Disclaimer: This work is not affiliated with Paddington Bear nor Michael Bond’s estate. I do not own the illustrations in this zine and they are credited in the image list and bibliography.
Zine
Please Look After This Bear (vol. 1) draws parallels between the character and story of Paddington Bear and the immigrant experience, commenting on how this delightful and beloved fuzzy foreign national has become a British cultural icon. As Paddington’s popularity continues to grow domestically as well as globally, how could UK heritage brands better utilize him to improve Brit’s attitudes towards foreigners in a time where what it means to be British is growing increasingly debatable and harmful rhetoric?
I combined retro British aesthetics, from technology to wallpaper, to draw on the character’s origins from the 1950s along with domestic details like picture frames, as so much of Paddington’s experience in the UK is shaped by Brits and other immigrants around him.
Hand drawn illustrations with a colored pencil brush (handdrawn by myself) were used to emphasize the connection generations of children and parents have to the IP’s original storybooks. 3D elements like paper scraps, tea cup rings, and pencils were inspired by the innocent and trusting perspective the young bear has on his new home, which he shares in letters to his Aunt Lucy. The marmalade sandwiches? Well, this couldn’t be about Paddington without them.