I have had had a couple of blogposts focused on Disney
at Disney, Baxley, and Oz the past few weeks, so I decided to do an Oz one. I
made inquiries on my Facebook page to see if any Oz authors would like to be
interviewed, and James Krych agreed to be placed under the fairly soft scrutiny
that is an interview with whom some Ozians have called a Lavender Bear and some
Disney fans and friends have called a Pooh Bear.
James himself would probably
be more of a mix of the Tin Woodman, Nick Chopper, and Fyter the Tin Soldier
because of his military background with the energy of Disney’s Tigger (he has
to as he raises two boys, works a full-time job, and works as an author). I
have known James for several years and have become his friend. Unlike some of
my other Facebook friends, I have met him in person at a con and have carried
on numerous past conversations with him. I have also reviewed his work and know
him and his books fairly well. Before I post my questions and his answers,
though, I want to first share James’ submitted bio.:
James Walter (J.W.)
Krych had his first novel, From Neptune to Earth, as a
collaborative work between him and David Cuciz, a member of the Swiss Army at
the time. The Flight to Oz Book I: Arrival was his
first-ever Science Fiction/Fantasy story based on the characters and world of
L. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz series. The Flight to Oz
Book II: Anusha of Oz was a direct sequel to Book I and
included a new Original Character with Asperger's Syndrome. This Point
in Time is the first book based on his Flight to Oz universe
and deals with the Holocaust and forgiveness. Starting in 1988, James served in
the US Military, finally retiring as a CW2 in 2011. As a Warrant Officer,
he was first assigned to the Joint Force Headquarters in Columbus, Ohio,
preparing for natural and/or man-made disasters. Relocating to South Carolina,
he became a member of the 218th MEB and finished his last two
years of service on active duty orders as the Brigade S-6 IT Signal Warrant
Officer for the CCMRF, the CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear
and Explosives) Consequence Management Response Force, Mission, where
circumstances would have had to be terribly bad in order to be called up. He
and his wife, Lori, and their two special-needs boys live in the Charleston,
SC, area, along with their cats. He can be reached on Deviant Art: http://centurion030.deviantart.com/ and on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/TheFlightToOz
...
There James is…Captain Amer-i-caaaaaaaaa!... There he
is… Captain Amer-i-caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa:
James may not share my fondness for puns, but he
definitely shares my fondness for parodies, so I think he will like the above
parody of the old Miss America song. I made it masculine too to match the
interview subject. He is a patriotic guy and does have some super hero aspects,
so I thought it fit.
Now on to my questions…
11) Your series takes place
partially in the Land of Oz. What do the works of L. Frank Baum mean to you?
How about popular culture versions of Oz?
Like many, I was
introduced to the Wizard of Oz via the annual Halloween TV specials where it
and "King Kong" (the 1930s version) were shown. Later on, I remember
seeing the Journey Back to Oz. It wasn't until the mid-1990’s where I learned
about the books -- as in there was more than one! In fact, it was after a TI
99/4A Multi User Group conference in Lima, Ohio, where I learned from the
organizer, Dr. Charles Good, about the 14 total that L. Frank Baum had written.
That had to have been either 1994 or 1995. When I met my then fiance, Lori
Geiger, back in 2002, she mentioned that she had named her car "Ozma"
and that led to some serious Internet research! I have since surpassed her
extensive knowledge of Oz as I have written my own stories…
Baum’s works are neat.
They are more whimsical than those of C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien. In fact,
the puns from the books are painful for me. The characters are probably the
most fun thing for me to read about. Of course, Oz is a large land and not
every place is peaceful and safe; Mr. Baum made that pretty clear.
Source: Wikipedia
Regarding popular
culture versions. I'll lead off with an anecdote about that: I was discussing
my books with one of our ABA (applied behavior analysis) therapists and mentioned Ozma -- which
resulted in the deer in the headlight look. She was pretty familiar with the
"Wicked" book but not much else. The versions remind me of the blind
men describing an elephant -- all different yet all part of the same animal. Some
of the newest have been dark ( "Emerald City" comes to mind), and
others are a neat mix of the MGM Movie and the books -- Boomerang's “Dorothy
and the Wizard of Oz”, for example.
Source: Harper Collins web-site
I say let the versions
blossom!
