Just some thoughts--For Once in My lIfe

I haven't posted "my thoughts" in a while and I thought today would be the day to do that--let you my readers inside my head.

There are times in my life that I have wanted to be so much more than what I am, what I have been, that many times it is maddening. If I am to be honest with all of you I hate to the very core of my being where I come from and who I was.
It didn't really sink in that, that was one of the things bothering me. I hate how I grew up--poor, ill educated, in a religious cult, hating the physical house I grew up in and how I feel it has left me ill equipped my entire life.

I feel all the time that I HAVE to prove myself, prove my worth, prove that my work is worth it, prove that I myself am worthwhile. Sad isn't it--it has been that way my entire life--and I am tired of it!

It has felt like something big is going to happen in my life the last 2 or 3 years and yet nothing that big has happened. Yes, my last results and the Cleveland Clinic visit changed my entire life and I am going to school next week but it still feels like there is something more--much more!

I have wanted my life to make a difference, change things, get people thinking out side of the box and for me to finally be successful--to matter. I get tired of chasing rainbow's and pipe dreams and people saying they will do something, help me change something in my life and then it NEVER happens. Why bother me, if you didn't me it, why get my hopes up, why do I feel like I have to beg for them to follow through?

I think most of all I want people to recognize my talent--if it is even a talent. A person can not be this artistic, this creative, this well "endowed" with the gift to learn that NOTHING becomes of it. that facet of my life has been my entire life--the creative, the energetic, the devoted, the committed.

What do I want-- I want someone to say "Hey kid, your great and we want you to....." and than turn my life upside down, inside out and help me fulfill those dreams of success. Is it asking to much? Will it happen? I feel the key is in my talent somehow......

Your thoughts?

Karl Slover painting

Well gang the newest painting is of our very own Karl Slover from 1945 and is done in Water Colors. It measures 14 x 11 and comes framed, ready to hang. Item is for sale now as well as at The Chesterton Wizard Of Oz Festival and have been thinking of getting Karl to sign it for the buyer. Can deliver at Chesterton or shipping is extra if you are not attending---Hope you all enjoy Karl!

This is an attempt to get me ready for drawing classes on September 1 as I am a little nervous

Charlie

The Visitors From Oz

"The Visitors From Oz" sprang from a chance discovery by Baum Scholar and collector, Dick Martin. While searching old newspaper files at the Chicago library during the early 1950's, Martin hapened upon a full page color comic dating back to 1904 entitled "Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz". Each weekly episode offered a new short adventure of the Oz characters in America written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by Walt McDougall.

Intrigued, Martin had photostats made of as many of the comics as he couldfind, witht he htought that these lost Oz stories might be collected in book form. It was not until 1957 that a dummy book was assembled and illustrated using Dick Martin's idea, how ever at the time, The Reilly and Lee Company, Baum's old publisher was appreciative of his idea but was not interested. But by 1959 when the Henry Regenry Company purchased Reilly& Lee, the idea took off to promote Oz to a whole generation of readers.

Jean Kellog, Reilly & Lee's chief editor, rewrote the stories to reflect modern tastes while AMrtin provided the illustrations and design for the book. Information stated here is from "The Book Collector's Guideto L. Frank Baum" by Paul Bienvenue which my borhter just bought me and I will be discussing in another post.

Now unto the book I have in my collection.....

The Visitors from Oz was adapted by Jean Kellog who is uncredited, printed in Chicago by the Reilly & Lee Company in 1960 and illustrated by Dick Martin. The book measures 11 1/4 x 8 5/8 and is 95 pages long. This book originally sold for $3.95 while I bought it at $25.00. The book is considered a First edition Binding C book meaning:

• Bright green, red, blue or yellow buckram cloth cover (coarser texure)
• Front Cover illustration printed in white and dark blue only.
• Spine letteringprinted in dark blue against white.
• Back Cover is blank, save for the imprint of the binder (American Publisher's Company), printed vertically in white near the hinge.
• ndpapers-Front and back are blank--can be ilustrated as well printed in black

"Peter and the The Princess"

Well this post is a little off the Wizard of Oz but the book is just absolutely wonderful I felt I had to share it and have it in my ever growig collection of books.


"Peter and The Princess" was written by Carl H. Grabo, published by The Reilly & Lee Company of Chicago in 1920 and beautifully illustrated by John R. Neill. Neill's name will be familar with Wizard of Oz collectors as he did most if not all of the Oz illustrations after L. Frank Baum and W.W. Denslowparted ways. John R. Neill wrote four Oz books of his very own as well and continued illustrating most if not all of Ruth Thompson's Oz books.



The story mainly deals with a little boy named Peter and his friend Marianne and the adventures the two if them get into once they decide to leave Fairyland , go to Earth and grow up. At 243 pages in length one could finish this book in a day if you applied yourself. What I found wonderful about this book is each chapter, and there are twelve total, stand on there on as short stories that could be used for children's bedtime stories. The stories are loosely strung together as the main charactors stay the same with the introduction of new ones in each chapter and each new adventure.

