William Steig’s book Shrek! was first published in 1990.
Shrek! is a picture book written and illustrated by American artist William Steig. Its grotesque green protagonist travels through a fairy-tale world, meets a princess, and ultimately marries her. The DreamWorks film drew inspiration from the book’s ogre hero, but the movie created a much larger cast, setting, mythology, and comic tone.
The original picture book is much shorter and structurally different from the 2001 film. It does not contain the complete movie storyline involving Donkey, Fiona’s curse, Lord Farquaad, or Duloc. Those elements were developed for the animated adaptation.
Steig was already an acclaimed author and illustrator when Shrek! appeared. His work helped provide the basic concept for the franchise’s central character, while the film transformed that concept into a global multimedia property.