The International Wizard of Oz Club facts for kids
The International Wizard of Oz Club, Inc., was started in 1957 by Justin G. Schiller, who was only 13 years old at the time. The first 16 members joined after finding their names on a list from the papers of writer Jack Snow. These early members, including Justin, loved talking about the books by L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Today, the club has hundreds of members from all over the world. These members include kids, adults who grew up reading the books, serious fans of L. Frank Baum, collectors of Oz items, and people who especially love the classic 1939 MGM movie.
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What the Oz Club Does
The International Wizard of Oz Club helps people learn more about the magical world of Oz. They do this by publishing books and a special magazine, and by holding fun events where fans can meet up.
The Baum Bugle Magazine
The club's main publication is a magazine called The Baum Bugle. It started with Justin Schiller making copies on his parents' machine. Now, it's a full-color magazine published three times a year. Since 1983, it has been recognized as a serious academic journal by the Modern Language Association. As of late 2019, there have been 185 issues, and they have grown much bigger over the years, usually having 40 pages plus colorful covers.
Oz Club Gatherings
The Oz Club used to hold three main events each year in the United States. These were called Munchkin (in the east), Winkie (in the west), and Ozmopolitan (in the middle). Members would bring decorations, costumes, and items to share, enjoying a weekend of Oz-themed fun. The names of these events often came from places or characters in the Oz books.
There were also smaller gatherings, like South Winkie, Quadling, and Gillikin, or the Ozcanabans. The Ozcanabans met in Escanaba, Michigan, which was the home of Fred M. Meyer. He was a founding member and served as the club's secretary for many years.
As bigger public Oz festivals became popular, some of the club's own events, especially in the Midwest and East Coast, became less popular. Fans found the larger festivals had interesting speakers and more affordable places to stay. Because of this, the Ozmopolitan and Munchkin events stopped. However, the Winkie Convention, now called OzCon International, is still a very active and fun event that brings fans from all over the world.
Since 2008, the Oz Club has also started holding events that appeal to more people. These events are often held in places that are special to Oz fans, giving members a chance to visit these locations together. You can find information about all the club's events on their website, ozclub.org.
Famous Oz Club Members
Many notable people have been members of the Oz Club over the years. Some of these include famous authors, actors, and artists.
- Ray Bradbury (a well-known science fiction writer)
- Willard Carroll (a filmmaker)
- Martha Coolidge (a film director)
- Rachel Cosgrove Payes (an author of Oz books)
- Martin Gardner (a famous writer on mathematics and puzzles)
- Margaret Hamilton (the actress who played the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 movie)
- Michael Patrick Hearn (an Oz historian)
- Eloise Jarvis McGraw (an author of Oz books)
- Bronson Pinchot (an actor who helped organize events in the 1970s)
- Edward Wagenknecht (an author and literary critic)
- Eric Shanower (an artist and writer of Oz comics and books)
- John Fricke (an Oz historian and author)
- Meinhardt Raabe (the actor who played the Coroner of Munchkinland in the 1939 movie)
Frank Joslyn Baum, the son of L. Frank Baum, was the club's first president. Robert Allison Baum Jr., who is a great-grandson of the author, is currently on the club's board of directors.
Books Published by the Club
The Oz Club has published many books, including some of L. Frank Baum's rarer works. These include Animal Fairy Tales, Aunt Jane's Nieces, and Twinkle and Chubbins.
They have also published new Oz books by other authors:
- Two Oz books by Ruth Plumly Thompson
- One Oz book by Rachel Cosgrove
- One Oz book by the team of Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Lauren Lynn McGraw
In 2000, the club released its first new Oz book that was not directly linked to the original series. This was Gina Wickwar's The Hidden Prince of Oz, with pictures by Anna-Maria Cool. A sequel by Wickwar and Cool, Toto of Oz, followed in 2007. That same year, the club published The Collected Short Stories of L. Frank Baum.
Additionally, the club has created a set of colorful maps of the Land of Oz and the areas around it. They have also published new editions of short stories by L. Frank Baum and Ruth Plumly Thompson. Their most popular publication is Bibliographia Oziana by Douglas G. Greene and Peter E. Hanff. This book describes the original Oz series in great detail.
The club also owns a small but valuable collection of original artwork and historical materials related to Oz.
