The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus
Encyclopedia
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is a 1902 children's book, written by L. Frank Baum
and illustrated by Mary Cowles Clark.
, as a baby is found in the Forest of Burzee
by Ak, Master Woodsman of the World, and placed in the care of the lion
ess, Shiegra. The Wood Nymph
, Necile, breaks the law of the forest and takes the baby because she desires to raise a child of her own as mortals do, convincing Ak that since he made the law, he can allow an exception. Necile calls him Claus, meaning "little one" in the old Burzee language, but Queen Zurline gives him the more formal name Neclaus, "Necile's Little One" (According to a footnote "Nicholas
" is an erroneous name based on common convention). He is educated by the immortals of the Forest, including:
Upon reaching young adulthood, Ak decides it is time for Claus to see how other mortals live. He sees war
, brutality
, poverty
, child neglect
and child abuse
and is frustrated by mortals' very existence. Ak encourages him not to shy away from the mortals, because he is one, and must learn to live among them, as he cannot reside in Burzee as an adult. He settles in the nearby Laughing Valley of Hohaho, where the immortals regularly visit and assist him, and Necile gives him a little cat named Blinky.
". Soon, the immortals begin assisting him, the Ryls coloring the toys with their infinite paint pots (the first toy was not colored). After Little Mayrie becomes frightened by a toy of Shiegra, he vows not to make toys of wild predators.
When he makes a clay figure reminiscent of Necile, he proclaims it a "dolly" (in a typically Baumian reversal, "doll
" resulted when children shortened the name). Claus presents the first one to Bessie Blithesome, daughter of the Lord of Lerd, after consulting with Necile and the Queen of the Fairies about whether he should give toys to wealthy children. Says the Queen:
He frequently tells children stories of his friends among the immortals, albeit with alterations to protect their anonymity, and coins the term "dolly" to avoid saying "Necile".
The Awgwas are crafty and capable of becoming invisible. They thwart so many of Claus's deliveries that Ak declares war upon them. With the aid of 300 Asia
tic Dragon
s, Three-Eyed Giants
of Tatary, Goozzle-Goblin
s, and Black Demon
s from Patalonia, the Awgwas believe their might superior to that of the immortals, but the wands of the immortals can turn the evil ones' powers against them, and all are destroyed in their attempts to use them on the immortals. Claus is not present for any of the battle. When it is concluded, Ak tells him simply, "The Awgwas have perished."
named Glossie and Flossie, who cart his sleigh full of toys. With their aid, he reaches the dominions of the Gnome King, who wants toys for his children, but does not believe in the concept of gifts, so he trades a string of sleigh bells for each toy given by Claus. Claus gathers eight more reindeer
, as they become called: Racer, Pacer, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, Steady, Feckless, and Speckless, and trades enough toys with the Gnome King to get a string of bells for each one. The ten reindeer working together can make such huge leaps through snow fields that it is almost like flying
, though they never actually fly. Wil Knook, guardian of the deer, is not pleased with Claus taking them out each night, and demands a stop. Ak arbitrates their disagreement, and concludes that since the reindeer clearly enjoy helping Claus, that one trip a year is acceptable, and gives Wil Knook the privilege of choosing which day. Wil decides upon Christmas Day, being two weeks away from the hearing, believing that will mean a year without taking the reindeer from their homes, for he fears if they are hurt it will mean he has shirked his responsibility. The Fairies, however, find the hoards of toys the Awgwas stole and bring them back to Claus, allowing Claus's first Christmas to proceed in spite of Wil Knook.
). Rumors Claus would have disagreed with say that naughtiness will make him stop bringing toys, but Claus
, sometimes caricatures of the same) living in a tent with no fireplaces and very little of their own, he lops the top off a small tree and places the gifts on the branches of the trees just outside the tent.
, Queen Zurline of the Wood Nymphs, and the King of the Light Elves with the Princes Flash and Twilight to decide the fate of Santa Claus. After much debate, the immortals decide that using the Mantle of Immortality on Santa Claus is more appropriate than continuing to wait for someone more worthy, and he is granted immortality just as the Spirit of Death
comes for him.
