Extras in Oz (original) (raw)

Okay, I’m not ACTUALLY going to write an entire post about Blufferroo, like I said last week, although I could potentially cook up some kind of back story for him. I am, however, going to say a bit about the category he belongs to, which is that of characters with names but very little else. Blufferroo, Grand Counter of the Imperial Spoons of Samandra, was someone who received only the briefest of mentions in The Yellow Knight of Oz, but for some reason he stuck with me. I actually asked about him on an Oz quiz I wrote for a Munchkin Convention, and was told it was too obscure. I’m sure that’s true. Anyway, going over the books in my head (which I realize isn’t always the most accurate technique), I get the impression that there are more such characters in Ruth Plumly Thompson’s Oz books than in L. Frank Baum’s. With Baum, a character with a name is usually going to get at least a bit of dialogue. There are some exceptions, like Chipo the Wild Boar, Arx the Giraffe, and Tirrip the Kangaroo from The Magic of Oz. I’m inclined to think that Thompson has quite a few more, however. Some didn’t even make it into Who’s Who in Oz, which is kind of saying something as it includes such significant characters as “Bluefinch,” “Wren,” and “Munchkin Farmer.” Then again, Jack Snow did leave out some more important players as well, so it could just be oversight that led to these not being included.

Mops – Despite the fact that his name suggests he’d be doing custodial work, he’s actually the cook at the Scarecrow’s tower. Since the straw man doesn’t eat, this presumably mostly means cooking for the rest of the staff, and sometimes for guests.
Hasha – The cook in the castle of Rash. Hungry Tiger begins with the Pasha throwing him into prison because he burns the pudding. He ends up sharing a cell with the Pasha’s great-uncle, who beat the ruler at chess.
Zeph – When Atmos Fere finds Ozma, he says to himself that he told Zeph there were people at the bottom of the sky. Zeph never actually appears, but I assume his name is a play on “zephyr.” Since Atmos’ and his countrymen are essentially giant balloons, it might also have some connection to “Zeppelin.”
Jewlia – Daughter of King Cheeriobed’s court jeweler, whom Melody Grandy later named Glatus. Jewlia actually has a few lines, but Snow apparently didn’t remember her.
High Jinx – The chief adviser to Joe King.
Do-ab – One of the guards of the Forbidden Flagon in Baffleburg, whom Jack Pumpkinhead overhears after being beheaded.
Snipper Snapper – An assistant to the Konk and Quink of Shell City, and hence a Shellback himself.

Pantleg – A page in the palace of Pumperdink
Slipper Slapper, Jumper, Humper, and Stumper – The Tappy Town episode in Ojo has several characters who have names but not much else. Thompson establishes that the people there have their names embroidered on their hatbands, so I guess it wouldn’t have made sense for her NOT to name at least a few of them. Jumper, Humper (what an unfortunate name), and Stumper are footmen; and Slipper Slapper a court official who carries a stick with a slipper at the end.

Metoo – The personal maid and attendant to the Princess of Umbrella Island. She has one line, and is said to wear “high useless heels.”
Blackjack – Pet jackdaw to Gloma, Queen of the Black Forest and Good Witch of the West.

There are a few others I could include, but I think that’s enough for one post.

This entry was posted in Characters, L. Frank Baum, Melody Grandy, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson and tagged jack pumpkinhead of oz, ojo in oz, pirates in oz, speedy in oz, the giant horse of oz, the hungry tiger of oz, the magic of oz, the purple prince of oz, the royal book of oz, the wishing horse of oz, the yellow knight of oz, who's who in oz. Bookmark the permalink.