better than PP and sold for $600; (107) VG Ojo with no jacket for $475 =A9 a few bidders really needed that title; (110) Speedy 1st in a very rough DJ $700; (119) Handy Mandy in worn DJ $600; (131) Scalawagons 1st in DJ $700; (162) signed Father Goose $6,000 (are Baum signatures really that valuable?); (196) Sky Island in DJ $7,500 (I heard that Jerry Tobias paid $60 for it); (248) Mary Louise Adopts a Soldier in DJ $650 (I just purchased another Mary Louise in DJ for 10% of this); (289) Last Egyptian Poster =A9 valued at 50/80 sells for $1,300; (290) Neill drawing $10,000; and (319) =A9 a late addition of a Tin Woodman 1st in DJ sold for $3,250. Note: I was glad to see the Baum Bugles get some deserved respect. Lot 258 sold for $1,100, even after it was announced that the first 4 were photocopies. Here were some better deals: (4) Wizard 1st =A9 actually pretty nice shape and well repaired at $900; (5) Wizard 1st with quite nice cover $425 (I bid up to $400 for it); (65) 2 very nice little Wiz JR. Editions for $40; (78) decent color edition of Grandpa for $50; (113) nice Speedy 1st $90; (138) very nice Magical Mimics in DJ $60; (157) very good Dot and Tot 2nd $70; (165) near fine Father Goose's Yearbook $110 (lot #164 was little better and sold for $250); (169) John Dough with contest blank $225; and (218) Babes in Birdland $70 (a deal even missing one plate). You will note that there were fewer deals than gasps. Here's how I did. I was the loser on many items, though I enjoyed bidding often and trying for (the few) bargains. The main items I bid on were (5) Wonderful Wizard, (58) Glinda 1st, (172) Juvenile Speaker, (190) near fine Queen Zixi 1st, (313) beautiful copy of Curious Cruise, and (314) as new copy of King Kojo. I was the winner 3 times (though I tried for more): (67) RPT letter this was an impulse minimum bid ($200) that turned out to be the only bid! (157) Dot and Tot was much nicer than it sounded ($70), and (177) Master Key, very good and very bright at $60 (this was incorrectly listed as a second state sorry Peter and Patrick). I hope nobody is offended by my listing prices. Since prices realized are available online, it would be easy to figure this out without my help! Two things surprised me about the auction. First, how many books were missing color plates, pages, or even spines. Second, how much many of them sold for (usually the worst books sell to absentees). A good example was lot 151, a 2nd edition of American Fairy Tales. I would normally consider this a very desirable book, and would someday hope to acquire a copy. It is listed as "otherwise very good" and valued at 100/150. It sold for $300. In fact, it had very heavy, somewhat pungent mildew. In my (inexpert) opinion the book is worthless and may be dangerous to keep with other books. The auction lasted about 2 hours, followed by speedy computer processing of invoices. I was out by 3:30, somewhat exhausted/exhilarated and spent (literally and figuratively) =A9 and I can't wait for the next auction (see you at the Winkees). Note to those of us who couldn't believe the prices: thanks to the internet, a record number of bidders (especially absentee bidders who did not see the books), and generally higher California prices, many auction records were probably set. I really don't think that some of the prices truly reflect what the average collector would pay a dealer after inspecting the books. But, this is only my opinion. Overall, the best place to get Oz books is from each other, Oz club members and club events. Sorry this was so long. Please let me know your comments or if I can be of further assistance to anyone. DIFFERENT TOPIC: I am a collector and like to buy/sell/trade Oz and related books. Like many other collectors I do accumulate duplicates. Is anyone out there interested? Do you have your own duplicates to exchange? Please let me know on the bulletin or email me: JoelHarris@aol.com. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 17:18:04 -0500 (EST) =46rom: "W. R. Wright" <71763.1616@CompuServe.COM> Subject: Question to digest Here is a question(s) I found in my mailbox. Anyone have any answers= ? ---------------- There are persistant stories that Oz was a coded message about communism-red shoes contain the power of communism to return Dorothy, Green cites with gold roads delusions of money-is there any web reference to this? Is it True??? BTW I have the Eshbaugh 1933 film. Is it true it was never released due to failure to clear the story?? ---------------- Bill in Ozlo =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 11:45:16 -0600 =46rom: International Wizard of Oz Club Subject: RE: Lyman Baum Seth, My suggestion would be to check your local or university library for= =20 biographies of L. Frank Baum. There are several good ones which shou= ld=20 yield good information. We do know that Baum had a fine sense of hum= our=20 and delighted in lampooning the issues of the day in his stories. I'm passing along your request to the Ozzy Digest discussion group in= hopes that they can provide some more specific references. Sincerely, Jim Vander Noot ---------- =46rom: =09Seth Dutter Sent: =09Tuesday, July 09, 1996 10:19 PM To: =09info@ozclub.org Subject: =09Lyman Baum I am doing a research project on Lyman Baum and need information on h= is political views. Please help me find this information. =09Thanks, =09Seth Dutter =09Pantheon@footnet.com =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 11:52:07 -0600 =46rom: International Wizard of Oz Club Subject: RE: oz scenery Pat, That's a tough one. I don't have that information, but am passing yo= ur=20 question on to the Ozzy Digest discussion group, which is made up of = folks =66rom all over the world. Hopefully someone will be able to provide= some=20 help. Sincerely, Jim Vander Noot ---------- =46rom: =09PBrown6995@aol.com Sent: =09Wednesday, January 22, 1997 8:58 PM To: =09trade@ozclub.org Subject: =09oz scenery We are doing a ballet based on Oz and charcters in the books. We are= in need of stage scenery for the production. Do you know of any for rent -or= other organizations that have produced similar productions. (amateur , of = course) pat brown =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Fri, 24 Jan 1997 23:25:17 -0500 (EST) =46rom: Richard Bauman <72172.2631@CompuServe.COM> Subject: TODAY'S OZ GROWLS Melody - I agree with your emotional content theory of literature. W= hat does that say about the author of "Wicked?" However, I have read all of the Harold Shea books, "Castle of Iron," = "Undesired Princess," "Incomplete Enchanter," and "Sir Harold & etc." (I think t= hat is all). I thought Harold and Belphebe had a warm and wonderful relati= onship. :) Later: I think John Kennedy has thrown down the gauntlet to us "scien= ce culture males" to name some other romantic fiction written by and for us. I = will give it some thought. =20 My sympathies continue for AOLers. In Silicon Valley my friends find= it impossible to log on from 6 pm until 11 pm. Ah Compuserve........ ;) David - Don't mind me. I just don't want to think you are right abou= t adult reading habits. I will seek objective evidence beyond book sales. By the way, I just read "Abel's Island" which is by William Steig, av= ailable in paperback. Great little mouse story of striving and surviving. Bookishly, Bear (:<) =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 12:56:12 +0000 (UT) =46rom: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* A little pedantry to brighten your days... ******WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR "MAGIC" AHEAD******** Day 1 - Festival on Mt Munch - Kiki Aru learns the magic word and lea= ves Oz,=20 visiting 1) Hiland/Loland; 2) Merryland; 3) Noland, where he spends t= he night Day 2 - Kiki Aru travels through Noland, Ix, Ev - he encounters Rugge= do -=20 night in inn - the Glass Cat tells Cap'n Bill about the Magic Flower Day 3 - Dorothy wonders what to give Ozma for her birthday - she visi= ts Trot,=20 Glinda & bargains with the Wizard - they leave for the Forest of Gugu= - Trot &=20 Cap'n Bill leave to retrieve Magic Flower - they spend night at the e= dge of=20 the forest - Kiki Aru & Ruggedo plot to conquer Oz - they cross the D= esert in=20 bird form in the evening Day 4 - Kiki Aru and Ruggedo consult with Gugu and his counselors - T= rot &=20 Cap'n Bill are caught by the Magic Island & the Glass Cat returns to = the=20 Emerald City for help Day 5 - The Animals' Revolt breaks out - Dorothy & Wizard arrive, are= =20 enchanted by Kiki Aru - arrival of Glass Cat - Wizard learns the magi= c word -=20 Glass Cat leads party to rescue Trot & Cap'n Bill - night in Munchkin= Country Day 6 - Glass Cat torments monkeys - the party camps overnight & the = monkeys=20 retaliate Day 7 - The Glass Cat leaves the party around noon An unspecified amount of time passes before the party arrives at the = Emerald=20 City. Ozma's birthday is the following month (so the Hyup festival a= nd the=20 events of MAGIC presumably take place in July). August 21 - Ozma's birthday and party August 22 - Disenchantment of Kiki Aru and Ruggedo Note on the Glass Cat's trip: The Glass Cat makes the trip from the M= agic Isle=20 to the Forest of Gugu via the Emerald City in less than 24 hours. I = can see=20 no evidence in the text to argue for a longer (or shorter) period of = time. =20 Baum comments that she moved "like a crystal streak," but this would = depende=20 on the amount of territory she covered and the amount of time she spe= nt. A=20 closer look at her trip may provide some more information. 