Jack Pumpkinhead
Encyclopedia
Jack Pumpkinhead is a fictional character from the Oz
book series by L. Frank Baum
.
. Jack's tall figure is made from tree limbs and jointed with wooden pegs. He has a jack o'lantern for a head which is where he gets his name, however unlike most jack o'lanterns, the seeds and other pumpkin guts were not removed.
Jack was made by a little boy named Tip to scare his guardian, an old witch named Mombi
. From Mombi's chest he took some old clothes for Jack; purple trousers, a red shirt, a pink vest with white polka dots, and stockings, to which he added a pair of his shoes. However, instead of being frightened, when Mombi saw Jack she almost smashed him to pieces, but then she decided to test her new Powder of Life on him. The powder worked and Jack came to life.
Jack is not known for his intelligence which seems to depend on the quality and number of the seeds in his pumpkin-head at that time. However he manages to come up with random bits of wisdom and common sense often. For example, after bringing Jack to life, Mombi has the following exchange with him:
In The Road to Oz
, Jack has settled in a large pumpkin
-shaped house near the Tin Woodman
's castle in Winkie Country
. Jack spends much of his time growing pumpkins to replace his old heads, which eventually spoil and need to be replaced. Apparently, Princess Ozma
carves new heads for Jack when necessary. The old heads are buried in a graveyard on his property. It should also be noted that Jack calls Ozma his mother. In The Emerald City of Oz
it is revealed that Jack designed a five storey, jewel-encrusted, corn-shaped mansion for the Scarecrow
.
was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson
, the writer who continued the Oz books after the death of L. Frank Baum
. In the book, Peter
(the little-boy baseball pitcher from Philadelphia), while reminiscing about his previous visit to Oz, suddenly finds himself landing right into Jack Pumpkinhead's front yard in the Winkie Country. Peter and Jack set off together for the Emerald City, but take a wrong turn, ending up traveling through the Quadling Country
.
At one point in the book, Peter combats darkness by lighting a candle and placing it in Jack's empty head. Jack notes that it makes him feel "brighter," but also "A little light headed."
John R. Neill
includes Jack in his final Oz book, The Runaway in Oz
. In both the Thompson and Neill books, Jack loses his head for varying periods of time; In Neill, his headless stick body is dragged about the countryside of Oz by his companions.
Jack also appears in the comic book The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles, created by Ben Avery and Casey Heying, which is published twice a year by Buy Me Toys.
In Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series a handyman figure named Mervyn Pumpkinhead
, clearly modeled on Jack, works for Morpheus in the Dreaming, painting and building dreams.
In issue 101 of Fables, Bufkin the winged monkey finds his way back to Oz's neighboring country Ev
. He runs across Jack Pumpkinhead, Sawhorse
, and Bungle, and upon hearing of their resistance to the Nome King
, pledges to lead them in revolution. This is an allusion to the Baum novel Ozma of Oz
and/or the comics series Oz
mentioned above.
(1969) and Return to Oz
(1985).
Jack Pumpkinhead may have been the role model for Tim Burton's portrayal of Jack Skellington
, given his lanky frame, "Pumpkin King" title, and low voice.
and was never revived or recast. Bronson Ward, Jr. played the role in the 1908 film, The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays
. Although photographs suggest something more realistic than the makeup worn by Godfrey was used for the film, the popular character makes no appearances in the productions of The Oz Film Manufacturing Company
.
George Wadsworth plays "Jack the Pumpkinhead" in Barry Mahon
's The Wonderful Land of Oz
(1969).
Without a first name, Jack appears, voiced by Paul Lynde
, in the animated movie sequel Journey Back to Oz
(which had a different outcome for the character).
Carl Beck played Jack Pumpkinhead in the original production of The Marvelous Land of Oz
by Thomas W. Olson, Gary Briggle, and Richard Dworsky
. The Minneapolis production was presented on television and home video.
Stewart Larange, an exceptionally thin actor, portrayed Jack in the live-action movie Return to Oz
(1985). Brian Henson
was the animatronic puppeteer and provided his voice.
Viktor Sukhorukov provided the voice of Jack Pumpkinhead in the 2000 Russian adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz, Adventures in the Emerald City: Princess Ozma.
Land of Oz
Oz is a fantasy region containing four lands under the rule of one monarch.It was first introduced in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, one of many fantasy countries that he created for his books. It achieved a popularity that none of his other works attained, and after four years, he...
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...
.
In Baum
Jack first appeared in The Marvelous Land of OzThe Marvelous Land of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, commonly shortened to The Land of Oz, published on July 5, 1904, is the second of L. Frank Baum's books set in the Land of Oz, and the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This and the next...
. Jack's tall figure is made from tree limbs and jointed with wooden pegs. He has a jack o'lantern for a head which is where he gets his name, however unlike most jack o'lanterns, the seeds and other pumpkin guts were not removed.
Jack was made by a little boy named Tip to scare his guardian, an old witch named Mombi
Mombi
Mombi is a wicked old witch from L. Frank Baum Oz Books. She appears in the book The Marvelous Land of Oz and is alluded to in other works. Of all the wicked witches in L...
