List of Oz characters (post-Baum)

This is a list of characters in the original sequel Oz books by L. Frank Baum's successors. The series was continued by his grandson Roger S. Baum, and later by Ruth Plumly Thompson, John R. Neill, Jack Snow, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Lauren McGraw, Dick Martin, Eric Shanower, and Sherwood Smith. Characters from Gregory Maguire's Wicked are not included, as his works, among others such as the work of March Laumer, are considered "heretical" in Baum scholarship (The term "heretical" was first applied to these books by Dr. Stephen J. Teller of Pittsburg State University in the Winter 1988 issue of The Baum Bugle and appears regularly in Oz fandom).

Humans

Jenny Jump

Jenny Jump is an important character in the four Oz books of John R. Neill.

Jenny begins as a fifteen-year-old in New Jersey, who one day finds a leprechaun stealing her cheese. She is clever enough to capture him with her stare, so that the leprechaun, called Siko Pompus must grant her a wish. She wishes to become a fairy, and the leprechaun transforms her. In the midst of this psychedelia, however, Jenny's gaze falters, and the leprechaun eludes her control, leaving her part-fairy and part-human. Still, Jenny has remarkable new abilities. With her fairy foot, she leaps all the way to the Land of Oz, to begin her adventures.

Jenny is not a fan of the traditional, single-color fashions favored by the Ozites, and she sets up a shop with a magic turnstile that dresses people according to their personalities.

Neill's text of The Wonder City of Oz was rewritten by an anonymous editor at Reilly & Lee, and that editor added some controversial changes to the story, in particular, involving Jenny Jump. These additions include creatures who live in the Deadly Desert called Heelers, who live on votes. Jenny is goaded into running against Princess Ozma as ruler of Oz. It is not taken very seriously by the Ozites, and it is decided that shoes will be used for votes in an Ozelection. The Ozelection and all that leads up to it is not in the manuscript. Furthermore, near the end of the novel, the Wizard casts a spell to make her younger and more obedient, some would say lobotomized. Neill was not enamored of these changes and did not illustrate them, and Jenny seems to have gone back to her old self in the two sequels.

Jenny is regularly accompanied by a Munchkin boy called Number Nine. She has him wear whistling breeches that alert her to his presence.

In The Runaway in Oz, Jenny helps get the story started by quarrelling with Scraps the Patchwork Girl; but once Scraps runs away, Jenny spends the rest of the book helping to look for her.[1]

As Jenny is a copyrighted character, she is not found in modern Oz expanded universe stories, save Oziana magazine.

Robin Brown

Robin Brown is the protagonist of Merry Go Round in Oz. He is a small boy raised by an adoptive family of large boys who mistreat him before he escapes to Oz on Merry Go Round, a living Merry Go Round horse. He becomes King of Roundabout for a short time against his will.

Emerald City

Herby

Herby is a character featured in the Oz books of Ruth Plumly Thompson. He was introduced in her 1928 novel, The Giant Horse of Oz, as a medical doctor who had been transformed into a bottle of cough syrup by Mombi. He was freed from his transformation by Prince Philidor of Ozure Isles early in the novel, but retained a three-shelf medicine chest in his chest and cough drop eyes, and by the end of the novel, was proclaimed the Court Physician in the Emerald City palace, although, because Ozites are almost never sick and cannot die of natural causes, he does not have much work to do, only treating occasional injuries.

Herby's name probably derives from the medicinal herbs that would have been contained in his chest. He appeared subsequently in Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz, Ojo in Oz, The Wishing Horse of Oz, Handy Mandy in Oz, and Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz.

Sir Hokus of Pokes

Sir Hokus of Pokes is a character who is first introduced in The Royal Book of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson. His name is a reference to hocus pocus. He is an elderly knight in the vein of Don Quixote. Sir Hokus was discovered in the kingdom of Pokes, where he had been snoring for several centuries. Pokes is a small, sleepy (literally) kingdom by the road in Winkie Country, by the Winkie River. After joining Dorothy, Cowardly Lion, Comfortable Camel, and Doubtful Dromedary on an adventure, Sir Hokus returns with her to live at the Palace in the Emerald City.

