Mr. Tinker was an inventor who lived in the town of Evna. He was a partner in the firm of Smith & Tinker.
History[]
Smith and Tinker were wonderful inventors, their creations include Tik-Tok the machine man and the iron giant.
One day Mr. Tinker made a ladder so tall that he could rest it against the moon while he picked stars for the king's crown. He liked the moon so much that he pulled up the ladder after himself and stayed there. (Ozma of Oz)
Background[]
Tinker never appeared in any of the "Famous Forty" Oz books, but his story is told by Tik-Tok in Ozma of Oz.
In 1985 James Howe published a modern Oz book about him, titled Mister Tinker in Oz. His name is given as Ezra P. Tinker, a designation first put forth by March Laumer.
Adaptations[]
Tinker is a Munchkin in Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz.
In the film Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), actor Bill Cobbs plays "Master Tinker," one of the prime leaders of the Ozian resistance, alongside the Great Oz and Glinda the Good. This character appears to combine aspects of Mr. Tinker, Ku-Klip the tinsmith, and possibly the Guardian of the Gates.
In the TV series Emerald City (2017), Gina McKee plays Dr. Jane Andrews, who similarly combines Tinker and Ku-Klip.
In the audio drama Hit the Bricks, Mr. Tinker features in his clockwork land on the moon. He and his partner Mr. Smith were the fathers of a child named Jacoby Smith-Tinker, a major character in the show.