Also, on the Wicked: The Musical website, you have lots of fun activities to do.
Another great Wicked Day activity you can do is to try some of the themed Wicked puzzles that have been made over the years. So, after the musical premiered, one of the fun media activities made over the years by the group, Endless Games, was some random puzzles of different scenes from the musical. You can purchase them online through eBay or Amazon. The current puzzle is available on the musical's shop website (you also can contribute to the musical stage fund by donating a small amount with your purchase). So, have fun doing a Wicked themed puzzle this Wicked Day 2020. Also, if digital puzzles are your thing, check out the ones I have put together here and here.
A third great option is look back at the history of Wicked: The Musical over the past 17 years and see what has changed like how far the musical has stretched geographically by creating a collage or map or different choreography that has been changed since the musical's inception and initial performance. There are so many resources out there that can help you; but, a great place to start is this book by Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the musical, also wrote his own book, Defying Gravity. It details out the career of Stephen Schwartz, including his impact on Wicked: The Musical.
You can also check out some notable documentaries out there that were done like Wicked: The Road to Broadway, which aired in 2004, a year after the play opened. It that detailed what life was like for the cast a year after the play opened and how they got their in the first place. You can find this documentary online or purchase it on Amazon. Even more exciting is the 15th anniversary celebration from 2018 that aired on TV called A Very Wicked Halloween. For more on this NBC broadcast, click here. I do believe you can find it anywhere online to watch, if you didn't get a chance to see it back in 2018. So, however, you choose to reflect on the history of Wicked: The Musical, have fun, be creative, and definitely share what you came up with in the comments.
Of course, if books are preferred medium, you could always check out the entire Wicked series on hardback, e-book, or audiobook from your local library as it is a great series to read. You get to learn so much history about known characters that we love while meeting new characters that are just as absurd. Also, just in time for the 25th Anniversary of the first book is Maguire's 25th Anniversary edition of the first book, which includes new commentary from the author. To get your copy, click here.
Of course, once you have read the books (or even while you are reading them), you can always check out my Wicked Years posts as I have been celebrating the 25 years of Wicked by posting a new activity every Friday based on the different sections of the book from quizzes to videos to printouts. Its all super terrific fun that I put together in hopes of inspiring others to do something creative with the resources out there in which I try to provide. I also provide a glimpse at other fun books that are themed from the musical like a pop-up compendium to a grimoire based on the musical to different types of activities; so, go ahead and check it out.
A fourth and final option that you can attempt to do this Wicked Day is try you hand at some coloring pages. Wicked the Musical put out a printable above (pictured above left), which you can print it out on card stock and cut them up into little post cards that you can send to family and friends. While you are at it, why not get the Wicked-themed colored pencils (pictured above right) to help you color the card stock post cards or other Wicked-themed coloring pages out there.
However you choose to celebrate this fun and obscure holiday, I leave you with a fun collection of songs from the musical, that originally aired during the August 2020 National Oz Convention, and were revamped and re-recorded in a different way to celebrate the diversity and inclusion of Oz. It is truly a great collection and all the videos flow together nicely. But, which song did you like the best? Feel free to comment below. Furthermore, you can even watch them while doing one of the activities above; and, if music is your preferred choice of celebration, be sure to get your copy of the musical's soundtrack here. It a wonderful soundtrack and its also available digitally as well. So, until next time when we close out our year of obscure in the month of November in our final two posts, we'll be seeing somewhere Over the VInkus!
Oh, one final Ozian note, The Oz Talk Show discussed Wicked Day (and in costumes), so here it is, in case you missed it.
