Festive greetings all! Our year of Magic in Oz starts now. So, when I say Magic of Oz, I am talking about all things magical in the land of Oz, whether it is the person who practices magic, is made of magic, or an object that is enchanted by magic. It even includes something that can be created by magic. It is an ever-loving smorgasbord when it comes to Magic in the Land of Oz as there is a ton of magic in the Land of Oz. So, as we are in the month of December, our first magical component is a person who is made of magic (obtained from immortals from the world of Oz) and that person is none other than SANTA CLAUS. Oh, yeah, the magic man of Christmas has most definitely visited even the Land of Oz and its residents multiple times. So, let us get into it and see Santa’s many adventures to the Land of Oz. We can start with the first book that Frank Baum wrote in 1902 about Santa Claus and is entitled, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. This book introduces us to the birth and infancy of Santa Claus, his adulthood, and growing into the role of Santa Claus with the Mantle of Immortality. Now, interesting enough, even though it does not take place in Oz, it does deal with Ozian characters like the Gnome King and even him visiting the Emerald City at one point. It should be noted that this book insinuates that Santa is never magic or practices magic, but uses the help of fairies, nymphs, and other immortal beings who practice magic and that is what aids Santa through the story. However, since most of us know Santa as magical, we will go with that for the sake of this post. The story is a fascinating read and can be found various formats like e-book, audiobook, and physical copy. So, feel free to check it out at your local library or purchase a copy online. Other notable books about Santa Claus in Oz include Christmas in Oz by Robin Hess and Santa Claus in Oz by Richard Capwell (both imaged below); so, have yourself a Merry Christmas read-along and check out these wonderful Ozian holiday books. A quick side note before we move on to movies and TV shows, I would like to mention the book, The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum. It features Santa Claus returning to the Land of Oz, specifically the Emerald City, and helping sending all of Ozma's birthday guests back to the their respective lands. It is intended as a sequel component to The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus as it tells of Santa’s adventures to Oz after his origin story is told. Fascinatingly enough, Baum's The Road to Oz got turned into a comic by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young back in 2013, which is definitely worth a read. You can get a taste of the Santa page in the comic, which is shown at the top of the post. The other picture at the top of the post is from the same book regarding a moment at the end of the book when Santa helped the different denizens from the different lands around Oz be sent home, even some like Button Bright go back to Philadelphia in the United States. One last Santa Claus story in writing is a comic strip entitled "Queer Visitors to the Marvelous Land of Oz", which saw our Land of Oz heroes visiting Santa Claus. Check it out here. So, moving away from books and comics, we venture into movies and films featuring Santa Claus in the Land of Oz. We stop here at two movies to consider this watching this holiday season, as both are based on Baum's The Life and Adventure of Santa Claus book. First up is the 1985 TV film by Rankin and Bass (imaged above left) and uses claymation and puppetry to tell Santa's story. This is a cute adaptation and definitely tells a cute family friendly story similar to the book. The second is a TV film by Mike Young Productions released in 2000 and is more animation-based to tell the same story in a new and updated way. Each is a gem in its own way; so, definitely feel free to check it out for yourselves. The Mike Young production can be found on the Peacock TV app and the Rankin and Bass film can be found at Dailymotion.com here. If you are interested in the other more obscure adaptations of this story, feel free to check them out here. Of course, if TV shows are more your speed, then there are few TV shows with Santa Claus focused episodes like The Oz Kids and Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz. Let's begin with the two-part episodes of The Oz Kids. In the first part, "Who Stole Santa?", someone has kidnapped Santa. The Oz Kids do their best to figure out what to do, but eventually find in an answer in the second part, "Christmas in Oz". It is quite a story that unfolds and includes characters like The Brave Little Toaster and his friends in the background as well (I know, THROWBACK!). The first part episode is available online here. Interestingly enough, the first part is actually based on a short story written by L. Frank Baum called "A Kidnapped Santa Claus", which can be read here. The second part can also be found online as well. In the Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz episode, Dorothy shows her Ozian friends exactly what happens at Christmas from discussing various traditions to including an appearance from the jolly Santa Claus himself. This episode is available on the Boomerang app or website for your viewing pleasure. Last, but not least, is a really fun computer game (trailer above) that was released a few years ago and revolves around the premise that the witch Mombi has taken Christmas away in the land of Oz. Then, in a bonus chapter of the Collector's Edition, you can meet and help save Santa Claus from one of his malicious elves, who has hidden him away somewhere in Oz. It is a really fun game and I definitely recommend buying it on a PC platform as Big Fish has had some difficulty with releasing many of its games on the new Mac operating systems (e.g., Catalina, Big Sur).
With all these great options out to celebrate Santa Claus, his magic, and his adventures to the Land of Oz, I sure hope you have enjoyed experiencing the many different stories out there. If you would like to learn more about Santa Claus and his time in Oz, find out more here. Before we leave, please let me know what your favorite Santa Claus in Oz adaptation out there is by commenting below and until next time, we'll be seeing you somewhere into the Oz-verse.
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May 2024
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. |