Greetings all and welcome to that lovely red month of February. This month, we will be venturing to the scarlet south, wherein lies the fourth and final Wicked Witch of Oz. This crimson-colored mysterious wicked witch has eluded media adaptations and has changed her name multiple times throughout different literary canon; however, she is probably the most villainous in her anonymity and her secretive nature. In this post, we will discuss this evil witch’s various origins, names, etc., along with her various reigns of terror, notable books she has appeared in, and different ways you can bring this carmine character to your neck of the woods. To begin with, The Wicked Witch of the South, known by many names over various sources, was first introduced by Baum in his first book when Dorothy first arrived in Oz. She was told that each country in Oz had a good witch and a wicked witch. The Wicked Witches of the East and West were the current witches in Oz and have been the most popularized in media. The Wicked Witch of the North was revealed in the second book, unofficially, as Mombi. She has appeared in not as much but has definitely been seen out there. Check out my previous post all about her. The Wicked Witch of the South was never really identified with a name until Baum's later book, The Scarecrow of Oz, in which he called her Blinkie. She lived in a southern area of the Quadling Country called Jinxland and even identified herself as the Wicked Witch of the South. Blinkie made an appearance in Boomerang's Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz in the third season episode, "North meets West" (see below). After her introduction in Baum's book, the Wicked Witch of the South did not reemerge until years later where she would not only change appearance but also her name. Rachel Cosgrove Payes, who is another Royal Historian of Oz, wrote a whole book about her and renamed her Singra (see picture at top of post). Here she had been asleep for a century and when her magical alarm clock woke her up, she arose to discover her cousins have been "killed" and vowed revenge on Dorothy and the Land of Oz. Check out the full story by getting your own copy from a library or from The International Wizard of Oz Club. If you get it from the Oz Club, you can get a discount on it if you are a member. Other books that mention her include Gabriel Gale's book, The Ages of Oz: A Fiery Friendship, the Wicked Witch of the South's origin story is detailed in a different way but definitely aligns with the Oz universe and timeline. In this book, she owns a girl's boarding school and is adept at plant magic. Her name is Aphidina, like an Aphid, and she is definitely a power to go up against, as a young Glinda and Locasta learned. Let me know if you have had a chance to read this story yet? It is available in audiobook, e-book, and hard copy. Since this villain has different reigns and different paths, it is up to you to decide which path you enjoy the most and run with it. Be inspired to do something with it to the best of your skills. Moving into media adaptations outside of books, she has made her mark on a comic book, a TV show episode (mentioned previously), and a podcast/audio drama. She appeared Marvel's Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz (2011) com (see picture above lef), and she appeared in Hit the Bricks, a podcast/audio drama with a very parallel story to Ages of Oz: A Fiery Friendship with major changes like the name, looks, and magical ability (see picture above right). Other than that, she has unfortunately not been visually adapted as much as her villainous relations. So, how can you bring this Southern Sorceress to your neck of the woods? Well, you can always start by checking out of the adaptations mentioned above to get your fix; however, there is always some other book options for you (see covers above). As you may know, there are tons of spin-offs and fan-fiction type stories out there in all fandoms and Oz is no exception. Two books featuring the Witch of the South include The Enchanted Apples of Oz and The Magic Book of Oz (cover above, left). The former is a comic book story that features a magician who is trying to awaken The Wicked Witch of the South (see above) while the latter showcases an alternate version of Oz with an alternate version of the Witch of the South where her name in this universe becomes Kragmagda. You can purchase both books online or you can try to find them at your local library.
Well, that will do it for our exploration all about this quiet Quadling. What was your favorite part of her story? Let me know in the comments below. To check out Part 1 and Part 2, click each name respectively. Until next time, we'll be seeing you somewhere into the Oz-verse.
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AuthorMy name is Vinkus Ken and I have been a long time fan of many things in Oz and how their world truly does emulate much of ours. Did you know that they have a flag of their own? Or did you know that they have a law about only having 9 jurors in their courts? Also, Oz has a court system! I like to introduce facts that seem meaningless and bring meaning to them by comparing them to our world. So, come along on this journey and enjoy the ride. |