Dorothy in Oz by Jime Wimmer, an adaptation based on Baum's biography

I have never really been able to leave Oz behind. As a child, I read many of the books, not just the one you know from the movie, and something about Oz just stayed with me. So when my illustration, The Tornado, received some recognition a couple of years ago, and I was deep in a book called Finding Oz by Evan I. Schwartz at the same time, something clicked. I thought: "I want to draw this. All of it. My version of it."

For me, Oz has always been more than a story. It’s a visual world, a rhythm, a sense of wonder that shaped how I see and create. This project began as a simple question: What would it feel like to step back into Oz… not as it’s been retold, but as it could be seen again—through the lens of traditional, hand-crafted illustration and a love for the imaginative author, Lyman Frank Baum? 

Dorothy in Oz is a new illustrated collectible limited edition. Every drawing has been hand-drawn in graphite on 100% cotton, 300-lb. cold-press watercolor paper, then scanned at high resolution for digital coloring. No shortcuts. Just pencil, paper, and a whole lot of time.

What makes this one different and unique? I've woven in real biographical details from Baum's life within the edited version of the original text. Every decision has been worked out to craft the story. My intention in storytelling was to keep the spirit of Baum's original, but now to craft it with him beside me whispering in my ear.

Honestly? A few things converged at once.

I'd been reading Finding Oz by Evan I. Schwartz, which is full of surprising details about Baum's life and family (— did you know he never used the word "tornado" in the original book? He called it a cyclone. That kind of thing just delights me.) Around the same time, I watched a PBS documentary about L. Frank Baum's influence on American culture, and I kept thinking about how much of him is hidden in that story if you know where to look...and how much of AMERICA is in OZ.

The original text is in the public domain, so there are plenty of Oz adaptations out there. But I haven't seen one that honors both the story and the man who wrote it. That's the rainbow I'm trying to create.

Much of his original writing remains, but I have changed, omitted, or added certain elements to reflect his life and passions or to soften some of the harsher moments for today’s younger readers (life was, after all, quite tough in 1900). This version also includes amendment and revision notes at the back of the book for those interested in the process. With every careful revision or edit, I found myself asking, “Would Frank approve? Does this serve the story?” I believe the answers would be yes.

(OH, YES...I TOTALLY KEPT THE 'BEASTLY' SPIDER...some of you did know there was a GIANT SPIDER, didn't you? 😉)

Following my Instagram to stay connected and see pictures from time to time. 

Honestly?...Because I'd love to know you're out there with me.

Knowing there's an audience out there who loves these characters as much as I do means the world to me. Backing early means you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the process as it happens: the process, edits, and the stories I keep discovering about the Baum family.

A few practical things worth knowing:

This is a first and only printing. When this Kickstarter edition is gone, it's gone. It won't be reprinted in this form. Backing this project now isn’t simply about receiving a book later. It’s about being part of its beginning. 

Several original drawings will be available. Once they leave the studio, they're gone for good...and this is the only time they'll be offered alongside the book itself.

Every part of this book: the writing, illustrations, design, editing...has been done by one person, by hand, with a lot of love and a lot of time.

 

 

This is a slow project, made the slow way, and I think that's the right way to do it. If you're the kind of person who still believes that matters, I'd be so happy to have you along on this Yellow Brick Road.