In later books, he accompanies the main characters on several quests, and has a particularly significant adventure in The Yellow Knight of Oz and marries Princess Marygolden of Corabia. In that book, we learn that his current state is the result of magic of the Sultan of Samandra, a kingdom between Corumbia and Corabia where animals cannot speak. His favorite steed, the Comfortable Camel is immediately stuck dumb upon entering it. At the end of the novel, he becomes the younger Corum, Prince of Corumbia, the Yellow Knight of Oz, struck with the pit of a magic date that turns his silver armor golden and transforms him into a young, blond-haired man. Although Sir Hokus's disenchantment changed his appearance significantly, after his initial identification as Corum, he was referred to as Sir Hokus for the rest of the book.[2] He does, however, receive a new steed, Stampedro, whom Speedy frees from enchantment and who facilitates Hokus's restoration.

In later adventures he tends to be back to his old self, such as in The Scalawagons of Oz, when he play fights a two-headed Dragonette. Even Thompson showed him as his implicitly old self and referred to him as Sir Hokus in a brief appearance in the Emerald City in Yankee in Oz (1972).

Notta Bit More

Notta Bit More is a circus clown from North America.

He first appears in The Cowardly Lion of Oz where he stumbles upon a magic phrase that sends him and a little orphan boy named Bobby Downs to the Munchkin Country kingdom of Mudge. King Mustafa wanted them to bring the Cowardly Lion to him. When the two of them met the Cowardly Lion, he joined their party alongside a bird from Nickadoodle named Uns as she fell in love with Notta. When King Mustafa has been defeated by Princess Ozma and her allies, Notta Bit More accepted Princess Ozma's offer to live in the Land of Oz where he resides in a tent outside the Royal Palace. He also adopts the name of Bob.

Notta Bit More appears in Return to Oz. He is seen in the background at the coronation of Princess Ozma.

Gillikin Country

Agnes

Agnes is a dragon who appeared in The Giant Horse of Oz. She is the close friend and assistant of the Good Witch of the North.

Great Royal Marshmallow

The Great Royal Marshmallow is a marshmallow man that rules over the Candy Country. In Dorothy of Oz, Dorothy and Toto are brought before the Great Royal Marshmallow by the Royal Sheriff when they broke the law of picking lollipops. The Great Royal Marshmallow was not pleased with what the Royal Sheriff told him as Dorothy learns the Great Royal Marshmallow is depressed due to a stomachache. Dorothy convinces the Royal Sheriff to let her help the Great Royal Marshmallow get rid of his stomachache. Dorothy tells the Great Royal Marshmallow to stick to eating marshmallows for a while until his stomach is feeling better. When the Great Royal Marshmallow pardons Dorothy and Toto of their crime, Dorothy tells the Great Royal Marshmallow that she came to the Land of Oz upon being told by Glinda the Good Witch that the Land of Oz is in danger. The Great Royal Marshmallow helps Dorothy by having his subjects give Dorothy some supplies for her journey ranging from baskets containing fruits, an assortment of candy, and an assortment of nuts. The Great Royal Marshmallow has the Royal Sheriff escort Dorothy and Toto to the border as he tells Dorothy that Princess Gayelette can help her.

Jester

The Jester is a servant of Princess Gayelette and Prince Quelala.