(James later explained the concept of the ABA
therapists mentioned above and what they do for his sons on the autism
spectrum. He wrote, “An ABA, applied behavior analysis, therapist is
a person who works with a special-needs child and employs strategies such as
positive reinforcement to enable life-long tools for that child to use. It
doesn't "cure" autism, but it does give the child skills to function
in the world -- with the caveat that autism is a spectrum with very low functioning
on one end and high functioning at the other; with everything in between.” Note:
I knew most of these strategies from my days as an educator but did not know
the exact term for the type of therapist.)
2.)
Do you think people who use traditional fantasy works as jumping off points for
new work should adhere to everything in the source material? Why/why not?
I take things quite
literally, and I learned very early on just how much the original material from
L. Frank Baum alone was contradictory. I finally resolved my own dilemma by
taking the best parts for my own stories. For me, it boils down to two major
concepts: first is that the source material provides a great sounding board --
not simply stone tablet laws. Second, as an author, we can either enhance or degrade the
original stories. I chose to enhance the original stories by having the
original characters face wholly new situations with new, original characters.
(Note: One of the ways
Baum contradicted himself was making O.Z. Diggs, the Wizard of Oz, more of a
co-conspirator with the kidnapping of Princess Ozma by Mombi in The
Marvelous Land of Oz but later amending that. By the way, the cover below
has a truncated title of The Marvelous Land of Oz, I do believe, much
like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is often truncated to The Wizard of
Oz – even in book form. I chose this image because it was more vibrant than
the cover scans of vintage “… Marvelous..” covers. Now back to questions for
James…)
Source: Oz Wiki
3.)
How long have you been a writer? How many years have you been a published
author?
I wrote stories as a
young man, and during the mid-1990’s, I also wrote political commentaries under
my "Fireside Chats." Sadly, those are probably lost to history as the
hard drive and the TI it was attached to was given to a friend in California.
My first published work was a co-authored project, "From Neptune to
Earth". That was released by Good Deal Games and J2 Games. Several of the
un-edited chapters can be read at the following site: http://www.gooddealgames.com/Fan_Fiction.htm . In 2015, my first Oz Novel, "The
Flight to Oz Book I: Arrival" was published via CreateSpace.
Source: Amazon.com
4.)
Does your personal life ever figure into your writing? In what way?
Where do I begin?!
Many of the best writing examples have come from my own experiences and
especially those of my military career. Normally, they'll show up as little
"Easter Eggs" here and there or as subtle references.
5.) You have had at
least one disabled character in your series, a child with high functioning
autism. Explain why including characters with disabilities is so important to
you. How can a disabled character be a good fit in a fantastic world such as
Oz?
Those on the Autism Spectrum have so
much to offer to us -- even the low functioning ones. For me, it's also a
reflection of my own personal life. I have three sons who are all on the
spectrum. Brandon and Jack, here in South Carolina, have autism, and Treyton,
in Ohio, has Asperger's. Much of their own little quirks and traits found their
way into my original characters. In fact, the one scene in Book II where Anusha
lined up things all dress-right-dress, exactly in a row, comes directly from
something Treyton did when he was little -- flower pots up all in a row.
For a fantasy world, the
special-needs can appear to be almost magical in their abilities. Anusha's
pattern recognition and how that saved her family is one example. I was very
brutal when it came to Anusha's parents' struggles in getting to come to grips
with her Asperger's. Betsy's grief and confusion are very much part of being a
special-needs parent. I have already included notes for Book III on Betsy's
experiences being used in a bigger way. Some children from Ix are found to be
displaying similar traits, and Queen Zixi wants Betsy to be a
teacher/therapist. -Just thoughts right now. Of course, during the Double
Enthronement Ceremony at the end of Act 3, Book III, Anusha will have watched
the Throne Room's remodeling, so she will be comfortable there. In Book II,
Ozma gives her the title of "Keeper of the Throne Room Layout."
Source: Amazon.com
6.) Some of your works
appear to have allegorical facets -- particularly ones that are
Judeo-Christian. Why did you want to incorporate those facets into your
fiction? Is your faith important to you and why?
I have often said it before and will
do so again: no literature is free from the worldview and biases of its
creator. I'm reminded that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien wanted to include
Christian themes in fantasy. I do that same in my works because it's part of me
and I want to show how such timeless and eternal values can be woven into
fiction and fantasy. In Book I, I especially used the themes of Love and what
love needed to be in order to defeat evil. I even have the Ixians of Book II
able to smell scents almost like a dog and Jonathan, one of my OC's, is a
Jewish man and his scent to the Ixians is "like one of milk and
honey." I also included much of Ix's past as being influenced by Jewish
Captives from the fall of Jerusalem and the Destruction of the Second Temple --
circa A.D. 70.
