There was going to be a comic book about Ariel's mother in the early '90s, but it was cancelled. Here's what the story was going to be. Her name was going to be Atlanta and she were to have brown hair.
One of Flounder’s friends finds that everyone in the MerCity is being very quiet and sad–even Flounder. Everyone seems to be hanging around outside the entryway doors to the great hall of King Triton, but no one is going in or saying anything. The fish demands in a loud voice to know what’s going on. Flounder starts to chew him out for being disrespectful, and the friend doesn’t know what he’s talking about. But Ariel–who is also quite sad, but patient nevertheless, takes the friend aside and explains to him the significance of this day.
And we flash back to a number of years ago, with a young Ariel–about six years of age–and memories of her with her mother, Atlanta. Her mother is young, vibrant and inquisitive–many of the qualities that Ariel possesses. She even bears something of a resemblance to Ariel. Her hair, however, is not red–it is brown. The red hair belongs to her husband, Triton–long, flowing red hair, thick red beard–and he absolutely adores his wife. He dotes on her and the children she’s given him.
And what is Atlanta’s greatest interest? The surface world. And then, one day, Atlanta is basking on some rocks, enjoying the sun. The rocks are at the edge of a cove that is surrounded by large outcroppings of rocks, forming a virtually private beach.
Unnoticed to Atlanta, there is a young man named Duncan, who has seen her and is sketching furiously on a large pad. Then Atlanta spots him and demands to know what he’s doing. Nervously, Duncan shows what he’s drawing, and Atlanta is struck by the beauty of it. Duncan would love to do more detailed paintings of her, and Atlanta goes to Triton and asks his permission (since Merpeople tend to steer clear of humans, just as a matter of caution.) Triton is a little skittish about it, but Atlanta sweet talks him into it.
So Atlanta goes to pose for Duncan, and at one point we see Triton watching from a distance. He sees how much Atlanta is enjoying posing for the young artist, and even decides that maybe the stories told by Triton’s father about how humans were monsters might have been exaggerations. Even so, Triton still keeps a considerable distance from the cove, and out of sight.
Duncan’s paintings become tremendous hits, drawing attention away from another artist, an embittered man named Kole. He is jealous of Duncan’s skill, and thinks that Duncan is overrated. He probes Duncan about this beautiful model he must be using, but Duncan is tight-lipped, as per his promise to Atlanta that he not spread word of her presence.
Atlanta, while posing for Duncan, asks him about the surface world, but more often than not Duncan doesn’t even hear what she’s saying, since he is concentrating so completely on his work. When Atlanta returns to the MerCity, Ariel and the other sisters ask if they can come along and be painted as well, but Triton absolutely forbids this. But Atlanta says to Triton, “Look, come and see how the latest painting he’s working on–it promises to be the most beautiful of all. If you see that, and see the quality of what he can do–perhaps you won’t be so nervous about it. And you’ll let him paint portraits of the girls.” Triton says he’ll think about it.
It is the next day. Kole sees his paintings sitting and collecting dust, while Duncan’s are commanding large amounts of money. He’s driven into a jealous rage, and this time follows Duncan when Duncan heads off to paint. He spies on him from the cliffsides overhead and is stunned when he sees that Duncan has a real life mermaid posing for him.
Cut to the ocean where Triton decides he’s going to do what his wife suggested–he’s actually going to go up, see the human’s work close-up, maybe even talk to him. Perhaps a new age of merpeople/human collaboration is dawning.
Cut to Kole, situated on a ledge overlooking Duncan, who is totally involved in his painting. There are a number of large rocks situated on the ledge as well. He resolves to get rid of his rival once and for all and, putting all his strength into it, shoves at the rocks and unbalances them.
Atlanta sees, from the rock she’s perched on, what’s about to happen, and shouts a warning. But Duncan doesn’t hear her, because he’s concentrating so fully on the painting. The rocks come tumbling down, and a desperate Atlanta launches herself through the air, startling Duncan as she knocks him out of the way. But now, on the ground, she can’t maneuver fast enough, and the rocks fall on her.
Triton, a distance away, emerges from the water, and sees what’s happened. He screams in horror.
Duncan has pulled Atlanta from the rubble and is crouched over her. From overhead, Kole is shouting furiously that Duncan is next, and he’s pushing at other rocks.
And suddenly the sky blackens, lightning cracks across the sky, the sea roils, and Triton looms out of the water, twenty stories tall, thundering, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY WIFE!!! Kole, freaking out, runs like mad, trips, falls, and plummets to his death. Good riddance.
Triton now towers over Duncan, taking Atlanta’s body in his hands. Furious he bellows at Duncan, “This is your fault! If you hadn’t started with this obsession, she’d still be alive!”
“Don’t you think I know that?!” shouts Duncan. “It’s all my fault! Do what you will!” He bows his head, the unfinished painting of Atlanta next to him on the sand.
And Triton draws his trident back to strike, and suddenly the clouds in front of Triton seems to form into an image of Atlanta as she whispers, “My love…don’t let your fury consume you. Don’t let it do this to you. Please…please don’t let this be the way that I remember you…but instead as the kind, gentle husband I loved.”
We angle on Duncan, head bowed, waiting for the end. And then suddenly, the clouds part. He looks up. Triton is gone. So is Atlanta. And so is the painting.
There is great sadness in the MerCity when Triton returns with the body of his wife. He locks himself into his study. And there he stays for a week. Not seeing anyone. Not speaking to anyone. Finally it is the six-year-old Ariel, pleading at the door to his chamber, telling him that losing one parent is bad enough–she can’t stand losing both of them–that gets him to open it. And when he does, to the shock and horror of everyone, his hair and beard are now dead white–the white that we’ve come to know. Without a word he embraces his children.
We cut to Ariel finishing the telling of the story, and the young fish now says that he understands. Today is the anniversary of the Queen’s death, isn’t it. Yes, says Ariel.
And we cut to Triton, in his chamber, staring sadly at something, as Ariel explains, “Daddy knew that if he just let his mourning go unchecked, it could have destroyed him. He came back to us. But one day a year, he returns to our mother, and we all mourn her. Because there was so much she could have done, and we mourn our loss…” And we pull back to see that Triton is staring at the unfinished painting of Atlanta as Ariel concludes, “…and the rest of her life that was left unfinished.”
The best part of this written version of the story was that it was what ultimately turned Triton's hair white rather than it just having come from old age. 
That would've been a powerful moment.
Just kidding 