Jinnicky the Red Jinn
Encyclopedia
The Red Jinn, later known as Jinnicky, is one of Ruth Plumly Thompson
's most frequently occurring characters in her Oz books. He was first introduced in Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz
as a mysterious figure who educates Jack Pumpkinhead
on the use of the Pirate Sack. Although a detailed description is included in the text, Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz includes no illustrations of the Red Jinn aside from a gruesome color plate that did not appear outside the first edition, in which he has massive piercings. He was reintroduced, drawn, and given the name Jinnicky in The Purple Prince of Oz
; he also appeared in the follow-up, The Silver Princess in Oz
. (He makes a cameo appearance in The Wishing Horse of Oz
, and he is the principal pre-existing character in Thompson's sub-canonical penultimate Oz book, Yankee in Oz
). Jack Snow
apparently thought the Red Jinn was a separate character, for he considered The Purple Prince of Oz Jinncky's first appearance in Who's Who in Oz, though he did not include a separate Red Jinn entry.
Jinnicky's body is housed inside a large red ginger jar, complete with lid. He speaks in a deep voice. Neill's art originally depicted him with massive piercings, but these were later omitted and are not referred to in the text. His disposition is generally jolly and friendly, and in spite of what modern readers may consider serious character faults, he is popular and well-liked and treated very sympathetically by his author. His preferred mode of transportation is a flying jinrikisha pulled only by magic. He lives in a red glass palace in the northeast of the Land of Ev
, attended by his Advizier, Alibabble, and Addie the Adding Adder.
In addition to these, Jinnicky has a large number of slaves. This was apparently intended to be a joke on Thompson's part. Thompson was wont to derive material from the Arabian Nights, in which jinn
s are usually slaves, such as in Aladdin's lamp, so she played a simple turnaround and made the Jinn the slaveholder. All of the slaves that are described are explicitly black people
. The best known of the slaves is Ginger, whose service to a magic dinner bell is an important literary device. Jinnicky's slaveholding tends to cause the most frustration for contemporary fans in The Silver Princess in Oz, because Princess Ozma
helps him to quell a slave revolt, leaving two of his slaves transformed to stone. At the end of that book, Jinnicky's successful attempt to heal Planetty, the title character, causes her to become human, losing the silver luster to her skin. Taken together, many see Jinnicky, and by extent, his author, as racist.
He also makes smaller appearances in Ojo in Oz
, The Wishing Horse of Oz
, and Yankee in Oz
. Because all of his appearances except The Silver Princess in Oz are protected under U.S. copyright, he does not figure in books by post-Thompson authors, with the notable exception of Lin Carter
, whose estate was able to pay to use the character in his novel, The Tired Tailor of Oz (published posthumously in 2001).
David L. Greene and Dick Martin
refer to Jinnicky as "The Wizard of Ev," in The Oz Scrapbook, though this turn of phrase is first used by Thompson as the final words in Yankee in Oz
, in which Jinnicky is instrumental in freeing Ozma and the other residents of the Emerald City palace from the giant Badmannah.
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson was an American writer of children's stories.-Life and work:An avid reader of Baum's books and a lifelong children's writer, Thompson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and began her writing career in 1914 when she took a job with the Philadelphia Public Ledger; she wrote...
's most frequently occurring characters in her Oz books. He was first introduced in Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz
Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz
Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz is the twenty-third of the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and continued by other writers; it is the ninth Oz book written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was Illustrated by John R...
as a mysterious figure who educates Jack Pumpkinhead
Jack Pumpkinhead
Jack Pumpkinhead is a fictional character from the Oz book series by L. Frank Baum.-In Baum:Jack first appeared in The Marvelous Land of Oz. Jack's tall figure is made from tree limbs and jointed with wooden pegs...
on the use of the Pirate Sack. Although a detailed description is included in the text, Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz includes no illustrations of the Red Jinn aside from a gruesome color plate that did not appear outside the first edition, in which he has massive piercings. He was reintroduced, drawn, and given the name Jinnicky in The Purple Prince of Oz
The Purple Prince of Oz
thumb|200px|Cover of The Purple Prince in Oz.The Purple Prince of Oz is the 26th in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the 12th written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R...
; he also appeared in the follow-up, The Silver Princess in Oz
The Silver Princess in Oz
thumb|200px|Cover of The Silver Princess in Oz.The Silver Princess in Oz is the thirty-second of the Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the eighteenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R...
. (He makes a cameo appearance in The Wishing Horse of Oz
The Wishing Horse of Oz
thumb|200px|Cover of The Wishing Horse of Oz.The Wishing Horse of Oz is the twenty-ninth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the fifteenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was Illustrated by John R. Neill...