.
adaptation of the story was published by Tundra Publishing Ltd. in 1992 and illustrated by Michael Ploog. An animated movie was created by Rankin-Bass (and was their last Animagic
or stop-motion special) in 1985, followed by another animated version of Baum's book made by Mike Young Productions
and directed by Glen Hill in 2000. The book also served as the basis for an anime
series, Shōnen Santa no Daibôken ("Young Santa's Adventures") in 1994, and The Oz Kids
video, Who Stole Santa? (1996).
) deserves the mantle, although there is an edit that makes it difficult to realize that the scene in which Ak (Alfred Drake
) calls the council when first finding the infant in the woods does not occur in the same time period as the main story. In addition, Shiegra accompanies Claus to the Laughing Valley, in which, unlike the book, it is always Winter. A similar compromise toward popular culture is Claus's now eight reindeer, albeit unnamed. Peter Knook, a rather crusty but amiable fellow, replaces most of the other Knooks, save the Protector (King) and two strangers, and declares "only on Christmas Eve" for the reindeer without any argument or explanation. One important new character, Tingler, a Sound Imp (Robert McFadden
) also accompanies Claus and gives him someone to talk to.
When the show premiered, the book was not as easily available, and many Oz fans who only knew of the book were surprised to discover that Tingler was not one of Baum's creations, so true was the character to the author's spirit. Earle Hyman
portrayed the King of the Awgwas, and Leslie Miller played Necile. Most of the other voices were performed by Peter Newman
and Lynne Lipton
. Larry Kenney
was the Commander of the Wind Demons, who initially served as a devil's advocate
to Ak at the fateful hearing, but soon became the Immortal most approving of giving the Mantle to Claus. Most of the Immortals' titles were changed to alleviate them all being kings and queens.
Screenwriter Julian P. Gardner created a musical production number, "Big Surprise" as the children at Weekum's orphanage plead Santa Claus for more toy cats. Other songs include the chorus "Babe in the Woods" and the powerful chant, "Ora e Sempre (Today and Forever)" representing the immortals. Bernard Hoffer
composed the music, as well as setting a quatrain
by Baum inspired by Claus's famous laugh. The presentation of the Christmas tree is different; Claus, realizing his death is imminent, decorates a tree with ornaments and suggests it should be his memorial.
This is the only Rankin-Bass Christmas special without a celebrity narrator. Originally broadcast on CBS
, this special now airs on the ABC Family
cable network, along with most of the other Rankin-Bass animated Christmas specials.
The Rankin-Bass production is distributed by Warner Bros. Television
.
as "Nicholas", who plays a bigger part in this film than in the earlier version. Claus at his very oldest is portrayed by Jim Cummings
. While the Rankin-Bass production made the sequence with the Awgwas a centerpiece, in this film, they become running villains, and the story is structured around the upcoming battle. The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz
, with its expansion of the role of The Wicked Witch of the West into a running villain, seems to have been adhered to quite closely as a model for the Awgwas' early appearances. Some of the more fairy tale-oriented names are changed—Bessie Blithesome becomes "Natalie" (Kath Soucie
) and Weekum becomes "Ethan" (Brianne Siddall
). Neither version mentions Lerd by name. Here the Lord of Lerd is given the same voice, Maurice LaMarche
, as the King of the Awgwas, now called Mogorb. LaMarche also plays an unidentified Bo, an argumentative figure at the film's climax, which is crosscut with the Spirit of Death's approach to Nicholas's house. Shiegra does not accompany Nicholas to Laughing Valley, but visits him at his home when she is near death to say goodbye, after which he creates a large monument in her honor. The Gnome King's exchange of gifts is replaced with Natalie at young adulthood returning her doll to Nicholas to make up in her own small way for all the toys stolen by the Awgwas: Nicholas proclaims that others should follow his example and give and receive gifts. The biggest change is the transformation of Wisk into a Brian Froud
-designed long-tailed Pixie (Carlos Alazraqui
), introduced early in the film and serving as comic relief. He suggests the name "Necileloclaus", that Ak, narrating the story, changes to "Nicholas", rather than Baum's "Neclaus". A significant thematic change is Nicholas spreading information about the immortals far and wide, to the point he never coins the term "dolly", just mass-produces "Neciles". Dixie Carter
portrayed Necile and Hal Holbrook
played Ak, who chooses Christmas as the day of Claus's yearly rides for its significance, much to the delight of Wil Knook, for the same reasoning as in the book. Misha Segal
provides a Celtic
-inflected score, with song lyrics by Harriet Schock
.
