Oz (comics) facts for kids

Oz is a comic book series that takes readers on a new adventure in the magical Land of Oz. It was created by Ralph Griffth (who planned the stories), Stuart Kerr (who wrote the words), and Bill Bryan (the artist). The series first started with a company called Caliber Comics.

The comic series had 20 main issues, plus six special comics, and two shorter series with three issues each. Later, another company called Arrow Comics brought the series back as Dark Oz for five more issues, which finished a big story. After that, nine more issues came out called The Land of Oz, which showed a more traditional view of Oz, like in issue #0.

The Story of Oz Comics

The comic series begins by honoring the original story, L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In this new tale, three young people from our world in the 1990s are suddenly swept away to the Land of Oz by a tornado.

Once they arrive, they discover that something bad has happened. The evil Nome King now rules Oz with a strong hand. He has an army of rock creatures who help him. The Earthlings – Peter, Kevin, Mary, and Kevin’s dog Max – didn't plan to be heroes. But they soon become very important in helping to free Oz from the Nome King's dark control.

Facing Dangers in Oz

At first, the three friends get separated. Mary is saved by a stick-figure character named Jack Pumpkinhead during a fight with the Nome King's rock creatures. She then meets other heroes of Oz, like the Sawhorse, Amber Ombi, General Jinjur, Hektor Hammerhead, and the Wogglebug. These characters are known as the Freedom Fighters of Oz.

Meanwhile, Kevin and Peter barely escape from a Kalidah, a scary creature that is half tiger and half bear. Many exciting adventures happen before the three Earthlings finally meet up again.

Battling Evil Rulers

The heroes must face many challenges. They encounter Witch Mombi and her group, an army of enslaved Winged Monkeys, and giant spiders in a dark cave. They also need to find a way to defeat the Three Evil Kings of Oz: the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Lion.

Their biggest goal is to defeat the Nome King and all his magical tricks. They also need to save Princess Ozma, who is the true ruler of Oz. By doing all this, they hope to bring Oz back to its beautiful, peaceful self.

Restoring Oz

By issue #10 of the comic, the three original rulers (Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Lion) were returned to their normal selves. In issue #14, Princess Ozma is finally freed from a spell that had kept her in a deep sleep next to Ruggedo, another villain. The Wizard of Oz is also found.

The story continued to build up in the Oz series and reached its exciting end in Dark Oz. However, Ruggedo remained a villain in the later series, The Land of Oz.

Oz Comics on Screen

In 2008, there were plans for the Dark Oz comic series to become a movie trilogy (three movies). The movie project is still being developed, and Pearry Reginald Teo is set to direct it.