Oz [graphic novel series] by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young

Oz - Nomes from the Nome King's palace.

Cowardly Lion, Toto and Dorothy from Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Jim and Eureka in the land of the Mangaboos, from Dorothy and the Wizard.

We usually don't do interviews about shorter books or comics. But I felt we needed to make a special exception for the Oz comics. Why do you think that is?
- Because the Oz comics are adaptations of chapter books. Novels, actually. And they aren't called graphic novels for nothing. They are pretty long.
It takes us at least eight hours to read an Oz novel, but right around three hours to read a comic, even with all the extra discussion and explaining. Do you think we are somehow missing out?
- No, because I think we should read both of every one.
So far we've read The Wizard of Oz, Ozma of Oz and Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. Which was your favourite?
- Ozma of Oz, the one with the Nome King. The pictures were particularly exciting - and the nomes were pretty cute. One of my favourite parts is when everyone has to guess what objects everyone got transformed into and they they guess wrong and they all get transformed. Then I loved how Billina the chicken was the hero.
I'm happy that Soleil is able to read graphic novels with us. She just doesn't have the attention span for chapter books.
- I like it too.
Next on our list is the The Road to Oz. Should we read the novel or the comic first?
- The comic.
The illustrator has made some bold choices. Which characters have surprised you, in a good way?
- Scarecrow. I love the Tin Woodman, but I wish he would have done him like in his first sketches - more robotic. I love the nomes. And Ozma.
Has the illustrator made any mistakes?
- Denfinitely with the Hammerheads. They should be bigger, with grass skirts instead of skin-clothes, have longer necks and more rectangular heads. They don't have arms!
How much do you think Oz can teach us about the real world?
- Two percent. I mean six percent. First of all, the characters had lots of courage and brains and heart before they got all that stuff from the Wizard. Like that kind of learning.
Pretend you are thinking of working together with a team to create a graphic novel version of something we've read. What is it?
- The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowat. Because it is one of the funniest things I've ever read.
Of the four main jobs (writer, illustrator, colorist, letterer), which would you pick?
- I'd take three of the jobs - illustrator, colorist, letterer. Somebody else can come up with the script.