Description:
From The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900):
The Lion thought it might be as well to frighten the Wizard, so he gave a large, loud roar, which was so fierce and dreadful that Toto jumped away from him in alarm and tipped over the screen that stood in a corner. As it fell with a crash they looked that way, and the next moment all of them were filled with wonder. For they saw, standing in just the spot the screen had hidden, a little old man, with a bald head and a wrinkled face, who seemed to be as much surprised as they were. The Tin Woodman, raising his axe, rushed toward the little man and cried out, “Who are you?”
From The Road to Oz (1909):
The Wizard of Oz was announced, and a dried-up, little, old man, clothed all in black, entered the drawing-room. His face was cheery and his eyes twinkling with humor, so Polly and Button-Bright were not at all afraid of the wonderful personage whose fame as a humbug magician had spread throughout the world.
From The Emerald City of Oz (1910):
From time to time some of the folk from the great outside world had found their way into this fairyland, but all except one had been companions of Dorothy and had turned out to be very agreeable people. The exception I speak of was the wonderful Wizard of Oz, a sleight-of-hand performer from Omaha who went up in a balloon and was carried by a current of air to the Emerald City. His queer and puzzling tricks made the people of Oz believe him a great wizard for a time, and he ruled over them until Dorothy arrived on her first visit and showed the Wizard to be a mere humbug. He was a gentle, kindly-hearted little man, and Dorothy grew to like him afterward. When, after an absence, the Wizard[49] returned to the Land of Oz, Ozma received him graciously and gave him a home in a part of the palace.
The Wizard’s characterization is very similar to the movie, although perhaps not so talkative. In later books, he returns to Oz and becomes Ozma’s right-hand man, learning some real magic from Glinda the Good. He is often paired with Dorothy in storylines, a bit like a wacky uncle (she solves problems through smarts; he solves problems through magic tricks).
Images (spoilers – click only if you really want to see!):
How W. W. Denslow drew the Wizard: 1 2
How John R. Neill drew the Wizard: 1 2 3 4
How Dick Martin drew the Wizard: 1 2
How Eric Shanower drew the Wizard: 1
How Skottie Young drew the Wizard: 1 2
Oz Student Art Contest 