|
Royal Oz News 2016
11/22/16 Lions and Tigers The Lunechien Forest of Oz is now up with plot synopsis continuity notes, and new information for The Cowardly Lion of Oz, which has been moved to reflect the dating indicated in this book.
11/20/16 Jaglon and Flitter I've added a plot synopsis and continuity notes for the Animal Fairy Tales story, "The Story of Jaglon," along with its expansion Jaglon and the Tiger Fairies.
10/31/16 Ozian Seahorses Two very entertaining Ozian Seahorse Press Oz books are up, Time Traveling in Oz, by Atticus (then known as Ryan) Gannaway, and The Magic Bowls of Oz, by Gannaway and Peter Schulengurg. The former has also been moved to its proper location in 1952.
10/12/16 The Goat Girls of Saucerville and Kereteria At long last, a new story is at hand, or rather a reworking of two prior stories! The Goat Girls of Oz, by Nathan M. DeHoff, is a revision of "Handy Mandy and the Jewels of Munchkenny" and "Prince Trelnor of Tralmia and the Olympians." (For those purists amongst you, I've included both original versions in the continuity notes.) Combining these two tales has led to an organic, entertaining and fascinating saga that works on its own, but also serves well as a sequel to Handy Mandy in Oz. As if that's not enough, it also brings two Ruth Plumly Thompson stories into Oz continuity, The Wizard of Way-Up stories, and "The Seeress of Saurcerville"! So, if you own (or can borrow) The Wizard of Way-Up and Other Wonders, published by The International Wizard of Oz Club, check out those stories first!
10/11/16 Supposing Lurline I've added a plot synopsis and continuity notes for Marcus Mebes ever-fascinating Lurline and the White Ravens of Oz. As that story brings the Supposyville stories into continuity (in that Handy Mandy recognizes there is another person named Handy Mandy, the robot chef of Sir Solomon T. Wise), I've also seen fit to add those to the new 1915-1919 section on the Mainline Timeline. I've attempted to add every story-poem in that series in chronological order, but it soon became clear that quite a few Supposyville stories were not reprinted in The Wonder Book or The Wizard of Way-Up and Other Stories. I've grabbed a few titles (and dates) online, but there are clearly more. Sigh, more research to do!
9/15/15 Otto in Oz Two Fred Otto tales are up, "A Cozy Castle in Oz" (Oziana 1991) and its direct sequel, "The Forbidden Cave of Grapelandia" (Oziana 1997). Check out their plot synopses and continuity notes at those links. Also up is "The Tail of the Pink Goat" (Oziana 1992) in 1920.
9/14/16 Woozy Christmas Sea Fairies The newest synopses and continuity notes come from the pages of the great Oziana magazine, specifically with the 1992 issue, "The Woozy's Tale" and "A Christmas Tree for Dorothy," and issue 38's "Polychrome Visits the Sea Fairies."
9/2/16 Lions and Kalidahs and Cubs, Oh Yeah! The appearance of the Cowardly Lion and his father in the ongoing online comic-book series How the Wizard Came to Oz gives us a date for the Cowardly Lion's birth, in 1872, as well as an extended picture of the Lion's early days, which adds to the one provided in the excellent Jared Davis story, "The Way of a Lion," which has been moved to 1872, and now has a plot synopsis and continuity notes. Check it out here!
9/1/16 Yoops Go Wild Lots of changes to various stories as the events of Mr. Yoop's imprisonment are reconciled with his two releases. First introduced in The Patchwork Girl of Oz, Mr. Yoop was a violent giant found in a cave prison. As per The Tin Woodman of Oz, he ended up there after he'd been captured by the locals for his predation upon their sheep and cows. His back-story and marriage to the Yookoohoo Moyna Yoop—who later caused mischief of her own in the latter story—was told in The Law of Oz and Other Stories. Mr. Yoop remained imprisoned by the time of the Oziana 2002 story, "Woot Meets Yoop," but according to The Giant King of Oz, he was shortly afterwards released by Terp the Terrible (from The Hidden Valley of Oz), who felt sorry for him. They remained friends, but once he discovered that Terp was reduced in size, Mr. Yoop ventured out, eventually meeting up with the giant Badmannah (from Yankee in Oz), who was seeking to kidnap a princess. Not trusting that Badmannah could accomplish much of anything, he departed and eventually found the Giant's Peak in the Second Valley, hidden in a sector of the Gillikin Country. There, he sought to become king, but upon learning of the Golden Dart of the giant King Nibble, decided against it, becoming instead the military commander of the king's army, where he remained for years. After Nibble was defeated and exiled by the rightful king, Prince Kwa, it appears that Mr. Yoop attempted a coup, and failed. He was then sent back to his original cave prison, where he was found by Mrs. Yoop in the Oziana 1983 story "Mrs. Yoop in Oz, or the Yookoohoos of Oz," after which he was transformed into a green monkey, the form previously worn by his wife, Mrs. Yoop.