Jonathan's Jewishness will play a
huge part in Act 3 of Book III. Let's just say he'll have to confront the
greatest user of evil magic while being non-magical and fighting the temptation
to do something. He'll have to trust in the One Who Has Kept His People.
He and Betsy already say terms of endearment
to each other in Hebrew and that will continue as their love grows and they
grow as a couple and as parents. The Loves of Oz that is included in each book
models the Four Loves that come from the Bible.
Love is a vital theme that connects all of the books that
have been written, and Lord willing, will be written.
Probably
the biggest allegorical use of the Judeo-Christian worldview can be found in
the novella "This Point in Time." In "Ojo in Oz", Ozma sent
the gypsies (editor’s note: who James calls the more modern term Romani in his
fiction) back to wander to countries of Southern Europe--1933--and in the year
2045 must ask for forgiveness from a direct descendant. I really enjoyed the
research and character building for that story, and I believe that many
important lessons can be drawn from reading the story.
7.)
Do you ever deal with politics satirically in your series? If so,
how?
I am thinking about
how to answer this. Certainly, the stories deal with such topics as evil, as it
is always part of the human, and half-human, experience and as such it can
never be remedied, “therapied”, educated, or whatnot away. I wholeheartedly
reject any notion that humanity's most evil dictators can somehow become
"rehabilitated" by merely being jailed in Oz! There is a scene in
Book I where Ozma has to look into the heart of the evil, and the Abyss looks
back. I am more inclined to point out the massive failures of humanity's
attempt at Utopia by our own means. Book II has an entire "Forward By Oz
Diggs" Prologue in which he sadly realizes all of those dreams led to hell
on Earth during the 20th Century. I enjoyed having characters such as Aunt Em
reacting to a before and after of an H-Bomb test: "Young man, where did
that island go?" To which Jonathan replied, "Ma'am, that crater is
now the island." Aunt Em classically replies, "My Lord, what hath man
wrought."
I really enjoyed the
scene in Book I where Glinda and the Book of Records have a conversation about
the evil that has invaded Oz. In fact, I'll copy that:
It was getting late,
but Glinda had two more items to
discuss and to follow
their conclusions to the bitter truth.
Glinda: “We had very
good intentions for the
enchantment of the
magic barrier.”
Book: “See the
Law of Unintended Consequences.”
Glinda: “Quick
definition, please.”
Book: “A
warning that an intervention in a complex
system tends to create
unanticipated and often
undesirable outcomes.”
Glinda: “Examples?”
Book: “There
are 16,777,216 examples currently on
record. Do you want me
to start at 1?”
Glinda: “No. No...
Could we have known?”
Book: “That in
the year 1910 you would be discussing
this with me in the
year 2030?”
Glinda: “No.....”
Book: “Because
you are Glinda the Good, not Glinda
the Perfect.”
Glinda: “And Ozma?”
Book: “Ozma is
the Rightful Ruler of Oz, not Ozma the
Omniscient.”
Glinda: “Conclusion?”
Book: “You
both could not have known...”
It was a somber flight
back to the Emerald City.
Chapter 29 of Book I
lists a whole slew of evil that Ozma never saw through her Magic Picture and I
was very brutal in naming names and situations: such as "Separate But Equal",
the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, etc.
Book II really hammers
home what happens when you have a society that has been magically provided for
and the subjects start resenting when the simplest of ailments aren't
healed.
I don't have my
Original Characters trying to overthrow the existing systems. Rather, they work
within it. They provide different perspectives, and with the establishment of
The Confederation of Kingdoms, based on the Iroquois Confederacy, Ozma
understands that each Kingdom has its own unique set of traditions and laws and
that they are equals.
After all, the Magic Barrier basically left all other Kingdoms outside of Oz
proper to fend for themselves. As my character David Benjamin explained to
Ozma, it was a de facto secession.
In my thoughts, I see Ix as being the technologically-advanced Kingdom. Oz is
more agricultural -- in keeping with L. Frank Baum's original work. And magic
use in Oz is officially limited. In Ix, only Queen Zixi practices it. In the
upcoming Act 1 of Book III, an entire island of Native Americans will be magic
users and will have developed schools and rules for its use.