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Are you ready for the spooks and ghouls? Are you ready for the skeletons and pumpkin (heads)? Do witches frighten you? Well, get ready because are looking at how Ozians celebrate Halloween and how you can join in the fun as well. Let's start with some darker, spookier books related to Oz like Halloween in Oz by co-authors Leo Moser and Carol Nelson. It tells a Halloween sequel story to the Wizard of Oz and uses many elements from The Marvelous Land of Oz within the story, even if it is not written by Baum and is intended to be the beginning of its own saga. It is a good book to keep it in mind for your Halloween in Oz festivities and if you are interested in this book (and its subsequent books), check out more information here. Of course, there are plenty of other darker sagas of Oz like the Wicked saga by Gregory Maguire or the Dorothy Must Die series (and its spin-offs) by Danielle Page. (Click on the image to hear the author read an excerpt) Each offering their own dark and creepy take on Oz for the spooky season. Of course, if you are not interested in those books, please feel free to check out the Oz Index for more Halloween in Oz inspired books. Now, as it is still our year of obscure, there is a book that many outside of the Oz community do not know exist but it was written by the same guy that illustrated The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), William Wallace Denslow and co-author Paul West. The book is called The Pearl and the Pumpkin (1904) and it tells that the story of young Pearl Pringle and her Halloween adventure. Now, this really has no foundation in the land of Oz except that Denslow was the co-author and the hero never visits the Land of Oz either. Furthermore, and very unfortunately, there have been no media adaptations made of this book; but, while you wait, definitely check out the spooky and creepy adventure of Pearl Pringle on Halloween night in this book. Also, feel free to create art or crafts inspired by the book and share them below. Now, when we think of horror in Oz, it does not really seem to go hand in hand; however, some of Baum's books had some pretty horrific and terrifying moments like Langwidere removing her head and replacing it with one from her collection (where did she get the heads from her collection and what has happened to the bodies?), the dragons in the underground caves, the evil Phanfasms or the ever-hungry Growliwogs that eat anything (including tin and flesh). Furthermore Maguire's Oz had an ancient witch, an evil wizard with his own tyrannical agenda (and military force), animal experimentation, and other very terrifying moments. So, however you see Oz, horror is not a new element in the Land of Oz and can definitely take on a life of its own as it did in these horror media adaptations that make you question what is really going on in the land of Oz and why is it seeping negatively into our world? Flying Monkeys (2011) is a movie that uses the concept of these bizarre creatures and plops them into our world. What if they came to our world and they were truly malicious, evil entities? This movie answers that question. Next, YellowBrickRoad (2013), all one word, is the name of a back alley roadway in a small town where supposedly an entire town disappeared on after watching MGM's The Wizard of Oz at the local theatre. Its gruesome and terrifying. It is a great story that will stick with you for a long time. Definitely check out their trailers by clicking on the movie posters above. You can see Flying Monkeys online through YouTube and YellowBrickRoad through an Amazon Prime subscription or rent it through Netflix or your local library. Also, since we are in our year of obscure, above is a independent video regarding zombies in the Land of Oz...oh my! Spiders, Bats, and Zombies! The series of four videos, all under the title, "Zombies in Oz", were done by the Vancouver Film School YouTube page. So, definitely check it out for yourself and watch them all for some spooky and creepy Halloween in Oz vibes. If you click on the Youtube symbol at the bottom right, it will take you to the list of other videos. Of course, if family friendly spooks are more your speed, there are a few creepy experiences that are offered currently. First and foremost, we all know that Disney's Return to Oz, which can currently be seen on Disney+, is a terrific Halloween film and it also happens on Halloween night. But, did you know that there were some behind-the-scenes documentaries made back in 2007. Well, if you click on the Return to Oz poster above left, you can check it out for yourself. It is a little over an hour and just gives you more insight to the making of this film. Also, the Oz Convention this year celebrated the 35th anniversary of Return to Oz with some great behind-the-scenes video (since it feels like very few already exist); but, this one is regarding the claymation process of the Nome King and how the Nome King was killed at the end of the movie. Go ahead and check it out here. Now, since are still in our year of obscure, it would be who of me if I forgot to mention this great Halloween story in Oz. It is from The Oz Kids TV series and in this episode, eerily called The