December Greetings all! We have begun a whole new year of Oz themes and this year's theme is the VILLAINS of OZ; and, in our Christmas month, we look to Baum's Life and Adventures of Santa Claus for our first villain: The Awgwas. These villains are demons who live in the mountainous area of Burzee near the end of the Laughing Valley of HoHaHo as well as have a king who leads them through their villainous journey against Santa Claus. In this post, we discuss their origins, their villainous journey, their media adaptation legacy and how you can bring them into your neck of the wood. Awgwas (pronounced ahg-wahz) are immortal beings that have been around since the beginning of this magical world. They arose after man realized their hatred for either and thus these demon beings were born. These beasts came to fruition again once Santa Claus came into the picture because he was infringing on their territory of human hatred. Santa Claus was only there for the children and not for the adults. They did not like his interference, so they attempted to get him out the way three times. First, he was kidnapped in his sleep and taken to Ethos Forest but was saved by the creatures called knooks. Then, they tried to imprison him in one of their caves but then he was saved by the fairies. In their last attempt to get him out the way. they went after the children's toys and locked them away to give Santa Claus a bad name. This led to a fight between the Awgwas and the other Immortals leaving the Awgwas dead and destroyed. Oh goodness! What drama! Next, we will showcase the media legacy of the Awgwas, which has had minuscule options but options, nonetheless. The very first time that the Awgwas appeared in media legacy was in Rankin and Bass' claymation version of the story (seen at the top of the post) in 1985. Then in 1992, the Awgwas made their first appearance in comic book form (see below), which was illustrated by Mike Ploog. You can find a copy of this through your local library or for a reasonable price online. In 1996, two adaptations came out that year. One in the Christmas Oz Kids episodes and one in Japanese anime form. The former is entitled "Who Kidnapped Santa Claus?", and is the second part of a two-parter. In this part, the protagonists realize that they they have to save a kidnapped Santa because he hasn't visited them yet. As they try to find him, they realize that he has been taken by the Awgwas (screenshot seen above). This story is also based on the book, Who Kidnapped Santa Claus? Check it out at your local library. The anime entitled, "Shōnen Santa no Daibôken" (translated into English as "The Adventures of Young Santa Claus". It consisted of 24 episodes and was released in movie format as a condensed version of the story. (Unfortunately, there is no streaming video of this except for a clip of the opening title song here). 2000 saw the latest visual adaptation of this story brought to you by Mike Young Productions. It features the nasty awgwas as rock-mud demonic (seen above) more than anything and some other very spooky scenes that may be too intense for younger viewers. It usually comes out on a streaming service like Tubi or Peacock, so be sure to check that out. Then, two years ago, Audible released an audio performance of the story on their service with Tony Hale as the main storyteller and actor. Even the terrifying Awgwas and their alliances make an appearance in this version. Be sure to check out more on that story here and how to access it or find a copy at your local library. You can also click on the picture on the left. In addition to the Audible production, there is another radio drama performance by Crossover Adventure Productions that feature the insidious Awgwas as well. Click the picture on the right to learn more. With all those wonderful options, you can now bring these awful, terrifying and villainous entities to your neck of the woods through the many adaptations out there. If you are feeling creative, you can always create your version of the Awgwas through a variety of medium of your choosing and showcase them here in the comments below. Here are some examples of fans who drew their interpretations of the malicious Awgwas; and, until next month, we'll be seeing you somewhere into the Oz-verse. Merry Christmas Ozians!
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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. |