. From Mombi's chest he took some old clothes for Jack; purple trousers, a red shirt, a pink vest with white polka dots, and stockings, to which he added a pair of his shoes. However, instead of being frightened, when Mombi saw Jack she almost smashed him to pieces, but then she decided to test her new Powder of Life on him. The powder worked and Jack came to life.
Jack is not known for his intelligence which seems to depend on the quality and number of the seeds in his pumpkin-head at that time. However he manages to come up with random bits of wisdom and common sense often. For example, after bringing Jack to life, Mombi has the following exchange with him:
- Even Mombi was not without a curious interest in the man her magic had brought to life; for, after staring at him intently, she presently asked:
- "What do you know?"
- "Well, that is hard to tell," replied Jack. "For although I feel that I know a tremendous lot, I am not yet aware how much there is in the world to find out about. It will take me a little time to discover whether I am very wise or very foolish."
In The Road to Oz
The 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...
, Jack has settled in a large pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
-shaped house near the 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...
's castle in Winkie Country
Winkie Country
The Winkie Country is a division of the fictional Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color yellow; this color is worn by most of the local inhabitants and predominates in the surroundings....
. Jack spends much of his time growing pumpkins to replace his old heads, which eventually spoil and need to be replaced. Apparently, 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...
carves new heads for Jack when necessary. The old heads are buried in a graveyard on his property. It should also be noted that Jack calls Ozma his mother. In The Emerald City of Oz
The Emerald City of Oz
The Emerald City of Oz is the sixth of L. Frank Baum's fourteen Land of Oz books. It was also adapted into a Canadian animated film in 1987. Originally published on July 20, 1910, it is the story of Dorothy Gale and her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em coming to live in Oz permanently...
it is revealed that Jack designed a five storey, jewel-encrusted, corn-shaped mansion for the Scarecrow
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is, essentially, a decoy, though traditionally, a human figure dressed in old clothes and placed in fields by farmers to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.-History:In Kojiki, the oldest surviving book in Japan...
.
In Thompson and Neill
Jack had to wait until the 23rd Oz book to get a book named after himself along with the starring role. Jack Pumpkinhead of OzJack Pumpkinhead of Oz
Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz is the twenty-third of the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and continued by other writers; it is the ninth Oz book written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was Illustrated by John R...
was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson was an American writer of children's stories.-Life and work:An avid reader of Baum's books and a lifelong children's writer, Thompson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and began her writing career in 1914 when she took a job with the Philadelphia Public Ledger; she wrote...
, the writer who continued the Oz books after the death of 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...
. In the book, Peter
Peter Brown (Oz)
Peter Brown is a major character in the Oz novels of Ruth Plumly Thompson, who continued the series of Oz books after the death of their creator, L. Frank Baum...
(the little-boy baseball pitcher from Philadelphia), while reminiscing about his previous visit to Oz, suddenly finds himself landing right into Jack Pumpkinhead's front yard in the Winkie Country. Peter and Jack set off together for the Emerald City, but take a wrong turn, ending up traveling through the Quadling Country
Quadling Country
The Quadling Country is the southern division of L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz. It is distinguished by the color red, worn by most of the local inhabitants as well as the color of their surroundings. Like the Munchkin Country, the outer regions of the Quadling Country are rich, pleasant and...
.
At one point in the book, Peter combats darkness by lighting a candle and placing it in Jack's empty head. Jack notes that it makes him feel "brighter," but also "A little light headed."
John R. Neill
John R. Neill
John Rea Neill was a magazine and children's book illustrator primarily known for illustrating more than forty stories set in the Land of Oz, including L. Frank Baum's, Ruth Plumly Thompson's, and three of his own. His pen-and-ink drawings have become identified almost exclusively with the Oz series...
includes Jack in his final Oz book, The Runaway in Oz
The Runaway in Oz
The Runaway in Oz is an Oz book by long-time Oz illustrator John R. Neill. It was written originally during 1943 and was meant to be the thirty-seventh book in the Oz series. However, Neill died before he could edit or illustrate the book. Oz publisher Reilly & Lee decided not to publish the book...
. In both the Thompson and Neill books, Jack loses his head for varying periods of time; In Neill, his headless stick body is dragged about the countryside of Oz by his companions.
In comics
Jack Pumpkinhead was one of the Freedom Fighters in the 1995 comic book Oz, created by Ralph Griffth, Stuart Kerr, and Bill Bryan, and published by Caliber Comics. Jack was killed during the company-wide crossover, Daemonstorm, after having been possessed by one of the demons.Jack also appears in the comic book The Oz/Wonderland Chronicles, created by Ben Avery and Casey Heying, which is published twice a year by Buy Me Toys.
In Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series a handyman figure named Mervyn Pumpkinhead
Mervyn Pumpkinhead
Mervyn "Merv" Pumpkinhead is a fictional character in Neil Gaiman's popular comic book series, The Sandman.-Fictional character biography:Merv is Dream's jaded, street-wise, cigarette-smoking janitor...
