The original THE LITTLE MERMAID to be adapted for comics

 

 

from the official press release . . . . . .

Classic Hans Christian Andersen Story is Latest Graphic Novel from Acclaimed Scottish Creators

There’s no doubt that fairy tales are having a moment in pop culture. From popular television series like Grimm and Once Upon a Time to films like Maleficent and The Huntsman: Winter’s War to numerous books and graphic novels, fairy tales have never been more popular. And as that popularity has grown, writers and readers have returned to the source material and found stories that are significantly different than the childhood tales they remember. Case in point, THE LITTLE MERMAID.

For most, Disney’s animated film is their touch point for the character. But Andersen’s original story is a complex tale of love and loss with nary a talking crab or comic-relief fish in site. Instead, the original work has an almost ethereal quality, detailing the title character’s longing for human love and her quest for a soul. It’s a dark, profoundly moving work that seems tailor made for the Metaphrog team.

In the Fall of 2015, Papercutz published the duo’s first Andersen adaptation, THE RED SHOES AND OTHER TALES, which featured their unique takes on both the title story and THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL. Critics and fans alike praised Metaphrog’s interpretation of the classic storyteller’s work, with publications like PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY and THE GUARDIAN calling the book “dark and alluring” and praising the team for “…bringing a more modern style to the original tale.” The response was so positive, that it was only natural for Metaphrog to want to revisit Andersen’s canon of stories. And what better material to pick for their next project than the Danish author’s most famous work?
 

“Thanks to the support of CREATIVE SCOTLAND and the success of our previous book, we were able to really sit down and immerse ourselves in all of Andersen’s work,” explained John Chalmers, one half of the Metaphrog team. “We were drawn to THE LITTLE MERMAID because of its spiritual undertones and universal themes. That feeling of being trapped in one world while longing for another and searching for one’s place in the scheme of things are as relevant now as 180 years ago. The aquatic environments also allowed my partner Sandra Marrs a chance to stretch her artistic muscles. THE RED SHOES is a very earthbound book, while this one is full of sea and air, something that’s reflected in the color palette and general tone of the book.” 

Papercutz has been gaining a reputation for producing beautiful and unique original graphic novels and Papercutz publisher Terry Nantier sees this book as an important addition to the company’s lineup. “I’ve been a fan of Metaphrog for years and THE RED SHOES really expose their work to a much larger audience. For THE LITTLE MERMAID, we wanted to duplicate the beautiful format that we had used for the previous book (which really shows off Sandra’s gorgeous artwork) while growing their readership even further. We’ve always talked about our books having ‘All Ages” material but a title like this really appeals to that crossover audience of adults and kids.”

Metaphrog debuted THE RED SHOES at the 2015 Edinburgh International Book Festival and have since appeared at numerous high profile events to promote the title. Papercutz VP of Marketing, Sven Larsen expects that the creators will be even more in demand when this new book is released. “In addition to being major talents, John and Sandra are also amazing educators,” explained Larsen. “That combination of skills has made them a hot ticket at everything from the Lakes Comics Festival to Aye Write! We’re already fielding invitations for 2017 appearances and fans can expect to see them anywhere and everywhere when the book comes out next year. There may even be some special editions of THE LITTLE MERMAID (like the limited edition of THE RED SHOES that we produced for the Edinburgh Festival) for fans to look out for. No matter what the final plans, readers can expect to see a very special package with striking artwork and a highly engaging story. In other words, the kind of work Metaphrog is known for!”

ABOUT PAPERCUTZ: Papercutz is celebrating ten innovative audience-expanding years of publishing great graphic novels for all ages. Papercutz graphic novels for kids, tweens, and teens include a wide range of genres from humor, action adventure, mystery, and horror to favorite licensed characters. It is proud to be the only publisher exclusively dedicated to children’s graphic novels, working every day to introduce young readers to the imaginative wonders waiting to be discovered in comics. To find out more visit 

http://papercutz.com
 
ABOUT THE CREATORS: Metaphrog are Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers.
Together, they have been creating comics and graphic novels since 1996. John is from Scotland and studied engineering and science, gaining three degrees, including a PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering in a branch of Opto-Electronics involving micro-machining. Sandra is from France and has a degree in Arts and Letters. In 1994, she moved to Scotland. That same year, John returned from working in the Netherlands. Their meeting was a catalyst, and within a few months, they created Metaphrog.
They tirelessly promote the medium of comics and their own work, travelling to deliver talks and workshops. They are Patrons of Reading at Northfield Academy from 2013 until 2017, the first graphic novelists to fill such a role, and Writers in Residence at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2015.
 
To find out more visit http://www.metaphrog.com