Shaggy Man
Encyclopedia
The Shaggy Man is a character in the Oz books
by L. Frank Baum
. He first appeared in the book The Road to Oz
in 1909.
He is a kindly old wanderer, dressed in rags, whose philosophy of life centers on love and an aversion to material possessions. His one possession of value is the Love Magnet. His individuality is not welcome in America, but is accorded respect in Oz, where Ozma provides him with a fine wardrobe of silks, satins, and velvets, but as shaggy as his old rags.
home of Dorothy Gale
one day in August, asking for directions to the nearby town of Butterfield so as to avoid going there by accident, for he wants to avoid a man who would return a loan of fifteen cents: as "Money...makes people proud and haughty. I don't want to be proud and haughty.". Dorothy agreed to show him the way, but after a short time the two became inexplicably lost. The Shaggy Man told Dorothy about a magical device he has called the Love Magnet, which causes the owner to be loved by everyone he meets. He claimed that this artifact was given to him by "an Eskimo
in the Sandwich Islands
."
Eventually Dorothy and the Shaggy Man realized that they were wandering in an unknown fairyland. After a series of adventures, he and Dorothy reach the Deadly Desert, where his ingenuity lets them pass safely over the sands. Arriving in the Land of Oz
, they found that their journey was prearranged so that Dorothy could attend a birthday party for Princess Ozma
. The Shaggy Man was awed by the splendor of the fairy-realm, and resolved to live there permanently. Upon being questioned by Ozma, he revealed that he actually stole the Love Magnet from a girl in Butterfield, but was without remorse because doing so had allowed him to travel to Oz with Dorothy. Nevertheless, eager to be a good subject to the princess, he agreed to Ozma's decree that the Love Magnet be donated to the Emerald City
and hung over the city gates.
In The Patchwork Girl of Oz
, the Shaggy Man serendipitously arrived to rescue Ojo
and his traveling companions from man-eating plants that attacked them along a yellow brick road
in the Munchkin Country
. In Tik-Tok of Oz
, it was revealed that the Shaggy Man had a long-lost brother who was being held prisoner by the Nome King
. Much of that book revolves about his efforts and those of his companions to rescue and disenchant this brother. Finally, the Shaggy Man decides to give up Oz to remain with his brother and other companions; the prospect of losing him from Oz persuades Ozma to allow these others to enter Oz. Much like the Shaggy Man himself, this brother has no name which is ever revealed to the readers, and is simply identified as "the Shaggy Man's brother." He was called Wiggy in the stage version.
In The Shaggy Man of Oz
, the love magnet has worn through the nail and broken, and the Shaggy Man must go to the creator of the love magnet, Conjo (a retcon
) in order to have it fixed. To get there, he visits many of the places visited in John Dough and the Cherub
.
In the modern Oz book Queen Ann in Oz
(1993), authors Carlson and Gjovaag give the Shaggy Man a personal name — Shagrick Mann.
, nor did he appear much in the work of Baum's successors other than Jack Snow. Frank F. Moore would portray the role on the Los Angeles
stage opposite James C. Morton
as Tik-Tok in the 1913 play, The Tik-Tok Man of Oz
. The role was modeled on Fred Stone
's Scarecrow
in The Wizard of Oz
, and Moore would go on to play the Scarecrow in His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz. In comics, appeared briefly in Eric Shanower
's The Ice King of Oz and in issue #19 of Oz
.
The Oz books
The Oz books form a book series that begins with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , and that relates the fictional history of the Land of Oz. Oz was created by author L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length Oz books, all of which are in the public domain in the United States...
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...
. He first appeared in the book 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...
in 1909.
He is a kindly old wanderer, dressed in rags, whose philosophy of life centers on love and an aversion to material possessions. His one possession of value is the Love Magnet. His individuality is not welcome in America, but is accorded respect in Oz, where Ozma provides him with a fine wardrobe of silks, satins, and velvets, but as shaggy as his old rags.
Character biography
The Shaggy Man appeared at the KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
home 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...
one day in August, asking for directions to the nearby town of Butterfield so as to avoid going there by accident, for he wants to avoid a man who would return a loan of fifteen cents: as "Money...makes people proud and haughty. I don't want to be proud and haughty.". Dorothy agreed to show him the way, but after a short time the two became inexplicably lost. The Shaggy Man told Dorothy about a magical device he has called the Love Magnet, which causes the owner to be loved by everyone he meets. He claimed that this artifact was given to him by "an Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
in the Sandwich Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
."
Eventually Dorothy and the Shaggy Man realized that they were wandering in an unknown fairyland. After a series of adventures, he and Dorothy reach the Deadly Desert, where his ingenuity lets them pass safely over the sands. Arriving in the Land of Oz
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...
, they found that their journey was prearranged so that Dorothy could attend a birthday party for 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...
