#tpbec

[explorers-central]

Hey everybody I know it's been a bit, forgive me!!!

Lately I've been thinking about the internalized sexism in The Polar Bear Explorers' Club, specifically in Stella. So here's an absolute ramble for all 8 of u:

I mean, obviously Stella thinks women can be explorers, but she doesn't fail to make fun of and absolutely hate on her Aunt, Agatha, who would apparently represent the norm for women at the time. She resents her, in fact, for not being a total hippie like Felix is. But Felix has freedom as a man that Agatha doesn't!! Stuff like Stella pointing out her nostril hair (everyone has nostril hair???) and how she dresses just feels so odd. It's like she's saying "you're not even doing gender roles right".

Stella's written as an odd-girl-out and it can make her a little unlikeable at times. The "not like the other girls" approach to her character makes it so almost every other woman in the book is belittled or negatively portrayed.

The least feminine woman in the series would probably be Scarlett, and she's quite literally the antagonist. Cadi I would say is a close second, and while she is liked by Stella it's because she's cool and still girly, to an extent. I can't even really recall other women in the story, because they're all so bleh. The decrepit old witch? Evil for like half the series, then a plot device, then written out. What I'm trying to get at here is that Stella has no meaningful female connections, not really. She doesn't identify with them, or the image of women at the time. Still, she wants to be pretty.

Listen, I'm all for the "WOMEN CAN KICK ASS IN DRESSES!!!" thing, and I appreciate that Stella does wear trousers and stuff on the expedition. But the level of pretty sparkly unicorn dress seems like a last ditch effort to say STELLA STILL LIKES GIRLY THINGS! SHE LIKES WOMEN!

I think we have to blame Felix for Stella's mindset here, a little! I love Felix, you love Felix. But he's a rich, white, man (I know he's gay but like woowww a privileged gay man who's written to be loved the challenges the representation!) that despite his best efforts to project his borderline toxic positivity onto Stella, he still let his distaste for his sister seep into Stella.

Obviously, women in this society are basically raised to hate on each other, and themselves. It's not all Felix's fault, and he's doing pretty well considering.

I think Stella could've done with having some sort of female role models, there can't have only been her, Cadi and Scarlett defying the norm out there. I also think Felix should've made more of an effort to expose her to stuff like that. He is very "women can't be explorers" until he's like "let me use my man money power to let you be an explorer" instead of actually like... Helping to change things himself, he basically puts all the pressure on his 12 year old daughter with no experience exploring or representing women as a group at all into the position of being "the first woman to be an explorer". It just feels like bad parenting, to me.

Anyway, Stella ur my queen 🫶

[umactuallycallie]

Joining the recent PBEC output with… fictional explorer propaganda!!! Excuse to draw my favourite :,) He’s so me (we’re nothing alike)

[nyenylon]

All right who let Yella Yarflake Yearl out (design is being modified as we speak)

[nyenylon2]

If we're mutuals I immediately assume it's because you are a Polar Bear Explorers' Club fan but for the life of me I cannot find any evidence of that on your accounts

[selkie-paws]

Haihai!! Could I possibly request a user box for "This user is a wolf whisperer" OR "This user is a kraken user" to add to the explorers central into post? It's up to you of course, and no pressure at all :3 (If I need to provide any more information I'd be happy to, I've never requested anything before lmao >_<)

aaahhh nye hello hello tysm for requesting!

here's a wolf whisperer one! I'd be happy to make another with different colour schemes, images etc. I'd be happy to also make a kraken one too! just say haha

i wanted to put a picture of a shadow wolf but it is hard to find a good size picture of a black wolf and obviously i don't want to steal any art, but i can definitely keep looking!! /gen

[i-need-sugar]

Im trying to make an animatic of Stella's villain arc with a song but I can't decide what song I want for her😭

[explorers-central]

GUESS WHO'S FIRST ADDITION SIGNED COPY OF THE POLAR BEAR EXPLORERS' CLUB CAME IN TODAY!!! (On the right)

IT'S REALLY SIGNED!!2!3! EEK!!!

From my first skim of the book there are a few differences in the formatting on the inside, including the rules being at the front of the book rather than the back and also having EXTRA DRAWINGS IN IT THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!?!?!!! (I'll make another post with those and other details tomorrow :3)

[umactuallycallie]

Lineup - one for the kids, one for their adult versions! I probably need to take a break from thinking about these guys but drawing this was so fun!! I have some vague ideas about what they’d do as adults but mostly I’m just whacking adult clothes on them.

[explorers-central]

Just. All of them. All of them

it came to my realization that 99% of my fandom related headaches would be cured if everyone understood this

[nyenylon]

When you get overheated in the Icelands you don't even realize your sweat turns to frost and your tears to hail!!!

[explorers-central]

Ethan Edward Rook basically

(credit to @d4ni3lx3)

[guy who genuinely fucking loathes himself voice] well on account of my charming and endearing nature. Of course

[explorers-central]

i wanted to play around with artstyle and i thought. who better to experiment on try doodling than our guy shay

there a LOT of inconsistancies and weird things happening here i am aware and i am sorry

i think shay can touch koa?? if not blame the witch wolf thing ok

This is so awesome! I gasped 3 separate times for emphasis! Thank the gods someone is providing us with explorers content!

I love his facial expression boy why so o_o

Shay cannot touch Koa, apart from when her soul is being made physical by the witch wolf bite. I still approve of Koa love though of COURSE

Anyway, beautiful art of our favorite furry guys, thanks for sharing Skipper! :3

[explorers-central]

Whhhaats up guys I'm still here I just don't have any coherent thoughts to post </3 Hope you're all doing well!

Oh also I redesigned my Stella a little..

[explorers-central]

Yo shout-out to Stella Starflake Pearl now that I think about it. She's a savage beast

[nyenylon2]

This is so PBEC coded 💞💞💞 (someone please give me content for these fucking books ifhnhhhdh my God)

Art by qiaofu