#The North Wind

[randybutternubber]

Shitting out fire tonight

Og images under cut

It won’t let me add any other photos but the one with jester was a dead fish and the thin man one just had the name and pfp switched

[ronniesbizzareblog]

Luv this weird bird...

[ganglygamer]

WAKE UP EVERYONE NEW NORTH WIND IMAGES DROPPED-

These were found by a Reddit user while looking for "unused comics from 2017" as documented in this post.

The part that's so fucking funny to me in the first image is that the eye used for the old NW design is literally in a painting in LN1, meaning all three of the comic's antagonists were based on paintings from LN1 until someone at Titan decided to change the design for NW specifically for god knows what reason.

Obviously there are some other changes too, like the more snout-like appearance in the two panels etc, but the amorphous blob design being an eye at one point is the most notable change to me. Just something interesting that I think should have stayed in, if only for like one frame to establish consistency with the rest of the comics.

[daymemebeliever]

What we can Learn from Dave the Octopus

Theme 2: Villains (part two lol)

I was doing a rewatch of Penguins of Madagascar (the movie lol) the other day and thought, you know, there's a lot of relevant themes in this movie that can be applied to today's social issues. (Not all of these apply to Dave's character but a good amount of them do.)

The Dangers of Scapegoating

This is a big theme in the movie. The main premise for Dave, the antagonist, is seeking revenge on penguins (especially the Penguins) for his hardships. Instead of learning to embrace himself for who he is and/or working to change the system that worked against him, Dave instead blamed and targeted penguins. When he recounts his story, it is never penguins that sent him from zoo to zoo, but humans. You can see he directed all of his frustrations with societal cuteness standards (if you will lol) onto penguins. And once he thought he had defeated the Penguins, he simply wanted more "revenge" (by finding another scapegoat "puppies, kittens, pandas").

None of this solved his actual problem: the way society perceived him. It only caused harm to another group (penguins). As we have seen in past years, it is very common for groups to be scapegoated, or blamed, for tragedies they did not directly cause or play a role in. When this happens, the actual problem isn't solved, but instead it causes more division and perpetuates more harm. Realistically, it's easier to point the finger at one group (who are in fact innocent) than to fix overall problems. Thus, scapegoating is common but does not contribute to problem-solving. His goal was never to fix the problem but make others feel his pain.

The Harm of Stereotypes/Generalizations

Perhaps the most prevalent motif throughout the film is the perception of penguins as simply "cute and cuddly". In the very first scene, the Penguins are described as "helpless baby penguins" by a documentary crew. A young Skipper aims to challenge this perception by breaking away from the status quo of ONLY being cute and cuddly by "rejecting nature" and saving baby Private.

We can see this perception of penguins being helpless when they meet the North Wind. Corporal, though well-meaning, sweeps the Penguins up in a hug, even though Private is the only one that actually seems to be enjoying a hug. Thus, he makes the assumption that all penguins would be cuddly. Classified, in anger, calls the penguins "pathetic" which immediately gets a response from Skipper.

HOWEVER, Skipper seems to internalize this stereotype about penguins as he, in turn, underestimates Private's abilities. As the movie progresses, you can see that he does this more so out of brotherly/fatherly concern for Private. Still, he ends up placing internalized stereotypes onto Private, which he himself had fought (and continued to fight throughout the movie). He also expresses these feelings of perceived inferiority through his constant challenging of Classified.

Even Dave, at the beginning of his story, tried to fight the stereotype that octopi were "unlovable". Yet after being placed into this category, after being rejected so many times, he became a self-fulfilling prophecy and became vindicative.

In real life, women often face a similar struggle of being underestimated or viewed as overall less competent than their male counterparts. It is more common for women to be taken less seriously than men simply due to stereotypes. Many women can relate to the Penguins' struggle in this movie: being seen as less competent despite being very well-equipped to solve an issue they have experience in.

Autonomy of Marginalized Communities

I'll go more into this in the next section, but a major problem with the North Wind's plan in this movie is their overstepping of the Penguins in their shared goal. Once the Penguins learn that Dave is targeting ALL penguins, not just them, they immediately are focused on finding a way to defeat Dave.

But they are "kicked off the mission" by Classified, who tries to send them to a "safe house" in Madagascar. Their autonomy in this situation is taken away, which leads the Penguins to come up with their own plan in Shangai. It also contributes to the tension and conflict between the groups.

Since this mission impacted the Penguins directly, as they are penguins, they were more passionate about this situation. Private notes this when Classified leaves to "regroup". If Private would have listened to Classified and "regrouped", the penguins (including Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico) could have been captured by the exterminators before they returned to help.

In real life, when marginalized communities' autonomy is not respected or valued, it can lead to things like gentrification (which actually causes harm by raising property taxes to where the original residents cannot afford it).

Savior Complex vs. Actual Allyship

Despite not being penguins themselves (and being all larger/omnivorous animals), the North Wind sees themselves as the "professionals" or experts when it comes to saving the penguins (and any other "animals who can't help themselves"). Instead of listening to the Penguins or collaborating with them, Classified dismisses them. This leaves the North Wind with many blind spots in their perception of penguins and the actual nature of the problem they are aiming to solve (protecting penguins/stopping Dave).

In real life, there are already many organizations run by members of marginalized communities. When people outside of these groups try to start helping, without respecting the thoughts, opinions, or needs of members of these groups, this often does not turn out to be helpful and can even be harmful in some instances (ex. Autism Speaks who have historically been known to have very few Autistic members of their board). Without actively collaborating with members of marginalized communities, there is a danger of speaking over them. This can make the situation worse, rather than helping.

Sometimes amplifying voices or simply listening is the best form of allyship.

BUT when Classified listens to Private and does things "the penguin way", they all complete the mission successfully. Even then, they do not save the penguins but work with the penguins, who are saving themselves.

What are you thoughts on the lessons from this movie?

(Should I do a video essay on this? XD)

[ashscarce]

trying out a bit of abstract art for this one. i changed up the north wind quite a bit cause you know their just a black blob in the comics and i thought it be interesting if they slightly resembled a crow.

[katkalis-the-fanartist]

The Miser brothers as the Mario and Luigi to their partner and North Wind who are the Princess Peach and Bowser

[andreamland]

[kiyosato-yuri]

Βορέας

Mistral

Mistral ❄️

Thomas 🦐

[d1n6]

YAAAALLL KNOW WHO IT IS, finally done. Sadly they’re cancelled and non-canon but please let me be in denial.

[remadra]

first time drawing the North Wind that i can think of, it's a lot of fun working with just a silhouette!

[randybutternubber]

Check out my completely serious and very horror oriented drawings of the north wind\

[ronniesbizzareblog]

Well more of that silly au of the the refugee boy being the north wind...

Bonus, this creatures with names of my AU...idk

[lowcountry-gothic]

Fables Compendium cover art, by Mark Buckingham.

[ganglygamer]

So @randybutternubber, what are your thoughts on North Wind canonically having given up and ending it all in Little Nightmares 3 (/j)?

[daymemebeliever]

Theme 5: Rivals

What better rivals than the petty 💅 pair ✨ of Skipper 🐧 and Classified 🐺?

Please enjoy this fanfic that takes place after the events of the Penguins of Madagascar movie when the North Wind decides to join the Penguins for the holiday 🎄.

[thefugitivesaint]

Howard Pyle (1853-1911), 'The North Wind', ''The Wonder Clock'', 1915 Source