I wanted to put in this post as well all of the color plates as it was mainly John R. Neill's ilustrations that made me buy this book in the first place, by the way this was found on E-bay for $43.00 which included the shipping.

About John R. Neill

1877 Born Nov 12 in Philadelphia, PA, fifth in a family of eight children. Grew up in Germantown, PA. Father died when he was 10. Mother managed to keep the large family together and ran the family laundry business.

1895 Graduated from the Philadelphia Central High School and enrolled in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Dropped out of school after one semester because he said, “they have nothing to teach him ".

1896 Worked as "cub reporter" for a Philadelphia newspaper doing sketches in Police Court. Then moved to the Philadelphia Inquirer where he stayed for three years learning the trade.

1898 Started working at the Philadelphia North American. Began receiving commissions.
1900 Moved to NYC to work for the Evening Journal.
1901 Returned to Philadelphia and the North American.
1902 Married Elsie Barrows on Oct. 7.

1904 Left the North American to work for the Public Ledger. He was approached by Reilly & Britton to illustrate The Land of Oz. Because he had so many assignments, Reilly & Britton had to hold three conferences with him before he was persuaded to accept the work. He set up his studio at "Devil’s Half Acre," a reconstructed colonial house in Lumberville, PA. This is where he illustrated most of the early Oz books. Neill also had a studio at 1020 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia.

1905 Returned to the North American, where he remained for the next 7 years. Continued to illustrate the Oz books and others, and developed his contacts for obtaining magazine illustration commissions.

1911 Resigned from the North American to freelance full time.
1913 Moved back to New York City since most of the magazines he was illustrating were located there.
1915 Elsie divorced John. They had no children. (He had been separated in NYC for two years.)

1919 Married actress Margaret Carroll. (Later nicknamed “Mommy Moy”). She was 30 and he was 42. Over the years they raised a family of three daughters, Natalie, Annrea, and Joan.

1925 Moved to Kensington Gardens, Great Neck, Long Island.
1930 The Depression brought hard times for illustrators as magazines and newspapers cut back on the expense of illustration and began to hire mostly photographers.

1933-35 The family moved many times. First they moved south to Palm Island, near Miami, Florida. Then for short periods in Townshend, Vermont, then New York City, and Scotland, CT.

1936 Bought the 130 acre "old Yaeger farm" on a mountain top in Flanders, New Jersey for $6000. Renamed it "Endolane Farm." Lived there for the rest of his life.

1943 Died September 19 of heart problems at age 65.

On the home front my Kidney Stone surgery is over, everything went very well and surpirislingly enough there was no stint put in--so hurrah, which means no having to take it out with any pain killers! Still a little sore and a little tired but recovering well.

School books for college go on sale on the 17th and a new student orientation is the 29th with classes starting the 31st. I am taking a sculpting and drawing class to start and I am excited and little nervous.

The Flying Girl and Her Chum

Well another Edith Van Dyne story under my belt and in my ever growing collection of books. "The Flying Girl and Her Chum" was published by The Reilly & Britton Company of Chicago, illustrated by Joseph Pierre Nuyttens and wrote 1912. I found my book on E-bay for $63.00

(Written by Jared Davis: A review of Amazon.com) In 1910, L. Frank Baum closed his Oz stories with "The Emerald City of Oz," trying to put Oz behind him so he could attempt new stories. The following years, he produced more books that were quite different from his Oz stories: "The Sea Fairies" and "Sky Island," two fantasies that let Baum write Oz-like fantasies without using Oz, "The Daring Twins" and "Phoebe Daring," two novels without fantasy trappings at all that Baum published under his own name, and "The Flying Girl" and "The Flying Girl And Her Chum," published under the pseudonym Edith Van Dyne.

Baum was able to write sequels to his stories that did not require a reading of the earlier books. "The Flying Girl And Her Chum" is no exception, as in the first chapter, Baum introduces new characters to his already established cast from the first book, covers what you need to know from the first story, and ties the new characters in with the lead character, Orissa Kane.

The story follows Orissa taking her friend (and her financier's daughter), Sybil Cumberford, with her as she test-flys her brother Steve's new hydro-plane. When they meet with an accident, Orissa and Sybil are stranded on a desert island with little provisions. While Orissa is resourceful, how long can they survive? And will Steve, Mr. Cumberford and the rest of the rescue party find them? Even when their yacht runs aground? And can they escape the self-proclaimed robber King of the Islands? Baum really breaks the style people might expect from his Oz books and some of his other works. He is able to make his story exciting and page-turning, taking unexpected twists along the way.

I heartily recommend Baum's works to anyone who wants a good read. He was a masterful if misunderstood storyteller, and "The Flying Girl And Her Chum" may seem as if he broke the mold, but in the end, we are left with another exciting L. Frank Baum story, just as he had been telling all along.

My Input- This story so far is one of the best Edith Van Dyne stories I have read with mystery, intrigue, an island crash and survival, Mexican outlaw pirates I just could not put it down. With 313 pages you could very easily polish this incredible story off in a day and it gives such wonderful insight into the mind of a master writer L. Frank Baum. Take the time, find this book and enjoy.

