Why I Don't Do April Fools On This Blog Anymore

The other day, I said I'd tell you more about April Fools Day on this blog, and why I haven't tried to pull one off for ten years. I also said I'd do it yesterday, on the actual day. Well, yesterday was also my first true relaxing day off in ages, and it all just got away from me. So, a day late, the story of April Fools Day 2007! (I did talk about it a bit last year, but I hope this will be the definitive account.)

First, the set-up: in the spring of 2007, McDonald's had Wizard of Oz toys in their Happy Meals for the first time. These were miniature versions of eight Madame Alexander dolls, and they proved to be very popular. The Oz community online at the time was particularly interested, and lamented that there were only eight of them—and the Wizard wasn't one of them. I had plans for another April Fools joke that year, but I ran out of time and resources (I still don't, and the window has passed, so I may tell you about it next year). Then I thought about the McDonald's promotion and the timing of it, and the perfect joke hit me. This entry was the result, and I was pretty proud of it. I even backed it up with pictures from the Madame Alexander website. And like all April Fools jokes I've ever pulled online, I make it pretty clear, if you click on any links, that it is a joke. So if you read the "article" I cite, you'll be in on it pretty quickly. If you take time to think about it, too, it doesn't hold up, as the lead time needed to make, package, and distribute the new figures, as well as the need to alter everything to push the next promotion pack another week, would be a logistical nightmare.

At this time, this blog was so new that I'd only had one previous attempt at an April Fools joke (this one here, as it happens), and it hadn't had much impact; most people saw through it right away. So I was completely unprepared for how much my little jest made. Before long, many Oz websites, message boards, and the like were reporting on it as if it were real news. Clearly, several people were not checking on my "source" article. Further exacerbating things were the ones who did look for more than one source—all of which had got it from me, so that wasn't a lot of help. When I finally got word out to some of the sites, and people finally found the "this is an April Fools joke" disclaimer, there was a lot of negative feedback, and I was in the doghouse with some people for a bit.

After a few days, however, things settled down, and all seemed to go back to normal—that is, until the next issue of The Baum Bugle, the journal of the International Wizard of Oz Club, arrived a few weeks later. There, in an item on the Happy Meal toys, was the news that the promotion had been extended! Whoops! I immediately wrote to the editor (I don't think I even finished reading that issue before I hit my computer), and there was a retraction in the next issue, but that just showed me how much impact the joke had.

After that, I decided my blog was too powerful and influential, and I shouldn't post any more April Fools jokes. And I haven't since then; instead, I try to post a warning every March 31. But some year, if the perfect opportunity presents itself, I just may try again.

About a year and a half later, and nowhere near April 1, McDonald's repeated the promotion, but this time there were twelve, and one of them was indeed the Wizard. No Mayor yet, but I did offer McDonald's and Madame Alexander a few ideas for future promotions right here. I would hope my all-too-successful April Fools joke had something to do with that, but I have my doubts.

A few years ago, thinking the whole thing had finally run its course, it reared its head again at the Winkie Convention (now known as OzCon International, come on over to Portland at the end of June for this year's edition!). I was on a panel about Oz blogs when the moderator posted my Happy Meal joke post and asked for the story. So I had to recount the whole saga again. But now that the definitive story is here, maybe that will be the end of it at last.

But I wouldn't bet on it!

Hey!

I do not need this kind of competition from my own wife!

Happy Blogiversary! (Oh, Yeah, and Oz in Jeopardy!)

Wow, has it really been nine years since I started this blog? I guess so, because it debuted on June 21, 2005. Where did the time go?

Of course, the way to celebrate an anniversary on this blog is with either a comic — and there wasn't one today — or a Jeopardy! clue. Fortunately, there was one of the latter the other day, the first one in some time. And my technical crew and I were on the ball and had it downloaded that night so I could post it the next day (yesterday) — only for other things to take priority. But that proved to be all right anyway, as I was so on top of things that the J! Archive website didn't have the game up yet! But it's there now. So, from the game of June 19, 2014, one category in Double Jeopardy! was Literary Gems. Once they started picking clues from that category, and it proved to be gems used in the titles of books (or, in one case the pen name of an author), I wondered if I would need to download this game. Sure enough, for $400, the very last clue uncovered in the round:

Troy, the defending champion, rang in first and correctly replied, "What is emerald?" He already had a big lead going into Final Jeopardy! but wagered big and got it wrong, so he did not win the game. I think my theory that knowing the Oz clues is a sure sign that you'll win the game has a whole bunch of little holes in it.

The Winkie Convention is coming!