. The Shaggy Man was awed by the splendor of the fairy-realm, and resolved to live there permanently. Upon being questioned by Ozma, he revealed that he actually stole the Love Magnet from a girl in Butterfield, but was without remorse because doing so had allowed him to travel to Oz with Dorothy. Nevertheless, eager to be a good subject to the princess, he agreed to Ozma's decree that the Love Magnet be donated to the Emerald City
Emerald City
The Emerald City is the fictional capital city of the Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
and hung over the city gates.
In The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum, is a children's novel, the seventh set in the Land of Oz. Characters include the Woozy, Ojo "the Unlucky", Unc Nunkie, Dr. Pipt, Scraps , and others. The book was first published on July 1, 1913, with illustrations by John R. Neill...
, the Shaggy Man serendipitously arrived to rescue Ojo
Ojo the Lucky
Ojo is a character from the fictional Oz book series by L. Frank Baum.He first appeared in The Patchwork Girl of Oz. Ojo is a Munchkin who lived with his uncle, Unc Nunkie in the Blue Forest, a remote location in the north of the Munchkin Country. During a trip with his uncle to visit his uncle's...
and his traveling companions from man-eating plants that attacked them along a yellow brick road
Yellow brick road
The road of yellow brick is an element in the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, with additional such roads appearing in The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Patchwork Girl of Oz...
in the Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country
Munchkin Country is the Eastern region in the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In Wizard it was originally called "the land of Munchkins", and "Munchkin Country" in all subsequent Oz books...
. In Tik-Tok of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz is the eighth Land of Oz book written by L. Frank Baum, published on June 19, 1914. The book actually has little to do with Tik-Tok and is primarily the quest of the Shaggy Man to rescue his brother, and his resulting conflict with the Nome King.The endpapers of the first edition...
, it was revealed that the Shaggy Man had a long-lost brother who was being held prisoner by 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...
. Much of that book revolves about his efforts and those of his companions to rescue and disenchant this brother. Finally, the Shaggy Man decides to give up Oz to remain with his brother and other companions; the prospect of losing him from Oz persuades Ozma to allow these others to enter Oz. Much like the Shaggy Man himself, this brother has no name which is ever revealed to the readers, and is simply identified as "the Shaggy Man's brother." He was called Wiggy in the stage version.
In The Shaggy Man of Oz
The Shaggy Man of Oz
The Shaggy Man of Oz is the thirty-eighth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the second and last by Jack Snow. It was illustrated by Frank G. Kramer....
, the love magnet has worn through the nail and broken, and the Shaggy Man must go to the creator of the love magnet, Conjo (a retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
) in order to have it fixed. To get there, he visits many of the places visited in John Dough and the Cherub
John Dough and the Cherub
John Dough and the Cherub is a children's fantasy novel written by L. Frank Baum, about a living gingerbread man and his adventures.-The book:...
.
In the modern Oz book Queen Ann in Oz
Queen Ann in Oz
Queen Ann in Oz is a 1993 children's novel written by Karyl Carlson and Eric Gjovaag, and illustrated by William Campbell and Irwin Terry. As its title incidates, the book is an entry in the large and growing literature on the Land of Oz, begun by L...
(1993), authors Carlson and Gjovaag give the Shaggy Man a personal name — Shagrick Mann.
Portrayal
Although Baum used The Shaggy Man a great deal in his books from his first appearance onward, he did not appear in any productions of The Oz Film Manufacturing CompanyThe 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...
, nor did he appear much in the work of Baum's successors other than Jack Snow. Frank F. Moore would portray the role on the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
stage opposite James C. Morton
James C. Morton
James C. Morton was an American character actor. He appeared in 187 films between 1922 and 1943.-Career:...
as Tik-Tok in the 1913 play, The Tik-Tok Man of Oz
The Tik-Tok Man of Oz
The Tik-Tok Man of Oz is a musical play with book and lyrics by L. Frank Baum and music by Louis F. Gottschalk that opened in Los Angeles, California on March 31, 1913. It is loosely inspired by Baum's book, Ozma of Oz , and the basis for his 1914 novel, Tik-Tok of Oz. It was promoted as "A...
. The role was modeled on Fred Stone
Fred Stone
Fred Andrew Stone was an American actor. Stone began his career as a performer in circuses and minstrel shows, went on to act on vaudeville, and became a star on Broadway and in feature films, which earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.-Biography:He was particularly famous for appearing...
's 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...
in The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1902 stage play)
The Wizard of Oz was a 1902 musical extravaganza based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, which was originally published in 1900...
, and Moore would go on to play the Scarecrow in His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz. In comics, appeared briefly in Eric Shanower
Eric Shanower
Eric James Shanower is an American comics artist and writer, best known for his Oz novels and comics and the on-going retelling of the Trojan War as Age of Bronze.-Biography:...
's The Ice King of Oz and in issue #19 of 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...
.