                                                                            THE COMIC STRIP "THE WIZARD OF ID"    FIRST APPEARED IN 1964 AND IS NOW     PUBLISHED IN OVER 1,000 DAILY AND     WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS.  IN THE TWENTY     YEARS SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE        STRIP HAS WON THE NATIONAL CARTOON    SOCIETY'S "BEST HUMOR" AWARD A        TOTAL OF 4 TIMES.  (THIS AWARD IS     THE EQUIVALENT OF AN "OSCAR" IN THE   CARTOON WORLD).                       THE NAME OF THE STRIP IS A PARODY     OF THE POPULAR "WIZARD OF OZ".        HOWEVER, THE NATURE OF THE            CHARACTERS IS SUCH THAT IT IS THE     KING, RATHER THAN THE WIZARD WHO      IS THE CENTRAL CHARACTER.  HIS SIZE   AND PERSONALITY MAKE HIM THE BRUNT    OF MUCH OF THE STRIP'S HUMOR. OTHER   CHARACTERS IN THE STRIP HAVE          EQUALLY AS MUCH APPEAL IN THEIR OWN   RIGHT: THE BELEAGUERED WIZARD AND     HIS SPIRIT; HIS LARGE, RATHER         DOMINEERING WIFE, BLANCH; THE         BEAUTIFUL MAID GWEN AND THE OBJECT    OF HER UNREQUITED LOVE, THE COWARDLY  SIR RODNEY; THE INCESSANTLY           INEBRIATED COURT JESTER, BUNG; THE    INTERMINABLY INCARCERATED SPOOK;      A HOST OF OTHER CARICATURES,          INCLUDING, THE SOME WHAT LESS THAN    SCRUPULOUS LAWYER LARSEN E.           PETTIFOGGER, AND THE OBSEQUIOUS       DUKE, ALWAYS TRYING TO CURRY THE      KING'S FAVOR.  THE STRIP IS DRAWN     BY BRANT PARKER AND WRITTEN BY        JOHNNY HART.  FOR THE MOST PART,      THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN     RETAINED, WITH SOME CHANGES TO        THEIR APPEARANCES OVER THE YEARS.     THEIR UNIVERSAL POPULARITY (THE       STRIP REACHES ABOUT 30,000,000        READERS OF ALL AGES), HAS RESULTED    IN THEIR BEING IN DEMAND FOR USE IN   MERCHANDISING IN THE U.S.  THE        PAPERBACK COLLECTIONS HAVE BEEN       TRANSLATED INTO NINE LANGUAGES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      