, and he is the principal pre-existing character in Thompson's sub-canonical penultimate Oz book, Yankee in Oz
Yankee in Oz
Yankee in Oz is a 1972 Oz novel by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was the first published by The International Wizard of Oz Club. A letter from the Henry Regnery Company, which bought Reilly & Lee, is reproduced in the front indicating the publisher's blessing for the new Oz book to appear...
). Jack Snow
Jack Snow (writer)
John Frederick "Jack" Snow was an American radio writer and scholar, primarily of the works of L. Frank Baum. When Baum died in 1919, the twelve-year-old Snow offered to be the next Royal Historian of Oz, but was politely turned down by a staffer at Baum's publisher, Reilly & Lee...
apparently thought the Red Jinn was a separate character, for he considered The Purple Prince of Oz Jinncky's first appearance in Who's Who in Oz, though he did not include a separate Red Jinn entry.
Jinnicky's body is housed inside a large red ginger jar, complete with lid. He speaks in a deep voice. Neill's art originally depicted him with massive piercings, but these were later omitted and are not referred to in the text. His disposition is generally jolly and friendly, and in spite of what modern readers may consider serious character faults, he is popular and well-liked and treated very sympathetically by his author. His preferred mode of transportation is a flying jinrikisha pulled only by magic. He lives in a red glass palace in the northeast of the Land of Ev
Land of Ev
The Land of Ev is a fictional country in the Oz books of L. Frank Baum and his successors. Its exact location is unclear between text and maps. The Road to Oz states that Ev is to the north of the Land of Oz, and in Ozma of Oz, Princess Ozma of Oz and her procession enter the Munchkin Country and...
, attended by his Advizier, Alibabble, and Addie the Adding Adder.
In addition to these, Jinnicky has a large number of slaves. This was apparently intended to be a joke on Thompson's part. Thompson was wont to derive material from the Arabian Nights, in which jinn
Genie
Jinn or genies are supernatural creatures in Arab folklore and Islamic teachings that occupy a parallel world to that of mankind. Together, jinn, humans and angels make up the three sentient creations of Allah. Religious sources say barely anything about them; however, the Qur'an mentions that...
s are usually slaves, such as in Aladdin's lamp, so she played a simple turnaround and made the Jinn the slaveholder. All of the slaves that are described are explicitly black people
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
. The best known of the slaves is Ginger, whose service to a magic dinner bell is an important literary device. Jinnicky's slaveholding tends to cause the most frustration for contemporary fans in The Silver Princess in Oz, because Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma
Princess Ozma is a fictional character in the Land of Oz, created by L. Frank Baum. She appears in every book of the series except the first, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz .She is the rightful ruler of Oz, and L...
helps him to quell a slave revolt, leaving two of his slaves transformed to stone. At the end of that book, Jinnicky's successful attempt to heal Planetty, the title character, causes her to become human, losing the silver luster to her skin. Taken together, many see Jinnicky, and by extent, his author, as racist.
He also makes smaller appearances in Ojo in Oz
Ojo in Oz
thumb|200px|Cover of Ojo in Oz.Ojo in Oz is the twenty-seventh in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the thirteenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was illustrated by John R...
, The Wishing Horse of Oz
The Wishing Horse of Oz
thumb|200px|Cover of The Wishing Horse of Oz.The Wishing Horse of Oz is the twenty-ninth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors, and the fifteenth written by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was Illustrated by John R. Neill...
, and Yankee in Oz
Yankee in Oz
Yankee in Oz is a 1972 Oz novel by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was the first published by The International Wizard of Oz Club. A letter from the Henry Regnery Company, which bought Reilly & Lee, is reproduced in the front indicating the publisher's blessing for the new Oz book to appear...
. Because all of his appearances except The Silver Princess in Oz are protected under U.S. copyright, he does not figure in books by post-Thompson authors, with the notable exception of Lin Carter
Lin Carter
Linwood Vrooman Carter was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft and Grail Undwin.-Life:Carter was born in St. Petersburg, Florida...
, whose estate was able to pay to use the character in his novel, The Tired Tailor of Oz (published posthumously in 2001).
David L. Greene and Dick Martin
Dick Martin (artist)
Dickinson P. Martin was an artist from Chicago who illustrated a number of books related to The Oz books series, most notably, Merry Go Round in Oz , the 40th and final title in the regular series, as well as many other children's books. He wrote and illustrated The Ozmapolitan of Oz, published...
refer to Jinnicky as "The Wizard of Ev," in The Oz Scrapbook, though this turn of phrase is first used by Thompson as the final words in Yankee in Oz
Yankee in Oz
Yankee in Oz is a 1972 Oz novel by Ruth Plumly Thompson. It was the first published by The International Wizard of Oz Club. A letter from the Henry Regnery Company, which bought Reilly & Lee, is reproduced in the front indicating the publisher's blessing for the new Oz book to appear...
, in which Jinnicky is instrumental in freeing Ozma and the other residents of the Emerald City palace from the giant Badmannah.