video, "Who Stole Santa?", which appears to draw no material from "A Kidnapped Santa Claus". An adult version of Dorothy Gale
tells the life story of Santa based on the book to her children and her friends. (Note: the Awgwas are excised from Dorothy's tale.)
as he appeared in Return to Oz
, a film for which Ploog was a conceptual artist. He also has a Knook and a Ryl serve as Claus's constant companions. The Gnome King has been omitted from most other adaptations, presumably to avoid confusion with the malevolent character in Return to Oz, though an unidentified figure voiced by Peter Newman appears on the council over immortality in the Rankin-Bass version. Based on the lineup in the book, he could be only the Gnome King, Bo, or Kern, but his stature leads one to guess the Gnome King.
The script is written by Tom Tataranowicz
and Mark Edward Edens with Tataranowicz also acting as director together with Rich Arons
and Dick Sebast
. The movie will be the first animated film for Hyde Park. Production is set to begin in November at the Toonz Animation Studio in India. Hyde Park Entertainment will distribute the movie internationally and they share domestic rights with G7.
The story will follow the establishment of Santa mythodology depicting both the formative years as well as a battle against evil.
, entitled "How The Woggle-Bug And His Friends Visited Santa Claus," relating how the Scarecrow
, Tin Woodman
, Jack Pumpkinhead
, and H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E. make several toys based on themselves and the Sawhorse
. They bring them to Santa Claus in the Laughing Valley for distribution. Claus claims that there are not enough toys for all of the children, but he will make more for next year's visit. His reindeer and sleigh also win a race against the Gump.
, by Baum, appeared in The Delineator
magazine. It was illustrated by Frederick Richardson
, who had also illustrated Baum's Queen Zixi of Ix
. The story deals with Santa Claus's kidnapping by the Daemons of the caves, in an effort to thwart his yearly delivery of toys. However, Claus's assistants complete the task for him, and later attempt an unnecessary rescue.
, Santa Claus is one of guests of honor at Princess Ozma
's birthday party in the Emerald City. He brings along some Ryls and Knooks with him. They return to the Laughing Valley in giant soap bubbles created by The Wizard of Oz
.
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
and illustrated by Mary Cowles Clark.
Infancy, Youth, Motivation
Santa ClausSanta Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
, as a baby is found in the Forest of Burzee
Forest of Burzee
The Forest of Burzee is a fictional fairy-tale land originated by L. Frank Baum, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz.Baum first introduced the Forest of Burzee in his 1902 book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, where the fictional setting receives its most extensive treatment and detailed...
by Ak, Master Woodsman of the World, and placed in the care of the lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
ess, Shiegra. The Wood Nymph
Dryad
Dryads are tree nymphs in Greek mythology. In Greek drys signifies 'oak,' from an Indo-European root *derew- 'tree' or 'wood'. Thus Dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, though the term has come to be used for all tree nymphs in general...
, Necile, breaks the law of the forest and takes the baby because she desires to raise a child of her own as mortals do, convincing Ak that since he made the law, he can allow an exception. Necile calls him Claus, meaning "little one" in the old Burzee language, but Queen Zurline gives him the more formal name Neclaus, "Necile's Little One" (According to a footnote "Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
" is an erroneous name based on common convention). He is educated by the immortals of the Forest, including:
- The FairiesFairyA fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
who watch over humans - The Wood NymphsDryadDryads are tree nymphs in Greek mythology. In Greek drys signifies 'oak,' from an Indo-European root *derew- 'tree' or 'wood'. Thus Dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, though the term has come to be used for all tree nymphs in general...
who watch over trees - The GnomeGnomeA gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
s who watch over rocks - The Knooks, who watch over animals
- Ryls who watch over flowers
- Sleep Fays who bring sleep to the world
- Light Elves
- Sound ImpImpAn imp is a mythological being similar to a fairy or demon, frequently described in folklore and superstition. The word may perhaps derive from the term ympe, used to denote a young grafted tree.-Folklore:...
s - Wind DemonDemoncall - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s - Water Spirits
Upon reaching young adulthood, Ak decides it is time for Claus to see how other mortals live. He sees war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
, brutality
Battery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
, poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
, child neglect
Child neglect
Child neglect is defined as:# "the failure of a person responsible for a child’s care and upbringing to safeguard the child’s emotional and physical health and general well-being"...
and child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
and is frustrated by mortals' very existence. Ak encourages him not to shy away from the mortals, because he is one, and must learn to live among them, as he cannot reside in Burzee as an adult. He settles in the nearby Laughing Valley of Hohaho, where the immortals regularly visit and assist him, and Necile gives him a little cat named Blinky.