, clearly modeled on Jack, works for Morpheus in the Dreaming, painting and building dreams.
In issue 101 of Fables, Bufkin the winged monkey finds his way back to Oz's neighboring country Ev
Land of Ev
The Land of Ev is a fictional country in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and his successors. Its exact location is unclear between text and maps. The Road to Oz states that Ev is to the north of the Land of Oz, and in Ozma of Oz, Princess Ozma of Oz and her procession enter the Munchkin Country and...
. He runs across Jack Pumpkinhead, Sawhorse
The Sawhorse
The Saw-Horse, sometimes spelled Sawhorse, is a character from L Frank Baum's Oz books series. He first appears in The Marvelous Land of Oz.-History:...
, and Bungle, and upon hearing of their resistance to the Nome King
Nome 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...
, pledges to lead them in revolution. This is an allusion to the Baum novel Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Tiktok, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein published on July 30, 1907, was the third book of L....
and/or the comics series Oz
Oz (comics)
Oz is a comic book series created by Ralph Griffth , Stuart Kerr , and Bill Bryan, artist. The series was begun by Caliber Comics...
mentioned above.
In film
Jack was one of the main characters in The Wonderful Land of OzThe Wonderful Land of Oz
The Wonderful Land of Oz is a 1969 film by Barry Mahon, based on the novel The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum. A low budget but faithful adaptation, the film stars Mahon's son, Channy as Tip, Zisca Baum as Mombi, Caroline Berner as General Jinjur, George Wadsworth as Jack Pumpkinhead, Gil...
(1969) and 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...
(1985).
Jack Pumpkinhead may have been the role model for Tim Burton's portrayal of Jack Skellington
Jack Skellington
Jack Skellington is the protagonist in the 1993 Disney film The Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack is the "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town and lives in a fantasy world based solely on the Halloween holiday...
, given his lanky frame, "Pumpkin King" title, and low voice.
Portrayals
Jack Pumpkinhead was first portrayed on stage by Hal Godfrey in the 1905 stage play, The Woggle-Bug by Baum and Frederic Chapin. The play failed in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and was never revived or recast. Bronson Ward, Jr. played the role in the 1908 film, The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays
The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays
The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays was an early attempt to bring L. Frank Baum's Oz books to the motion picture screen. It was a mixture of live actors, hand-tinted magic lantern slides, and film. Baum himself would appear as if he were giving a lecture, while he interacted with the characters...
. Although photographs suggest something more realistic than the makeup worn by Godfrey was used for the film, the popular character makes no appearances in the productions of The Oz Film Manufacturing Company
The Oz Film Manufacturing Company
The Oz Film Manufacturing Company was an independent film studio from 1914-1915. It was founded by L. Frank Baum , Louis F. Gottschalk , Harry Marston Haldeman , and Clarence R. Rundel as an offshoot of Haldeman's social group, The Uplifters, that met at the Los Angeles Athletic Club...
.
George Wadsworth plays "Jack the Pumpkinhead" in Barry Mahon
Barry Mahon
Barry Mahon, born Jackson Barrett Mahon , was an American film director, cinematographer and producer.-Early years:...
's The Wonderful Land of Oz
The Wonderful Land of Oz
The Wonderful Land of Oz is a 1969 film by Barry Mahon, based on the novel The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum. A low budget but faithful adaptation, the film stars Mahon's son, Channy as Tip, Zisca Baum as Mombi, Caroline Berner as General Jinjur, George Wadsworth as Jack Pumpkinhead, Gil...
(1969).
Without a first name, Jack appears, voiced by Paul Lynde
Paul Lynde
Paul Edward Lynde was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie...
, in the animated movie sequel Journey Back to Oz
Journey Back to Oz
Journey Back To Oz is a 1974 animated film and the official sequel to the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz. It is loosely based on L. Frank Baum's second Oz novel, The Marvelous Land of Oz, although Baum received no screen credit. However, the Wizard was nowhere to be found, at least in the...
(which had a different outcome for the character).
Carl Beck played Jack Pumpkinhead in the original production of The Marvelous Land of Oz
The Marvelous Land of Oz (musical)
The Marvelous Land of Oz is a musical play by Thomas W. Olson , Gary Briggle , and Richard Dworsky , based on the novel by L. Frank Baum...
by Thomas W. Olson, Gary Briggle, and Richard Dworsky
Richard Dworsky
Richard A. Dworsky is a pianist, a composer, and appears weekly on the A Prairie Home Companion public radio variety show from American Public Media as the resident pianist and band leader...
. The Minneapolis production was presented on television and home video.
Stewart Larange, an exceptionally thin actor, portrayed Jack in the live-action movie 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...
(1985). Brian Henson
Brian Henson
Brian Henson is an Academy Award-winning puppeteer, director, producer, and technician. The son of puppeteers Jane and Jim Henson, Brian was born in New York City, New York....
was the animatronic puppeteer and provided his voice.
Viktor Sukhorukov provided the voice of Jack Pumpkinhead in the 2000 Russian adaptation of The Marvelous Land of Oz, Adventures in the Emerald City: Princess Ozma.