My guest blogger and friend Mark Hunter loves L.Frank Baum. A creative genius who inspired both of us with his amazing imagination. Mark Hunter wrote a romance about a twister and now a collection of stories based on his first book. My manuscript has a lost young lady who is seeing some beautiful places while yearning for home. I remember reading the "other" Oz books as a child, but I never knew anyone else who read them until meeting Mark in a writer's group online. Besides writing, Mark is also a fireman in Indiana and a newlywed.
To coincide with the release of my short story collection, Storm Chaser Shorts, my friend Eve Gaal asked for a piece about the Oz books: A series of children’s novels by L. Frank Baum that led to the famous Judy Garland movie, The Wizard of Oz.
Not only did my love of reading and writing begin with receiving Baum’s 14 Oz books as a child, but the original Storm Chaser also begins with a twister … and one of the stories in Storm Chaser Shorts actually features an appearance by an Oz character.
There are several dozen Baum books – official and unofficial – but fourteen were written by Baum himself. In fact, he wrote at least 55 books, and as an early occupant of the little village of Hollywood produced movies based on Oz.
Baum, who for a time lived in Chicago and vacationed in Indiana (an hour or so from my Indiana home, and near a little burg named Toto) already had some literary success when The Wonderful Wizard of Oz came out in 1900, with a first edition of 10,000 copies.
You all know the story of that first book: A tornado carries Dorothy (and her little dog, too) to Oz, where she meets icons of Americana: A Scarecrow, a Woodman (who happens to be made of tin), and a Lion. Okay, not all icons of Americana.
They march from the Munchkin Country to the Emerald City, get dispatched on foot to kill the Wicked Witch who rules the Winkie country, are carried back via flying monkeys to collect their reward, then discover The Wizard is a good man … but a bad wizard.
Then Dorothy and friends take off again, walking through the Quadling Country, where the Good Witch Glinda reveals Dorothy had the power to go home all along. Yeah, a whole other journey, not covered in the 1939 movie.
If I was Dorothy, I’d have looked for someone to kick with what must have been well-worn silver (not ruby) slippers. She just took three long trips by foot, and nobody told her she was wearing magic shoes that could take her home in three giant steps! Not to mention almost getting murdered by vicious Kalidahs (trust me, they’re vicious), deadly poppies, 40 wolves, eye pecking crows, killer bees (probably imported from Africa), Hammer-Heads, and my favorite, a giant spider.
And it all really happened, too. No “it was all a dream” lameness.
The other Oz books include:
The Marvelous Land of Oz
Ozma of Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
The Road to Oz
The Emerald City of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz
Rinkitink of Oz
The Lost Princess of Oz
The Tin Woodman of Oz
The Magic of Oz
Glinda of Oz
Mark Hunter's first novel, Storm Chaser, was published in June, 2011 by Whiskey Creek Press. WCP also published his collection of short stories, based on the same characters, in June, 2012. Mark has also appeared in My Funny Valentine, a humor collection by various writers and artists.
In addition to his full time job as a Noble County Sheriff's Department dispatcher, Mark is a newspaper writer whose humor column is carried in three local newspapers; a 30 year veteran volunteer firefighter; and a volunteer writer for a few local non-profits. When asked if there's any stress in his life he laughs hysterically.
Mark can be reached through his website, www.markrhunter.com, and his works can be purchased on Amazon athttp://www.amazon.com/Mark-R-
Was there a book or author you remember from your childhood that influenced your writing today?
In 2010, I was on a cross-country roadtrip with my dad when we saw signs for The Museum of Oz in Kansas. We made an impromptu detour to visit the museum - and it was... absolutely...fantastic.
ReplyDeleteThey had all of the above books, original artwork, several different advertising campaings (including a Nike "Air Dorothy" T-shirt!), original costumes from the film, and even a room where they were screening the movie.
It was so fascinating to see all of the coverage on the other stories, since I had never really known much about them.
If you're ever nearby, I reccommend stopping by (If you haven't already, of course)!
http://www.ozmuseum.com/
I've never been to Kansas, but it's on my list! I have been to a similar place: The Oz Museum is Chesterton, Indiana, where Baum had a vacation home. They have an Oz Festival every autumn, but sadly the museum there is no longer open.
DeleteWamego Kanasas also does an OzToberFest (unfortunately, I was there is September!) Their byline is "Meet the original munchkins."
DeleteDidn't realize there were so many Oz festivals our there, but glad there are!
Maybe I'll get a chance to tour around and hit all the festivals, someday!
DeleteI LOVE this cover. It's so eye-catching. And the story sounds really great too.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it, Kelly! The artist did the cover for my short story collection, too.
DeleteEven, it is great to see Mark here!
