Oz's Wizard Cowardly Lion Font

Oz's Wizard Cowardly Lion is a free old-school display serif with a theatrical, storybook manner. Its broad capitals combine flared feet, pinched joins, and sharply changing stroke widths. The mixed-case forms are more eccentric, with curled endings and uneven contours that make the lettering feel cut for a vintage stage bill.

A children's theater company or fantasy-themed venue could use it for posters, programs, signage, and souvenir merchandise, where the peculiar silhouettes echo illustrated costumes and scenery. It is especially suited to Wizard of Oz productions and other playful adaptations of classic tales.

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This font is based on the lettering in the 1900 edition of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The lettering was done by hand, and the font includes three variations and additional extras. Each version is named after one of Dorothy’s new travel companions.

According to legend, the typeface was designed by Frederic W. Goudy, but he was not credited.

Although the illustration is credited to me, it is not mine. The correct credit belongs to W. W. Denslow.