8/25/16 Scoodlers Dorothy and the Magic Belt and its sequel Dagmar in Oz are now up, with plot synopses and continuity notes!
8/15/16 Restored I'm pleased to note that after some scrutiny, several titles have been restored to the Mainline Timeline. These include Toto in Oz, Dagmar in Oz and its prequel Dorothy and the Magic Belt. The plot synopsis and continuity notes are up for Toto in Oz, with the rest to follow. In retrospect, I find that so long as the quality is there, it's probably best to overlook incidental references to non-canonical works when possible. It's not always possible, and in the case of Dagmar in Oz, the Mainline Timeline excludes the end of chapter 9 (which references events in the apocryphal Acinad Goes the Emerald City of Oz), which is possible as it does no harm to the narrative.
8/8/16 Margaret Berg, RIP
For those of you who don't know, Margaret Berg was a long-time Oz fan and member of the International Wizard of Oz Club. She wrote numerous reviews in the pages of the Baum Bugle, and not a few short stories and novels, and had regularly attended conventions in prior years. She was married to a man she loved, John Berg, with whom she had children and her dog "Bubba."
I first spoke to Margaret when I reviewed her book Ozallooning in Oz in the pages of the Autumn 2003 Baum Bugle. To be frank, it wasn't a glowing review. I was a harsher critic back when I was younger. The reviews editor at the time, a great guy by the name of Sean Duffley (who first encouraged me to write for the Bugle, and later to take over for him as reviews editor) informed me that Margaret had wanted my address so that she could write me. Now, I generally know how these things go, and since feeling awkward wasn't at the top of the list, I initially declined. But Sean again encouraged me, saying that she wasn't looking to berate me for my review; she just wanted to clarify a few things. Well, ok then. I conceded.
That led to a 13 year correspondence!
Margaret was that rare person who always chose to see the good in life, no matter what the circumstances. She saw to it that she was a happy and positive person, funny, sweet, kind-hearted, and gently outspoken, with valid opinions on a variety of topics. As far as I was concerned, she was already a resident of Oz! Her many letters--which I've saved--were wonderfully rambling affairs, hand-written (of course), and dealing with all manner of subjects great and small that occurred in her life and community. She would often add addendums after the fact, in-between paragraphs, on additional notepaper, post-its, or even on the envelopes themselves! They never failed to elicit a smile.
Margaret loved to write. She didn't quite understand how to respond by email, though she could receive it, and always had "trouble sending," but I suspect that she just preferred real letters. Let's face it, there's only so much you can do with an email to make it stand out. Her letters, on the other hand, were unique affairs!
Margaret also loved to write Oz stories, and she'd written a doozy! Several years back, after I began the Royal Publisher of Oz, I expressed to her an interest in potentially publishing her book The Reading Tree of Oz, and anything else she might have written.
Box after box after box showed up at my door!
I had no idea she'd written so much! Sure, there were some duplicates, but there was still quite a bit! You might think it odd that after my less-than-glowing review of Ozallooning I would be interested in her work. Well, apart from the friendship we'd established, I'd read a short story she wrote for the 2004 issue of Oziana magazine, called "New Moon Over Oz." It was more of a tone poem really, but it had such a redolent quality to it that I fell in love with it. I read it over and over again. One of things I'd later come to discover about Margaret's work is that they have a genteel nature that's really quite charming and not something you see very often nowadays, which is a shame I think. I don't believe I'd have appreciated it as much when I was younger and less patient, but I certainly do now.
