Patchwork Girl
Encyclopedia
The Patchwork Girl is a character from the fantasy Oz
Book series by L. Frank Baum
. She first appeared in The Patchwork Girl of Oz
.
She is a living doll made of patchwork
, button eyes, brown yarn hair, a felt tongue, and pearl teeth. She was originally brought to life by a magician who lived in the Munchkin Country
named Dr. Pipt by means of his Powder of Life formula to be a servant for his wife. Ojo
overloaded her with magic brains in the process of bringing her to life, and as she uncontrollably flopped about she accidentally spilled the Liquid of Petrifaction on Mrs. Pipt and Ojo's uncle, turning them to stone. Much of their first adventure is gathering the ingredients to find a counterspell.
She later became the companion of the Scarecrow, who found her quite beautiful.
She had major roles in such Oz books as The Gnome King of Oz
and The Wonder City of Oz
, and was the title character in A Runaway in Oz.
. She was portrayed by Doreen Tracy
on the 4th Anniversary episode of Disneyland
. On The Oz Kids
, she was voiced by Lori Alan
and had numerous infant patchwork kids. She also appeared in Walter Murch
's Return to Oz
as an unbilled extra. Thundertoad Animation's comparatively primitive CGI version from 2005 featured Cyndi Hotopp in the title role.
There were at least two versions of the above-mentioned advertisement, a classroom poster issued by American Seating Company. They were not bootlegs and were authorized by the publishers. They include the statement "These quaint characters are quoted from the famous Oz books and were created by L. Frank Baum. Used by permission of Reilly and Lee Company, the publishers." However this appears in very fine print and is easy to miss, especially on a small photo or reproduction of the poster. An earlier version of the poster is printed mostly in green and orange, a later version has more colors. A picture of a girl sitting at a desk in the lower right corner is also different in these two versions.
Scraps stood alongside her friends when they rallied against a "new" Witch trying to obliterate the entirety of Oz in the comic book The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles.
The Patchwork Girl also appeared in a leading role in the unaired television pilot Lost in Oz
. In this version, her name is Serena and it is implied that she was once human. After her best friend became the new Wicked Witch of the West
, she was literally ripped apart, but later repaired by an unknown person. The Witch also killed her family, and for this she has sworn vengeance against her former friend. Physically, she is very different from her book counterpart. She is extremely athletic, and looks like a pale human with dark hair, however after her outfit is damaged, it is revealed that she is made of fabric underneath. The actress also portrayed the best friend of the heroine, Alex, at the beginning of the episode, a nod to the 1939 film in which Dorothy's comrades were portrayed by her friends.
In Emerald City Confidential
, she owns a general store located next to Petra's office. She is also part of Frogman's smuggling ring.
In Talking With...
, the second monologue is about a housewife
who dresses up as Scraps to escape her mundane life.
The Oz books
The Oz books form a book series that begins with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , and that relates the fictional history of the Land of Oz. Oz was created by author L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length Oz books, all of which are in the public domain in the United States...
Book series by L. Frank Baum
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
. She first appeared in The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum, is a children's novel, the seventh set in the Land of Oz. Characters include the Woozy, Ojo "the Unlucky", Unc Nunkie, Dr. Pipt, Scraps , and others. The book was first published on July 1, 1913, with illustrations by John R. Neill...
.
She is a living doll made of patchwork
Patchwork
Patchwork or "pieced work" is a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design. The larger design is usually based on repeat patterns built up with different colored shapes. These shapes are carefully measured and cut, straight-sided, basic geometric shapes...
, button eyes, brown yarn hair, a felt tongue, and pearl teeth. She was originally brought to life by a magician who lived in the Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country is the Eastern region in the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In Wizard it was originally called "the land of Munchkins", and "Munchkin Country" in all subsequent Oz books...
named Dr. Pipt by means of his Powder of Life formula to be a servant for his wife. Ojo
Ojo the Lucky
Ojo is a character from the fictional Oz book series by L. Frank Baum.He first appeared in The Patchwork Girl of Oz. Ojo is a Munchkin who lived with his uncle, Unc Nunkie in the Blue Forest, a remote location in the north of the Munchkin Country. During a trip with his uncle to visit his uncle's...
overloaded her with magic brains in the process of bringing her to life, and as she uncontrollably flopped about she accidentally spilled the Liquid of Petrifaction on Mrs. Pipt and Ojo's uncle, turning them to stone. Much of their first adventure is gathering the ingredients to find a counterspell.
She later became the companion of the Scarecrow, who found her quite beautiful.
