Abstract

Since his 1963 introduction in the Italian television program Carosello, the character Calimero—a black chick with an eggshell on his head and a persecution complex—has been featured on TVs across Europe and Asia. Recalling aspects of “Cinderella” and Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling,” he has become a fixture in transnational memories. I trace the creation, transmission, and reception of the Calimero brand across Italy, Japan, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands from 1963 to 2014. By reviewing how Calimero is represented and received across different cultures, I explore how he has become a modern transcultural fairy tale.

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