I worked with Margaret when I became reviews editor of the Baum Bugle. Unlike her prose work, Margaret wrote reviews fast and furious! Thankfully, she had no problem with me editing her work. In fact, she was all for it! She was just happy to contribute, and I was happy to have someone who was as reliable, enthusiastic, and on time! In fact, sometimes she was too enthusiastic! When Wicked was released, she sent in at least two reviews of it, not because she loved it, but because she felt it was un-Ozzy, and that a critical review should be published to balance the positive one that the Bugle had earlier run! Margaret could be a tough critic when she felt it was justified, and I liked that side of her too! The Bugle had a huge backlog of books to be reviewed back then, so it never got published, but when I find it again, I'll post it here.
Over a month ago, I emailed Margaret about some edits I wanted to make to her story. She trusted me enough to give me carte blanche to edit her stories as I saw fit. I guess she knew we shared a similar vision for what Oz was, as Baum and his successors had established it, and knew I would never turn her work into Wicked! Nevertheless, I always prefer the author's input and approval, so I wrote her the list of changes I was proposing. When I didn't get several handwritten pages in a few days, I felt it was odd, but figured she was busy with family and life. Still, I knew that Margaret was assiduous when it came to writing back. I waited a time and got involved in the various pressing projects I had on my desk. Then I emailed her again to make sure she got my first email and to let me know what she thought. Again, nothing. Now I was concerned. I'd have to dig through her correspondence to get her phone number, and in the meantime yet another project derailed me, demanding my time.
Then, just yesterday, I heard the bad news. Margaret had passed on. Now, I know her enough to know that she wouldn't want me to be too upset, and that she'd have me believe that she'd merely crossed the Shifting Sands and was now living her own adventures in Oz, and I believe it too. But I'm saddened that she's gone, and by the fact that I didn't get her books out in time for her to see them. I will get them out, not just to honor her memory, but because they're special like her. Mostly, though, I'll miss her letters, her wonderfully discursive stories, in pages of varying-colored ink, with pictures, diagrams, anecdotes and quotes, from Oz, of course, that often transported me to that far-away life in a quaint town, where one lives at a slow pace without too much hustle or bustle or fuss. I suspect that if she is in Oz now, that's the kind of life she's made for herself there, only with talking animals as neighbors. It's the kind of paradise where people like Margaret truly belong.
And I hope to one day see her there.
7/24/16 Forget Me Not The Forgotten Forest of Oz is up, plot synopsis and continuity notes, and has been moved to 1912.
7/13/16 Changes... The 1988 Oziana story, "The Northeast Wind in Oz" is now in the Parallel History section. See the entry for more details. Also, Oziana 1988's "A Side View of the Nonestic Islands" has been moved to 1967. See that entry for a plot synopsis and continuity notes related to the location of Oz, its former location, and the dimensional echo that it left!
Added General Jinjur of Oz (located exclusively in the Hungry Tiger Press omnibus Adventures in Oz) to 1902.
7/11/16 Dates... After careful consideration, I've moved The Secret Island of Oz to 1906 (from where I had it in 1985). A slightly less extreme change, I moved Maybe the Miffin to 1983 (from 1985).
7/7/16 Maybe... Plot synopsis and continuity notes are up for Phyllis Ann Karr's novella, Maybe the Miffin, which, as you might know, continues Snif the Iffin's adventures from Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. There are also updates for Oziana 1987's "The Two Peters," by Eric Shanower, and the rare novel Mrs. Pickering Goes to Oz, by Vincent Ward, which, along with Beany in Oz, had been sent to Fred Meyer in 1976. I don't believe copies are publicly available, but contact me and I'll see if I can track down a copy for you.
Chapters I added all the chapter listings from each book and magazine up to the point where I am currently in the timeline, which is 1984.
7/5/16 Evian Matters I've added some dates on the Mainline Timeline regarding King Evoldo's ascension to the throne, his marriage to Queen Evraline, and birth of Princess Langwider.
7/3/16 New Opening Section I got an email from Dorothy (she says it's from a kind of magic "computer" the Wizard invented) letting me know that while she enjoyed my story, it wasn't 100% complete the way it was. She proceeded to tell me what happened about a half hour prior, and as we knew you all would find it interesting, I've added it! Check out the now expanded version of "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz" here!
