The Ugly Duckling - Illustrated

The Ugly Duckling - Illustrated - Hans Christian Andersen - The worlds most famous storyteller, the Danish Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) and his wonderful fairy tales are loved all over the globe. Besides being a master of the written word, he was also a very talented illustrator. No doubt, had he lived today he would probably have tried his hand on cartooning as well and maybe created some of his fairy tales as comic strips. All in all he wrote 157 fairy tales. Here is the comic strip version of The Ugly Duckling, one of his most famous and beloved fairy tales re-created by the Danish cartoonist Werner Wejp-Olsen. This fairy tale is actually the story of Hans Christian Andersen himself. He was born in poverty and grew up as a awkward and ugly duckling before turning into a beautiful swan admired and famous all over the world.

Hans Christian Andersen (often referred to in Scandinavia as H.C. Andersen) was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories - called eventyr, or 'fairy-tales' - express themes that transcend age and nationality. Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. Some of his most famous fairy tales include 'The Little Mermaid', 'The Ugly Duckling', 'The Nightingale', 'The Emperor's New Clothes' and many more. His stories have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films.