The Wonderful Recap of Oz

PREVIOUSLY A PATREON EXCLUSIVE!

I am delighted to be joined by my friend, co-worker, and lifelong Return to Oz fan: Mary Corrigan. We watched Return to Oz together to record the very first OzRecap Commentary Track! This is an audio file that is meant to be listened to along with the movie. Around seventeen minutes into this episode (after our banter), I will prompt you to hit "Play" on your copy of Return to Oz, whether it be streaming, on VHS, or on DVD.

Originally Published March 24, 2022

PREVIOUSLY A PATREON EXCLUSIVE!

While L. Frank Baum wrote fourteen Oz books over the course of twenty years, more endeavors into the world of Oz were also published. In this bonus episode, I'll discuss four lesser-known works by Baum and W. W. Denslow: Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, Denslow's Scarecrow and the Tin Man, The Woggle-Bug Book, and Little Wizard Stories of Oz. I'll also address a hot topic that is met with debate among Oz fans: Should these stories be included in the Oz canon?

Originally Published September 1, 2021

L. Frank Baum not only adapted his works to film, but he also translated his books to the stage. He developed three Oz musicals in his lifetime: The Wizard of Oz (1902), The Woggle-Bug (1905), and The Tik-Tok Man of Oz (1913). Their respective success varied, but there is no doubt that the musicals had a significant influence on the Oz series going forward. Joined by Oz author and illustrator Eric Shanower, we take a closer look at Oz on stage.

It's rare when a beloved author gets to be the same person to adapt their work for the big screen. L. Frank Baum famously did this by incorporation his own production company, and he was quick to begin translating his work to film. While the Oz Film Manufacturing Co. was famously unsuccessful, the films shed a light on Baum's unique vision. With special guest Nate Barlow, we talk about the history of the company and a couple of the films that have survived. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains a brief discussion concerning the genocide of indigenous Americans.

Tyler Varney returns to #OzRecap to discuss some of the earliest film adaptations of Baum's works. Starting with the ambitious Fairylogue and Radio-Plays multimedia presentation, continuing into Selig Polyscope Company's 1910 short film, heavily focusing on Larry Semon's 1925 feature film The Wizard of Oz, and wrapping it all up with the Ted Eshbaugh cartoon in Technicolor from 1933. (CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains mentions of sexual assault, suicide, and racist caricatures.)

Tyler Varney guests in this special Christmas episode of OzRecap! A couple of years before L. Frank Baum wrote the first sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, he created his very own origin story for the legendary Santa Claus. Published in 1902, it is a fairy tale that seems very rooted in paganism, and it has been adapted for the screen multiple times. We discuss Baum's version of the story and its 1985 Rankin/Bass adaptation, but stay tuned until the end for an upcoming bonus series, exclusively for OzRecap Patrons!

Wrapping up our focus on Disney in Oz, we take a look at their latest attempt to adapt Oz for the big screen. A prophecy foretells the arrival of a wizard who can rescue the Land of Oz from a wicked. Is James Franco, a.k.a. Oscar Diggs, the one they've been waiting for? With special guest Jesse McAnally from the podcast "Musicals with Cheese"!

Immediately following the Walt Disney Company’s acquisition of the Muppets in 2004, they got started on their first collaborative project: The Muppets' Wizard of Oz. With a well-beloved fairy tale, an Emmy-nominated song, an all-star human cast, and the most powerful puppets in Hollywood, you'd think this would be a recipe for success. Guests Kayla Maloney and Jake Mariño help take a deep dive into Disney's second Oz adaptation.

Many believe the film is too frightening, but others believe it is the most faithful Oz adaptation that exists. 1985's Return to Oz saw Fairuza Balk's film debut as Dorothy, who travels back to Oz and must face off against a stone-cold dictator if she wants to rescue her friends. Guest Christopher Castanho joins the discussion about Disney's oft-misunderstood take on L. Frank Baum's book series.

The Library of Congress famously stated that The Wizard of Oz is the most-watched film ever. Taking a look at the history of the film's release and impact on pop culture, paired with the voices of sixteen Oz fans, Justin explains how The Wizard of Oz has endured the test of time.

Special Thanks to the Guest Voices who appear in this episode (in alphabetical order): Colin Ayres, Nate Barlow, Tori Calamito, Christopher Castanho, OzRoy Chase, Jay Davis, Laramie Dean, John Fricke, David Keyes, Josh Lanning, Gregory Maguire, Jesse McAnally, Erica Oliveira, Emily Kay Shrader, Tara Tagliaferro, and Tyler Varney

In the first part of the season 2 premiere, Justin is joined by celebrated Oz historian John Fricke. The two of them discuss the Hollywood studio system, gush over their shared love of Judy Garland, and, of course, summarize the complicated process of making the most watched film in history.

Ozma and Dorothy travel to an unknown part of Gillikin Country to stop a war between the Flatheads and the Skeezers, only to become trapped in an underwater dome. With the princesses of Oz helpless, the only hope of their rescue lies in Glinda the Good, who must team up with her usual council, as well as some long-lost sorceresses.

