The Wizard of Oz is one of the most recognizable pop icons of all time. There have many film interpretations of the story, as well as theater productions, literature based on the story, and TV movies that used the original story as an inspiration. The most recent adaption of The Wizard of Oz was the SciFi Channel’s original miniseries “Tin Man”.  Tin Man gave viewers a look at a very modern land of OZ, called “The O. Z.” or Outer Zone and focused on stories that had Dorothy Gale’s descendants trying to save the land of Oz.

The original story of the Wizard of Oz was written by Frank Baum in 1900. Baum wrote a series of books about the magical land of Oz and its inhabitants. Dorothy Gale, the little girl from Kansas whose home was swept into Oz in a tornado, was a central character in the first book of the series but didn’t really appear too much in the series after that.  Instantly upon publication the stories of the magical land with the Munchkins, witches, fairies, wizards and other characters found a secure place in children’s literature.  The stories of Oz were put into a film in 1939.  At the time, the film was groundbreaking because it starts in black and white and switches to color in the middle of the film after Dorothy is transported to Oz. At the time color film was just starting to be used in pictures.

Even though there were later film adaptations of Baum’s book like the Disney “Return to Oz” film in 1985 no other adaption of the story found anywhere near the success of the original film. In 1995 the prequel book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was published and was very successful. A Broadway musical based on that book, Wicked, has been an enormous success. Wicked tells the story of the witches of Oz and what their lives were like before Dorothy came to Oz.

The cultural impact of the Wizard of Oz is enormous. The characters of the Wizard of Oz are instantly recognizable and everyone has their own favorite character. Dorothy Gale, the girl who is transported from Kansas to Oz, as played by Judy Garland in a blue and white checked pinafore, braids, and the Ruby Slippers is one of the most well known film characters of all time. Her companions in Oz, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and her little dog Toto are also beloved popular culture icons.  The Wicked Witch of West is the inspiration for many of the characterizations of witches in popular culture with her pointed black hat, black dress, green skin, and cackling laugh.  When people dress up as witches for Halloween usually they are trying to recreate the image of the Wicked Witch of the West.  Glinda, the Good Witch of the East, in her fairytale ball gown and ringlet curls is also a Halloween staple.

The Wizard of Oz is a timeless story because it touches on universal elements. Everyone can relate to at least one of the characters in the story, and many people grow up watching the 1939 film every year. The tradition of watching the film and the nostalgia that comes with it will keep The Wizard of Oz a beloved cultural icon for decades to come.