A Pair of Wicked Ladies

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The Wicked Witch of the West poses the biggest threat to Dorothy Gale, because she covets the magical pair of slippers which previously belonged to her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East, and are now being worn by the hapless orphan from Kansas.

The Wicked Witch of the West is the one witch in all of Oz whom the Wizard of Oz fears after the Wicked Witch of the East is destroyed. Years earlier (prior to the start of Baum’s novel), the Wicked Witch of the West seized control of Winkie Country in the western part of Oz with the help of her Winged Monkeys. The Wizard has never dared to venture there since, considering himself quite vulnerable to her power.

Oz Fact: Baum’s Oz books, never once mentioned the Wicked Witch of the West’s skin color being green.

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Oz Fact: The Wicked Witch of the East was a cruel sorceress who conquered and tyrannized Munchkin Country, making its poor citizens slave for her night and day. On the upside, she did have great taste in shoes.

A Northern Lady

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The Good Witch of the North is the elderly and mild-mannered Ruler of the Gillikin Country in Oz. Her only significant appearance in L. Frank. Baum's work is in Chapter 2 of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which she introduces young Dorothy Gale to the Land of Oz and sends her off to Emerald City to meet the Wizard, after placing a protective kiss on her forehead. Baum presented her as an extremely kind and gentle character who stood against the oppression and subjugation of any Ozian. She became the Ruler of the Gillikin Country in the North after freeing the Gillikins from the clutches of Mombi, the erstwhile Wicked Witch of the North. However, the character's kindness and magnanimity of spirit was not confined to her own domain, and she was loved not only by her own subjects but also by many of the other people in Oz, such as the Munchkins.

Munchkins

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Munchkins, quite obviously, are the natives of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books written by L. Frank Baum. They first appeared in the 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which they are described as being somewhat short of stature, and fond of wearing only blue. Later books never note anything unusual about Munchkin height, but continue to emphasize their obsessive color preference.

Oz Fact: As a result of the popularity of the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz, the word “munchkin” has entered the English language as a reference to small children, dwarfs, or anything of diminutive stature.

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The Cowardly Lion

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The Cowardly Lion makes his first appearance in the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and is the last of the companions Dorothy befriends on her way to the Emerald City. The Cowardly Lion joins her so that he can ask the Wizard for courage, being ashamed that he lacks the bravery to fulfill his cultural role as the King of the Beasts. Despite outward evidence that he is unreasonably fearful, the Cowardly Lion often displays great bravery throughout their journey; he merely fails to understand that true courage means acting in the face of one’s fear.

The Tin Woodman

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The origins of the Tin Woodman are astonishingly rather gruesome. Originally an ordinary man by the name of Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman used to make his living chopping down trees in the forests of Oz, as his father had before him. Unfortunately, the Wicked Witch of the East cursed his axe to prevent him from marrying his one true love. The wickedly enchanted axe chopped off his limbs, one by one. But each time he lost a limb, Nick replaced it with a prosthetic one made of tin until there was nothing left of him but the tin replacements. Sadly, the tinsmith who had been helping him neglected to replace his heart. Though far from missing his original existence, the Tin Woodman is actually very proud of his new untiring tin body.

Oz Fact: A recurring problem for the Tin Woodman in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was his tendency to rust when exposed to rain, tears, or other moisture. For this reason, in The Marvelous Land of Oz, published in 1904, the character has himself nickel-plated. Ironically, however, tin does not rust.

The Good Witch

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L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, refers to Glinda as the Good Witch of the South, and ruler of Quadling Country. Later books will call her a “sorceress” rather than a “witch”. Baum’s writings make it clear that he did not view witches as inherently wicked, so some theorize that this change was meant to signal that Glinda was more powerful than any common witch. Others speculate that he may have simply decided to avoid associating Glinda with any of the negative connotations the word “witch” might have socially carried.

