Last year, I began work on a series of designs based on the story of Oz, with plans to collect them into a concept art book similar to The Skillful Huntsman.

I may still publish that book some day, but my plans were confounded when, right after my decision to do an Oz book, Marvel Comics released an AMAZING adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz that was drawn by the remarkable Skottie Young.

Needless to say, I’ve put the plans for my own Oz book on hold for now.  I think it commercially unwise step with intent into the long shadows cast by Skottie and the good people that catalyzed the Marvel version.

However, I just can’t keep these designs secret any longer.  So I’m going to post them on my blog, one at a time, with some accompanying commentary...

WHY DID YOU WANT TO MAKE AN ‘OZ’ BOOK, CHRIS?

Oz is one of my favorite places. 

I can’t say that the original book by L. Frank Baum is one of my favorite works of literature.  Although I do like the book quite a bit.  And I like the classic Judy Garland movie just as much as the next guy, but it is not my favorite film of all time, as it is for many people.

What really intrigues me is the world of Oz.  I love “rules” (or the lack thereof) that exist in the Oz that Baum created. 

I am a SUCKER for the kind of hodgepodge character logic that also exists in every Muppet-related project (Jim Henson’s Labyrinth parallels Oz in many ways) as well as movies like Star Wars and Speilberg’s A.i.

I love a good ‘accidental family’ story, especially when the accidental family is one comprised of characters that vary dynamically in shape, size, species, color, texture and temperament.

I have a great deal to say about this topic, so over the coming months, I will be posting designs from my own Oz collection (never before seen!) and talking about the ‘accidental family’ stories that I love and what makes them so great.

Until next week, Go well.