1) "The day was nearly gone" when Cap'n Bill and Trot crossed to the = Magic=20 Island to get the flower, so it would have been even later when the G= lass Cat=20 left for the Emerald City. 2) Since the Pink Kitten was "curled up in the sunshine" when Bungle = arrived=20 at the palace, it must have been morning--the morning of the followin= g day=20 (Day 5 in the chronology). =20 3) Alternatively, if Baum's earlier statement about the day being "ne= arly=20 gone" is not taken literally, it might have been the evening before (= Day 4 in=20 the chronology). =20 4) This would dovetail nicely with Toto's comment about Dorothy's par= ty having=20 left "yesterday"; but Toto also says that Dorothy was going "to the G= reat=20 Forest in the _Munchkin_ Country" (emphasis mine). He may have been c= onfused;=20 or Baum (or his editor) may have made an error here. I have assigned= =20 Dorothy's departure to the previous day (Day 3) on the grounds of Dor= othy's=20 statement to the Wizard, "Let's leave now."=20 5) At any rate, whether Bungle arrived at the EC in the evening of Da= y 4 or=20 the morning of Day 5, by late morning of Day 5, she had arrived in th= e Forest=20 of Gugu. So in the time between the end of Day 4 and the middle of Day 5 Bungl= e had=20 travelled the same distances that Trot and Cap'n Bill had travelled a= nd=20 Dorothy and the Wizard had travelled--which included a full day of tr= avel by=20 both parties, plus the time the Glass Cat spent in the EC--in the per= iod of=20 less than a day. She must have been travelling more than twice as fa= st than=20 both of the parties for an extended length of time in order to get to= the=20 Forest of Gugu by midday. Based on the IWOC maps and the dimensions of Oz given in Dave Hardenb= rook's=20 FAQ (and the alternative suggested by David Hulan), I can't see that = Bungle=20 travelled less than 60-80 miles over the whole trip--possibly more (1= 00-120). =20 Assuming that she left the Magic Island around 8 PM and arrived in th= e EC=20 around 7 AM, then left for the Forest of Gugu around 8 AM and arrived= there=20 around 12 PM (purely aribitrary numbers) this would mean that she was= =20 travelling between 3 1/3 and 8 miles per hour--perfectly doable, but = hardly=20 the "crystal streak" described by Baum. This leaves us with several possibilities (assuming that the text is = correct=20 as printed): 1) Bungle's entire trip may have been quite a bit larger; but if that= is the=20 case, I think we need to argue that Oz itself is larger than the dime= nsions=20 we've set for it in previous discussions. 2) The timing may be off--Bungle may have spent more time in the EC, = or may=20 have stopped at some point during the night or the following morning= =20 (unlikely--Baum says that she left the palace "without stopping to as= k any=20 more questions") 3) Something else may be going on that Baum either didn't know or was= n't=20 interested in repeating. Any ideas? ****************END SPOILERS***************** =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 09:45:11 -0500 (EST) =46rom: HermBieber@aol.com Subject: For Ozzy Digest Estelle: Pencil marks can usually be removed by lightly rubbing with a SOFT GU= M eraser. Crayon is tougher. Airplane glue (bananna oil or amyl aceta= te, or rubber cement) wan be applied with a brush, and then rubbed off befor= e it is completely dry. The glue extracts the wax and dyes from the page. I= f the glue gets completely dry, you may lift off part or all of the printin= g! Do this outside or in good ventilation, or you may get a chemical high (= with uncertain physiological consequences). You might also get dermatitis= in the rubbing finger without a protective sleeve on same (if you do a lot o= f this). I wouldn't pay more than $25 for the Lebeck Wizard, in ultra FINE con= dition. $195? Ye Gods!! With the cover off, fifty cents is about right! Herm Bieber =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 09:59:39 -0500 (EST) =46rom: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-24-97 John: I agree with you about the Harold Shea stories - after "The Roaring T= rumpet", they're all strongly driven by the love interests of Shea and/or Chal= mers. Definitely more romantic than most 1940s SF/fantasy (specifically inc= luding Jane: Does "the fX Channel" have any other designation? Because if it doesn= 't, I don't get it here. (My TV doesn't receive it, either... :-)) Pity; I'= d love to see your segment. Jeremy: Humor should be kept to a minimum in Oz books? Well, based on the BUG= LE review of GLASS CAT, it should be right down your alley. (Personally,= I thought there was a lot of humor in GC; I'm afraid it must have been = too subtle for Nathan Faut. Can't complain that much, though; it really w= as quite a favorable review.) Robin: Oh, I don't "dislike" any Oz book. (At least, in the FF. I will admit= that I couldn't finish TOTO IN OZ, and only made it through SPECKLED ROSE be= cause it was so short.) I wouldn't have read each and every one of the FF at l= east four or five times if I disliked them. It's just that I find quite a = wide quality gulf between the ones I like best and the ones I like least. = But I like WONDER CITY (which is my least favorite FF book) better than mos= t children's books that I run across. Gili: Sorry to make you recoil in horror. Bear in mind that the Oz books ar= en't enrolled anywhere, so their grades matter not in the least to them... (Besides, it's just one man's opinion. And an easier way to compare t= hem than to try to rate them in order.) The most I've ever paid for an Oz-related book was $105 for an early = (but not 1st state) edition of JOHN DOUGH in very good condition. I don't thin= k I've ever paid more than $80 or so for an Oz book. But then I'm not a cond= ition or edition nut; I just want all the text and as many of the illustration= s in as good condition as I can afford. I have ZIXI and JOHN DOUGH in Opium Press editions. I don't really kn= ow much more about them than that I saw them at a very early Winkie con (1968= or so, IIRC) and bought them there. I have the same edition with the Lau Shi= u Fau illustrations that you do; they're not Neill, but they have a lot of = charm of their own.=20 Dave: Is it possible that your father's friend Bob Patrick was Robert Pattr= ick, author of "Unexplored Territory in Oz", which has been discussed on t= he Digest frequently? He was an early member of the IWOC and died rather= young in the early 1960s; I don't know much more about him than that, but I= 'm sure others here would. (He would have -loved- the Digest if he'd lived lo= ng enough to see it; I'm sure of that!) David Hulan =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 10:51:43 -0500 (EST) =46rom: RMorris306@aol.com Subject: Recent Ozzy Digests Jeremy Steadman wrote: <> As has been noted, not at all uncommon in a world of people most = of whom no longer read all that much. My second Oz book (after WIZARD, which understandably seems to be most peopl's first) was MAGIC, and despite= all my confusion (who was Ozma? How did Dorothy and the Wizard get back to O= z, and why could he do magic when he'd been a humbug before?) I greatly enjo= yed it. BOOKS SET ENTIRELY IN OZ: It's interesting that it was mostly the later books of writers r= anging =66rom Baum to McGraw and Cosgrove/Payes that tended to be set entire= ly in Oz...I could come up with theories about impending mortality to expla= in it, but a much more practical one is that they'd simply had a chance to b= ring their favorite characters, ranging from Dorothy to Percy the rat, to = live in Oz.