FIRST LOOK: The Art of Oz

The characters as they appeared in the first edition of Wizard

There is very little doubt that art has played a very large role in the Oz legacy.  After all, its characters are some of the most iconic and easily recognizable characters in the literary world.  W.W. Denslow was the first of many to bring these characters to life.  His art had a child-like whimsy to it, which inspired many imitators in its time.  It also worth noting that Denslow's illustrations were so instrumental in the original publication, that he received co-copyright with Baum.  His illustrations were also the basis of the costume designs in the lavish 1902 musical extravaganza Wizard of Oz.

While Denslow was the first, he is most certainly not the only name tied to these characters.  When Baum and Denslow quarreled and ultimately parted ways after the musical, Baum sought out a new artist to create images as vibrant and imaginative as the World of Oz.  Baum found this in a man by the name of John R. Neill.  Neill would go on to illustrate not only Baum's 13 Oz sequels (and the supplementary Little Wizard Stories) but also most of the Famous Forty titles.  He would even pen an Oz novel of his own.  Neill's illustrations differed from Denslow's, as they were more realistic in design.

Neill's take on things, c. 1906

For The Black Cat Press's upcoming Oz storybook, illustrator Haley N. Dillon has decided to merge elements from both illustrators while still infusing her own unique style.  One of the many reasons for blending Denslow and Neill concepts is to smooth transition from our new adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz into any sequel adaptations we may choose to do such as The Marvelous Land of Oz or Ozma of Oz.  Furthermore, Neill's contributions were far to instrumental in the success of the Oz series as a whole to simply ignore them in the adaptation of the first story.  The original two are not the only artists who have influence on Dillon's new take on Oz.  To spark inspiration, Dillon and author Zachary Ryan Allen turned to their favorite illustrated versions of Oz by Charles Santore and Anton Loeb, respectively.

Santore's Illustration of the Foursome

When asked about the illustrations for the new back Zachary said, "Oz has a very broad influence.  We wanted to borrow elements from throughout the legacy - a little of Denslow, a bit from Neill. We also wanted to acknowledge other artist who brought great things to Oz.  For example, I grew up with the edition illustrated by Anton Loeb, so that is how I envision Oz and it was very important to have a similar feel.  As for Haley, her favorite Oz illustrations were done by Charles Santore, so there's definitely some influence from him there.  Of course in this day and age, it is next to impossible to avoid images that pay homage of the MGM film; however, Haley is using those very, very sparingly.  At any rate, regardless of what has inspired Haley, she brings her own imagination and artistic
prowess to the table and I am quite certain this is going to be a fresh take on Oz that is both familiar and original."

While Oz is a fantastical place where most anything is possible, the story begins in our world.  To create the look and feel of Kansas 1899, Allen and Dillon worked together to research authentic prairie clothing of the time period.  Even in Oz, Dillon was insistent upon "practical whimsy."  Therefore, research on animals, plant life and landscapes was conducted.  These were then embellished upon with a touch of Ozian magic.  Even the Tin Woodman has been designed with practicality in mind. The demands of the story/character dictate an agile and able being and he has been re-imagined to the fit the bill.

Illustration by Anton Loeb

At present, Ms. Dillon is busying herself with the creation of 75 new and original Oz illustrations.  However, you may expect to see a post from her in the future in which she shall explain her though processes behind the new work.  You are also likely to catch first glimpses of sketches and works in progress.   The final products will be of mixed media incorporating traditional hand-drawing, watercolor, and digital media.  Below we have included several of Dillon's original pen and colored pencil concept sketches and one finished illustration that will be incorporated into the finished book.  Please note that these sketches were just the preliminary "brainstorm" for the characters.  Many have been or will be redesigned for the completed work.

Dillon's first crack at Dorothy.  The character's attire has since been revised drastically to better reflect the time period.

The Scarecrow; Nick Chopper the Tin Woodman; and the Wonderful Wizard, himself, Oscar Zoroaster.

The Witches of Oz, notice the Neill influence of Glinda and the Denslow details on the Wicked Witch.

The Cowardly Lion and Princess Ozma (who will not appear in the first title).

Locasta, the Good Witch of the North

The Kalidah.

The Queen of the Field Mice as she will appear in the book.

THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ: The Story and Adaptation

The First Edition's Title Page

As many of you have probably already seen, work is underway for the BCP's first publication, a storybook adaption of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  Allow me to begin by saying that I could not be more pleased with our selection for an inaugural work. After all, it is often said that it is best to work with what you know - and I know Oz!  This is my favorite story of all time, as anyone who has ever met me can easily attest.

I, like many children in America, was first introduced to the Land of Oz by the MGM film starring Judy Garland.  However, about the same time, I was introduced to Baum's work via a storybook published by Random House in the 1950's, featuring illustrations by Anton Loeb.  I was babysat by my grandparents on weekdays during my preschool years.  Now, my Grandma Dorothy (ironic name, no?) had this old storybook that she had read to her own children in the 1950's, 60's, and 70's (she had six children spread out over 30+ years!).  Every day after lunch, I would crawl up in her lap with the book and beg for her to read it to me.  I swear she had to have read it to me more than 300 times!  I loved that book, I took it everywhere.  I would sit and flip through it for hours, reliving the story in my head.  When I came of the age to read on my own, this was the first book I dove into.  I won't even begin to calculate the number of times I read it myself!  Of course, this love shows as the book, which I still own, is bound with scotch tape and feeble attempts to rebind it with needle and thread.    