She had major roles in such Oz books as The Gnome King of Oz
The Gnome King of Oz
The Gnome King of Oz is the twenty-first in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the seventh by Ruth Plumly Thompson. Like nineteen of the twenty previous books, it was illustrated by John R. Neill.-The plot:...
and The Wonder City of Oz
The Wonder City of Oz
The Wonder City of Oz is the thirty-fourth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the first written and illustrated solely by John R. Neill.-Tone:...
, and was the title character in A Runaway in Oz.
Scraps in other media
Despite her popularity, to the point that her image was used in at least two advertisements for student desks, she has appeared in only five film productions, two of which were made for television. When Baum produced a film version of the title story, he was not able to find a woman of athleticism suitable to play the role, and therefore cast the male French acrobat Pierre CoudercPierre Couderc
Pierre Couderc was a French screenwriter, actor, acrobat, and film producer. He wrote for 34 films between 1925 and 1930...
. She was portrayed by Doreen Tracy
Doreen Tracy
Doreen Isabelle Tracey was born on 3 April 1943, in London, England. She is best known for having been a performer on the original Mickey Mouse Club television show from 1955 to 1958. Her parents, Sidney Tracey and Bessie Hay, were an American vaudeville dance team that performed for Allied...
on the 4th Anniversary episode of Disneyland
Disney anthology television series
The Walt Disney anthology television series refers to a television series which has been produced by the Walt Disney Company under several different titles from 1955 to 2008...
. On The Oz Kids
The Oz Kids
The Oz Kids is a 26 episode television series produced by Hyperion Pictures and Nelvana based on The Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum's classic children's novel, and its various sequels. and was first broadcast on September 14, 1996 on ABC...
, she was voiced by Lori Alan
Lori Alan
Lori Alan , sometimes credited as Lori Allen, is an American voice actress who provides the voice of news anchor Diane Simmons on Family Guy, various voices on Hey Arnold!, and SpongeBob SquarePants as Pearl....
and had numerous infant patchwork kids. She also appeared in Walter Murch
Walter Murch
Walter Scott Murch is an American film editor and sound designer.-Early life:Murch was born in New York City, New York, the son of Katharine and Canadian-born Walter Tandy Murch , a painter. He went to The Collegiate School, a private preparatory school in Manhattan, from 1949 to 1961...
's Return to Oz
Return to Oz
Return to Oz is a 1985 film which is an unofficial sequel to Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz. The film is based on the second and third Oz books, The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz...
as an unbilled extra. Thundertoad Animation's comparatively primitive CGI version from 2005 featured Cyndi Hotopp in the title role.
There were at least two versions of the above-mentioned advertisement, a classroom poster issued by American Seating Company. They were not bootlegs and were authorized by the publishers. They include the statement "These quaint characters are quoted from the famous Oz books and were created by L. Frank Baum. Used by permission of Reilly and Lee Company, the publishers." However this appears in very fine print and is easy to miss, especially on a small photo or reproduction of the poster. An earlier version of the poster is printed mostly in green and orange, a later version has more colors. A picture of a girl sitting at a desk in the lower right corner is also different in these two versions.
Scraps stood alongside her friends when they rallied against a "new" Witch trying to obliterate the entirety of Oz in the comic book The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles.
The Patchwork Girl also appeared in a leading role in the unaired television pilot Lost in Oz
Lost in Oz
Lost in Oz is a 2002 television pilot for a planned series, an original sequel to The Wizard of Oz, inspired by the Oz books of L. Frank Baum. The series was planned to start September 1, 2002 but was cancelled, perhaps because the special effects required for each episode would have been too...
. In this version, her name is Serena and it is implied that she was once human. After her best friend became the new Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character and the most significant antagonist in L. Frank Baum's children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
, she was literally ripped apart, but later repaired by an unknown person. The Witch also killed her family, and for this she has sworn vengeance against her former friend. Physically, she is very different from her book counterpart. She is extremely athletic, and looks like a pale human with dark hair, however after her outfit is damaged, it is revealed that she is made of fabric underneath. The actress also portrayed the best friend of the heroine, Alex, at the beginning of the episode, a nod to the 1939 film in which Dorothy's comrades were portrayed by her friends.
In Emerald City Confidential
Emerald City Confidential
Emerald City Confidential is a 2009 computer adventure game conceived by Dave Gilbert, developed by Wadjet Eye Games and published through PlayFirst. It follows the protagonist Petra, Emerald City's only private eye, as she is approached by a strange woman named Dee Gale. Dee's fiancé is missing,...
, she owns a general store located next to Petra's office. She is also part of Frogman's smuggling ring.
In Talking With...
Talking With...
Talking With... is an American play by Jane Martin, published by Samuel French Incorporated. The play is composed of eleven ten-minute monologues, each featuring a different woman who talks about her life...
, the second monologue is about a housewife
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
who dresses up as Scraps to escape her mundane life.