Last of the Marvel Comic books

Well today I want to post the pictures of the last two Marvel Limited Series comic books by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. This is the last two in the first series not the seroes with the alternative covers that I posted a few months back now. Our local Vintage toy shop carries these http://www.toystimeforgot.com/ and I am sure Dan and his staff can help you out, tell them Charlie Dale recommended them.

The books are beautifully illustrated and is the basic book story written by L. Frank Baum but re-written by Eric Shanower. Price per book is $3.99 so a very affordable addition to any collection of Oz books.

I go tomorrow to the urologist to see what we are doing about my kidney stone that I still, as of this writing, have not passed. Frankly, I am not looking forward to surgery so keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Hopefully sometime today I can pass it, as it is moving and I am in considerable pain.

We have been having a humid heat wave here the last few days with temperatures near or over 90 and with the Kidney stones it has been rough. Yesterday for a few hours we had a break from the heat as the neighbor Linda "Grandma Holiday" Lynch had her birthday party and they have central air (smile)---BTW thanks again Linda for such a wonderful time and hope your birthday was everything you wanted it to be.

For those of you attending or thinking of attending the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival as of today we are 40 days away from going down the Yellow Brick Road. If you have not attended this wonderful event yet I want to encourage you to do so. Last year even during Hurricane Ike we had so much fun.

I am really looking forward to Chesterton this year as it is back in the town and not at the fairgrounds and they are having the grand parade as well. So for Jim and I it will be like attending the festival as it was years ago.

The Youtube post today is of one of the last munchkins alive the incredibly wonderful and funny Margaret Pellegrini

Mary Louise and the Liberty Girls

Well the last book in that set of four I bought off E-bay is "Mary Louise and the Liberty Girls". In this, the fourth book of the series, Mary Louise and friends form a group dedicated to supporting the soldiers in World War I, and she brings Josie O’Gorman in to spoil a treasonous plot against the government. Filled with wonderful patriotism, and sense of country this book I feel is still relevant in todays world even after September 11th.



For some reason the front illustration is missing and I guess I didn't realize that till now. his book is also found online as an MP3 file and the link is http://librivox.org/mary-louise-and-the-liberty-girls-by-l-frank-baum/ I do hope many of use take advantage of the links for the books and I hope it encourages you to either use your Ipod or buy one.

On personal note school is approaching for me at the end of the month at Kent State University Stark Campus and I am anxious and nervous. I have a new studetn orientation to attend on August 29th and books are available on August 17th. we get our student supply list at our first class.

My Pell Grant money is in and my $100 balance is paid in full and I think for the most part I am ready. The nervous part is here lately I have been really tired out again and I JUST hope I can keep up the pace of college life as the "new boy on campus". I ask always keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I start this new journey of my life.


I will be taking Drawing 1 and Sculpting 1 which I am really looking foreward to and I have the same teacher for both classes and I attend scholl Monday through Thursday.

The "Youtube" is something a little different for this space, but I guess every now and then you do need something non-Ozzy and well kids Madonna seems to fit the bill---besides what do you expect from a college kid LOL

Mary Louise Solves A Mystery

"Mary Louise Solves A Mystery" is the third book in the set I bought at auction on E-bay. The four books were $90 and the only illustration is the one posted here. Published in 1917 I believe this is the third in the seires as well. Published again by The Reilly & Lee Company of Chicago this time the illustration is by Anna B. Mueller.

In this, the third book of the series, Mary Louise and her Grandfather happen upon a mysterious pair of Americans whilst travelling in Italy. Jason Jones is a failed artist, and his companion is his daughter, Alora, an heiress. When the girl is kidnapped, truths stemming back to the time of her parents’ marriage are brought to light by Mary Louise and her friend Josie O’Gorman.

There is a free online MP3 download of this book as well and the link is http://librivox.org/mary-louise-solves-a-mystery-by-l-frank-baum/ Hope all of you are enjoyig the free links to these great books.

Mary Louise In the Country

Published by The Reilly and Lee Company of Chicago in 1916 with the illustration by J. Allen St. John.

In this volumne, Mary Luoise and Gran'pa Jim take a house for the summer in a quiet place called Cragg's Crossing. There they meet with any numner of peculiar people- and one very peculiar mystery!

It is the second bookk in the series of eight. Again the only illustration is the front inside. I really want to encourage all of you to take the time and interest and read Baum's other books. They are similar to Oz but in my opinion geared to an older audience. There are two more books I want to talk about that I have in this series, but I would b

Something brand new for this blog I found this wonderful book available for FREE as an MP3 file so if you would like to listen to the book here is the link.... http://www.archive.org/details/mary_louise_in_the_country_0902_librivox .

Hopefully some of my readers caught part of the Judy Garland Day they had yesterday at TCM (Turner Classic Movies) 24 hours worth of Garland movies.

A pre -recorded track from Judy for The Judy Garland Show...Judy sings with The Kirby Stone Four...Ep#19 Jan 17th 1963.