Baum by Dahm

[Baum by Dahm]

Toto and some Oz denizens. This one will go under Baum’s brief introduction from the original publication, which I like for its quaintness:

Folklore, legends, myths and fairy tales have followed childhood through the ages, for every healthy youngster has a wholesome and instinctive love for stories fantastic, marvelous and manifestly unreal.  The winged fairies of Grimm and Andersen have brought more happiness to childish hearts than all other human creations.

Yet the old time fairy tale, having served for generations, may now be classed as “historical” in the children’s library; for the time has come for a series of newer “wonder tales” in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale.  Modern education includes morality; therefore the modern child seeks only entertainment in its wonder tales and gladly dispenses with all disagreeable incident.

Having this thought in mind, the story of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was written solely to please children of today.  It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.

L. Frank Baum

Chicago, April, 1900.

Something big going on here tomorrow, he says unsubtly

[Baum by Dahm]

[Baum by Dahm]

Dorothy now took Toto up solemnly in her arms, and having said one last good-bye she clapped the heels of her shoes together three times, saying:

“Take me home to Aunt Em!”

[Baum by Dahm]

Aunt Em had just come out of the house to water the cabbages when she looked up and saw Dorothy running toward her.

This is THE LAST CHAPTER ILLUSTRATION! ALL 24 ARE DONE! You can see them all by tag.

I thing I love about this book is that Dorothy’s home is exclusively referred to as dry, lonely, and monochromatic, and its appeal is totally mysterious to everyone from Oz that she meets. But she loves her home and never gives up!!! I love this book.

A Kickstarter for the print version, with Make That Thing, will be happening IMMINENTLY.

[Baum by Dahm]

“Let me have your name, and I will ask Glinda if she will receive you.” They told who they were, and the girl soldier went into the Castle. After a few moments she came back to say that Dorothy and the others were to be admitted at once.

This is the Chapter 23 illustration, though maybe it pertains a little better to the end of chapter 22. Wrapping up the journey through Oz, finally!

I have a couple more illustrations to post, and will be launching a Kickstarter for the Oz book (with Make that Thing, friends who are good at production & fulfillment) in the near future.

[Baum by Dahm]

The party and the Quadling woman, from chapter 22.

[Baum by Dahm]

The four travelers passed through the rest of the forest in safety, and when they came out from its gloom saw before them a steep hill, covered from top to bottom with great pieces of rock.

“That will be a hard climb,” said the Scarecrow, “but we must get over the hill, nevertheless.”

This is the chapter 22 opener. ALMOST DONE posting everything here. I counted it all up a little while ago and there are 88 illustrations in total! Anyway I’ll be talking about the plan for the print book shortly…

This one was a little tricky, as I wanted to situate it at the start of the chapter when they reach the hill, and also show a little of Quadling Country beyond, as that’s also a significant part of the chapter and there’s not really another chance to see much of it.

The little heads peeking out are the hammerheads.

[Baum by Dahm]

There were tigers and elephants and bears and wolves and foxes and all the others in the natural history, and for a moment Dorothy was afraid. But the Lion explained that the animals were holding a meeting, and he judged by their snarling and growling that they were in great trouble.

Chapter 21!

If you’re in Portland, OR, this weekend, I’ll be at Rose City Comic Con!

[Baum by Dahm]

Got a dummy book from the people who are gonna print the book of this thing! It’s just so I can look at the paper and binding; the color of the cloth and everything will be different in the finished book. And I cut out a piece of paper to be the approximate size of the onlay that will go on the front cover.

[Baum by Dahm]

The party waits while the Lion goes off to kill a fearsome beast.

SPX is tomorrow, y'all.