The Little Drug Girl
A modern retelling of The Little Match Girl
Storytelling + character design + illustration
This narrative is based on the original story “The little Match girl” (Danish: “Den lille pige med svovlstikkerne”) written in 1845 by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.
In my story the girl is living on the streets doing drugs, where getting high somehow brings her a better life.
(Plot of my narrative is in the end of the project)
My two paged narrative
The color palette is defined by the primary colors (blue, red, yellow) in different tinted shades.
The colors are dusty to give it a subdued expression to fit with the dark theme of the story. In most of the scenes the primary colors are separated from each other
in order to give different expressions. When the girl is alone the colors are blue, cold and nearly monochromatic,
Early storyboard sketches
The girl is a bit older than in the original story, being in her teenage years, but still not old enough to live on the streets and do drugs.
Her cheekbones is marked and her arms thin from being starving.
She is dirty and bruised because of her poor and tough life trying to survive the streets and moving from place to place to find a dry and warm spot to sleep.
She doesn’t own anything else than what she has on her body now.
In memory of her mother she has cut herself a tattoo on her arm, so that she would always be with her.
Drawings from how I thought the continuation of my story should be, if it was made into a game
dealing the choices you take to get the drugs or get away from the drugs.
The plot of my story:
Exposition: A young girl is sitting by herself in a dark tunnel only lightened from the
opening at end with a distant view to the city center. She looks sad behind her long
blond and dirty hair. Her skin is pale in contrast to the red and blue marks from her
attempts finding the veins with needles. On another spot on the arm a self-made tattoo
is declaring her love to her mother, always reminding her of better times.
Rising action: Suddenly a hand grabs her tiny shoulder. A warm feeling spreads in her
body. The girl slowly turns her head looking at the person next to her and tears start
filling her eyes.
Climax: “Mom?” . In front of her a bright warm person reaches her hand against the
girl as an invitation to come along. The tunnel is no longer dark, but enlightened by a
great light from its opening.
Falling action: The girl grabs her mother’s hand and together they walk towards the
opening. As they walk towards the opening the lights follow them and slowly leaves
the tunnel in the same darkness it was covered in before. On the cold ground the girl is
revealed as the light disappears.
Dénouement: Lying down with her eyes closed and a used needle by her side she
looks more peaceful than ever. She even has a smile on her lips..