Artist's Personal Note: This lovely good witch’s appearance is an amalgamation, and tribute to several of Glinda’s incarnations and makeovers through the years, including: Baum’s original description of the character, Billie Burke’s appearance in the 1939 MGM film, as well as a nod to the Broadway musical, "Wicked" (blonde hair), based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 revisionist novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Dorothy Gale

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Dorothy Gale is the protagonist in many of American author L. Frank Baum's Oz novels. Dorothy first appeared in Baum's original, classic children's novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and was from then on featured prominently in most of its sequels. She also was the main character in the classic 1939 MGM film adaptation of the book. In the Oz books, Dorothy Gale is an orphan, raised by her aunt and uncle in the bleak landscape of a poor Kansas farm. Dorothy and her little dog, Toto, are soon unexpectedly swept away by a cyclone to the Land of Oz, where they enter a lively, alternative world filled with magical, talking creatures and endless adventure. 

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Oz fact: Her blue and white gingham dress is well-appreciated by the Munchkins when she initially encounters them, because blue is their favorite color, and white is a color worn only by good witches.

Oz Fact: The magical slippers Dorothy acquires from the Wicked Witch of the East are actually silver in the Baum novels. They were changed to ruby for the 1939 MGM film adaptation to take advantage of (and show off) technicolor’s capabilities.

A Wondrous Wizard

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Unseen for most of the novel, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is the ruler of the Land of Oz and highly venerated by his subjects. Believing he is the only man capable of solving their problems, Dorothy Gale and her friends travel to the Emerald City, the capital of Oz, to meet him. Although the Wizard is very reluctant to meet them, they are all eventually granted an audience. He meets them separately, and appears to each in a different form; once as a giant head, once as a beautiful fairy, once as ball of fire, and once as a horrible monster.

Oz Fact: The Wizard’s real name is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs.

Artist's Personal Note: This Wonderful Wizard of Oz’s appearance is a departure from his description in the Baum’s novels, as well as from his appearance in the 1939 MGM film. Inspired by the iconic and traditional image of fantasy wizards, artist Roberto Mendoza creates an Emerald City Sophisticate like no other. The Wizard’s regal turban is in actuality a hot air balloon, and the pattern decorating his robe is a stylized crown / jester’s hat.

The Land of Oz

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Oz is a fantastical region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch. It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works ever attained, and after four years, he returned to it. An attempt to cut off the production of the series with The Emerald City of Oz, by ending the story with Oz being isolated from the rest of the world, did not succeed owing to readers' reactions and Baum's financial need to write successful books.

In all, Baum wrote fourteen children's books about Oz and its inhabitants, as well as six shorter books intended for younger readers. After his death, Ruth Plumly Thompson and other writers continued the series.

Oz

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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum, and illustrated by W.W. Denslow. It was originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900, and has since been reprinted countless times, most often under the name The Wizard of Oz, which is the name of both the 1902 stage play and the extremely popular, highly acclaimed 1939 film version.

Oz Fact: The Wizard of Oz has been translated into well over fifty different languages, at times being modified in local variations.

Munchkin Daisy

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The daisy is a symbol of childhood innocence, and its simplicity has made it a favorite of many poets. The daisy is said to have originated from a Dryad who once presided over forests, meadows, and wild, overgrown pastures. An ancient Roman myth tells us that the beautiful nymph, Belides, caught the eye of Vertumnus, the god of the orchards as she danced with her sisters at the edge of a forest. To escape his unwanted attention, she permanently transformed herself into a daisy.

Dorothy's Last Supper

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Party's over, Dorothy... time to go home.

Artist's Personal Note: Michelangelo's Last Supper has been reinterpreted and reimagined countless of times by countless artists. I thought, therefore, it only appropriate to end my little sidestep through the wondrous Land of Oz with my own Ozirific rendition...

The Scarecrow

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In his first appearance, the “mindless”, living Scarecrow encounters Dorothy Gale in a field in Munchkinland while on her way to the Emerald City. He reveals that he, unfortunately, lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old, and merely lacks knowledge and experience. The Scarecrow joins Dorothy in her quest, in the hope that the Wizard will grant his wish. Ironically however, throughout the course of the novel, he demonstrates that he already has the brain he seeks, and is later recognized as “the wisest man in all of Oz”.

A Wicked Sister

Oz Fact: The Wicked Witch of the East was a cruel sorceress who conquered and tyrannized Munchkin Country, making its poor citizens slave for her night and day. On the upside, she did have great taste in shoes.