My First Introduction to Baum's Text

As I got older, I realized there was a great deal of Oz that I was missing.  See, Grandma Dorothy also had Baum's original Oz novel.  I believe I was in the second grade when I read it for the first time.  There was so much more to the world! So much that had been omitted to make it easy to read for children.  My excitement also grew when I learned there were thirteen more Oz novels penned by L. Frank Baum.  I went wild and devoured these texts throughout my elementary and middle school years.  My love for Oz has also spawned a massive collection (or "museum" as my friends and family have dubbed it) consisting of over 3,000 artifacts.  In this collection are literally hundreds of Oz books, a good portion of which are storybooks; and, yes, I have read them all!

Reading adaptation after adaptation inspired me in many ways.  First of all, I realized that Oz was a story that spoke to many.  After all, a story must be truly wonderful to endure 113 years and spawn countless adaptations.  Writing my own version of the classic tale has always been in the back of my mind.  However, I never had the means to do it until I met Haley, my best friends and now collaborator.  When I proposed the idea of an Oz storybook to her she jumped at the opportunity to illustrate such an iconic tale.  And, thus, the Black Cat Press was born!

Now, I'm sure many of you are wondering why would we choose to tackle a tale that has been "done to death." Well, for lack of a better answer, it allows us to share our love for the story and put it into our own words and images.  It is a dream collaboration, really.  I have the ability to tell the story the way I feel it should be told to younger audiences and Haley, as I have learned, has a very similar vision for Oz, which allows us to show it the way we envision it in our heads.

Did you know: The Good
Witch of the North was
named Locasta?

In writing the adaptation, I took great pains to preserve Baum's original story, tone, and language.  The well-versed Baum enthusiast will easily see that a great deal has been lifted directly from his own words, especially where the dialogue is involved.  However, I have also "seasoned" the story with a good deal of my own humor and ideals.  Furthermore, having played the Scarecrow alongside the same cast at the Wizard of Oz Festival for so many years, I feel a very close bond to these characters.  In deed, you will see aspects of my cast mates' portrayals showing through in the text.  Adding this new layer truly enhances the depth and reality of the characters, in my opinion.  Of course, there are numerous other factors that have inspired me, various text retellings, plays, movies, and so on.  For example, you will note I have integrated the name given to the Good Witch of the North in Baum's
1902 stage play, Locasta.

Having read numerous versions of the story, one thing I have noticed is that almost all retellings of the story are designed to stand alone as a single story.  They do not allude or leave doors open for Baum's sequels, as most authors stop their retelling of the Oz Legacy after the first story.  In deed, Baum himself had no intention to write a sequel, let alone thirteen!  Therefore, his stories are filled with inconsistencies and contradictions.  Rest assured, I am in no way criticizing his work, I am simply pointing out the facts of the matter.  This has inspired me to try something that is rarely done.  I hope to continue on and adapt several of Baum's later Oz stories into a series of storybooks.  Along the way, I hope to reconcile several of the inconsistencies to make a series that is easy for young readers to follow.  Whether or not this dream will become a reality, we will just have to see.  At any rate, Oz fans will see that I have integrate aspects of later Oz books into the first story.  For example, there are characters present in Wonderful Wizard that are not named until later - the handmaiden in the Emerald City and the Soldier with the Green Whiskers have been dubbed Jelia Jamb and Omby Amby, respectively, to coincide with the names given in The Marvelous Land of Oz.  More importantly, the Tin Woodman's proper name, Nick Chopper, is referenced in our adaptation although it is not mentioned in the original novel.  And, last but not least, Dorothy is given her surname, although that would not come about until the stage play in 1902.

I sincerely hope that all of you enjoy reading my adaptation of the text as much as I have enjoyed writing.  Please keep an eye on our blog as we will continue to update you on the progress of the book. Also, watch for a post from illustrator Haley N. Dillon, as she explains and shares her concepts for the characters.

Welcome to the Black Cat Press

Hello and welcome to the official blog of The Black Cat Press, an independent publisher run out of Muncie, Indiana.  The company is powered by the author/illustrator team of Zachary Ryan Allen and Haley N. Dillon.  It was founded in 2012, when Zachary and Haley came up with the idea to collaborate on a series of storybooks based on the works of L. Frank Baum. 

We are still quite a small little company but we hope to bring you some great books for you and the whole family to cherish for years to come.  While we are starting out with storybooks, you never know where we may end up!  Original novels, children's books, and nonfiction works are never out of the question.  Stay tuned to our blog as we bring you updates on our works and sneak peaks of illustrations and more!

Zachary Ryan Allen, our resident author, is a native of Shelbyville, Indiana.  He recently graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in both English education and theatrical studies.  An avid reader and literature enthusiast, Zachary has always wanted to create and publish his own works.  He is very excited to start the adventure with his very favorite story, the one that sparked his love of literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Haley N. Dillon, the artist-in-chief, hails from Logansport, Indiana.  She is currently studying art education at Ball State University.  Art is Haley's number one passion in life and has been at it since she was quite young.  She is also a book lover who has been captivated by the way written word and visual art may be married in a single work.  She loves the idea of taking part in the creative process, bringing text to life with vibrant, imaginative images.