The Wizard of Oz was an entertainment franchise before franchises were a concept. The original 14-book series by Baum is a rich tapestry of dark fantasy with bizarre characters and settings.

"The Wizard of Oz" and its sequels were considered pulp books — like "The Hardy Boys ... toys and newspaper comic strips. Baum was, in this respect, a kind of proto-Disney.

In short, people are finding Oz everywhere but in the original books by L. Frank Baum — who invented the place in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1900) and its 13 sequels (after his death in 1919 ...

Based on L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” series of books, the Land of Oz theme park opened in North Carolina to enthusiastic reviews. Debbie Reynolds cut the ceremonial ribbon ...