Wicked Witch of the West Wicked Witch of the West The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the most significant antagonist in his classic children's novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1900). In Baum's subsequent "Oz" novels, it is the Nome King who is the principal villain; the Wicked Witch of the West is rarely even referred to again after her death in the first book. The witch's most popular depiction was in the classic 1939 film based on Baum's novel, where she was portrayed by Margaret Hamilton. Hamilton's characterization introduced green skin and
Copyright status of The Wizard of Oz and related works in the United States copyright was never renewed on either of these, so they entered the public domain in 1974 and 1977, respectively. They are the last two Oz books that entered the public domain. "The Hidden Valley of Oz" was published by Rachel Cosgrove in 1951, had the copyright renewed, and therefore will enter public domain in 2047. Cosgrove also wrote "The Wicked Witch of Oz" in 1954. However, it was not published until 1993. Since it was published after 1977, it will remain copyrighted for seventy years after the author's death. Cosgrove died in 1998, so "The Wicked Witch of Oz" will