Royal Oz News 2011-2012

12/30/12 Some more updates can be found in the Deadly Desert section (with sprinklings in Dark Side and Parallel Histories sections). I've finally gone ahead and added television and film productions to these sections.

12/17/12 Made some changes and updates to the Parallel Histories section, including removing all the Santa Claus stories and placing them on the mainline timeline where they belong as part of Baum's larger mythology. This repairs one of the admittedly biased elements of The Royal Timeline and brings it closer to Baum's explicit vision for Oz. Much more work to be done on this timeline before I'm satisfied with it, but it's small start for now.

10/18/12 Greetings after a too-long absence. Still alive and working. Just wanted to post some interesting new for those attending the upcoming Winkie-Con 2013 in Pacific Grove, CA (June 21-23). Authors Paul Dana (the upcoming Lost Boys of Oz) and Jeffrey Rester (the upcoming Death in Oz) will be attending, and there will be new books available there for you to purchase. If you're going to be there, definitely stop by and give these guys a warm welcome!

As regards progress on the upcoming Lost Boys of Oz, there is quite a bit of exciting news, not all of which I can yet share. What I can say now is that there are two additional artists creating images for the book, one for each section! This book is going to be gorgeous. And the story is just brilliant, one of the best Oz tales I've read in a long time. If you've read the original online version, you'll want to note that it's been expanded, and, of course, the third novella will be exclusive to the book. There will also be a bonus short story that's fantastic, and concerns itself with a certain unnameable evil that's stalking the land of Oz.

6/2/12 No major updates, but I wanted to add this crazy item before I forgot it. As regards Paul Dana's upcoming book, that continues to move forward, and I expect to see release by early in the new year (if not sooner). Trust me, it'll be worth the wait!

7/8/11 Added the online stories, "Four Views of General Jinjur" and "A Kiss is Still a Kiss" to 1907. This short story is available online. In the meantime, work continues apace on the upcoming Lost Boys of Oz. Pat has been turning in some stunning illustrations. In addition, Paul Dana has been making some tweaks to his earlier stories. And it appears there may be a new short story added to the book as well! I should be able to share some images with you in the coming days.

5/26/11 Coming to Xlibris on June 25 is a new book entitled Adolf Hitler in Oz, by author Sam Sackett, where the Nazi madman fakes his death and escapes Germany via time-machine only to end up in Oogaboo where he plans the takeover of Oz!

5/16/11 Some exciting news! I'll be publishing all three of Paul Dana's novellas in an upcoming Oz book, illustrated by an amazing illustrator named Patricio Carbajal! Not only will the third novella be new, but Time Travelers of Oz will feature as a newly updated version. We're additionally looking into the possibly of publishing it as extended edition of this story (based on the lengthier original version). More information as it becomes available.

I made some minor updates to the Queer Visitors of Oz information on the mainline timeline and in Footnotes 2, as well as The Scarecrow and Tinman info in Footnotes. I also added Mark E. Haas' final book, The Emerald Mountain of Oz to 1999 (subject to change) to the mainaline timeline. I have a lot yet to add.

4/26/11 Two updates in a month! Well, this one's not as big. Just letting readers know that I've moved Invisible Inzi of Oz to the mainline timeline. I finally found a copy, had a chance to read it, and while it's not great, there's nothing significantly contradictory to anything on the mainline timeline.

Do I think it was dictated by a Ouija board? No. While I realize that's part of the story's mystique, in the real world, Ouija boards might be responsible for some creepy messages, but they don't tell mediocre novellas faithful to the Famous Forty, written as if by a pre-teen obsessed with Oz. As to the author's account, it's either an elaborate fiction she constructed (for whatever reason), or her brother pushed it (without her realizing it), or she suffered from a memory that wasn't as accurate as it could've been. Like the Cottingley Fairies, however, it's something each person will decide for himself based on what version of the tale he/she prefers.

4/21/11 The rumors are true! Paul Dana has embarked upon the third part of his Button-Bright trilogy, the first two stories of which are featured exclusively here. I can say this, having just read a draft: it's amazing! As in Paul's past stories, there are some very significant and exciting things that occur in this story, even more so than in the prior two novellas... and yet, it's still a traditional Oz tale. I'm thrilled to be editing this new entry in Ozian lore, and I think you guys are going to love it!