Jack Pumpkinhead facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jack Pumpkinhead
Oz character
Illustration by John R. Neill from The Marvelous Land of Oz
First appearance	The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904)
Created by	L. Frank Baum
Portrayed by	Brian Henson (head, Return to Oz) Stewart Larange (body, Return to Oz)
Voiced by	Paul Lynde (Journey Back to Oz) Brian Henson (Return to Oz)
Information
Species	Animated Homunculus
Gender	Male
Occupation	Pumpkin farmer
Title	Adviser to Ozma of Oz
Family	Tippetarius (father) Mombi (vivifier)
Nationality	Gillikin

Jack Pumpkinhead is a fun character from the magical Land of Oz. He shows up in many of the classic Oz books written by L. Frank Baum.

Jack's First Adventures in Oz

Jack first appeared in the second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904). Jack is very tall and skinny. He is made from tree branches held together with wooden pegs. His head is a big, carved jack-o'-lantern. This is how he got his name! Inside his pumpkin head, he still has seeds and pumpkin "guts." These act like his brain.

How Jack Was Created

A young boy named Tip made Jack. Tip wanted to scare his guardian, an old witch named Mombi. Tip found some old clothes for Jack. He dressed Jack in purple pants, a red shirt, a pink vest with white polka dots, and stockings. He even added a pair of his own shoes.

When Mombi saw Jack, she almost broke him. But then she decided to try her new "Powder of Life" on him. The powder worked! Jack came to life.

Jack's Personality

Jack is not known for being super smart. His intelligence seems to change. It depends on how good the seeds are in his pumpkin head. Even so, he often says wise and sensible things.

For example, after Mombi brought him to life, she asked him:

"What do you know?"

Jack answered:

"Well, that is hard to tell. For although I feel that I know a tremendous lot, I am not yet aware how much there is in the world to find out about. It will take me a little time to discover whether I am very wise or very foolish."

Jack does not get tired from walking. But his wooden joints can wear out. To help him travel, Tip created the Sawhorse. The Sawhorse became Jack's way to get around.

At the end of the second Oz book, Tip changes back into a girl. Tip was actually Princess Ozma, who had been turned into a boy by magic. Jack then realized he no longer had a "father."

Jack's Home and Role in Oz

In the fifth Oz book, The Road to Oz (1909), Jack lives in a big pumpkin-shaped house. It is near the Tin Woodman's castle in Winkie Country. Jack spends a lot of time growing pumpkins. He needs them to replace his old heads. His pumpkin heads eventually spoil and need to be changed. Princess Ozma, who is like his mother now, carves new heads for him. His old heads are buried in a special graveyard on his property.

In the sixth Oz book, The Emerald City of Oz (1910), we learn that Jack designed a fancy mansion. It was a five-story, jewel-covered, corn-shaped house for the Scarecrow.

Jack in Later Oz Books

After L. Frank Baum passed away, other writers continued the Oz series. Jack Pumpkinhead got his own book! It was the 23rd Oz book, called Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. This book was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson.

In this story, a boy named Peter from Philadelphia visits Oz again. He lands right in Jack Pumpkinhead's front yard. Peter and Jack decide to travel to the Emerald City together. But they take a wrong turn. They end up traveling through the Quadling Country.

At one point in the book, it is dark. Peter lights a candle and puts it inside Jack's empty head. Jack says it makes him feel "brighter." But he also says he feels "A little light headed."

John R. Neill also included Jack in his last Oz book, The Runaway in Oz. In both Thompson's and Neill's books, Jack sometimes loses his head! In Neill's book, his headless stick body is pulled around Oz by his friends.

Jack in Comics and Movies

Jack Pumpkinhead has appeared in many other stories.

Comics

• Jack was a "Freedom Fighter" in the 1995 comic book Oz.
• He also appears in The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles comic book.
• In Neil Gaiman's The Sandman series, there is a character named Mervyn Pumpkinhead. He is a handyman who looks a lot like Jack.
• In issue 101 of Fables, Bufkin the winged monkey meets Jack Pumpkinhead. Jack is with the Sawhorse and Bungle. They are fighting against the Nome King. Bufkin promises to lead them in their fight.

Movies and TV Shows

Jack has been a main character in several films:

• The Wonderful Land of Oz (1969)
• Journey Back to Oz (1974)
• Dorothy in the Land of Oz (1980)
• Return to Oz (1985)

Actors Who Played Jack

Many actors have brought Jack Pumpkinhead to life:

• Hal Godfrey played him on stage in 1905.
• Bronson Ward, Jr. played him in the 1908 film The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays.
• George Wadsworth played "Jack the Pumpkinhead" in The Wonderful Land of Oz (1969).
• Paul Lynde voiced Jack in the animated movie Journey Back to Oz.
• Carl Beck played Jack in the musical The Marvelous Land of Oz.
• Robert Ridgely voiced Jack in the 1980 TV special Dorothy in the Land of Oz.
• Stewart Larange played Jack in the live-action movie Return to Oz (1985). Brian Henson was the puppeteer and also provided Jack's voice.
• Ross Maplettoft voiced Jack Pumpkinhead Sr. in The Oz Kids TV series (1996-1997). This Jack even had a son, Jack Pumpkinhead Jr.!
• Viktor Sukhorukov voiced Jack in a Russian movie in 2000.
• Gerran Howell played Jack in the NBC TV series Emerald City.
• JP Karliak voices Jack in the animated series Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. In this show, Jack was made to scare Dorothy. But he is too friendly to be scary!