Inventing Toys
He becomes well known for his kind acts toward children. Once a boy named Weekum gets lost in the snow, and aware of Claus's kindness to children, tries to make it to his house, but collapses before he can make it. Claus finds him and gets him inside. When Weekum regains consciousness, he meets Blinky, and wishes he could have a cat, but there is no money to take care of one. Claus happened to have been carving an image of Blinky to pass the time, so when Weekum wakes from further rest, Claus presents him with the finished carving, calling it a "toyToy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
". Soon, the immortals begin assisting him, the Ryls coloring the toys with their infinite paint pots (the first toy was not colored). After Little Mayrie becomes frightened by a toy of Shiegra, he vows not to make toys of wild predators.
When he makes a clay figure reminiscent of Necile, he proclaims it a "dolly" (in a typically Baumian reversal, "doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
" resulted when children shortened the name). Claus presents the first one to Bessie Blithesome, daughter of the Lord of Lerd, after consulting with Necile and the Queen of the Fairies about whether he should give toys to wealthy children. Says the Queen:
whether it be rich or poor, a child's longings for pretty playthings are but natural. Rich Bessie's heart may suffer as much grief as poor Mayrie's; she can be just as lonely and discontented, and just as gay and happy. I think, friend Claus, it is your duty to make all little ones glad, whether they chance to live in palaces or in cottages.
He frequently tells children stories of his friends among the immortals, albeit with alterations to protect their anonymity, and coins the term "dolly" to avoid saying "Necile".
Reasons for Certain Traditions
The Awgwas, evil beings who can turn invisible, steal the toys that Claus is giving to the children, because the toys are preventing the children from misbehaving. This leads to Claus making his journeys by night and descending through chimneys when he is unable to enter the locked doors.The Awgwas are crafty and capable of becoming invisible. They thwart so many of Claus's deliveries that Ak declares war upon them. With the aid of 300 Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
tic Dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s, Three-Eyed Giants
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
of Tatary, Goozzle-Goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
s, and Black Demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
s from Patalonia, the Awgwas believe their might superior to that of the immortals, but the wands of the immortals can turn the evil ones' powers against them, and all are destroyed in their attempts to use them on the immortals. Claus is not present for any of the battle. When it is concluded, Ak tells him simply, "The Awgwas have perished."
Reindeer, Gift Exchanges, and Christmas
As his journeys continue, Claus is aided by two deerDeer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
named Glossie and Flossie, who cart his sleigh full of toys. With their aid, he reaches the dominions of the Gnome King, who wants toys for his children, but does not believe in the concept of gifts, so he trades a string of sleigh bells for each toy given by Claus. Claus gathers eight more reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
, as they become called: Racer, Pacer, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, Steady, Feckless, and Speckless, and trades enough toys with the Gnome King to get a string of bells for each one. The ten reindeer working together can make such huge leaps through snow fields that it is almost like flying
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
, though they never actually fly. Wil Knook, guardian of the deer, is not pleased with Claus taking them out each night, and demands a stop. Ak arbitrates their disagreement, and concludes that since the reindeer clearly enjoy helping Claus, that one trip a year is acceptable, and gives Wil Knook the privilege of choosing which day. Wil decides upon Christmas Day, being two weeks away from the hearing, believing that will mean a year without taking the reindeer from their homes, for he fears if they are hurt it will mean he has shirked his responsibility. The Fairies, however, find the hoards of toys the Awgwas stole and bring them back to Claus, allowing Claus's first Christmas to proceed in spite of Wil Knook.
"Santa Claus"
As his fame spread far and wide, he became recognized as a saint, earning the title "Santa" ("Saint" in most Romance languagesRomance languages
The Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family, more precisely of the Italic languages subfamily, comprising all the languages that descend from Vulgar Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
). Rumors Claus would have disagreed with say that naughtiness will make him stop bringing toys, but Claus
"brought toys to the children because they were little and helpless, and because he loved them. He knew that the best of children were sometimes naughty, and that the naughty ones
were often good. It is the way with children, the world over, and he would not have changed their natures had he possessed the power to do so.
