May is the month to celebrate many things including mothers and Baum's Birthday (May 15th). However, it is also the month to celebrate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) as well as their heritage. So, what better way to spend it then in the land of Oz and talking about Asian and Pacific Islander influences in another cultural influence post in the grand ol' Land of Oz. Up first is Baum's more out-of-place locations, The Baum Bazaar. Built in 1888 in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Baum built a store in a small western town that sold collectibles and oddities from different countries including China and Japan. It sold items from housewares to clothes to toys for the everyday person. What a great store that could have been to see! Its almost like having a secondhand or antique store in South Dakota. What is something you enjoy about antique stores? Back in 1990, NBC aired a made-for-TV movie called The Dreamer of Oz, where we get to see the store coming together and all the great items that he sold inside the store. If you want to see a tour of Baum's Bazaar from the movie, check it out below. You can also see the whole movie on Youtube as well by clicking here or check out the Baum's Bazaar scene here. Next on our tour through the wonders of Oz and their Asian influences, we look at one of Baum's lesser known books, The Wogglebug of Oz. In this story, published in 1905 right after the release of The Marvelous Land of Oz in 1904, we see the titular character wandering around when he comes upon a dress that he likes due to the patterns on the fabric. He notices that he can't afford the dress, so he goes and finds a job to buy it. When he earns enough money to buy the dress, he realizes it has already been sold and then chases it around as it is passes from owner to owner. One owner in particular that is shown in the book is a China Man, who has the dress on; and, as you can see from the picture below, it does not go over so well. Oh, Wogglebug, what will do with you?! Our next stop is some of the Asian and Pacific Islander actors who have contributed to the different roles in the Land of Oz. First up is the character Isabel from NBC's Emerald City, played by the talented Suan-Li Ong, who also played Maggie Xiang in the Snatch TV show and one of Lex Luthor's bodyguards in Justice League (2017). Isabel's storyline is minor in Emerald City, but relevant to the showing the power behind the Wizard of Oz. She was raised as one of Glinda's witches and became a member of the Wizard's Council later in life. When it was found out that she slept with one of the Wizard's guards, she was exiled from Emerald City. She appears in the two part series premiere, which can be viewed online here. The other actor that contributed his talents to the Land of Oz is the voice actor is Eric Bauza, who gave his voice to the shadow nome, Kaliko, in the TV show, Lost in Oz on Amazon Prime. Kaliko was sent to spy on Dorothy and her crew as she traveled toward the Nome Kingdom and was also assigned to magically capture different characters like West's mom, Cyra. Eric Bauza is famous for other voiceovers for characters from Disney's Legend of the Three Caballeros and Disney's The Rocketeer (animated TV show). Be sure to check out Lost in Oz on Amazon Prime. Of course, we cannot leave out the many ANIME (a.k.a. Japanese animations) adaptations that have been done over the years, which you can see some of my favorites below. Also, if you want to see a full list of Wizard of Oz anime adaptations, check it out here. Before we close off, there have also been tons of Wizard of Oz comics from Japan and other Asian countries done, that this post would go on forever. But, a great starting point is this list here, which includes many anime and manga style comics in Oz. But, let me know below, what is your favorite AAPI comic (or comic artists) within the Oz-verse that you have enjoyed. Comment below. Well, that concludes our tour in the land of Oz looking at all the Asian and Pacific Islander influences that have made their mark in the world of Oz. Can you think of any other influences from Asian and Pacific Islander sources that have contributed their name in the land of Oz? Please comment below and share what you know. For now, thank you for visiting; but, before you leave, be sure to check out a real world Baum's Bazaar put online by the All Things Oz Museum. Just click the picture below to visit Baum's Bazaar! How fun and until next time, we'll be seeing you somewhere over the Vinkus.
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As we move into the month of May, we begin different celebrations such as Cinco de Mayo and Mother's Day. Now, this made me wonder, thinking about Cinco De Mayo, how much influence Mexico has had on the land of Oz and as the re-imaginings keep happening, we find ourselves expanding our world of Oz and seeing how inclusive it really is. Our first stop on our Tour De Mexico in Oz is the Mexican animation studios, Anima Estudios, which brought a fun and new story from the Land of Oz. Of course, I am talking about Guardians of Oz, (or Guardianes de Oz) and released internationally as Wicked Flying Monkeys. It was a fun story, originally released in Spanish, that focuses on new characters such as Ozzy, a flying monkey who lives in Oz, and his father was part of the Wicked Witch of the West's original crew before she got melted. Now, the monkeys are free and what could possibly happen now that everyone is happy? Find out in this fun reimagining of the Wizard of Oz books. Check out the trailer below and the enjoy! The Spanish version of the movie has many notable Mexican actors from Mexico, but the English version has US actors that are not as notable, which you can find on the IMDB page. The next notable Mexican influence on Oz is the VERY FIRST HISPANIC actresses to play Dorothy in an Oz story. I am talking, of course, about the more unknown film Dorothy and the Witches of Oz, where Mexican actress Paulie Rojas (below, picture on left) played Dorothy Gale. Thus, making actress Adria Adjora Torres (below, picture on right), who was born in Puerto Rico, to be the second HISPANIC actress to play Dorothy Gale from NBC's Emerald City. Torres lived in Mexico City until she was 12 and then moved to Miami and lived there until 18. The show took a wild departure from the books but was still incredibly fun to watch as it felt more Wicked than Wizard of Oz. Definitely check both out. The final stop on our tour de Mexico in the Land of Oz is a voice actor, who played Ojo in the animated tv series on Amazon Prime's Lost in Oz, Jorge Diaz. He is also known for playing Hector Estrella in Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones and Israel Garzo in The Long Road Home. Ojo is a character that is first introduced in Baum's seventh book in his first 14 books that accompanies the Patchwork Girl on her quest to find a cure that turns her creators back into flesh from stone. Ojo also appears in the Emerald TV show and is the one that gives Toto his name. So, as our tour de Mexico comes to a close, we see that there are a few aspects of Mexico that have definitely influenced the Land of Oz. I wonder where we will go in the future and what other Mexican influences will come in for future adaptations. Do you know of any other influences on the Land of Oz that have included Mexico? Please comment below. In the meantime, check out the trailers for both Emerald City, Dorothy and the Witches of Oz, and Lost in Oz below to see if you would like to check them out. Full episodes of Emerald City can be viewed here, while Lost in Oz on Amazon Prime is free during the pandemic period, which is awesome; at least, that is what this article says and the Amazon Prime website. Dorothy and Witches of Oz is a movie you will have to pay for on streaming services unfortunately; but definitely check it out as you celebrate Cinco De Mayo in Oz. Oh, and before we go, don't forget to visit Toto's Tacos in Wamego, KS to some of their delicious Mexican American flavored foods as well as purchase yourself some Toto's Tacos hot sauce to take with you on the road. They are on social media and here is their website. Also, check out this fun website with merchandise and behind the scenes videos. |
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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. |