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Dorothy, the Wizard, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Cowardly Lion, flying monkeys, Munchkins, the yellow brick road, the dream city of Oz, Toto—and especially the Wicked Witch—have become icons of American popular culture. They appear regularly in editorial cartoons and the funny papers and even in everyday conversation. Political cartoonists used the Wizard image as early as 1906; in recent years Wizard themes appear in editorial cartoons on a weekly basis in the U.S.

Dorothy, the Wizard, the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Cowardly Lion, flying monkeys, Munchkins, the yellow brick road, the dream city of Oz, Toto—and especially the Wicked Witch—have become icons of American popular culture. They appear regularly in editorial cartoons and the funny papers and even in everyday conversation. Political cartoonists used the Wizard image as early as 1906; in recent years Wizard themes appear in editorial cartoons on a weekly basis in the U.S.

Academics, especially economists and historians, use the story to study the images of politics and economics in the U.S. in the 1890s.  Several hundred college level economics courses feature a unit on the Wizard of Oz to analyze money policy.

Academics, especially economists and historians, use the story to study the images of [[politics]] and [[economics]] in the [[U.S.]] in the 1890s.  Several hundred college level economics courses feature a unit on ''the Wizard of Oz'' to analyze money policy.

The author was L. Frank Baum (1856-1919); the illustrator of the 1900 book and 1902 play was editorial W. W. Denslow (1856-1915).<ref>see Michael Patrick Hearn, "The Man Behind the Man Behind Oz: W. W. Denslow at 150,"  ''AIGA'' (July 05, 2006) at [http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/the-man-behind-the-man-behind-oz-w-w-denslow-at-150]</ref> The book was a runaway best seller, though the two coauthors became alienated, and both went bankrupt.  Baum recouped by moving to Hollywood and writing a new series of Oz books; the series was continued after his death in 1919, with 40 Oz books in all. The first book became a smash Chicago hit musical in 1902 and moved to Broadway in 1903. Best known is the unusually successful Hollywood movie adaptation of 1939, starring Frank Morgan  as the Wizard and [[Judy Garland]] as Dorothy.  

The author was L. Frank Baum (1856-1919); the illustrator of the 1900 book and 1902 play was editorial W. W. Denslow (1856-1915).<ref>see Michael Patrick Hearn, "The Man Behind the Man Behind Oz: W. W. Denslow at 150,"  ''AIGA'' (July 05, 2006) at [http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/the-man-behind-the-man-behind-oz-w-w-denslow-at-150]</ref> The book was a runaway best seller, though the two coauthors became alienated, and both went bankrupt.  Baum recouped by moving to Hollywood and writing a new series of Oz books; the series was continued after his death in 1919, with 40 Oz books in all. The first book became a smash Chicago hit musical in 1902 and moved to Broadway in 1903. Best known is the unusually successful Hollywood movie adaptation of 1939, starring Frank Morgan  as the Wizard and [[Judy Garland]] as Dorothy.