Oz is yet again in peril at the hands of Ruggedo, the former Nome King. While seeking a present for Ozma's birthday, Dorothy and the Wizard encounter Ruggedo and his new co-conspirator, a Munchkin boy with a talent for transformation. Meanwhile, Trot and Cap'n Bill become trapped on an island that makes them smaller and smaller with every passing minute. With the Wizard's magic tools stolen from him, the fate of the Ozites could be a grim one.

Or, as I like to call it, "The Frankenstein Monster of Oz". The Tin Woodman joins forces with the Scarecrow and a young lad called Woot the Wanderer, embarking on a journey to find his lost Munchkin lover, Nimmie Amee. This proves to be a rather difficult task when they encounter a Tin Soldier with the same intentions and have to escape the clever magic of Mrs. Yoop the Yookoohoo.

A mystery in Oz! When Princess Ozma disappears, along with the only magical tools that can rescue her, Dorothy and her friends must blindly search through the land of Oz to restore their ruler before a more wicked force intervenes.

If you've ever been curious to know what happens when you cross a jolly king, a boy prince, and a talking goat, then this is the episode for you. When the island of Pingaree is overtaken by the villainous people of Regos and Coregos, Prince Inga must work with the king of Rinkitink country and Bilbil the goat to rescue his people. Equipped with three magic pearls to protect him and his companions, Inga travels to several countries bordering the Land of Oz, in the hopes of restoring his land to its former glory.

On May 17, 1900, the very first copies of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum were printed. Deemed one of America’s first original fairytales, the book has been adapted several times on the stage and screen. In the 120 years since the book was first published, thirty-nine more official sequels were written, and the land of Oz became the center of many films, scripts, and short stories, in and out of the canon. Join me, Justin Peavey, as I explore this iconic franchise, reading every book, taking a deep dive into some of the lesser-known installments, and comparing adaptations to their respective source material. "The Wonderful Recap of Oz" is now streaming on all major podcast platforms. For more info, you can follow me on social media @OzRecap. 

When Cap'n Bill and his young companion Trot are sucked into a whirlpool in California, they are whisked to an underwater cave in a mysterious land. After reconnecting with Button-Bright and becoming acquainted with a peculiar avian creature called an Ork, they make their way to an isolated corner of Oz called Jinxland. There they struggle to overthrow the wicked king, fight an evil witch, and unite two star-crossed lovers. But luckily for them, a familiar friend has been dispatched to rescue them.

The Shaggy Man has left Oz to search for his long lost brother. Along the way, he reunites with familiar faces such as Polychrome and Tik-Tok, and is joined by new companions along the way. That includes a young girl named Betsy Bobbin, her pet mule Hank, the stubborn Queen Ann Soforth her Army from Oogaboo, and a Rose Princess named Ozga. When Tik-Tok is informed that the Nome King has captured the Shaggy Man's brother, they travel through the Land of Ev to conquer the Nomes once and for all.

When a young Munchkin named Ojo searches for greener pastures with his uncle, a visit to the Crooked Magician proves to do more harm than good. Teaming up with a girl made of a patchwork quilt, Ojo must travel through dangerous regions of Oz and escape mischievous foes in order to save his uncle's life.

When financial struggles become too much to bear, Dorothy arranges for Uncle Henry and Aunt Em to live with her in Oz. While trying to adjust to their new home, Ozma has Dorothy, her relatives, and her friends take a trip to see some areas in Oz that she has never visited before. Little do they know that the Nome King is preparing a large army to exact his revenge on Ozma and Dorothy.

When trying to direct a nomad to a nearby Kansas town, Dorothy accidentally stumbles into another magical adventure. Hoping to find their way to Ozma's birthday celebration in the Emerald City, she and her new friends follow an enchanted road that passes through villages of anthropomorphic animals, dens of deadly Scoodlers, and other extraordinary dangers. 

After an earthquake in California, Dorothy and her cousin Zeb fall into a crack in the earth. They become acquainted with another unfamiliar land, where they are reunited with the former Wizard of Oz. Along the way, they encounter several new foes, jeopardizing their ability to return to the earth's surface.

Dorothy is back in Oz! Kinda! While traveling to Australia with her Uncle Henry, a storm carries Dorothy to the magical Land of Ev. It is a fairy-land just across the desert from Oz, and it provides many new obstacles for our returning heroine. Accompanied by Ozma of Oz and several of her old friends, Dorothy must rescue Ev from intimidating Wheelers, the narcissistic Princess Langwidere, and the cunningly evil Nome King.

In this episode, we cover The Marvelous Land of Oz, L. Frank Baum's second Oz book. This story focuses on a young boy named Tip and his escape from his evil guardian Mombi, which leads him on an exciting adventure, complete with shocking revelations, dangerous foes, and the return of some familiar faces.

Join me in this premiere episode as I read the novel that started it all. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, first published in 1900, was written by L. Frank Baum, and it inspired numerous sequels, countless film adaptations, and other interesting Oz-related endeavors. For those who have never read the original book, you may be surprised to find that this is not the Oz you know. [Music: Casting Off by WombatNoisesAudio, Music promoted by Free-Stock-Music.com, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License]