Finished all of the typesetting recently, so here’s some previews so you can get an idea of what the insides of the book look like. The jagged edges on the illustrations are just how InDesign renders images and don’t reflect the print quality.
Still struggling with the little “afterword” thing about Baum, and whether or not I should put any comments re: my approach to the project. Almost done with that though.
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#oz #wizard of oz #the wonderful wizard of oz #evan dahm #kickstarterMy name is Evan Dahm and I would like to illustrate and publish an edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It was published in 1900 and is now in the public domain. I like it a lot and I think I can illustrate it in a way that works with the story and has a visual character that’s distinct from other interpretations.
Here are some early drawings trying to figure out shapes and colors for the characters.
More art intermittently
The Kickstarter for my illustrated edition of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is live! If you’d like to support this project, and/or get a copy of the hardcover book of your very own, I hope you’ll check it out!
I’ve made 24 full-page illustrations and around 70 spot illustrations to go throughout the complete original text, in a 192-page book. Most of them have been posted on this tumblr. I’ve tried to support the text without distracting from it, and I’ve emphasized the sense of being lost in a strange, colorful place. I’m really happy with how it’s turned out so far, and having it as a nice printed book has always been an exciting possibility!! It is looking like a thing that will probably happen, thanks to Make That Thing and YOU YOU YOU
Thank you!
- Evan
The Kickstarter for the book has LAUNCHED!
Here’s a recap of the chapter illustrations for chapters 1 through 8 of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the first third of the book! I am very happy with these, and the wide range of color schemes and tones they represent.
I will be done with this project fairly soon, after working on it (off and on) for over a year. 24 full-page illustrations like these, and somewhere around 70 spot illustrations. A print book is being thought of; details will be on this blog before they’ll be anywhere else!
Just launched the Kickstarter for the print edition of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with the full original text and 88 of my illustrations!!! More on that later.
Here’s the last chunk of chapter illustrations, covering the journey south from the Emerald City (the first part is here, the second part is here). There’s some bits in this last part of the book that are among the weirdest, and most unfamiliar to people because it was mostly discarded for the movie adaptation. The China Country is one I was very excited/daunted to draw; it’s very unexpected!
Oh and I put up a grid of all of the chapter illustrations together but I made it for the Kickstarter and I thought it was fun to look at
The books will be in Kickstarter backers’ hands and available for sale very soon, so I thought now would be the time to make the ebook of the illustrated Wizard of Oz available!
It’s $8 or more, downloadable as a PDF right here.
Many other people than me have illustrated the Wonderful Wizard of Oz! Here are some of them.
W. W. Denslow illustrated the first edition of the book, and set up a look for the characters and setting so iconic and inextricable from the text that they’ve informed most later interpretations, and the two co-held the book’s copyright. Denslow’s background in cartooning is clear in the illustrations, which are dynamic and personable and look more modern than they are, I think.
The Folio Society published an edition of the book illustrated by Sara Ogilvie recently. I really love the texture and simple treatment of color in these, and the design of the book and slipcase is just absurdly fancy, which is good.
Spanish illustrator Juliá Sardà did a series of lush painted illustrations for the book, which I only just found. They seem to be for a print edition but I dunno?
An edition illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger was published in the 90s. This was the only edition I’d seen when I started this project, and I really love it. Zwerger’s illustrations are all watercolor, and emphasize a dreamy distance that I think can be read into the text. Much less character-focused and dynamic than a lot of interpretations, but I think that’s ok. Also the book came with a pair of green glasses to wear while reading the Emerald City parts which is a VERY COOL IDEA. It’s out of print but there’s a lot more art here.
There are many more. It’s fun to see how many distinct angles can be taken with illustrating this text– it’s written in a way that’s kind of loose and mythic. I’ve tried to support what I feel is important in the story with my own illustrations, and have ended up emphasizing my own personal angle on the text. I am running a Kickstarter to publish my own illustrated version. Did you see that I’m doing that
The revelation of the real Wizard of Oz, and his rewards for the Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Lion. These are from chapter 16; I skipped ahead a bit.
The Wizard of Oz Illustrated book got mentioned in a Kickstarter newsletter yesterday, so it’s BLOWN UP over the past day and all of the stretch goals I’d initially put up have been passed! I gotta come up with MORE now!
So this book will have foil stamping on the cover, a ribbon bookmark, and art on the endpapers. what else though!
thank you everyone. Only a few days left!
Hi! The Wizard of Oz book I illustrated is available online now, if you weren’t aware, and holiday shipping deadlines are closing in!
happy holidays to youuuuu