In Dorothy of Oz, the Jester had gotten his hands on a wand of the Wicked Witch of the West and was possessed by her ghost. Under the Wicked Witch of the West's possession, the Jester used the wand to turn Princess Gayelette, Prince Quelala, and their dinner guests into China Dolls. He even managed to do the same thing to Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion as well as abduct the China Princess from the Dainty China Country. When Dorothy and Toto arrived in Princess Gayelette's kingdom, they run into the Jester who points them to Princess Gayelette's castle. When Dorothy learns about the Jester's actions, she returns to the main hall and found that the Jester had turned Toto into a China Doll as the Jester shows Dorothy his China Doll collection. Dorothy came up with an idea to bring Glinda the Good Witch to the Jester under the condition that Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion assists her. The Jester agrees to Dorothy's deal, but Toto will remain with him. When the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion slipped into their China Doll disguises upon arrival outside of Princess Gayelette's castle, Dorothy then meets up with the Jester who shows Dorothy his collection which is now on the outside. Dorothy takes the Jester to the red wagon where Dorothy has him open the crates where she claims that Glinda is in one of them claiming that Glinda turned herself, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion into china dolls. Dorothy then hears the voice of the Wicked Witch of the West's ghost who suspects a trick and orders the Jester to turn Dorothy into a china doll quickly. As the Wicked Witch of the West's ghost continues to warn the Jester of Dorothy's trick, the Cowardly Lion's tail came out of his disguise as the Jester prepares to attack. Dorothy reminds the Jester that jesters are supposed to make people happy causing the Jester to freeze in his tracks as the Wicked Witch of the West's ghost urges the Jester to turn Dorothy into a china doll. The Jester gives up the wand as the Wicked Witch of the West's ghost fades away. Thus, the spell is broken and everyone is returned to normal. Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Toto rejoice now that the spell is broken. When Dorothy asks Princess Gayelette and Prince Quelala if the Jester can stay and jest for them again as a way to prove that he is sorry, Princess Gayelette accepts Dorothy's deals and has the Jester entertain them again.

The Jester appears in Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (loosely based on the Dorothy of Oz book) voiced by Martin Short. In the film, he is stated to be the brother of the Wicked Witch of the West and his Earth counterpart is a con artist claiming to be a government appraiser.

Kabumpo

Kabumpo is an Indian elephant who appears in several of the Ruth Plumly Thompson Oz books, including a titular role in Kabumpo in Oz.

King Kinda Jolly

King Kinda Jolly of Kimbaloo is a character in The Lost King of Oz. The short and stout king of Kimbaloo, is a jolly little Gillikin in the kingdom known for its button trees and the crops they provide. Kinda Jolly wears a silver crown to match his silver beard, and is married to the sweet little Queen, Rosa Merry. He is leader of the 249 other male citizens of Kimbaloo, and in charge of the button crops. He loves his people dearly and is loved by them. He once hired the witch Mombi as a cook in his palace, against the advice of Hah Hoh, the town laugher of the kingdom, since he took pity on the friendless old woman, and did not know she was in fact a former witch.

Lonesome Duck

The Lonesome Duck is a character in The Magic of Oz; he makes brief but gaudy appearances in two of the book's later chapters.[3]

The Lonesome Duck first appears when Cap'n Bill and Trot are trapped on the Magic Isle in the Gillikin Country. He swims "swiftly and gracefully" over to them, astonishing them with his "gorgeously colored plumage". In a brief conversation, the Duck explains why he is lonesome. Though he cannot help free the two protagonists from their entrapment, he makes it slightly easier to bear, by conjuring large magic toadstools for them to sit on. Later, the rescue party searching for Trot and Cap'n Bill almost stumbles over the Lonesome Duck's diamond palace, earning them a stern rebuke from its inhabitant. The text never specifies the Duck's gender; the creature is consistently referred to as "it." Yet the general rule among birds is that the males are gaudier than the females.

Loo

Loo is a unicorn that lives in the Forest of Gugu and is one of the councilors of Gugu. In "The Magic of Oz," Loo found out what Kiki Aru and Ruggedo are going to do with the inhabitants of the Forest of Gugu and informed Princess Ozma of the plot.

Prince Pompadore

Prince Pompadore is the prince of Pumperdink who first appears in Kabumpo of Oz.

Tugg

Tugg is a wooden tugboat.