I'm also going to say that not all societies will be the same (we know of the
Phanfasm's and the Growleywogs. At least the surviving ones. ;)).
Act 2 of Book III will
have an entire society ripped apart by the actions of one and will mirror our
current issues in several areas.
8.)
What other experience do you have with the fantasy and science fiction genre? I
think I read that you wrote a science fiction-themed game.
Ah yes, you are
referring to the fanfiction novel, "From Neptune to Earth",
which is based on the old arcade game Gyruss. A member of the Swiss Army, David
Cuciz, and I co-wrote that and each chapter has two sections -- each from the
point of view of his character and mine. Each chapter was a planet that our
heroes had to fight to and overcome the enemy -- the Ideoclan Empire. One of
the few reviews pointed out that our science was "hard" in regards to
what each planet's system held. For example, the space around Jupiter is
extremely radioactive and that played a major role in where and how long the
fighting could last and its effects on the protagonists. The book is more along
the lines of military science fiction with the science being as hard as we
could get.
9.)
What is your military background? How does it figure into your
books?
I am a retired Chief
Warrant Officer Two from the South Carolina Army National Guard. Overall, I
have about 23 years of total service -- active duty and reserve time. My first
service was the US Coast Guard from July 24th, 1988, until March 15th, 1994.
From July 1994 till 2006, I was a member of Bravo Company of the 112th Combat Engineers
out of Brookpark and later Lorain, Ohio. From 2006 till 2007, I attended the
state-run Warrant Officer Candidate School. (WOCS). I was at Fort Gordon from
January 2008 until June 2008 for my IT school, and after a brief period back up
in Ohio, we came back down South to the Charleston, South Carolina area. I
finished my career as the Brigade S-6 IT Signal Warrant Officer for the 218th
MEB -- which was two years of active duty.
The military is such a different way of life when compared to normal civilian
occupations. I'm not surprised that many veterans often will join the police
force or firefighters as something similar. The mindset, language, and
attitudes can often seem to be entirely alien to those on the outside. I have
always made a point to include that mindset in my books. When David Cuciz and I
were writing "From Neptune to Earth", I was amazed at how much we had
in common despite being from different countries. There is a commonality that
those in the services possess which transcends countries. That is something I
drew upon for Book I with the crew of the Haley and Lady
Glinda's own Finest Forty. In a city of 50,000 people, Emerald City, it was
only those two groups that ended up trusting and respecting each other.
I also tend to include
people I have had the pleasure of serving with as characters in my books, and
Book II was no exception as I used a good friend as the model for Jin the Giant
Munchkin. Later books will do the same, including a group of Winkie volunteers
becoming the first ever combat engineers of Oz.
My service experiences
have provided a fertile ground for stories and anecdotes in my writing. Just as
has my faith in Yeshua is a part of me, so has this and I am humbled I can
include it. As an example, a certain story about a water truck getting stuck
always manages to find itself in my books. And in the final bantering scene of
Book I, I included phrases that were used during my WOCS days.
10.)
Have you noticed any changes in how audiences approach books now?
I would have to guess
that e-books and platforms such as Kindle have really opened up the options a
consumer can have. I managed to get Book I into a Kindle format but it was a
real chore to do so. Book II and "This Point in Time" are not
available in Kindle. As for content, we can see how J.K. Rowling had children
reading 700 or more page books. There is always a need for print, but having
online sources is both good and bad as piracy of the text can be problematic.
Source: Amazon.com
Thank you for the
interview, James. As we both know, we often close our Facebook chats with
“Agape in Yeshua”, would you like to explain that to my audience? By the way,
as I have thanked you, would you also like to explain our little inside joke
about that in closing, my friend?
James
wrote back, “Certainly!
Agape Love is the
supreme, unconditional love. It is the love that God used when gave His Only
Begotten Son. Yeshua is the Hebrew for Jesus. Combing the two, we get the
phrase "Agape in Yeshua.
As for the inside joke, that is from Moana where Maui says ‘You're Welcome!’ “
Agape
in Yeshua, James! Thanks again. I anticipate a certain Polynesian islander
response soon!
If you are an author who has written an Oz book (I also do reviews) or who has written a Disney book or if you are an Oz or Disney fan and just want to be interviewed for this blog, contact Ron Baxley, Jr. at rbaxley37@gmail.com .
