Omby Amby (Novels)

Omby Amby is a former private in the Army of Oz, later promoted to Captain General of all the armies of Oz and Commander of Ozma's Body Guard at the Royal Palace of Oz.

Description

Omby Amby is tall and slim, and wears a fierce moustache. Despite his martial appearance, he is as gentle as a child.

History

Omby Amby was the only private selected by the Tin Woodman for Ozma's journey to the Nome Kingdom to free the royal family of Ev. He was commanded by 26 superior officers and behaved admirably, obeying every order. At the feast celebrating the successful end to their mission, Omby Amby was promoted to Captain General by Princess Ozma herself. (Ozma of Oz)

He later accompanied Princess Dorothy when she took her aunt and uncle on a tour of Oz. (The Emerald City of Oz)

Book Appearances

• Ozma of Oz (first appearance)
• The Road to Oz
• The Emerald City of Oz

Background

Many readers and commentators have considered him to be the same character as the Soldier with the Green Whiskers. This is based on Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, where the text says:

...a tall soldier in a Captain-General's uniform.

The Wizard turned to look at him.

"Did you not wear green whiskers at one time?" he asked.

"Yes," said the soldier; "but I shaved them off long ago, and since then I have risen from a private to be the Chief General of the Royal Armies."

In an early draft of the 1902 Wizard of Oz stage play, the soldier was named Timothy Alfalfa, but was cut entirely from the performed version

Ruth Plumly Thompson renamed Omby Amby "Wantowin Battles" in her 19th Oz book. (Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz)

In The Magical Mimics in Oz, Jack Snow conflated Omby Amby with the Guardian of the Gates, and made him the husband of Tollydiggle. In Who's Who in Oz, Snow speculates that Thompson changed Omby's name to Wantowin as a joke to see if the readers were paying attention.

Nathan M. DeHoff has proposed that in Mimics, Omby was merely filling in at the Gates while the Guardian was on vacation.

As a result, James E. Haff wrote an article on the character for The Baum Bugle, calling him "The Man Nobody Knows."

In Edward Einhorn's Paradox in Oz, Wantowin Battles is Omby Amby's "dark" analog in alternate universe.

He appears in The Hidden History of Oz as the young Wizard's best friend, calling him "Brud", a slang term for brother.