I really wanted to draw something to celebrate the 40th anniversary of my favorite Oz movie; Disney's Return to Oz (premiered June 21, 1985). I included a couple characters from the broader Disney Ozziverse: Master Wix, from the cancelled book series Abadazad; and Finley and China Girl from Oz the Great and Powerful.
Abadazad is not strictly an Oz adaptation, but the story is so heavily inspired by the original Oz books that I feel it only fair to mention it when talking about Oz. It's so whimsical and charming! Sadly, it was cancelled after only three books, with the third book having only been released in the UK (I am so lucky to own a copy of all three), which is especially frustrating considering it originated as a comic published by CrossGen, but after three issues was rebooted as a novel-comic hybrid after Disney bought CrossGen's assets following the latter's bankruptcy.
I do not particularly care for the writing in Oz the Great and Powerful, but I do like Finley and China Girl. I also appreciate that this movie correctly designates Glinda as the witch of the South, not the North, and attempted to portray her as the wise character she is in the books, as opposed to her bubbly portrayal in MGM's classic musical.
I first watched Return to Oz shortly after my high school performed The Wizard of Oz during my junior year. This is a special memory for me as I helped paint and assemble props for the show, as well as provided the art for the cast and crew's t-shirts! My school's version of the show was unique in that it also incorporated songs from The Wiz. I had so much fun participating in the show, that I was inspired to check out more Oz material. Initially, I wasn't impressed by Return to Oz. But not long after, I began checking out the original Oz books from the public library, and the more I read and grew to love the world that L. Frank Baum created, the more Return to Oz grew on me. Now that I'm older, I can especially appreciate it as an example of 80s dark fantasy movies, as well as the incredible craftsmanship in its special effects. I wish this movie had been better received back in the day.
Disney somehow never manages to make it big with Oz related projects. Walt himself never got to make The Rainbow Road to Oz, a planned movie that would have starred the Mouseketeers. Return to Oz, Oz the Great and Powerful, and The Muppets' Wizard of Oz were not critical successes. And of course, there's Abadazad's cancellation. ABC's Once Upon a Time was probably the most successful integrating Oz in its great big fairytale multiverse, but I feel the writing quality of that show deteriorated pretty fast so I don't count it. It's actually kinda sad how Disney never sticks the landing with Oz. For a long time, Disneyland Paris' version of the Storybook Land Canal Boats featured a miniature recreation of the Emerald City, perhaps the only remaining reference to Oz anywhere in the parks. Sadly, it was recently replaced with a diorama of Paradise Falls from Pixar's Up. (Look, I enjoy Up, but it is not a fairytale and therefor does not belong in that ride, OMG Disney, you need to stop recklessly spamming unrelated IP everywhere.)
I do sincerely hope that someday, once Disney manages to finally pull itself out of its current dark age, that they can create an Oz project with a lasting impact and legacy on the public conscience. (At the very least, Disney could either uncancel Abadazad, or give the rights back to the creators.)
