Vol. 41, no. 1 (Spring 1997)
| Editor-in-Chief | William Stillman |
| Production Editor | Adele Robey |
| Bibliography Editors | Peter E. Hanff, Patrick Maund |
| Review Editor | Stephen J. Teller |
| Contributing Editors | Angelica Carpenter, Michael Gessel, David Moyer, Jay Scarfone |
Wraparound cover art by John R. Neill (The Sea Fairies)
Interior front art by John R. Neill (sketch for The Sea Fairies)
Back cover photograph by Robert A. Baum (Woozy toy from the Oz Film Manufacturing Company)
Spring 1997 Selected Contents
This is a guide to the articles and reviews from the issue that will most benefit researchers, scholars, and collectors. The printed issue includes additional content such as news, editorial letters, and other commentary-based departments.
The Baum Bugle, Volume 1, Number 1
The original four-page issue of The Baum Bugle is reprinted in celebration of its 40th anniversary.
Bibliographia Baumiana: The Sea Fairies
Bibliographia Baumiana provides bibliographical details of non-Oz works by Baum, occasionally updating past articles alongside new ones. This installment, by Patrick M. Maund, examines Sky Island. Includes an original pencil sketch by John R. Neill. An earlier assessment of this title appeared in the Spring 1970 issue.
An Interview with Roger Baum
Katie Fleming interviews Roger S. Baum, great-grandson of L. Frank Baum and author of multiple modern Oz books, including Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage.
Oz at the Fair
William Stillman looks back at the Ozian presence at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, including Oz plays, a presentation of Oz puppets by Jean Gros, and the “skyscraper-sized” statues of the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. A color centerfold reproduces paper cut-outs of the character statues from 1933.
Through History with The Wizard of Oz
Carl Rexroad looks at editorial cartoons using Ozian iconography and metaphor throughout the 20th century, including many cartoons referring to political candidates, American presidents, and their policies. This is followed by brief quotes from several working cartoonists, as well as a one-page interview with Dick Locher, cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune. A follow-up article covering 1997–2000, also by Rexroad, would later be published in the Autumn 2000 issue.
Oz Oddity
The editors examine the first-ever Oz toy: the wooden Woozy created to promote the Oz Film Manufacturing Company’s The Patchwork Girl of Oz. Various promotional contests involving the toy are considered. An even more comprehensive article on the subject would be published in the Spring 2021 issue.
Reviews
The Oziads by Frederick E. Otto (poetry; reviewer Stephen J. Teller)
Queen Ann in Oz by Karyl Carlson and Eric Gjovaag (fiction; reviewer Robin Olderman)
Oz Story Magazine Number 2 edited by David Maxine (fiction; reviewer David Hulan)
The Munchkins of Oz by Stephen Cox (non-fiction; reviewer Jane Albright)
Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage by Roger S. Baum (fiction; reviewer Stephen J. Teller))