100 Years of Oz

Book excerpt: In 1900 L. Frank Baum published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and since then, the never-out-of-print book has spawned thirty-nine sequels, five silent movies, innumerable stage productions (the first in 1902), a radio series, countless animated cartoons, and perhaps the greatest MGM musical of all time. Translated into virtually every language on the planet, the story and characters have appeared on everything from peanut butter jars and lunch boxes to postage stamps and Christmas ornaments. There are more than 2,500 members of the Oz Club, and three times a year, conventions of Oz fans draw upwards of 75,000 visitors. Everything Oz is in such demand that merchandise rarely makes it past private collectors to flea markets or antique fairs.