Return of Mombi, the Oz Kids have to deal with Mombi being brought back from some spooky place of oblivion. I'm sorry, what?!? Mombi comes back?!? Yup, they have quite the harrowing experience as Mombi captures those that banished her in the first place and its up to the Oz Kids to save their parents. Feel free to check it out below by clicking on the VHS cover above right. Below is another Halloween in Oz special brought to you by Boomerang and the TV show Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz called "Dorothy's Halloween Special". It is a two-part story about how Dorothy, her friends, and the various denizens of Oz learn about Halloween and its sweet (and scary) traditions. You will find the special under the "Halloween Favorites" playlist on the Boomerang app or online. It is definitely hilarious to watch how the different heroes understand how Halloween works and hats off to the hand-made costumes or are they magically created? Either way, they are great! Of course, what would Halloween in Oz be without an Halloween in Oz party? Well, we have got you covered! The International Wizard of Oz Club is putting on their inaugural Halloween in Oz virtual bash and it is airing this October 30 (Wicked Day!). Here you will find all the information and activities scheduled for October's special virtual Oz Convention as it bound to have spooky fun, activities, and games. A side note for the IWOC is that in October, they will be putting together a new online series called "Oz Talk", where five very influential Ozian fans talk all things Oz. How terrific! I love that the club is bringing Oz into a new era of technological experiences. Well, as we come to the end of our Halloween in Oz experience, which is far from over and definitely returning next year, we see that October is bringing some amazing treats from the Land of Oz; and, speaking of treats, I have included some fun Halloween in Oz resources ("treats") from other Oz blogs that have included spooky activities as well. The first is a link to a popular Oz blog today by a renowned Oz fan, Eric Gjovaag (pronounced g-yo-vag), that focuses on Ozian comics; however, the link takes you to his "31 days of Halloween in Oz" series, which is super great and fun to check out. The second is linked to some spooky fan videos that were made by a renowned Oz fan, Sam Milazzo, back in 2009 and 2010. So, be sure to check out that out by clicking the banner below. Additionally, The Royal Blog of Oz does their own Oz-themed podcast, with some spooky episodes included, so feel free to check that out as well, if you have time. Now, if something was not mentioned, do not fret, there is always next year; but, for now, feel free to comment anything Halloween in Oz you would like to share; and, however you plan on celebrating Halloween this year, definitely make plans to include some Ozian Halloween activities in the spooky month of October. It is sure to be a good year to experience the spookier side of Oz as well as experience a new side of Oz as well. So, we'll be seeing you somewhere over the Vinkus and have a spooky and terrifically Ozzy Halloween.
Hey all! So, October is here! Wow, how time flies and the final months of the year are upon us and boy, are they some of the funnest months in the year, in my opinion! From the spooky of October to the food of Thanksgiving and the jolly good spirit of Christmas, its terrific. So, to kick off the month of October and the fall festiveness, I will putting a suggested activity list together below that celebrates our favorite pumpkin(head) in Oz, JACK PUMPKINHEAD! Now, Jack's story begins in the second Oz book, The Marvelous Land of Oz (pictured on left), when he was put together by Tip to scare Mombi. Mombi did get scared and eventually put the power of life on Jack Pumpkinhead, which brought him to life. But, what became of our squash-based hero? Be sure to check it out in either of the two books below. Jack continues to make appearances in future Baum books as well as other Oz books down the line, including Maguire's saga, so he's a notable character to get to know in the land of Oz. Now, if pictures and visuals are more your style, then be sure to check out the comic book adaptation of the same book, written by Eric Shanower and illustrated by Skottie Young (picture on right). Now, since we are still in our year of obscure, then we can also explore the book, Tales Told in Oz written by G. Maguire, which includes a Jack Pumpkinhead character in one of the stories. It is still part of the Wicked book series but is used a reference book, very similarly to how J.K. Rowling wrote the Hogwarts Library books. These "fairy tale" stories are referenced frequently in the main Wicked books and there are a total of five short stories included here in this book. In my opinion, I enjoyed the book; but, definitely check it out for yourself from your local library, as it seems to be unattainable to purchase currently. Furthermore, if you are still not convinced and need a little more information about the book, check out this site for more information about it. Its a small square book and it has many spooky elements for the Fall season like witches, skeletons, and pumpkin (heads). Of course, if movies and media are more