=20 Yes, I did overlook THE OZMAPOLITAN OF OZ as a book set entirel= y in Oz, but I was distinguishing between books by *writers* of the FF and boo= ks written by people who *drew* Oz books by FF writers. OZMAPOLITAN sure= ly fits into that category, as does Shanower's THE GIANT GARDEN OF OZ (also s= et entirely in Oz)...and, for that matter, DENSLOW'S SCARECROW AND THE T= IN-MAN AND OTHER STORIES, though I don't think that took place in Oz at all. Which brings up the related matter of "Oz" books with little or= no action within Oz itself. Some of them were nevertheless among the bes= t of the series (OZMA, RINKITINK), but the most extreme would have to be CAPTA= IN SALT, in which the characters don't even get to Oz at the end, as in OZMA o= r RINKITINK. Could that be the rationale for Salt's colonialist venture= , perhaps...to indicate that, since he claimed Ozamaland for Ozma, he w= as therefore *in* Oz? It still seems rather dubious to me--if someone ha= d never been to the United Kingdom but had visited India when it was a Britis= h colony, would she say she'd been *in* England? I'm afraid I can't thi= nk of any grounds for calling CAPTAIN SALT any more of an Oz book than, say= , SKY ISLAND--which *also* featured the further adventures of a character (Button-Bright) not native to Oz but first introduced in an Oz book, = in other fantastic countries. OZ BOOK OF THE MONTH: I like the idea! With Books of Wonder having reissued most of the= rest of the FF that Del Rey didn't get to, it shouldn't be impossible for mos= t of us to read them...unlike me a decade and more ago, though in some ways t= racking them all down and reading them...something I finished only a little m= ore than a decade ago...was part of the fun. Will we start with WIZARD and tak= e the FF in order, or jump around? It might be more logical to do the former (= and actually see things develop, which, as noted, I didn't do the first t= ime and most of the later ones), but there might be more variety in bouncing = around. Jim Whitcomb wrote: <> It's been a few years since I've seen the movie, but I'm sure I r= emember seeing her name in the credits (although most of the characters are l= isted by their Kansas names rather than their more prominent Oz roles...Ray Bo= lger is "Hunk" rather than "The Scarecrow," for instance...evidently to reinf= orce the dream theory). Most other books and articles I've read about the movi= e, like Alijean Harmetz' book, also refer to her in some detail. What, specif= ically, were you referring to? Gili Bar-Hillel wrote: <> It does indeed! But aren't students allowed to check them out? Wh= en my father was taking courses there in the '80's, under a program allowin= g financing of college courses for people over 60, he was able to help = me check out and read a few books. That's how I completed my reading of the FF= (my last was OJO, though only a couple of months before Del Rey reissued = it), and also read such Baum obscura (now) as FATHER GOOSE and DOT AND TOT. In fact, I literally went all over the country and the world to f= ind the FF. As a library child from my earliest years, I was more inclined to= seek out copies I could read or borrow than ones to own, and most of those= I do own are paperbacks...but it was still a rewarding experience. At the = risk of being self- indulgent, I still remember where and approximately when = I first read every one of the FF... WIZARD: Philadelphia (PA) library, circa 1960. My (appropriately) fi= rst Oz book. LAND: Lowell (MA) library, circa 1962. Rather late in the game, so I = was delighted to discover at last how Ozma took over from the Scarecrow. OZMA: Mount Dora (FL--my grandmother lived there) library, circa 1963= . The librarian was very friendly, as I recall, and remembered me when I ca= me back at 13 (1967) and reread almost the entire series. DOROTHY & WIZARD: Philadelphia library, circa 1961. ROAD: Framingham library, circa 1962. EMERALD CITY: Mount Dora library, circa 1963. PATCHWORK GIRL: Philadelphia library, circa 1961. TIK-TOK: Philadelphia library, circa 1961. SCARECROW: Framingham library, circa 1962. RINKITINK: The one book none of the libraries had, so my parents *ord= ered* it =66rom the publisher for me in 1962. It quickly became one of my all-= time favorites, and I still own it, though (alas!) the dust jacket by (if = memory serves) Dale Ulrey has long since disappeared. LOST PRINCESS: Philadelphia library, circa 1961. TIN WOODMAN: Philadelphia library, circa 1961. MAGIC: Philadelphia library, circa 1960. My second Oz book. GLINDA: Mount Dora library, circa 1963. By coincidence, Baum's last b= ook was also my last, just as his first (Oz) book was also my first, and I ev= en now recall the sense of loss at never again having another Oz book by Bau= m to read. Little did I know... ROYAL BOOK: Collection of George Beal, a British book collector (of L= ondon, England) and free-lance writer for the comics (Gladstone Comics has p= ublished some of his stories), whom I met as a London exchange student in 1973= . He let me borrow two books that fall, and my Oz interest was rekindled! KABUMPO: Collection of Su Bates, another book collector (from Putnam,= CT) and friend of long-time comic fan Robert Jennings, who introduced us. She= let me borrow many of her Oz books around 1983, when I read this one. COWARDLY LION: Su Bates collection, circa 1983. GRAMPA: Su Bates collection, circa 1983. LOST KING: Wayland (MA) library, circa 1978. I was browsing there and couldn't believe my good fortune in finding a Thompson Oz book there,= and one I'd most wanted to read. IO got a card there just for that purpose, b= ut unfortunately they didn't have any others. HUNGRY TIGER: Su Bates collection, circa 1983. GNOME KING: Su Bates collection, circa 1982. GIANT HORSE: Su Bates collection, circa 1982. JACK PUMPKINHEAD: Bookshelf of my second-grade teacher, Miss Woodwort= h, in Upper Darby, PA, circa 1961. As I've mentioned before, this was the o= nly Thompson (or non-Baum) Oz book I read as a child, and (whether for th= at reason or not) it's still one of my favorites by her. YELLOW KNIGHT: George Beal collection, 1973. PIRATES: New York (NY) library, 1976. I was visiting a friend there f= or a week and spent enough time in the uncirculating collection to read it= ! Only my fourth Thompson Oz book, and I remember despairing at ever being l= ucky enough to track down the others... PURPLE PRINCE: The only Oz book I had to wait for the Del Rey edition (purchased in Boston, MA) to read in 1986. OJO: Harvard library (Cambridge, MA), 1986...as noted, barely beating= out the Del Rey edition. SPEEDY: Su Bates collection, circa 1982. WISHING HORSE: Su Bates collection, circa 1982. CAPTAIN SALT: Su Bates collection, circa 1983. HANDY MANDY: Su Bates collection, circa 1983. SILVER PRINCESS: Su Bates collection, circa 1982. OZOPLANING: Su Bates collection, circa 1982. WONDER CITY: Su Bates collection, purchased circa 1984 when I discove= red it at Robert Jennings' (extremely cluttered) house. He ended up selling = it to Su, so I got to read it at that time... SCALAWAGONS: Collection of David Hulan (then living near Los Angeles,= CA), a familiar name to Ozzy Digest regulars. He was then OE of Apanage, a correspondence group devoted to children's fantasy to which I then be= longed (where I was reviewing the Oz books I'd been borrowing from Su Bates = in at the time) in 1984, when I stayed at his house prior to that year's Wo= rldcon in Anaheim. LUCKY BUCKY: Su Bates collection, circa 1982. MAGICAL MIMICS: David Hulan collection, 1984. SHAGGY MAN: David Hulan collection, 1984. HIDDEN VALLEY: David Hulan collection, 1984. MERRY-GO-ROUND: Su Bates collection, circa 1982. All in all, quite an odyssey...encompassing over 25 years, two co= untries, six states, and numerous cities and people. Do I resent the fact that= people today can accomplish the same thing just by dropping into Borders? No= t at all... Rich Morrissey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 11:18:22 -0500 (EST) =46rom: DIXNAM@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest 1-24-97 =20 Retrieving one's e-mail from AOL these past few days has been frustra= ting, to say the least, so my comments may be a day or two late. Jane: From what you describe of your Oz collection, you'll do fine o= n the "Personal FX" show. The only problem might be trying to show everyth= ing you want in the alloted time. I'll be watching and taping. :-) Good luc= k! Robin: I think it was Bear who inquired about the Waddle Book. I received an Applewood copy as a Christmas gift a few years ago. Gili: IIRC, someone on the Digest, perhaps you, mentioned Amazon Boo= ks as a source for "The Wizard of Oz and Who He Was" some time ago. I ordere= d from their web site and my copy arrived in three days. (:-D Dick =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 12:15:14 -0500 (EST) =46rom: Ozisus@aol.com Subject: Oz post Nancy, Aberdeen sounds wonderful!! Hope I can attend. Will it becom= e an annual event? If so, perhaps we can find a way to combine the Club's centennial convention with it (by, for example, holding the Conventio= n in Aberdeen the days just prior to or after the event). Just a thought.