"And that is how our Claus became Santa Claus. It is possible for any man, by good deeds, to enshrine himself as a Saint in the hearts of the people."
Christmas Trees and Stockings
Claus sees stockings placed by the fire to dry are a good place for his surprises, but when he finds a family (sometimes taken to be Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, sometimes caricatures of the same) living in a tent with no fireplaces and very little of their own, he lops the top off a small tree and places the gifts on the branches of the trees just outside the tent.
Immortality
Once Claus is in his 60s, the Immortals realize he is near the end of his life. A council, headed by Ak, Master Woodsman of the World, Bo, Master Mariner of the World, and Kern, Master Husbandman of the World, gathers together the Gnome King, the Queen of the Water Spirits, the King of the Wind Demons, the King of the Ryls, the King of the Knooks, the King of the Sound Imps, the King of the Sleep Fays, the Fairy QueenFairy Queen
The Fairy Queen was a figure from English folklore who was said to rule the fairies. Fairy Queen may also refer to:*The Faerie Queene, a poem by Edmund Spenser*Fairy Queen , an Indian steam locomotive...
, Queen Zurline of the Wood Nymphs, and the King of the Light Elves with the Princes Flash and Twilight to decide the fate of Santa Claus. After much debate, the immortals decide that using the Mantle of Immortality on Santa Claus is more appropriate than continuing to wait for someone more worthy, and he is granted immortality just as the Spirit of Death
Death (personification)
The concept of death as a sentient entity has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. In English, Death is often given the name Grim Reaper and, from the 15th century onwards, came to be shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood...
comes for him.
Deputies
At the end of the book, the immortal Santa Claus takes on four special deputies, Wisk the Fairy, Peter the Knook, Kilter the Pixie, and Nuter the Ryl. Baum's short follow-up, "A Kidnapped Santa Claus", further develops his relationship with his deputies, who must work in his place when Claus is captured by five DaemonsDaemon (mythology)
The words dæmon and daimôn are Latinized spellings of the Greek "δαίμων", a reference to the daemons of Ancient Greek religion and mythology, as well as later Hellenistic religion and philosophy...
.
Adaptations
A graphic novelGraphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
adaptation of the story was published by Tundra Publishing Ltd. in 1992 and illustrated by Michael Ploog. An animated movie was created by Rankin-Bass (and was their last Animagic
AnimagiC
The AnimagiC is a German annual anime convention and one of the largest of its kind in the German-speaking world with currently about 12,000 visitors.-History:...
or stop-motion special) in 1985, followed by another animated version of Baum's book made by Mike Young Productions
Mike Young Productions
Mike Young Productions LLC is an animation studio that produces children's TV series. It is named after co-founder and partner Mike Young, and is part of the Moonscoop Group...
and directed by Glen Hill in 2000. The book also served as the basis for an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, Shōnen Santa no Daibôken ("Young Santa's Adventures") in 1994, and 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...
video, Who Stole Santa? (1996).
Rankin-Bass Production
The Rankin-Bass production, which spells the title with an ampersand, truncates much of the story (it ran in a one-hour time slot) and simplifies some of the motivations, but its major alterations are setting up the hearing over the Mantle of Immortality as a frame story explaining just why Claus (J. D. Roth/Earl HammondEarl Hammond
Earl Hammond was an American theater, radio, film and television actor, and, in his later years, a voice actor for several animated films and TV series.-Best known roles:...
) deserves the mantle, although there is an edit that makes it difficult to realize that the scene in which Ak (Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake was an American actor and singer.-Biography:Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Brooklyn College...
) calls the council when first finding the infant in the woods does not occur in the same time period as the main story. In addition, Shiegra accompanies Claus to the Laughing Valley, in which, unlike the book, it is always Winter. A similar compromise toward popular culture is Claus's now eight reindeer, albeit unnamed. Peter Knook, a rather crusty but amiable fellow, replaces most of the other Knooks, save the Protector (King) and two strangers, and declares "only on Christmas Eve" for the reindeer without any argument or explanation. One important new character, Tingler, a Sound Imp (Robert McFadden
Bob McFadden
Robert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
) also accompanies Claus and gives him someone to talk to.