In Dorothy of Oz, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion design and build Tugg from the limbs of the Talking Trees that are on the banks of the Munchkin River, some straw to make it waterproof, vines to make the ropes that held them all together, and a foghorn out of a hollow log with vine for a cord. Using some water and wild red berries, Dorothy converted them into a paint so that she can draw Tugg's mouth. When Tugg is named, Tugg starts to speak where he thanks the group for building him. Tugg tells the Talking Trees that he will travel the Munchkin River and tell them of what he has seen. Dorothy and her group board Tugg and they travel downstream. When Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion were in the Gamekeeper's maze, Tugg used his foghorn to help them get out before time ran out. Tugg then continues to carry the group down the Munchkin River until they reach the Munchkin Village. When Tugg gets close to where the Dainty China Country is located, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and China Princess disembark as he heads back to the Talking Trees to tell them what he has seen on his journey. Dorothy states to Tugg that they will meet him again as soon as possible. Before her confrontation with the Jester, Dorothy has Wiser the Owl look for Tugg and tell him of their progress. After the Jester was freed from the possession of the Wicked Witch of the West's wand, Tugg later appeared on the part of the Munchkin River near Princess Gayelette's castle with Wiser and the dragons that were encountered along the way.

Tugg appears in Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (based on the Dorothy of Oz book) voiced by Patrick Stewart. This version is an old tree who donates his body to make a tugboat for Dorothy, Marshal Mallow, China Princess, and Wiser the Owl to travel the Munchkin River on.

Wiser the Owl

Wiser the Owl is an owl who has an unlucky attraction to molasses.

In Dorothy of Oz, Dorothy and Toto encounter Wiser who mentioned that he got his name because he gets wiser every day. When Dorothy tells Wiser that she is here looking for Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Glinda, Wiser tells Dorothy that she is in Gillikin Country and tells her to head to Candy Country and ask the Great Royal Marshmallow that rules over Candy Country. Wiser points Dorothy in the direction of the Candy Country and leaves while warning her to "watch out for the molasses." Unfortunately, Toto doesn't heed the warning. While traveling to Glinda's castle, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and China Princess run into Wiser as Dorothy tells him of her next mission involving going to Quadling County to meet with Glinda. Wiser tells Dorothy to build a boat and drive it down the Munchkin River. Wiser tells Dorothy that the wood for the boat must come from the Talking Trees that grow along the banks of the Munchkin River. Before Dorothy's confrontation with the Jester, Dorothy ends up encountering Wiser again. He asks if she has found Glinda. Dorothy then asks Wiser to help the Cowardly Lion with a crate and get him into his life-size china doll. After the Cowardly Lion is in his china doll disguise, Dorothy tells Wiser to find Tugg and tell him of their progress. After the Jester is freed from the possession of the Wicked Witch of the West's wand, Wiser appears at the river banks near Princess Gayelette's castle with Tugg and the dragons that Dorothy encountered along the way.

Wiser the Owl appears in Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (based on the Dorothy of Oz book) voiced by Oliver Platt.

Witch of the North

The Witch of the North was not named in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz nor was she named in any of Baum’s Oz books. However, Baum gave her the name of Locasta in the 1902 musical extravaganza, The Wizard of Oz. Ruth Plumly Thompson, Baum’s handpicked successor in writing Oz books, revamped the character and gave her the name of Tattypoo.

This version is not to be confused with the Good Witch of the North.

Quadling Country

Belfaygor of Bourne

Belfaygor of Bourne, of the Land of the Barons in the Quadling Country, is a major character in Ruth Plumly Thompson's Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz.[4]

He is in love with Shirley Sunshine, but because of a magic spell poorly cast by his Miserable Mesmerizer when he asked for a beard for his wedding day, his beard grows at such a rapid rate that he must carry scissors to constantly cut it. This causes severe problems when sleeping, and when he is locked in a prison cell with Peter Brown, Jack Pumpkinhead, and Snif the Iffin, all except Jack get a close-call as his beard grows in the night, filling so much of the cell that it makes it difficult to breathe.

Belfaygor's curse is often brought up in discussions of the inconsistencies about aging and death in the Land of Oz, as it indicates that mitosis continues to exist in Oz.

The beard disappears when he is caught and released from the pirate sack Peter found in The Gnome King of Oz, after which he vows never to grow one again.

Bell-snickle

Bell-snickle is the major villain of The Scalawagons of Oz. He is described as being like a blue-green buckwheat cake, and is proud to be a mystery. He interferes with the flabber-gas that operates the Scalawagons, sending them out of control. After his defeat, Jenny Jump used him as a rubber stamp in her shop.