= Don't anybody go hysterical on me. Thanks for the error alert on the IWOC web site timeline! I lose sle= ep worryig about the couple hundred no one's spotted yet. At one point,= I had Fanny Cory die I three times. (Mike Gessel caught it). =20 The Yellow Brick Road Club should certainly be added to that timeline= . I know Roger's early books are in because Peter Glassman sent me great = details about Books of Wonders publishing. I now have 31 pages of info I've = cut and pasted since the Digest began that are full of checks, corrections an= d additions to the timeline. Reading Steve Cox's latest Munchkin added= tons, too. I plan to update the whole thing as soon as possible. Hopefull= y in the next few weeks while I'm still home on maternity leave. By the way, = on a personal note, we are off to Oklahome this afternoon; our adoption of= Joy will be final Monday. Jane =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 09:45:04 -0500 (EST) =46rom: HermBieber@aol.com Subject: Virus Parodies Dave, Since you asked Gili for virus parodies, here are some more: INTEROFFICE MEMO - Virus Alert People - please note! The following new computer viruses have been de= tected in or around the area. Please be alert for them when you scan your co= mputers -- which you ARE doing, I trust. OPRAH WINFREY VIRUS: Your 200MB hard drive suddenly shrinks to 80MB, = and then slowly expands back to 200MB. AT&T VIRUS: Every three minutes it tells you what great service you a= re getting. MCI VIRUS: Every three minutes it reminds you that you're paying too = much for the AT&T virus. PAUL REVERE VIRUS: This revolutionary virus does not horse around. It= warns you of impending hard disk attack---once if by LAN, twice if by C:>. POLITICALLY CORRECT VIRUS: Never calls itself a "virus", but instead = refers >to itself as an "electronic microorganism." RIGHT TO LIFE VIRUS: Won't allow you to delete a file, regardless of = how old it is. If you attempt to erase a file, it requires you to first see a counsellor about possible alternatives. MARIO CUOMO VIRUS: It would be a great virus, but it refuses to run. TED TURNER VIRUS: Colorizes your monochrome monitor. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER VIRUS: Terminates and stays resident. It'll be = back. DAN QUAYLE VIRUS: Prevents your system from spawning any child proces= s ithout joining into a binary network. DAN QUAYLE VIRUS #2: Their is sumthing rong wit your komputer, ewe js= ut cant figyour out watt! GOVERNMENT ECONOMIST VIRUS: Nothing works, but all your diagnostic so= ftware says everything is fine. NEW WORLD ORDER VIRUS: Probably harmless, but it makes a lot of peopl= e really mad just thinking about it. FEDERAL BUREAUCRAT VIRUS: Divides your hard disk into hundreds of lit= tle units, each of which does practically nothing, but all of which claim= to be the most important part of your computer. GALLUP VIRUS: Sixty percent of the PCs infected will lose 38 percent = of their data 14 percent of the time (plus or minus a 3.5 percent margin of er= ror). TERRY RANDLE VIRUS: Prints "Oh no you don't" whenever you choose "Abo= rt" from the "Abort" "Retry" "Fail" message. TEXAS VIRUS: Makes sure that it's bigger than any other file. ADAM AND EVE VIRUS: Takes a couple of bytes out of your Apple. CONGRESSIONAL VIRUS: The computer locks up, screen splits erratically= with a message appearing on each half blaming the other side for the problem= . AIRLINE VIRUS: You're in Dallas, but your data is in Singapore. FREUDIAN VIRUS: Your computer becomes obsessed with marrying its own motherboard. PBS VIRUS: Your programs stop every few minutes to ask for money. ELVIS VIRUS: Your computer gets fat, slow and lazy, then self destruc= ts; only to resurface at shopping malls and service stations across rural Amer= ica. OLLIE NORTH VIRUS: Causes your printer to become a paper shredder. NIKE VIRUS: Just does it. SEARS VIRUS: Your data wont appear unless you buy new cables, power s= upply and a set of shocks. JIMMY HOFFA VIRUS: Your programs can never be found again. CONGRESSIONAL VIRUS #2: Runs every program on the hard drive simultan= eously, but doesn't allow the user to accomplish anything KEVORKIAN VIRUS: Helps your computer shut down as an act of mercy. IMELDA MARCOS VIRUS: Sings you a song (slightly off key) on boot up, = then subtracts money from your Quicken account and spends it all on expens= ive shoes it purchases through Prodigy. STAR TREK VIRUS: Invades your system in places where no virus has gon= e before. HEALTH CARE VIRUS: Tests your system for a day, finds nothing wrong, = and sends you a bill for $4,500. CLEVELAND INDIANS VIRUS: Makes your 486/50 machine perform like a 286= /AT. LAPD VIRUS: It claims it feels threatened by the other files on your = PC and erases them in "self defense". CHICAGO CUBS VIRUS: Your PC makes frequent mistakes and comes in last= in the reviews, but you still love it. ORAL ROBERTS VIRUS: Claims that if you don't send it a million dollar= s, it's programmer will take it back. Cheers, Herm Bieber =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: Sat, 25 Jan 1997 22:08:47 -0300 =46rom: amyjones@MindSpring.COM (Amy Jones) Subject: for Digest Gili: I was at an antique show today and bought a copy of Opium Book's _Joh= n Dough and the Cherub_. Interesting that you should have brought it up= in today's digest. Oh, and I bought the book from Mrs. Ford's daughter. = (At least I am fairly sure that was what she told me. She showed me her mother's picture in a Bugle. I must admit that I was getting a bit c= arried away with the treasures that I was seeing. My friend had to drag me a= way by reminding me that I was saving money for a house). I like the idea of the Book of the Month. So I think someone needs to= pick one for next month. Dave? Anyone? Amy Jones =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D Date: 25 Jan 97 21:46:00 =46rom: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things I just wanted to apologize to everyone for there being no Digest yesterday...Ruggedo hexed my new Virus checker as I was intalling it so that Windows 95 bombed and wouldn't start up again! (AHHHHH!!!) So I have been spending the whole of yesterday and today working to bring my system back from the Valley of Lost things. Things are=20 more or less back to normal now, but I haven't got my Internet connections fixed and running again, so I'm sending todays's Digest in the old way, through the Amiga shell (hence the ultra-long header of yore). I hope to have things totally back to normal soon. -- Dave ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 27, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 03:34:28 -0500 From: "Melody G. Keller" <104270.2374@compuserve.com> Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-26-97 Ruth Berman: Well--in "Sir Harold," When the hero Sean shows up in Oz to ask a favor, Ozma seems willing to grant it with no strings, but Evardo stops her, puts her down for her loving approach to ruling, and proceeds straight to coercing Sean into fetching their kidnapped son from the Nome kingdom. They grant the favor Sean asks for, but use it against him. (Control tactics) They fetch his friend, Bayard, then hold him hostage until Sean accomplishes his mission. (Control tactics) The Ozma we know would have granted the favor hoping that gratitude would move Sean to help her save her son. (The genuine love and friendship approach) Had Evardo used love instead of control tactics he would have been a more likeable and appropriate consort for Ozma. And "Sir Harold" would have been a more Ozzy book. de Camp married off Ozma to a fellow with a Machiavellian approach that must have caused her genuine emotional pain. Though claiming to love her, Evardo seems to have badgered and put down and worn Ozma down into accepting his ways, and, as far as ruling Oz, has arrogantly pushed her asider. THAT's why she seems stuck up--she's had to put up all kinds of emotional barriers to protect herself. She is probably idealistic enough to WANT to feel real love for her husband, but he has hurt her so much emotionally she's stopped trying. Believe me, that kind of relationship is too painful to be funny *or* Ozzy! .