When the show premiered, the book was not as easily available, and many Oz fans who only knew of the book were surprised to discover that Tingler was not one of Baum's creations, so true was the character to the author's spirit. Earle Hyman
Earle Hyman
Earle Hyman is an American stage, television, and film actor. Hyman is known for his recurring role on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable.-Career:...
portrayed the King of the Awgwas, and Leslie Miller played Necile. Most of the other voices were performed by Peter Newman
Peter Newman (actor)
Peter Newman is famous for his voice work for Rankin/Bass. In ThunderCats he provided the voices of Tygra, Wilykat, Bengali, and Monkian. In SilverHawks he provided the voices of Quicksilver, Mumbo Jumbo, and Timestopper. He also played the evil Duke of Zill & Wack Lizardi in Felix the Cat: The...
and Lynne Lipton
Lynne Lipton
Lynne Lipton is an American film, stage, television and voice actress.She is best remembered for providing most of the voices of the female characters on the popular 1980s animated series ThunderCats. She voiced Luna of the Lunatacs, Willa...
. Larry Kenney
Larry Kenney
Larry Kenney is an American radio personality and voice actor.In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria. After WIRL, he worked at WOWO, Ft...
was the Commander of the Wind Demons, who initially served as a devil's advocate
Devil's advocate
In common parlance, a devil's advocate is someone who, given a certain argument, takes a position he or she does not necessarily agree with, just for the sake of argument. In taking such position, the individual taking on the devil's advocate role seeks to engage others in an argumentative...
to Ak at the fateful hearing, but soon became the Immortal most approving of giving the Mantle to Claus. Most of the Immortals' titles were changed to alleviate them all being kings and queens.
Screenwriter Julian P. Gardner created a musical production number, "Big Surprise" as the children at Weekum's orphanage plead Santa Claus for more toy cats. Other songs include the chorus "Babe in the Woods" and the powerful chant, "Ora e Sempre (Today and Forever)" representing the immortals. Bernard Hoffer
Bernard Hoffer
Bernard Hoffer is an American composer who was born in Switzerland and conductor who has created original music for a number of different films, television series, and commercials. He has also conducted several musical shows, such as the ballets A Boston Cinderella! and Ma Goose...
composed the music, as well as setting a quatrain
Quatrain
A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse. Existing in various forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and China; and, continues into the 21st century, where it is...
by Baum inspired by Claus's famous laugh. The presentation of the Christmas tree is different; Claus, realizing his death is imminent, decorates a tree with ornaments and suggests it should be his memorial.
This is the only Rankin-Bass Christmas special without a celebrity narrator. Originally broadcast on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, this special now airs on the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
cable network, along with most of the other Rankin-Bass animated Christmas specials.
The Rankin-Bass production is distributed by Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
.
Mike Young Production
The Mike Young production, which also uses an ampersand for the title, features Robby BensonRobby Benson
Robby Benson is an American film and television actor, television director, educator and singer.-Early life:Benson was born Robin David Segal in Dallas, Texas, the son of Freda Ann , a singer, actress, and business promotions manager, and Jerry Segal, a writer...
as "Nicholas", who plays a bigger part in this film than in the earlier version. Claus at his very oldest is portrayed by Jim Cummings
Jim Cummings
James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
. While the Rankin-Bass production made the sequence with the Awgwas a centerpiece, in this film, they become running villains, and the story is structured around the upcoming battle. The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
, with its expansion of the role of The Wicked Witch of the West into a running villain, seems to have been adhered to quite closely as a model for the Awgwas' early appearances. Some of the more fairy tale-oriented names are changed—Bessie Blithesome becomes "Natalie" (Kath Soucie
Kath Soucie
Katherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
) and Weekum becomes "Ethan" (Brianne Siddall
Brianne Siddall
Brianne Siddall is an American voice actress. She is usually cast in the short kid role of a timid young boy. She was also a voice actress during the Power Rangers era who was active in the franchise until it moved to New Zealand in 2003...
). Neither version mentions Lerd by name. Here the Lord of Lerd is given the same voice, Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche
Maurice LaMarche is an Emmy Award winning Canadian-American voice actor and former stand up comedian. He is best known for his voicework in Futurama as Kif Kroker, as Egon Spengler in The Real Ghostbusters, Verminous Skumm and Duke Nukem in Captain Planet and the Planeteers, Big Bob Pataki in Hey...