A Wicked Sister Poster

A Wicked Sister is part of my "Oz" series, and is 

available over at my CafePress Shop.

The Wicked Witch of the East

The Wicked Witch of the East
The Wicked Witch of the East is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum in his series of Oz books.

The cruel old witch conquered and tyrannized the Munchkin Country in the East, making the Munchkins slave for her night and day. The magical silver shoes (changed to the Ruby Slippers in the 1939 MGM film version) were one of her most prized possessions. She met her demise when Dorothy Gale's house landed on her. Her dry, withered body quickly turned to dust, leaving behind only the magic shoes which would become so coveted by the Wicked Witch of the West.

The Wicked Witch of the East (portrayed by Rachel Weisz)

Rachel Weisz portrays the Wicked Witch of the East who is named Evanora in the 2013 Disney film, Oz the Great and Powerful. In this version, she is the older sister of Theodora, Wicked Witch of the West (portrayed by Mila Kunis), and is at war with Glinda ((portrayed by Michelle Williams) for control of Oz. She originally portrayed herself as a Good Witch, and had been an adviser to the former king of Oz, whom she murdered, so that she could be in charge of the Emerald City herself. Evanora deceived Oscar Diggs by framing the King's daughter, Glinda, for the murder and telling him that Glinda is the Wicked Witch instead of herself, which resulted in Glinda being outlawed from the Emerald City and retreating to the South. 

Let the witchery begin! Celebrate Halloween all October long
with a new witch post every day! Who's your favorite?

A Wicked Lady

The Wicked Witch of the West poses the biggest threat to Dorothy Gale, because she covets the magical pair of slippers which previously belonged to her sister, the Wicked Witch of the East, and are now being worn by the hapless orphan from Kansas.

The Wicked Witch of the West is the one witch in all of Oz whom the Wizard of Oz fears after the Wicked Witch of the East is destroyed. Years earlier (prior to the start of Baum’s novel), the Wicked Witch of the West seized control of Winkie Country in the western part of Oz with the help of her Winged Monkeys. The Wizard has never dared to venture there since, considering himself quite vulnerable to her power.

A Wicked Lady Poster

A Wicked Lady is part of my "Oz" series, and is 

available over at my CafePress Shop.

The Wicked Witch of the West

The Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West is the most significant antagonist in L. Frank Baum's children's book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The Wicked Witch of the West is the malevolent ruler of the Winkie Country. Her castle is described as beautiful instead of being the sinister fortress shown in the movie. In all versions, she is seriously aquaphobic, and with good reason. The Wicked Witch of the West was not actually related to the Wicked Witch of the East in the books, but leagued together with her, the Wicked Witch of the South and Mombi to conquer the Land of Oz and divide it among themselves, as recounted in L. Frank Baum's Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. She shows no interest in the death of the Eastern Witch; all she cares about is obtaining the Silver Shoes which will increase her power. The Wicked Witch of the West was one of the most powerful witches in all of Oz. In ensuing Oz books, her power is described as having been so great that even Glinda the Good Witch of the South feared her.

W. W. Denslow's illustrations for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz depict her as a paunched old hag with three pigtails and an eye-patch. L. Frank Baum himself specified that she only had one eye, but that it "was as powerful as a telescope", enabling the witch to see what was happening anywhere in her kingdom from her castle windows. Other illustrators, such as Paul Granger, placed her eye in the center of her forehead, as a cyclops. Usually, she is shown wearing an eye patch, however some illustrations incorrectly show her with two eyes.

The Wicked Witch of the West (portrayed by Margaret Hamilton)

The witch's most popular depiction was in the classic 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz, based on Baum's book, where she was played by Margaret Hamilton. In that film adaptation, as in Gregory Maguire's revisionist Oz novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and its musical adaptation Wicked, as well as the 2013 movie, Oz the Great and Powerful, the Witch of the West is depicted as having green skin. That was never mentioned in Baum's novels.

The Wicked Witch of the West (portrayed by Mila Kunis)

Let the witchery begin! Celebrate Halloween all October long
with a new witch post every day! Who's your favorite?