your style, there are few recommendations of how to have fun with Jack Pumpkinhead this fall during our year of obscure. First up, is one that I really could not stop laughing with and that was the RiffTrax's The Wonderful Land of Oz (pictured below left). Now, if you did not know, RiffTrax does hilarious commentary over different movies, which is very similar to what MST3K does. They even have a channel on the PlutoTV app. So, you can see it for free for yourself how they roll. Surprisingly, they also did a commentary to the MGM film as well. But, back to the The Wonderful Land of Oz movie. It is a musical adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz book and includes the incomparable Jack Pumpkinhead. In my opinion, I did not think the movie was that terrible, but I definitely recommend watching it with the RiffTrax version. Of course, watch the movie first without the commentary, if you haven't seen it; then, go back and watch the version with the RiffTrax commentary. Its wildly funny! So, you can watch the RiffTrax movie on TubiTV online or with the app, whichever you have. You can also purchase the movie here from RiffTrax (and check out others while you are at it) if you are putting together a collection. You can also find the movie without the commentary online through YouTube or some other video platform or you can just purchase the regular movie through Amazon, if you would like. Other notable (and more obscure) movies that feature Jack Pumpkinhead include Shirley Temple's The Land of Oz (pictured above right) in 1960, The Marvelous Land of Oz, a children's play that aired on television in 1981 (pictured below left), and the animated TV movie Journey Back to Oz (1974), all of which I highly recommend checking out. Now the two productions below can be viewed online through YouTube here (play) and here (movie). Of course, both are available for purchase as well. The Shirley Temple movie is also available for purchase or is available online as well. Maybe check out your local library and see if they have it as well. All of these movies are super cheesy, super C-rated, and incredibly corny, so be sure to get ready for silly and odd just as the residents of Oz are expected to be. Next, GAMES OF OZ. So, when it comes to games about the Land of Oz including Jack Pumpkinhead, there's a couple options that you can check out. First, there is the old school Return to Oz game (on Commodore 64), which can be played on a computer emulation platform and is fairly easy to set up. But, here's what you need to do:
Now, puppets are a huge staple in the World of Oz and there are so many ways you can include Jack Pumpkinhead in your world of puppetry. A great inspiration is Jack Pumpkinhead puppet that we know from Disney's Return to Oz (1985). That entire figure was constructed from puppetry and human movement and if you want to know how the process went down, check out the interview here with Brian Henson. Of course, you can always just get your own Jack Pumpkinhead marionette, if you have the money, as its not cheap, or you could do what I do and use it as inspiration and create my own puppet from the materials from Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Another great craft is coloring pages and I have a few coloring pages of our favorite Pumpkinhead below. These were supplied from an old Return to Oz website, where you can find more coloring pages for free. Of course, you can always purchase the Return to Oz coloring book online, if you want more pages to color, or if you are building a collection. Before we end, I will leave you with one more option for how to bring Jack Pumpkinhead into your world this fall. Now, if you remember, Ruth Plumly Thompson was the second Royal Historian of Oz and she wrote a book called Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz. It tells the story of Philadelphia resident Peter Brown, who goes on an adventure with Jack Pumpkinhead. Oh, what kooky things will happen? Also, if you would like to also learn more about RPT, as I call her, check out my other At-Home post, where I discuss all things RPT. Another great book that was obscurely written by L. Frank Baum was a series of booklets called "The Little Wizard Stories" that were intended to reboot the Oz series back in the day and get people back into the books again. One of the book he wrote in that series is called "Jack Pumpkinhead and The Sawhorse" (imaged below, right). If you would like to hear that story read aloud, click here, or check out your local library. Well, that it do it for our At-Home with Jack PUmpkinhead and I sure hope you had fun with me and our good "not a melon" head, Jack Pumpkinhead. If you would like to know more about this complex and completely underrated character, check out his Oz page and learn more. But, please comment below as to what was your favorite part of At-Home with Jack Pumpkinhead as well as comment if something that was not mentioned here is a favorite of yours so you can share with others. Now, without further ado and until next time, we will be seeing somewhere over the Vinkus when Halloween comes to Oz. SPOOOOOOOOKKKKYYYYY!
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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. |