, as the King of the Awgwas, now called Mogorb. LaMarche also plays an unidentified Bo, an argumentative figure at the film's climax, which is crosscut with the Spirit of Death's approach to Nicholas's house. Shiegra does not accompany Nicholas to Laughing Valley, but visits him at his home when she is near death to say goodbye, after which he creates a large monument in her honor. The Gnome King's exchange of gifts is replaced with Natalie at young adulthood returning her doll to Nicholas to make up in her own small way for all the toys stolen by the Awgwas: Nicholas proclaims that others should follow his example and give and receive gifts. The biggest change is the transformation of Wisk into a Brian Froud
Brian Froud
Brian Froud is an English fantasy illustrator. He lives and works in Devon with his wife, Wendy Froud, who is also a fantasy artist...
-designed long-tailed Pixie (Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Alazraqui
Carlos Jaime Alazraqui is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and voice actor. He is best known for his role as Deputy James Garcia on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!. His voice-over work includes the role of Bobbi Fabulous on Phineas and Ferb, the Taco Bell chihuahua, Denzel Q...
), introduced early in the film and serving as comic relief. He suggests the name "Necileloclaus", that Ak, narrating the story, changes to "Nicholas", rather than Baum's "Neclaus". A significant thematic change is Nicholas spreading information about the immortals far and wide, to the point he never coins the term "dolly", just mass-produces "Neciles". Dixie Carter
Dixie Carter
Dixie Virginia Carter was an American film, television and stage actress, best known for her role as Julia Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom Designing Women...
portrayed Necile and Hal Holbrook
Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...
played Ak, who chooses Christmas as the day of Claus's yearly rides for its significance, much to the delight of Wil Knook, for the same reasoning as in the book. Misha Segal
Misha Segal
Misha Segal is an Israeli-born music producer and film composer.-Early years:Born in Haifa, Israel, weaned on jazz , and raised in Tel Aviv, music called Misha from an early age...
provides a Celtic
Celtic music
Celtic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
-inflected score, with song lyrics by Harriet Schock
Harriet Schock
Harriet Schock is an American singer, songwriter, teacher, author, and actress. She made three albums for a major label in the 70s, scoring gold and platinum awards for her Grammy-nominated Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady, before moving into teaching and soundtrack work, and then resuming an ongoing...
.
Oz Kids
The kidnapping of Claus by the Awgwas is the basis of The Oz KidsThe 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...
video, "Who Stole Santa?", which appears to draw no material from "A Kidnapped Santa Claus". An adult version of Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is the protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L. Frank Baum, and the best friend of Oz's ruler Princess Ozma. Dorothy first appears in Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reappears in most of its sequels...
tells the life story of Santa based on the book to her children and her friends. (Note: the Awgwas are excised from Dorothy's tale.)
Graphic Novel
The major change in Mike Ploog's graphic novel is placing the Gnome King in charge of nearly everyone (Baum's hierarchy placed only the "Great Creator" above the three Masters of the world) and making him resemble the Nome KingNome King
The Nome King is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum's Oz books. Although the Wicked Witch of the West is the most famous of Oz's villains , the Nome King is the closest the book series has to a main antagonist.-In the novels:The character called the Nome King is originally named Roquat the Red...
as he appeared in 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...
, a film for which Ploog was a conceptual artist. He also has a Knook and a Ryl serve as Claus's constant companions. The Gnome King has been omitted from most other adaptations, presumably to avoid confusion with the malevolent character in Return to Oz, though an unidentified figure voiced by Peter Newman appears on the council over immortality in the Rankin-Bass version. Based on the lineup in the book, he could be only the Gnome King, Bo, or Kern, but his stature leads one to guess the Gnome King.
Anime
Shōnen Santa no Daibôken ran for 24 episodes, airing between 6 April to 21 September 1996.2010 Animated Movie
A new animated feature film is in production as a co-operation between Hyde Park Entertainment and Toonz Entertainment as well as the Gang of 7 Animation. The film is planned for a holiday 2010 theatrical release.The script is written by Tom Tataranowicz
Tom Tataranowicz
Tom Tataranowicz is a cartoon animator and director. His first credit was He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. He is president of Gang of 7 Animation.-External links:...
and Mark Edward Edens with Tataranowicz also acting as director together with Rich Arons
Rich Arons
Rich Arons is an American producer, best known for his work on Animaniacs! and Freakazoid!.-External links:...
and Dick Sebast
Dick Sebast
Richard "Dick" Sebast is an American story director, animator and television producer known for working at companies such as Disney, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Universal.-Career:...