< :>( Ozma (behind closed doors): I was doing just fine, Evardo, before you messed up everything! I am sorry--it was unloving of *me* to judge an author by one book. But once I thought about it, I realized it was the above I disliked about "Sir Harold." Melody Grandy >< ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 04:04:59 -0500 (EST) From: HermBieber@aol.com Subject: For Ozzy Digest Steve T. Oops! Of course you are right on Ike Morgan and the Wogglebug. It was 3 am when I wrote the item, and I guess I got my synapses crossed! Craig N. Fear not; there are lots of reading copies out there. My basement is full for them. Its the truly fine firsts that command top dollar. But at each auction there people who overpay on items for various reasons. One really has to average many data points to get a fair "going price" for a book. Unfortunately, some dealers use the highest price ever realized to price their book, and even if its an inferior copy to boot. RE: AOL: Hooray; access has gotten a lot easier since Friday. Either AOL has added a new line in my area, or a lot of people have quit in disgust. In a related development, NY State is suing AOL for not providing the services its 600,000 residents who are on AOL have paid for. Herm Bieber ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 08:20:33 -0600 (CST) From: Robin Olderman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-26-97 Craig:You wrote:>>Are reading copies scarce because they simply went through far fewer editions than the Oz books? Or are they scarce because dealers only want to deal in expensive first editions? Speaking for one dealer (me) and for many I know, I think we want to deal in books that will make a reasonable profit for us and allow us to stay in a business that surrounds us with books. I certainly like having first editions, but that's not where we've made our reputation in the shop I manage. By far, the reading copies have been the staple of our stock. We rarely go after "raries," but stick to stuff in the low or middle range. I have very few Oz books in stock right now because of this. Book of the Month: I hope we don't start with anything as dark as _D. & Wiz..._. But if y'all want to follow Steve's suggestion and start there, I guess I'll force myself to reread it. Yuck. It's my least favorite Oz book. Whatever we do, I certainly agree with David that we need to announce the sequence right "up front." Two weeks may be more than enough lead time for obtaining the readily-available stuff, but some DIGEST members may be spurred by the discussions to try to get the more difficult titles, and we'd be unfair to give them only two weeks or even a month to get them. Centennial: No, not even for Aberdeen's fest do I think it'd be feasible to hold a Centennial event there. Air fares and accessibility seem too difficult for many of us. Fares to Aberdeen aren't exactly competitive. (But I'd like to go to the festival Nancy mentions!) How many of us wear glasses? No, this isn't a new poll question! It sure' seems like lots of us need them. I do. I wish I could wear contacts. They're so much cooler in the summer! McGraw: Her books are very readable. Always well-researched and crafted. Both _Moccasin Trail_ and _Golden Goblet_ are quite good. She also was a runner-up for the Texas Bluebonnet Book a few years back for _The Money Room_. Her books generally are written for the young adolescent reader. If you have a preteen at home, you may well want to suggest he/she read McGraw. Well, O.K., I read her stuff as an adult and *I* found them enjoyable, too. :) Thank you: David, for the info about American Home Videos. Ruth, for the Boston review of the stage play Joel, for the very good report of the PBA auction Ken--ditto (BTW, I love the Paul Newman chocolate,too!) Bill in Ozlo (a.k.a. "Piglet")--I'm very glad you're back with us. Is the Eshbaugh cartoon available commercially? I think it's cute. Yes, it was essentially "snuffed out" by Disney because of the Technicolor. Disney had a lock on Techicolor, and Eshbaugh wasn't strong enough to do anything about it. I've often wanted to see that cartoon in color, but I'd like to own even a b&w of it. David: I didn't mean to suggest that you dislike any of the Oz books. I just found myself about to use that word in my posting and didn't want to choose such a strong word, although it comes very close to describing my feelings about DOTWIZ. BTW, I didn't find _Glass Cat_ humorless. Potential Poll Question: How many of us reread our Oz books now? I'm a bit like David in that I like them as bedtime reading, although I don't read Oz as frequently as he does. Long post today. Sorry! --Robin ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 09:24:53 -0500 From: Scott Piehler Subject: Ozzy Digest & viruses I know this isn't totally on-target, but I've been reading with some amusement the postings on virus hoaxes/warnings/etc. If you're ever not sure about one of these, take a trip out to http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html and look it up for yourelf. This is Symantec, the makers of Norton Antivirus, and this is the URL for their Virus Info Database. This is a relatively definitive list of all known viruses, hoaxes, etc. It is searchable, alphabetically. Since these people have a very_real_financial_interest in keeping up-to-date, they do. I tend to email their entries on the hoaxes (Good Times, etc) to those who email me about such things. Bill in Ozlo: As far as the ruby slippers being related to the power of Communism, you'd have to check out the political leanings of those at MGM. In the book, they're *silver*. Red was allegedly chosen for the movie because it showed off the color process better. As far as the yellow brick road & Emerald City referring to delusions of money, again, in the film Oz was a dream, but in the books, it's a place. Sounds like the noodlings of someone who had a a little too much time on their hands. (not you Bill, whoever presented the idea first! :) ) Scott Scott Piehler Atlanta, GA USA http://www.mindspring.com/~rosco29/home.htm ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 06:49:07 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: An Ozzy note And people used to complain about how long MY posts were... --Eric "Brevity is the soul of wit" Gjovaag ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 10:10:51 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-26-97 Melody: I agree that the amount of humor that's appropriate varies from book to book. IMHO, RPT gets a little carried away with silliness in some of her books. Baum's humor is much more to my taste. One thing that really annoyed me about "Scalawagons" (which I finished reading last night) was JRN's inordinate use of puns. I must admit, they are a pet peeve of mine. (I trace this to my days as a writer at CNN where puns were highly regarded as cleverness.) Of course I realize Baum used puns too, so I guess its the overuse that bothers me. Herm and Dick: AOL has been very irritating lately. Fortunately, I have a wealth of access numbers to choose from in the Washington, D.C. area (2 in Northern Virginia, 2 in DC, and 4 in Maryland). Even so, sometimes I have to dial them all three or four times to log on. Dick: I watched "Whimsical World" last night. Overall, it was very enjoyable. However, the TV producer in me was struck by how uneven it was; towards the end it seemed to change into "The Making of Return to Oz." Even so, I'm glad to have it on my Oz shelf. Joel: Thanks for the auction report. It was very reassuring to read at the end your assessment about the best place to get Oz books. I can't wait 'til the Munchkin convention! "I really don't think that some of the prices truly reflect what the average collector would pay a dealer after inspecting the books. But, this is only my opinion. Overall, the best place to get Oz books is from each other, Oz club members and club events." Kenneth: After you post the chronology for "Glinda," maybe you could make the first 14 available as a text file for anyone interested. :) Book-of-the-month: IMHO, we should read the FF in order. My rationale is simple: 1) It's easy and logical for everyone to agree on; 2) Many of us probably have never read them in order b/c so many of the non-Baum titles used to be so hard to come by. In my own experience, I probably read the first 20 or so in order; after that, I jumped all over the place. -- Craig ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 14:11:11 -0500 (EST) From: "James R. Whitcomb" Subject: For Ozzy Digest James Whitcomb wrote: <> Rich Morrissey wrote: <> Rich: Clara Blandick's name is NOT in the credits. I own 6 different editions of the screenplay, 20 different movie posters, and several copies of the video. I am yet to find her name in the credits. This really puzzles me. I'm just curious as to why she was omitted. The screenplay lists the following cast members in this order: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, and the Munchkins. [no mention of Clara Blandick] You are correct in that Clara Blandick is mentioned in Aljean Harmetz's "The Making of the Wizard of Oz", however, the list of movie credits in the back of the book makes no mention of her. Clara Blandick died in 1962 of an apparent suicide. Is it possible that her name used to be in the credits but, was removed due to her death (suicide). I doubt if this is the reason but, I really can't think of anything else. If anyone else has any info, please let me know. Jim Whitcomb. ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 15:37:03 -0800 (PST) From: w_baldwin@juno.com (Warren H Baldwin) Subject: Ozzie Irrelevancies X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 1-2,5-6,10-12 For those who might be interested (in light of professed interests expressed in past Digests): The _complete_ OED on CD-ROM is now available at only $395. Either PC or Mac platform is available. If interested, call 1-800-832-7323 (A Common Reader) and, I assume, have your credit card handy. _The Annotated Alice_ (Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass) is available in hardback from E. R. Hamilton, Bookseller, for $14.95. Introduction and notes are by Martin Gardner. Details on request. Lurking on the Digest and enjoying it no end . . . ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 18:07:24 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-26-97 Dave: I could tell -something- must have happened; not only was the long list of subscribers back, but everything was crammed with hexadecimal garbage. Took me half an hour to edit it into readability. I hope your other system is working again soon! (There are also some obviously missing lines.) Steve: I agree that there are degrees of heresy, and LION OF OZ... doesn't appear to approach the level of, say, BARNSTORMER or WICKED. Regardless, I doubt I'll bother with it. I'm willing to make February DOROTHY AND THE WIZARD month, but I think Robin's idea of taking the books in order might be better. Besides avoiding arguments about "which book do we discuss next", it would add discussion of the development of characters and Oz itself through the series to the discussion of individual books. Shaggy: My father was an Odd Fellow too, though he was only active in it briefly. His main activities of that sort were Rotary and Kiwanis. They're a little different type of club, though, more civic and less fraternal. Eleanor: I'd think anyone should be able to read an Oz book in two weeks. It usually only takes me about a week to read one doing 15-20 minutes a night before going to sleep. I'm a fairly fast reader, but not that exceptional. Me: After the discussion about it, I've started reading THE GOLDEN GOBLET, and am about 2/3 through it now. Very good story about a young (12) boy in ancient Egypt. In my second post, the first paragraph lost the last word; the last sentence should be "Definitely more romantic than most 1940s SF/fantasy (specifically including Tolkien)." (And before anybody jumps on me, I know LOTR was published in the 1950s - but most of it was written in the 1940s.) Robin: I assume that by "average age" you mean the arithmetic mean, and not the median age? Joel: Thanks for another perspective on the PBA auction. Bill: The theory your correspondent mentions that Oz has something to do with communism has to apply only to the movie, since the shoes weren't red in the books. I suppose it's conceivable that the screenwriter had something of the sort in mind, but it seems unlikely. The usual theory that the slippers were changed from silver to ruby because it looked better in technicolor makes much more sense to me. Ken S.: I think that if you saw a glass cat moving 8 mph you'd call it a "crystal streak". Cats aren't very big, so at 8 mph it would be moving its body length in something like 1/12 of a second. That's down in the same ballpark as the "frame time" of human vision (silent movies were filmed at around 1/18 sec per frame, IIRC). Rich: I remembered you'd read the Snow books for the first time when you were staying at my house in '84, but hadn't realized that you read SCALAWAGONS and HIDDEN VALLEY for the first time then as well. Jane: From what I've heard of it, I don't think Aberdeen is probably geared to handle the Centennial Oz convention. At least, if it's as much bigger than the average IWOC convention as we hope it will be. (Anyhow, I think we hope it will be, don't we?) David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 18:48:23 -0500 (EST) From: BuckyB12@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest I like the idea of the Oz book-of-the-month, too, and I won't even suggest that it be the same as my own O.B.O.T.M (COWARDLY LION, coming soon). The idea of going through the FF in order makes a certain amount of sense, but I also like the idea of skipping around randomly. This means that someone would actually have to pick it. So, pick away! With February fast approaching, we should decide soon, and I'd suggest it be an easily-accessible title to start. I can't always keep up with the Digest on a daily basis (today's is going to take a while), so if I respond to anything it might be delayed. Thanks for reminding me about Bangladore's name (of course, I remember now). And, Bear, my *actual* name is Dwayne Best, but usually it's just... DJ ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 19:57:14 -0500 (EST) From: Jeremy Steadman Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-26-97 Robin: I think that as you said, we'll never be able to agree on an order to discuss the books in. The only other possibility besides publication order that I can think of to make it all fair would be alphabetical order . . . Wes: I did not mean to misquote you yesterday (notice the typos--they were mine, not yours). Tyler: See my disclaimer in yesterday's Digest. I don't know why I said what I did . . . Re vision correction: I have a sinking feeling, knowing what I'm in for . . . Melody: Again, see my disclaimer of yesterday. Re Bungle Oz-crossing: Do we know that Bungle indeed traveled the straightest route possible? David Hulan: Note disclaimer as above. Herm: Thanks for those "virus warnings"--I imagine they'll make a hit at school here. ====================================================================== Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 15:51:00 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Oz chat Okay, I've FINALLY figured a few things out, and can tell everyone about online chat (IRC) and how to do it and all. First off, this is NOT a newsgroup or meant to in any way take anything away from the "Digest," so please don't flame me for trying to take anything away from Dave (as if I'd want to). It is real time "chat," in which the participants type in comments on their computer, then when they hit the message they just typed shows up on ALL the screens of those participating. You can find out a little more about how this can work in Katy Lau's column in the latest "Oz Gazette". First off, the bad news: If you're on AOL, you may as well skip down to the next note, this won't apply to you. AOL wants you to use their OWN chat rooms, not generic ones off the Internet, so all you Ozzy AOLers, you're going to have to come up with your own way of getting together in real time (it's like an online Oz convention, did I mention that?). More bad news: I can't tell you exactly how to get on to chat from your system, because every system is different. Here on my own server, Eskimo North, I have to type "irc" at the prompt, and there I am. Your system probably does not work exactly the same way. You will have to ask somebody familiar with your system as to whether or not you can access IRC (stands for Internet Relay Chat, I think) and how to get to it. Now, ONCE YOU'RE IN IRC, no problem. First, we'll need a common place to meet. So for this first attempt, at least, let's try this: type "/server spider.ca.us.dal.net". That will all put us at the same site to chat. Then, we'll need a channel to chat on. For this first session, whenever that may be, let's call it Wiz_Oz (too many problems just using Oz by