7/1/16 The Ozmapolitan Says... ... that the plot synopsis and continuity notes are up for The Ozmapolitan of Oz, Trot of Oz, and "The Blue Raindrops of Oz" (Oziana 1985).
Where Have All the Flowers Gone? My new short story is available! Called "The Hearts and Flowers of Oz," it is a direct sequel to the Oziana 1985 short story "Magic in the Kitchen," by Jane McNeive. It addresses the issues present in the conclusion of Ojo in Oz, with Ozma having sent the Gypsies to southern Europe, while giving the far worse bandits a slap on the wrist, and reconciles the larger issue of Ozma's policies being markedly different in Thompson's run than in Baum's. Finally, it brings Thompson's four Royal Baking Company booklets into continuity, as well as her short story "A Visit to Jelly Bean Island," included in Sissajig and Other Surprises.
6/25/16 Glinda's History If you're not following The Royal Timeline of Oz on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/theroyaltimelineofoz/?fref=nf), I'm posting this here as well, The History of Glinda the Good, pieced together from the various accounts into a surprisingly cohesive narrative that goes a long way towards explaining not only Glinda's past, but her mother Gaylette's, and possibly the identity of her father! Check it out here!
There are also quite a few Oziana synopses and continuity notes that I'm in the process of posting, of which I'll give a list after they've been proofread.
6/16/16 Witches Plot synopsis and continuity notes are now up for Oziana 1985's "Mombi's Pink Polkadot Vest."
6/13/16 Quadling Kings Plot synopsis and continuity notes are up for the Oziana 2005 "The Red Desert of Oz."
6/11/16 Yoops and Snozzes The Oziana 1983 stories "The Fate of the Yoops (or The Yookoohoos of Oz)" and "Nero Zero: Snoz in Oz" are up, with plot synopses and continuity notes. The latter has also been moved to 1906, and the former has some continuity notes that fans of Mrs. Yoop and Red Reera will want to check out.
6/7/16 Mombi and the Know-It-Alls in Oz The above refers to my reconciliation of two seemingly contradictory stories. I noted on 5/24 that Bucketheads in Oz was irreconcilably contradictory to other stories in the Mainline Timeline. These stories included Eureka in Oz and Oziana 38's "Executive Decisions." I'm happy to note that I was wrong and Bucketheads in Oz is back up with a plot synopsis and continuity notes. The two issues revolved around Professor Nowitall and Mombi.
In the case of the former, Bucketheads in Oz makes it clear that Professor Nowitall was enchanted into a serpentine creature by Mombi since the time of The Marvelous Land of Oz. Yet in Eureka in Oz, which is a few months later, he's living peaceably in his home. Turns out Bucketheads in Oz had its own fix handy. Professor Nowitall has a son whose also a teacher named Professor Nowitall. Thus, Nowitall Sr. was enchanted by Mombi, while Nowitall Jr. is living at home. As regards to which one was there when the Wogglebug was enlarged, I'd argue it was the son using his father's magnifying screen.
The second issue involves Mombi. In Bucketheads in Oz, everyone believes she's dead, so that when the troll Tekrouri accidentally wishes her before him, they assume she's been resurrected. In "Executive Decisions," however, she's revealed to have been alive and well all along. Yet, in the latter story, it's clear that everyone did think she was dead. Also, Bucketheads in Oz has Zim reveal that even the Magic Belt and various wishing devices can't bring someone back from destruction [p. 182-3]. In other words, there is no issue. Mombi was alive all along.
Other updates include plot synopsis and continuity notes for Thorns and Private Files in Oz, which takes place during Bucketheads in Oz and just prior to The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 3: Zim Greenleaf in Oz.
5/26/16 When Ogres Attack! An expanded version of "The Orange Ogres in Oz," by Nathan M. DeHoff (and expanded by yours truly) is now up for your reading pleasure!
5/24/16 Zim Strikes Back The plot synopsis and continuity notes for the deuterocanonical Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 2: Tippetarius in Oz is up. Additionally, Bucketheads in Oz has been moved to the Parallel Histories page due to an irreconcilable contradiction with the histories of Professor Nowitall and Mombi. "The Guardian Dove" (which features as a separate Oziana story and chapter 3 of the book), however, has been placed in 1909 on the Mainline Timeline. Its plot synopsis and continuity notes are also up here.