Within forty-eight hours, Laura and I will be well on our way to this year's Winkie Convention. (It's not too late to join us! If you're going to be on the central coast of California this coming weekend, pop on in and say hello!) And it looks like I will have a larger-than-usual public presence there. First off, I'm hosting a game show Friday night. Second, yes, I will have a costume in the celebrity Oz parade Saturday morning. I will very likely also be handing out the awards for the Research Table (which Karyl and I have tried to revive this year after a long dormant period). And not only I, but also this very blog will be part of the panel Sunday morning, as it's about Oz blogs. I'll be sharing the stage with Jared Davis and David Maxine, alongside moderator J. L. Bell, and we're going to delve into the whole blogging phenomenon, what it's like to blog about Oz, and the like. It should be interesting — or it will put a lot of people to sleep, one or the other (or possibly both, as it is Sunday morning at a con). I may be able to post an entry or two during the convention, but I have no particular plans to, so it may end up being a little quieter than usual around here for the next week or so.

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

It was on this day, seven years ago (all the way back in 2005, can you believe it?) that I decided to start up a modest little blog about Oz. Back then, I had no idea what would be in it, and I certainly didn't think it would be mostly comic strips and Jeopardy! clues. But it's been fun, and an interesting way to keep writing about Oz and informing folks as to what's going on. No major plans for a post today (although if things go well I should have an update on what I've been reading very soon here), I just thought I'd mention the event today. Here's to many more years!

Blogiversary...

Just a side note to all the Winkie memory fun, this Blog turns 6 years old today. That's six years of bringing you Ozzy goodness. Let's hope for many happy returns!

Oz in cake!

One of my favorite blogs to check out every day is Cake Wrecks, which showcases bad or weird or just plain inexplicable, professionally-made cakes. It's pretty funny, and Jen, who runs the joint, always has a great spin on how to present it. However, she also balances the bad with the good in her weekly Sunday Sweets column, showing how to do cakes right. Well, yesterday's was a movie-themed column, and I'll bet you can guess one movie that was highlighted. (Otherwise, why would I be telling you this?) So Go take a look, and if you're just impatient to get to Oz, scroll down to the fifth picture. If you're more patient, read them all and enjoy the trip.

Check out some of my competition

I don't normally talk about other Oz blogs here, mostly because there are so many now, and I doubt that I'm the best judge of which ones are good — or which ones are going to keep going, for that matter. But I'm making an exception for the brand new Hungry Tiger Talk blog. Why? It's run by David Maxine, who I've known for years now. He's one of the good guys of Oz (not that there are many bad guys of Oz, of course), with all kinds of interesting and unusual passions to his collecting. And he's taking advantage of this blog to show off a lot of it. One reason for the blog (full disclosure here, folks) is advertising for his publishing company, Hungry Tiger Press, but he does such good work there that I don't see that as a problem. Besides, David peppers the blog with all kinds of stories and information that it's a joy to read. And kudos to him for actually managing a post a day ever since it started. (But let's see if he can keep that up during the big Comic Con International in a few weeks, as I know he and his partner, Eric Shanower, will be busy during that.)

Happy anniversary!

Wow, who would have thought it? Today marks the fifth anniversary of this very blog. Yes, it was June 21, 2005, when I started up my own little Oz blog after some encouragement from my wife. I wasn't quite sure what would be in an Oz blog, and even after all this time, I'm still not quite sure. But at least there seem to be plenty of Oz comic strips and Jeopardy! clues to keep things humming.

Today is also an even bigger anniversary for Oz fans, however. For it was twenty-five years ago today that the Disney movie Return to Oz hit theaters. I was housesitting at my grandparents' place in Seattle at the time and working at one of the big downtown banks for the summer, so while there were a lot of theaters showing it, I couldn't get to one of them until the evening. But at least I had a chance to buy up as many different newspapers as I could to get the reviews. One of the local reviewers loved it, giving it a full four stars. One of them hated it. The first reviewer knew of Oz from the books, while the second one only knew of Oz from The Movie — which seemed to be the pattern all over the country. Anyway, I finally got to see it that evening — and stuck around to watch it again. I also managed to pick up some publicity material, which I probably still have buried in some box somewhere.

I'm one of the few Oz fans who doesn't seem to have a very strong opinion of Return to Oz. While I certainly enjoyed it, and I thought Fairuza Balk made a great Dorothy, I also saw it as a bit of a mishmash and a wasted opportunity. By combining two of the best books in the series, they came up with a mediocre script. If they'd stuck closer to either book, I think it would have been a better film.

So what do I plan to do today? Not much. I guess I'll just post something about it on my blog...

Quick cake stuff

Yes, I've been busy. And yes, I hope to catch everyone up soon. But until then, go take a look at the blog Cake Wrecks (yes, it's a blog devoted to bad cakes, and it's terrific) for their recent Wizard of Oz-themed entry.

President Obama needs to apologize to Munchkins everywhere!

Well, it could happen, I suppose. Take a look at this entry on Mark Evanier's blog for the whole scandalous story.

Whoops! Missed it!

Things have been so hectic around here lately that I missed my own blogiversary! Yup, two years (and three days) ago, I started this little venture, not knowing exactly what would happen, and if I'd have enough stuff to say in an all-Oz blog. But it's gone well (with some assistance from Laura), and I look forward to doing it some more -- including live blogging events from the Winkie Convention next month!