"All you have to do is knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go."
Glinda, the Good Witch of the South
The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz by L. Frank Baum is one of the most influential stories of all time, a true literary masterpiece that has impacted our pop culture in ways few stories do, from the big and little screen, to theater, to new books and even a theme park.
Mad Duck kicks off 2018 with a new feature release in our Classic Literature Series. We are thrilled to present the Wonderful Wizard Of Oz by artist Ise Ananphada!
Available as 24x36 screenprints, Ise has created a beautiful illustration interpreting the book in several different colorways. Each poster features 12-13 colors.
Also of note, the variant colorways contain more than 10 different characters or significant character changes! There are many characters exclusive to the book that can only be seen in the variants!
Here are some fun additional details that will spotlight some of the key character differences and changes.The original book art was by W.W. Denslow. His designs were influential on design choices.
Here is a list of unique literary characters and character changes that apply superficially to the book, and generally don't appear in other media.
Characters
China Princess
Mr. Joker
Kalidahs
Soldier With the Green Whiskers
Boq
Winkies
King of the Winged Monkeys
Hammer-Heads
Queen Of The Field Mice
Guardian Of The Gates
Enjoy some additional information about the characters that appear in the variant.
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The China Princess is a delicate and beautiful figurine made of china who appears in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She lives in the tiny hidden enclave called "Dainty China Country" in the Quadling Country of the Land of Oz. She, like all the other china people, cannot leave their enclave or they will become lifeless and stiff.
A beautiful girl made of china that Dorothy wishes to take home with her to Kansas. The china Princess is afraid of Dorothy at first, because if she is chased and falls, she may break. The Princess wants to stay in her own country because there they can move freely. Beyond its borders, they are put on mantles and their joints stiffen, and being pretty is all that is expected of them
Mr. Joker is a clown made of china. He tries to stand on his head, so has fallen and been mended so many times and as a result he is no longer pretty. He taunts Dorothy with a poem, telling her "You're quite as stiff / And prim as if / You'd eaten up a poker!" The china Princess demands Mr. Joker treat Dorothy with respect.
The Kalidahs are a fictitious species of animal in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.[They are mentioned and featured in the first half of the story when Dorothy Gale and her companions are traveling through the dark forest. A Kalidah is characterized as a ferocious monster having the head of a tiger and the body of a bear.
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers (real name not yet revealed) is the head guard of the Royal Army of Oz. His job is to protect the Emerald City and its residents. He gladly escorts the four main protagonists Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman and Cowardly Lion through the streets of the Emerald City upon their first visit. He leads them all to the royal palace of the Wizard of Oz, where he forces them to wipe their feet upon a plush green carpet before entering.
Boq is a minor character who appears in the beginning of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He is depicted as a wealthy Munchkin man with a large family who offers Dorothy Gale and Toto shelter after throwing a lavish banquet in Dorothy's honor upon her arrival to the Land of Oz.
Winkies were yellow-skinned people who are enslaved by the Wicked Witch of the West.
"There was great rejoicing among the yellow Winkies, for they had been made to work hard during many years for the Wicked Witch, who had always treated them with great cruelty. They kept this day as a Holiday, then and ever after, and spent the time in feasting and dancing and playing loud music. "
The King of the Winged Monkeys tells Dorothy how his band came to be controlled by the owner of the Golden Cap. His people were once free in the woods of the North but mischief got the better of them. After playing a trick on Quelala, the betrothed of the sorceress Gayelette, the monkeys were to be punished in a manner that would result in their death. Quelala intervened and spared their lives, on the condition that they would do the bidding of whoever wore the Golden Cap. The grandfather of the King - who was king himself back then - agreed.
The Hammer-Heads guard the hill outside of the Country of the Quadlings. They have no arms, but they can extend their heads to hit foes. They try to prevent Dorothy and her friends from crossing the hill, but Dorothy calls the Winged Monkeys to carry them over.
The Queen Of The Field Mice is saved by the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow from being devoured by a vicious wildcat. The tiny but proud Queen returns the favor by enlisting her thousands of subjects to carry the slumbering Lion out of the deadly poppy field.
The Guardian Of The Gates has a job is to adorn green spectacle glasses around the heads of all visitors to the Emerald City before they enter. This is done to protect their eyes from the thousands of glittering green gems within the city that are so precious and rare, they would cause blindness without the spectacles. The glasses can only be unclocked by a solid gold key that the Guardian always wears on a thick gold chain around his neck.
Release
This release will also have surprise bonuses for some lucky customers! Chase posters will randomly be inserted into orders and cannot be purchased! The bonus posters will be special 24X36 keyline screen prints of showcasing the intricate detail of both the regular and variant art! Each will be an edition of just 25! To qualify to receive one of these special posters, just make a Wonderful Wizard Of Oz purchase! Regular poster purchases will be eligible for the Regular Keyline, and Variants will be eligible for the Variant Keyline. Winners will be chosen at random. Good luck!
Posters will be available for purchase this Wednesday, January 24th at 12PM Eastern time HERE!