5/11/16 Bears and Bears and Bears, Oh My! I'm not sure how I overlooked it before, but I've now rectified it, and the plot synopsis and continuity notes are up for the fun Emerald City Press book, The Lavender Bear of Oz!
5/10/16 Promises Promises "A Promise Kept in Oz" has been moved to the earlier date of 1958 to reflect several internal factors; it's also been given a plot synopsis and continuity notes. Check it out here.
5/2/16 Once and Future Tailor A new Oz story is up, Nathan M. DeHoff's regal ruminations of Pastoria in, "A King of Needles and Threads: An Oz Tale." Coming soon, an expanded, new version of The Orange Ogres of Oz.
Plot synopses for the Oziana stories, "As the Rainbow Follows the Rain,""Woot Meets Yoop" and "The Cowardly Lion and the Courage Pills" are up.
I'm also proud to present the floor layout of the Emerald City Palace, courtesy of Melody Grandy! Check it out here!
Finally, have you submitted your new version of King Rinkitink yet? Click on the picture below for the contest rules!
4/29/16 Foggy Glass After much consideration, The Glass Cat of Oz has been moved to 1980 in the Parallel Histories section. Elements of that story may have occurred on the Mainline Timeline of Oz, but in its current form there are just too many dubious or contradictory elements, much of which stem from the author hemming in the universe with unneccessary definitive statements, such as the one that states no mortal had come to live in Oz, except one (presumably Robin Brown), in 50 years. This not only needlessly hampers other authors, but invites contradictions. New authors should take this lesson to heart. An editor at Dark Horse Comics once said, "The more you define, the more you confine." For more details, along with plot synopsis, see the entry above.
Curtis Dunham's The Golden Goblin has been added to the Mainline Timeline at 1903 (internally dated). This book was brought into continuity by Hugh Pendexter III's Wooglet in Oz. Plot synopsis and continuity notes forthcoming.
4/23/16 Pyrzqxgl The discrepancy of how the pronunciation of this magic word continues to work (in stories like "The Believing Child" and The Glass Cat of Oz) after the disenchantment of the Burzee fairy Pyrzqxgl, in the Oziana 1986 story "Much Ado About Kiki Aru," is potentially answered in the footnote of that story. Check it out here.
4/19/16 The Marionettes of Oz Plot synopsis and continuity notes are available for Eloise McGraw's The Rundelstone of Oz. Also up is the short contest story, "Scraps and the Magic Box," with both conclusions listed.
4/15/16 Ozzy Shorts Plot synopses and continuity notes are up for the Oz-Story Magazine #2 story "Abby," as well for Oziana 1980's "Colonel Cotton in Oz" and "A Study in Orange."
4/10/16 Moving On Up The Ice King of Oz (synopsis and continuity notes to come) has been moved up to 1929. Although there is no explicit dates in the story, due to the fact that the Wizard and Glinda conjure up a flier (to take Dorothy and her friends to the realm of the Ice King) instead of using an Ozoplane likely indicates that the Wizard hadn't yet invented them. Additionally, an illustration of Flicker in the palace appears in The Wicked Witch of Oz, which takes place in 1931, indicating that this story must take place earlier.
Plot synopsis and continuity notes are available for Oziana 1979's "The Real Critics."
4/4/16 SBM Book 1: Complete The complete (and lengthy) synopsis of The Seven Blue Mountains of Oz: Book 1: The Disenchanted Princess of Oz, is up, along with continuity notes. I've also moved the Oziana 1977 story, "Two Friendships" to the Parallel History section and completed the synopsis/continuity notes for the Oziana 1978 story, "Zimbo and the Magic Amulet."
4/3/16 Crocheted Animals Come to Oz Plot synopses and continuity notes are up for the late Hugh Pendexter III's Crocheted Cat series: Tales of the Crocheted Cat, Farhold Island, and The Crocheted Cat in Oz. In one of my copies, I actually found a letter from Hugh from 2001 that he wrote back to me when I'd asked him about dates and stories. He has one yet unpublished story, which nobody seems to have, called Lord Chuckles in Oz. If I can get my hands on it, you can bet that I'll publish it. Hugh was a great writer, and is perhaps more known for his novella "Oz and the Three Witches," which was reprinted in Oz-Story Magazine #6, though these books and Wooglet in Oz are also very good.