itself). Therefore, the next thing you should do is type "/join #Wiz_Oz". Once you're in, you'll see who's there, maybe a topic we're discussing (yeah, like we ever stick to that!), and such. Now, type something, press , and you've just joined the conversation. If someone else at the site is using the same name you are, you won't be able to log on. Therefore, you'll have to change your nickname. Simply type "/nick ", and if that's acceptable, you'll now be known by that name, and can join the channel. You can also use the /nick command to change you're name when you're on. If you want to simulate an action, rather than say something, you can type in something like this: /me throws a snowball at Dave. And this will show up: *tiktok throws a snowball at Dave. There are other neat things you can do in IRC, but this will be enough to get started. If you want to access IRC through the World Wide Web, you'll need an IRC client program, which works like a Web browser. Go to www.tucows.com on the Web and look for either mIRC or PIRCH, and download either one. I want to try an online IRC session later this week, if people are interested. Tuesday is the best day for me this week, so I'm arbitrarily going to set a session up for this Tuesday, January 28, at 6:00 PST (that's 9:00 EST for those of you on the East Coast, and some other time in the middle for those in the MST and CST zones). You don't have to be there right at the top of the hour, you can join any time, and I'll try to be there a little before to guide all the new people through the process. We'll see how long it goes. If enough people show up, and there's continued interest, maybe we can make it a weekly event. --Eric "But one step at a time, okay?" Gjovaag ====================================================================== Date: 26 January, 1997 23:55:59 From: Dave Hardenbrook Subject: Ozzy Things ERIC: I'm definitely interested in doing the IRC on Tuesday, although since Delphi is still on its $1.80/hour policy through this week, I probably won't be able to stay online very long for this first time... DAVID H.: Oh dear! Is anyone else getting garbage in the Digest? I promise I'll get things squared away with Windows 95 and my Internet connection... -- Dave ====================================================================== ] c/ \ /___\ *** THE OZZY DIGEST, JANUARY 28, 1997 *** |@ @| | V | \\\ |\_/| | ;;; \-/ \ ;/ >< ] ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 12:56:51 +0000 (UT) From: Kenneth Shepherd Subject: Ozzy Digest *please post* To: Dave Hardenbrook Message-id: Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Melody--I think the man you're referring to is "Shea," not "Sean"--Doctor Sir Harold Shea. And I think that Evardo's remarks about Ozma have to be considered in light of what was earlier said about her in Dorothy's house. I think that Evardo would be better described as a "realist" rather than a "Machiavellian." You are quite right, though--this is not the Oz we know and love... A comment on the de Camps--I wrote L. Sprague de Camp a letter several years back regarding an obituary sketch of Lin Carter I had written for CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS. He wrote back and suggested I call him for details (this was while he was still living in Pennsylvania; now they've moved to Texas). I spent the most delightful twenty minutes I've ever spent on the phone talking to him and his wife Catherine Crook de Camp. C. de Camp (after we'd been on the phone about 15 minutes): "Now Sprague, don't use up all the young man's pennies!" Craig--the chronologies of all the Oz books are (or will be) available for downloading through Dave Hardenbrook's web site. I believe Eric had indicated an interest in putting them on his website as well--and, Eric, if you're still interested, you certainly have my permission. Jim Whitcomb--I have the 50th Anniversary release of the Wizard of Oz video, and it DOES list Clara Blandick on the credits (after Nikko .... Pat Walshe and before Toto .... TOTO). I checked John Fricke's official pictorial history, but didn't find anything relevant to why Clara Blandick might have been dropped from the credits list. John Fricke would be the logical one to answer this question--is he on-line, or does anyone have an address where he can be reached? David Hulan--True; I hadn't considered the relativity of body size to speed (although the only time I'd be likely to see a glass cat moving at all in this postlapsarian universe we inhabit would be if it was falling from a windowsill). Thanks for pointing this out! Jeremy Steadman--We have no direct textual evidence that Bungle did not travel in a straight line to the EC--or, for that matter, from the EC to the Forest of Gugu. On the other hand, we have Baum's statement that she "headed straight toward the Emerald City" and that she took "the most direct route to the Forest of Gugu." In the absence of any direct textual evidence to the contrary, I think we must assume that she travelled in a straight line. Eric--the IRC sounds like fun. Unfortunately, because of my rehearsal schedule I won't be able to join in for several months. If it's going in June (by the time I finish Der Fliegende Hollander) I'll try to logon then. Dave Hardenbrook--I had the exciting hexadecimal problem as well, so much that I had to pull the Digest into a word-processor in order to edit them out. After about 5 minutes of search-and-replace I had it clean and was able to dump it back into Microsoft Exchange and save it. Best, KRS ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 05:13:39 -0800 (PST) From: Eric Gjovaag Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-27-97 In-reply-to: <01IEP2BD8NO29AN548@delphi.com> To: Dave Hardenbrook Message-id: MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Robin, the Ted Eshbaugh "Wizard of Oz" cartoon is out there, but it won't be easy to find. I've seen it now in at least two different versions, on REALLY inexpensive tapes (about three dollars) of public domain cartoons. At least one of them was in color, but I'm pretty sure it was the Ted Turner-style electronic colorization process -- but that actually works well for cartoons, so I'm not complaining. Unfortunately my viewing copy also has the sound out of sync, and extra electronic sound effects added . Anyway, check out the bins of cheap cartoons on video at K-Mart, Woolworths, and the like, it may show up there. By the time most people see this, it will be "Oz chat tonight!" time. --Eric Gjovaag ### Visit my "Wizard of Oz" web site! http://www.eskimo.com/~tiktok/ ### ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 08:21:35 -0500 (EST) From: CrNoble@aol.com Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-27-97 To: DAVEH47@delphi.com Message-id: <970127082132_409539991@emout06.mail.aol.com> Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Robin: It goes without saying that I wasn't referring to dealers on the Digest. (Is that just you and Herm?) I didn't even mean to imply that most dealers are out to make a killing. Case in point: I bought three first editions in the last month -- "Speedy," "Shaggy Man" and "Hidden Valley" -- and spent a total of $175. The last two were in good condition. The first had some chips to the case on the spine, but the binding was tight, pages clean and plates bright and intact. None had dust jackets. I also recently bought two early editions (not firsts) of Aunt Janes Nieces books. I spent $30 for the pair. However, I've had someone else try to sell me AJN books (not firsts) in the $200 range and "The Master Key" (a first in good, possibly fine condition, but no dj) for $600! That's what I find upseting. Dave: Yesterday, I got a lot of garbage, but today's Digest was fine. However, I sent a 2nd post around 8pm, which didn't make it. Please let me know if it's lost, and I'll repost. Thanks. -- Craig ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 10:37:29 -0500 (EST) From: Nathan DeHoff Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-27-97 To: DAVEH47@delphi.com Message-id: <01IEPDEV8XIQ9371ZO@grove.iup.edu> Organization: Indiana University of Pennsylvania X-VMS-To: IN%"DAVEH47@delphi.com" MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Book of the Month: I don't have a copy of _Dorothy and the Wizard_ with me here at college. If I can't read the book, however, I can probably still participate in some of the discussions. Robin: I don't wear glasses. Of course, I'm still young, and my vision may become worse when I get older. I have read all of the Oz books that I own many times. Craig: I enjoy the humor in the Oz books, and like some of the puns, but I agree that Neill goes a little overboard in his use of puns. I did not read the Oz books in order, mostly because some of the books were difficult for me to locate. Nathan Mulac DeHoff lnvf@grove.iup.edu Notta: "We are members of the ancient and honorable Order of Bachelors, and are at present lords of all we survey." Adora: "Do you believe that?" Theodore: "No! How can I, when there is no such place? Where is this All-We-Survey? Is it in Oz?" ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 10:44:06 -0500 (EST) From: DavidXOE@aol.com Subject: Ozzy Digest, 01-27-97 To: DAVEH47@delphi.com Message-id: <970127104041_1013485909@emout04.mail.aol.com> Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Well, this Digest came through clean. Don't know what went wrong yesterday. Melody: That's "Shea", not "Sean", in "Sir Harold and the Gnome King" (and all the other "Incomplete Enchanter" stories). Robin: Do they even have commercial air service to Aberdeen? Checking my atlas I see that they do have an airport, but I'd guess that they only fly what I call "one-cheek" (because that's how much of my seat fits their seats) aircraft in - the little turboprop jobs. The nearest place with a major airport looks to be Minneapolis, and that's about 300 miles away. I suspect it would entail fewer responses from this group to ask how many -don't- wear either glasses or contacts. I'm glad you didn't find GLASS CAT humorless. Craig: I suspect that the inordinate use of puns in WONDER CITY and SCALAWAGONS was the work of the R&L editor more than Neill himself. Or at least, he didn't use them nearly as much in LUCKY BUCKY, which I understand is the closest to his original intent. Steve, you've seen the MSS; were the puns in them? Eric: So those of us on AOL can't participate in IRC? Oh, well... David Hulan ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 10:45:19 -0800 From: "Stephen J. Teller" Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-27-97 To: Dave Hardenbrook Message-id: <32ECF7BF.3AA0@pittstate.edu> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.0 (Win16; I) Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit References: <01IEP2BD8NO29AN548@delphi.com> > From: Robin Olderman > > Book of the Month: I hope we don't start with anything as dark as _D. & > Wiz..._. But if y'all want to follow Steve's suggestion and start there, > I guess I'll force myself to reread it. Yuck. It's my least favorite Oz > book. Whatever we do, I certainly agree with David that we need to > announce the sequence right "up front." Two weeks may be more than enough > lead time for obtaining the readily-available stuff, but some DIGEST > members may be spurred by the discussions to try to get the more > difficult titles, and we'd be unfair to give them only two weeks or even > a month to get them. It is just because so many people dislike DOT & WIZ that I think it should be first. Let us, as a group, discuss just what is wrong with it--or what is right with it. Melody used it considerably in DISENCHANTED PRINCESS, and anyone should read D&W before that. ANYWAY: A decision must be made, and it is up to DAVE as the co-ordinator of this Digest to make an arbitrary determination. OK Dave, what is it to be: WONDERFUL WIZARD, DOT & WIZ or something else? > > Centennial: No, not even for Aberdeen's fest do I think it'd be feasible > to hold a Centennial event there. Air fares and accessibility seem too > difficult for many of us. Fares to Aberdeen aren't exactly competitive. > (But I'd like to go to the festival Nancy mentions!) > I am hoping to get there. It is only 710 miles north of me. > How many of us wear glasses? No, this isn't a new poll question! It > sure' seems like lots of us need them. I do. I wish I could wear > contacts. They're so much cooler in the summer! > You know I do. I tried contacts but could never get used to them. > Potential Poll Question: How many of us reread our Oz books now? How often? How many? > Bill in Ozlo: > > From: CrNoble@aol.com > Subject: Re: Ozzy Digest, 01-26-97 > > Melody: > > I agree that the amount of humor that's appropriate varies from book to book. > IMHO, RPT gets a little carried away with silliness in some of her books. > Baum's humor is much more to my taste. One thing that really annoyed me > about "Scalawagons" (which I finished reading last night) was JRN's > inordinate use of puns. I must admit, they are a pet peeve of mine. (I > trace this to my days as a writer at CNN where puns were highly regarded as > cleverness.) Of course I realize Baum used puns too, so I guess its the > overuse that bothers me. > SCALAWAGONS unlike WONDER CITY was not highly revised by an editor after its submission. Those puns are probably Neill's. > The _complete_ OED on CD-ROM is now available at only $395. AH, how I wish I couod write only with such insoussance! > From: BuckyB12@aol.com > Subject: Ozzy Digest > > I like the idea of the Oz book-of-the-month, too With February fast > approaching, we should decide soon, and I'd suggest it be an > easily-accessible title to start. OK. Dave? Streve T. ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 11:56:11 -0500 From: Michael Turniansky Subject: Lurker ribbing To: Dave Hardenbrook Message-id: <32ECDE2B.7B13@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.01Gold (Win95; I) Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit References: <01IEP2BD8NO29AN548@delphi.com> The following is intended tongue-cheek, and no offense is meant to Warren or any other lurker.... Warren Baldwin wrote: > > Lurking on the Digest and enjoying it no end . . . I see we have a problem in punctuation here. I believe the corrected manuscript should read: Lurking on the Digest and enjoying it? No! End! --Mike "Shaggy Man" Turniansky ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 09:43:20 +0000 From: "L. Beltz/M. Krueger" Subject: Ozzy Digest To: "Dave L. Hardenbrook" Reply-to: ferrywa@televar.com Message-id: <32EC78B8.71CB@televar.com> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC) Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit I, too, like the book of the month suggestion and also agree with starting with #1 and proceeding in chronological (publishing date) order. Everyone will know what book is next and why would we want to start an Oz book discussion at any place other than the beginning? Lynn Beltz ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 12:43:24 -0500 (EST) From: RMorris306@aol.com Subject: Recent Ozzy Digests To: DAVEH47@delphi.com Message-id: <970127123522_1013498198@emout20.mail.aol.com> Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Hi again! BEFORE I FORGET... There was some discussion awhile back about the derivation of Ojo's name, which apparently meant something in (I think) Hebrew. However, it also has a meaning that arguably would have been more familiar to Baum, since it means "eye" in Spanish. (I'm pretty sure Baum was living in Southern California by the time he wrote PATCHWORK GIRL, so he'd have had a chance to meet a number of Spanish-speaking people.) Ojo was quite an observant boy, so the name seems appropriate for him. Steve T. wrote: <> That'd be fascinating! Especially to compare Pattrick/Meyer's version with Shanower's, and for that matter with Neill's original. Didn't Pattrick also contribute articles to Sherlock Holmes fandom, including the classic "Moriarty Was There," cited a number of times in Baring-Gould's annotated edition? Jeremy Steadman wrote: <<"[W]hen Kaliko became kind he could sit on his throne and didn't get much exercise, but while he was stward he had to run around a lot and dodge the stuff that was throne at him"),>> Two delightful typos in one line! You've already apologized for "throne at him," but I thought the whole point of this thread was that Kaliko became *less* kind after he ascended the throne! David Hulan wrote: <> That's good to know, since I've noticed lately that (especially at peak times) I get on much more easily through my SprintNet number than my AOLNet number. I'll keep that in mind! <> Still being much more a reader than a collector, I hadn't realized that fully, but it explains why (as I mentioned) PURPLE PRINCE and OJO were the last Oz books I tracked down to read. (On the other hand, as noted, YELLOW KNIGHT and PIRATES were, respectively, the third and fourth Thompson Oz books I had a chance to read.) In retrospect, perhaps the ending of Thompson's YANKEE (Tompy finds a copy of PURPLE PRINCE at a bookstore, and--on an 11-year-old's allowance--buys it) may be more fantastic than anything that happened in Oz... <