The Wizard of Oz (animation)

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

The Wizard of Oz was a 1990s cartoon series produced by DiC Entertainment. Released around the 50th anniversary of the MGM movie, it was based on the movie as opposed to the books by L. Frank Baum. The series lasted from September to December, 1990, with a total of 13 episodes.

Dorothy is summoned back to Oz by the Ruby Slippers because the Wicked Witch of the West has returned to life, brought back by her winged monkeys. The Witch wastes no time in seeking vengeance on those who defeated her. She steals the Scarecrow's diploma, the Tin Man's clock heart, and the Lion's medal of courage, sends the Wizard away in his balloon, then takes over the Emerald City. And, of course, she wants the Ruby Slippers most of all.

While the Emerald City is rescued in the two-part pilot, the Witch is still around. Dorothy and friends learn from Glinda that if the Wizard is returned to the Emerald City, they can defeat the Witch. The reason why is never explained, but the four friends travel across Oz to bring the Wizard back and defeat the Wicked Witch once and for all...

And then the show was canceled without an ending.

Tropes used in The Wizard of Oz (animation) include:
  • Animation Bump: In episodes where shading was used rarely, scenes with the Wicked Witch were well-animated.
  • Art Shift: Over time, the animation quality decreased. For about half the series, everything was shaded, but in the second half shading was used sparingly.
  • Big Eater: Truckle, who's even shown snacking on something in the intro.
  • Canon Foreigner: The Wicked West Wind and Truckle the winged monkey are two in the main cast. Otherwise, pretty much everyone they meet in the episodes.
  • Convenient Coma: The Lion enters one in "Dream A Little Dream"; Dorothy and the others must enter his dreams to help him wake up.
  • Cut Short
  • Drunk on the Dark Side: Truckle goes power-mad after gaining the Ruby Slippers.
  • Five Episode Pilot: Two parts, but it still counts; every other episode was one part.
  • Gypsy Curse: The Witch disguises herself as a gypsy to curse the Lion into becoming completely fearless; this also makes him dangerously reckless.
  • MacGuffin: The Ruby Slippers, naturally. They were given an upgrade for the show, granting wishes when Dorothy clicked her heels.
  • Monster Clown: A jack-in-the-box in Popland.
  • Motive Decay: The cartoon's Witch doesn't seem to remember that the Ruby Slippers were her sister's.
  • Nightmare Fuel: In-universe. "Dream A Little Dream" has the Lion being so scared of the Wicked Witch in his dreams that he has trouble sleeping at all.
  • Nightmare Sequence: Several in "Dream A Little Dream".
  • No Ending
  • Shown Their Work: At least one episode had a book similar to Glinda's Magic Book of Records from the Baum books. Bad things happen when the Witch decides to rewrite it...
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