ReplyDeleteI always loved the Wizard of Oz (grew up with the movie) but I didn't know there were so many Oz books! I'll have to read them sometime with my kids! And growing up I read tons of Nancy Drew books, but probably my greatest influence was Ernest Hemingway; I started reading him while in high school and almost read every book for him.
Thanks Mark, for the info. Take care!
Lena, the irony is that as much of an Oz book fanatic that I am, I never knew myself that there were more beyond the original 14. I didn't find out about the "Famous Forty" until I stumbled across one at a library when I was in my late teens -- I was stunned!
DeleteGreat post, Mark! There's a town called Toto?
ReplyDeleteI have read some of the Oz books, though not all of them. And I remember a children's book on Greek mythology really having a huge effect on me as a kid.
More of a crossroads, now. Apparently they once had a regionally famous furniture store -- the building is huge -- but otherwise it's just a tiny collection of buildings, no bigger than my description of Hurricane.
DeleteI always thought The Wizard of Oz was SUCH an obvious allegory for what America was going through around the turn of the 20th century, partiuclarly about the state of capitalism.
ReplyDeleteYou have the farmer (the dumb Scarecrow), the industrialist (the heartless Tin Man), following the gold, and Dorothy's silver slippers.
Lots of people have discussed that possibility, but Baum insisted to his dying day that it was just a children's book, and that people were reading too much into it. It fits with most of his other work, which seems purely for entertainment; however, some of the subplots in later Oz stories hit on adult topics, especially related to the military.
DeleteThe irony about the book is that the brainless Scarecrow comes up with all the great ideas, the heartless Tin Woodman cries when he accidentally kills a bug, and the Cowardly Lion bravely faces up to every challenge -- while complaining about how scared he is.
OMG! I looked toward The Wizzard of OZ to write Secondhand Shoes. I loved the movie but I never read the books.
ReplyDeleteShelly
Read the books! :-) Baum was good at layering in things so adults could enjoy the stories.
DeleteI bought the Oz books and other short stories for my children. They didn't enjoy them as much as I did. Zane Grey and Louisa May Alcott were my favorite authors until I turned eleven and discovered Jane Austen.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the language was a bit too antiquated for them? My youngest loved having them read to her, but I'm not sure if she would have taken them up by herself.
DeleteI only recently found out there were more stories spun after the original Wizard of Oz. I'm still in shock!
ReplyDeleteNice cover, Mark!
I think my biggest influence was Edgar Allen Poe. I was always in awe of his gall to write what he dreamed regardless of what people thought of him.
You're in good company, Diane -- many people think Oz never existed before Judy Garland made a movie about it. That's one reason why I'm determined to someday write an Oz book of my own, to bridge the gap and bring the traditional Oz to a wider audience.
DeleteI hate to admit it, but I was well into adulthood when I started reading Poe. I appreciate him, though! Glad you liked the cover, I was very lucky to get that artist.
I would love to go to either of the Oz museums. I learned so much about the other books about Oz in this post and about Baum.
ReplyDeleteStorm Chaser sounds like an interesting book. I have a good friend who wishes he was a storm chaser- this could be a great gift for him. :)
~Jess
I live to educate. :-) I'm sure I bore some people with my mission to spread the word about the books!
DeleteHope you get a chance to read Storm Chaser someday -- and I agree, it would be a nice gift for people interested in the weather, although I hope he's open minded toward romantic comedy! Although the main female lead is a chaser (specifically a disaster photographer), the male lead is more like me: A trained storm spotter, watching out for a certain area rather than going out looking for trouble.
I never liked the Wizard of Oz movie...the flying monkey's always scared me. But, your book was fab, and I enjoyed it very much.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it -- no monkeys there! They aren't as scary in Baum's book, but although Baum didn't write it in a scary way, plenty of nightmarish stuff happens there. The movie doesn't even mention the Kalidahs or the killer bees!
DeleteGreat post Mark and Eve! I learned so much about the Oz books! Sadly, my only experience with the story is the movie--which I love! I'll need to make time to read all those books now;)! Mark, read your bio at the end--how do you fit so much into your life?!
ReplyDeleteWell, Maria ... I have this Time-Turner thing that a wizard from Great Britain gave me ... actually, I have no idea. Maybe I need to cut back if I want to get any more writing done!
DeleteGreat guest post, gang! I'm always amazed at how few people know of Baum and his incredible writing. Truly classics. Your book sounds exciting, Mark, and I love the cover, too. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks -- I consider myself blessed to have gotten that artist for the cover! I requested her for my short story collection, too.
DeleteIt's so sad about Baum -- those books should be just as famous as the book versions of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. But I'm working on it ...
Thank you again Mark for telling us a bit more about the great and wonderful OZ! I'm so happy you took time out of your day to guest blog here at The Desert Rocks.
DeleteComing back around to say how happy I was that you had me -- I enjoyed doing this!
ReplyDelete