Munchkin Country

Abatha

Abatha the Good Witch of the East is the title character in Eric Shanower's graphic novel, The Blue Witch of Oz. She fell under a spell during a custody battle with her brother-in-law over custody of her son.

Zif

Zif is a Munchkin who appears in The Royal Book of Oz. He is a student at Wogglebug's College of Art and Athletic Perfection.

Winkie Country

Comfortable Camel

The Comfortable Camel is a Bactrian camel who came to the Land of Oz in The Royal Book of Oz. He and his companion the Doubtful Dromedary got lost in a sandstorm and ended up in Oz near the Deadly Desert where they met Dorothy Gale. The two of them assisted Dorothy Gale, Cowardly Lion, and Sir Hokes of Pokes in searching for Scarecrow.

Doubtful Dromedary

The Doubtful Dromedary is a dromedary who came to the Land of Oz in The Royal Book of Oz and doubts everything he says. He and his companion the Comfortable Camel got lost in a sandstorm and ended up in Oz near the Deadly Desert where they met Dorothy Gale. The two of them assisted Dorothy Gale, Cowardly Lion, and Sir Hokes of Pokes in searching for Scarecrow.

Outside of Oz

A-B-Sea Serpent

The A-B-Sea Serpent is a large snake made of alphabet blocks who comes from Mer City in the Nonestic Ocean.

First appearing in The Royal Book of Oz, the A-B-Sea Serpent and the Rattlesnake were on vacation in the Munchkin River where they encounter the Scarecrow. After A-B-Sea Serpent helped Scarecrow cross the Munchkin River, he invited A-B-Sea Serpent and Rattlesnake to the Emerald City to meet Princess Ozma, Betsy Bobbin, Patchwork Girl, and Tin Woodman.

Rattlesnake

The Rattlesnake is a snake made of 100 rattles who is the A-B-Sea Serpent's companion.

Captain Samuel Salt

Captain Samuel Salt is the sea captain of the Crescent Moon who first appears in Pirates in Oz.

While he gained fame as a pirate captain, he was most interested in exploring causing his crew to abandon him and take two of his ships. When he arrived on Octagon Island, he encountered King Ako whose men also deserted him. The two of them left alongside Ako's companion Roger the Read Bird. The three of them met Peter Brown when they were looking for their deserted crew. After Ruggedo and the pirates are defeated, Captain Salt leaves the pirate business and remains in Oz as the Royal Explorer.

In Captain Salt in Oz, Captain Salt had the Crescent Moon refitted by Jinnicky the Red Jinn. He, King Ako, Roger the Read Bird where they discovered Patrippany, Ozamaland, Peakenspire Island, the Sea Forest, and Seeweegia.

In The Wonder City of Oz, Captain Salt was present at Ozma's birthday party.

In The Scalawagons of Oz, Captain Salt was present when the Wizard of Oz unveiled his latest invention in the form of the Scalawagons.

Jinnicky the Red Jinn

Jinnicky the Red Jinn is a character who frequently appears in Ruth Plumly Thompson's Oz books. He is depicted as a character who owns a lot of slaves and has his red body enclosed in a ginger jar. For long distance travel he uses a magic jinriskishka. He maintains a friendly but sincere rivalry with the Wizard of Oz and is anxious to stop Faleero in "The Purple Prince of Oz" before the Wizard of Oz does.

King of the Fairy Beavers

The King of the Fairy Beavers appears in Baum's John Dough and the Cherub and reappears in Jack Snow's The Shaggy Man of Oz. The King rules an underground kingdom. In both books, he helps the travelers to reach their final destination.

Pigasus

Pigasus is a flying pig that was created by Jinnicky. Anyone who rides it are magically compelled to speak only in verse until they dismount.

See also

References

  1. John R. Neill, The Runaway in Oz, edited by Eric Shanower, New York, Books of Wonder, 1995; pp. 11–17, 99–116 and ff.
  2. The Yellow Knight of Oz, Chapter 18.
  3. Jack Snow, Who's Who in Oz, Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 129.
  4. Jack Snow, Who's Who in Oz, Chicago, Reilly & Lee, 1954; New York, Peter Bedrick Books, 1988; p. 15.
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