. The movie will be the first animated film for Hyde Park. Production is set to begin in November at the Toonz Animation Studio in India. Hyde Park Entertainment will distribute the movie internationally and they share domestic rights with G7.
The story will follow the establishment of Santa mythodology depicting both the formative years as well as a battle against evil.
Queer Visitors From The Marvelous Land of Oz
The December 18, 1904 edition of Baum's short-running newspaper series Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of OzQueer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz
Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz was a newspaper comic strip written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Walt McDougall, a political cartoonist for the Philadelphia North American. Queer Visitors appeared in the North American, the Chicago Record-Herald, and other newspapers from 28...
, entitled "How The Woggle-Bug And His Friends Visited Santa Claus," relating how the Scarecrow
Scarecrow (Oz)
The Scarecrow is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and illustrator William Wallace Denslow. In his first appearance, the Scarecrow reveals that he lacks a brain and desires above all else to have one. In reality, he is only two days old and merely...
, Tin Woodman
Tin Woodman
The Tin Woodman, sometimes referred to as the Tin Man or the Tin Woodsman , is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum...
, Jack Pumpkinhead
Jack Pumpkinhead
Jack Pumpkinhead is a fictional character from the Oz book series by L. Frank Baum.-In Baum:Jack first appeared in The Marvelous Land of Oz. Jack's tall figure is made from tree limbs and jointed with wooden pegs...
, and H. M. Woggle-Bug, T. E. make several toys based on themselves and the Sawhorse
Sawhorse
A sawhorse is a beam with four legs used to support a board or plank for sawing. A pair of sawhorses can support a plank, forming a scaffold. In certain circles, it is also known as a mule.The sawhorse may be designed to fold for storage...
. They bring them to Santa Claus in the Laughing Valley for distribution. Claus claims that there are not enough toys for all of the children, but he will make more for next year's visit. His reindeer and sleigh also win a race against the Gump.
A Kidnapped Santa Claus
In 1904, a short story called A Kidnapped Santa ClausA Kidnapped Santa Claus
A Kidnapped Santa Claus is a Christmas-themed short story written by L. Frank Baum, famous as the creator of the Land of Oz; it has been called "one of Baum's most beautiful stories" and constitutes an influential contribution to the mythology of Christmas."A Kidnapped Santa Claus" was first...
, by Baum, appeared in The Delineator
The Delineator
The Delineator was an American women's magazine of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, founded by the Butterick Publishing Company in 1869 under the name The Metropolitan Monthly. Its name was changed in 1875. In November 1926, under the editorship of Mrs...
magazine. It was illustrated by Frederick Richardson
Frederick Richardson
Frederick Richardson was an American illustrator of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, perhaps best remembered for his illustrations of works by L. Frank Baum....
, who had also illustrated Baum's Queen Zixi of Ix
Queen Zixi of Ix
Queen Zixi of Ix, or The Story of the Magic Cloak is a children's book written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Frederick Richardson. It was originally serialized in the early 20th century American children's magazine St. Nicholas from November 1904 to October 1905, and was published in book...
. The story deals with Santa Claus's kidnapping by the Daemons of the caves, in an effort to thwart his yearly delivery of toys. However, Claus's assistants complete the task for him, and later attempt an unnecessary rescue.
The Road to Oz
In Baum's 1909 Oz book, The Road to OzThe Road to Oz
The Road to Oz: In Which Is Related How Dorothy Gale of Kansas, The Shaggy Man, Button Bright, and Polychrome the Rainbow's Daughter Met on an Enchanted Road and Followed it All the Way to the Marvelous Land of Oz. is the fifth of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz books...
, Santa Claus is one of guests of honor at Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the series except the first, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz .She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and L...
's birthday party in the Emerald City. He brings along some Ryls and Knooks with him. They return to the Laughing Valley in giant soap bubbles created by The Wizard of Oz
Wizard (Oz)
The Wizard of Oz, known during his reign as The Great and Powerful Oz, is the epithet of Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs, a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by American author L...
.
External links
- Facsimile version of The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus hosted by the Kerlan Collection at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
Library. - A discussion of the book