3/17/16 Added Tales "The Mysterious Pool of Oz" has been added to 1937 in the Mainline Timeline.
3/14/16 Rug Updates Added Ruggedo in Oz (with plot synopsis and continuity notes) to 1991 on the Mainline Timeline. Also, am continuing work on the post-Handy Mandy chronology of Ruggedo, with some changes made to the stories on his timeline (and likely more to come). See the Appendices for more information.
3/13/16 Updates/Additions I've started a new section in the Appendices called "Crossovers in Oz." It currently only lists Sherlock Holmes and Alice in Wonderland, and will be expanded in time. Plot synopses and continuity notes are also now available for the Oziana 1976 stories, "The Cat That Did Not Meow in the Night" (now placed in 1907), "The Lost Sawhorse" (now placed in 1927) and Oziana 1971's "Sherlock Holmes in Oz," which I've returned to the mainline timeline (with a fix for the issue of Ruggedo being restored by Kaliko). In addition to some research on Holmes in Oz (where he comes to live in 1935 at the age of 81), there have been some shifts in time for some stories, including The Raggedys of Oz, as the post-Handy Mandy history of Ruggedo starts to become more clear. Research continues to be underway.
3/11/16 Oziana Stories "Dr. Byz Zaar in Oz," from Oziana 2003 has been given a plot synopsis and continuity notes, and moved to 1910. I also clarified the Wizard's post-Oz reign adventures in Jane Mailander's "Buffalo Dreams" and Barbara Hambly's "The Adventure of the Sinister Chinaman."
3/10/16 Moving on Up The Oziana 1975 story, "The Threat of Civil-oz-ation" has been moved to 1911. See the new plot synopsis and continuity notes of that story for more info.
3/8/16 Forbidden Fountains The year of The Forbidden Fountain of Oz has been moved to 1951. As that book's plot synopsis and continuity notes are now available, see the latter for more info.
3/8/16 Changes Another shout-out to my faithful proofreader Douglas Ethington for his dedication and sharp vision, pointing out some mistakes and discrepancies, the latter which were created when I gave Baum's chronology a bit more breathing room by moving The Scarecrow of Oz to a year later. But it's a delicate tapestry and when you move one story, other stories have to move as well (at least those that are connected, even if only tangentially). Unless one has a photographic memory, which I do not, it's easy to forget which ones need to move and where! Thanks to Doug for catching these and much more!
3/1/16 Hidden Prince I've added a plot synopsis and continuity notes and updated the placement of Gina Wickwar's The Hidden Prince of Oz to its correct place in 1997. I also added a brief note to the History of Ruggedo (in the appendices) regarding the offshoot branches of gnomes/nomes that have been encountered in and around Oz.
2/29/16 Updates Moved The Sawhorse of Oz to 1948 and add a plot synopsis and continuity notes. Also added a plot synopsis and continuity notes to The Flying Bus of Oz. Also added a new appendix entry, "Living Dolls in Oz."
2/23/16 Updates Thanks for Douglas Ethington, I've made some long-needed corrections and updated the mainline timeline. There is much more to do on the other pages, and thanks to Cynthia Hanson for pointing those out.
1/21/16 Minor Changes Not a lot of time these days, but wrote a synopsis and updated the placement of Oziana 2000's "Invisible Fairy of Oz," as well as Faleero's history as recorded in the notes of that story, The Purple Prince of Oz and The Red Jinn in Oz. When a get a free moment, I'd like to write a brief synopsis of what we know of Faleero's life, starting with "The Banishment of Faleero," as well as her sister Falingo, and her three ladies-in-waiting, Audia, Claudia and Fraudia, all of whom are "wicked" or fallen fairies.
Also a shout-out to Douglass Ethington, who spotted a few errors in the mainline that required correction, particularly after I moved The Scarecrow of Oz.
|
I
just wanted to say a few words in honor of Margaret Berg, who sadly passed
away recently.
