• • • EXTRAS • • •
This page will expand with more stuff once in a while.
Map of Oz
Here's a rough map canon to Yellow Brick Ramble!
East & West are reversed because the planet of Nonestica, where Oz is located, rotates in the opposite direction of Earth. Based on the original maps in the books that also had the directions reversed. It's not super slick as I mainly made it to use as reference when writing the script. I plan to draw a fun cartoonier version of this map later.
(based off maps from the books with adjustments & references to related maps)
Supplemental Reading/Viewing
Read the original books for free on Project Gutenberg with the original illustrations.
Read the first ever stage adaptation of Oz courtesy of the New York Public Library. It's very different from the book, featuring made-for-stage characters such as King Pastoria, Tryxie Tryfle, Cynthia Cynth, Sir Dashemoff Daily, and Dorothy's faithful animal companion from Kansas: Imogen the cow?
Some entertaining essays on the Oz books by Mari Ness. Her observations on Ozma's failures really helped shape my interpretation of her personality in my comics.
The Royal Historian of Oz by Tommy Kovac & Andy Hirsch
SLG Publishing; ISBN-13: 9781593622169
SLG Publishing; ISBN-13: 9781593622169
This is one of the more fun Oz graphic novels that I've run into over the years! It's about a boy named Frank Fizzle who's fed up with his father's obsession with L. Frank Baum's Oz books. Unfortunately for Frank, the obsession intensifies when his dad finds out that Oz really exists. I borrowed some elements of Andy Hirsch's Patchwork Girl design for my Scarecrow design.
It's out of print, but very easy to find a used copy.
It's out of print, but very easy to find a used copy.
Adventures in Oz by Eric Shanower
most recent collection -> ISBN-13: 9781933239613
most recent collection -> ISBN-13: 9781933239613
Good original Oz stories! Eric Shanower is a good artist! He's a good writer! He's good!
You should check out his prose work and non-Oz comics too at Hungry Tiger Press!
Oz adapted to comics by Eric Shanower & Skottie Young
Published by MARVEL, so this is ridiculously easy to find.
Published by MARVEL, so this is ridiculously easy to find.
Not much to say other than this is easily the best direct adaptation of the novels. Also the most complete, covering books 1-6.
"Ozma Sees Herself" by Edward Einhorn illustrated by Eric Shanower short story
found in Oz Story Magazine #3
found in Oz Story Magazine #3
This takes place in between Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz. A newly transformed reluctant princess Ozma runs away from home and sees her reflection for the first time. Honestly a pretty good depiction of gender euphoria!
Ozu no Mahōtsukai tv series
You're not going to find a better animated adaption of Oz than this anime. I follows the first three books and the sixth book closely while also reimagining it in an original way. You can easily find fan subs of the entire series online if you look for it. While an official dub exists, I'd avoid it as it butchers some of the episodes pretty badly.
I took some influence from this series for my character designs of the Scarecrow, Jack, Logan, & Mombi.
I took some influence from this series for my character designs of the Scarecrow, Jack, Logan, & Mombi.
Return to Oz (1985)
This was my favorite Oz movie as a child and still is as an adult! This film was panned by critics for being "too dark," and I can't say that it doesn't get dark in places, but overall, I find it very sweet, whimsical, and kid appropriate. I suspect most of critics at the time simply didn't want an interpretation so different from the 1939 musical. This film strongly influenced the personality for my Jack and is the reason I put faces on some of the rocks.
The Wiz Live (2015)
I absolutely adore this made-for-tv production! If you've never seen Joel Schumacher's version, watch this instead! The costumes are superb, the characters are relatable, the music is fantastic. Check it out! Available on various streaming services.
Fantastic Journey to Oz (2017)
This Russian animated film based on Volkov's Magic Land novel, Urfin Jus and his Wooden Soldiers, seemed to slip under a lot of Americans' radars. It's much better than that OTHER cg Oz film you may have heard about and the dub is pretty well done. All the characters feel very Ozzy to me. Also, it has a blonde Dorothy and a talking Toto, which I'm always down for!
Guardians of Oz (2015)
This Mexican-Indian feature, also released as "Wicked Flying Monkeys", was produced and co-written by Jorge R. Gutiérrez, who you might know from Book of Life and Maya and the Three. The fun visual design and character animation more than makes up for the low budget. Also much better than than the OTHER cg Oz movie that I'm purposefully not naming. I love that the little blue witch is Glinda's niece.
This 8 minute cartoon was not only the first animated version of The Wizard of Oz, but also the first film version to depict Kansas as black & white and Oz in color. I got a little bit of Logan's DNA from the sawhorses in the parade scene!
