Category Archives: Pandamorphosis

Reflections of My Kickstarter….

Yes, it’s Fabulous Furry Friday, here at The Panda Chronicles, The offices of The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire, here in our high rise office tower, are shutting down for the weekend, as we prepare for…

How about a nap? Wait, you say. Pandas do not hibernate. Yes, but what about a really, really, really long nap?

…if I were a panda, yadda dah dah da- da- da- AAARGH! I can’t stop!!!!!

I just finished packing and sending out all of my Kickstarter rewards, and now I am going to pause (or is that paws?) and pat myself on the back, and attempt to take most of the weekend off.

But besides all the work involved in putting together and executing a crowdfunding campaign, there is something very special about the process in addition to getting help funding your project.

That special something (Oh crikey! she’s going into schmoopy mode! get out your handkerchiefs!) is all of you, who donated to my campaign and cheered me on, and shared my project with your panda and art loving friends. As people have been posting pictures of Pandamorphosis and the prints of artwork from the book, not only do I think, hey! there’s my book, there’s my art, out in the world, I think, hey, I’ve made a connection…I have a friend. It may be a friend I will never meet IRL, but they are friends all the same.

All I really need are my friends…and maybe some cuppycakes!!!

Some of the connections that were made while bringing Pandamorphosis into the world will be fleeting ones, but some will result in projects still to come. Some, I hope will be lifetime friendships, and every once in a while we will meet in the company of pandas. Huzzah! Cuppycakes and bootinis all around!

Stay tuned to this station (National Panda Radio) to keep up with the latest panda nooz. Sign up for my newsletter (which I really plan to write another one one of these days) up in the upper right hand column of this very blog.

And of course, your panda satire library won’t be complete without a copy of Pandamorphosis (hint, hint) (Amazon, hint, hint)

Huzzah!

Thanks again to those kind folks who invited the pandas over for a visit. I hope we can come back again!

Kirby Larson’s Kirby’s Lane: Friday June 13, 2014
June 9th on Cordelia Calls it Quits, and
June 11th on Cordelia’s Mom, Still
Pandamorphosis was reviewed by Henry Nicholls, author of The Way of the Panda, on his Animal Magic blog at The Guardian.

BTW, Henry and I connected early on in The Panda Chronicles’ journey into panda satire. I think he even coined the phrase panda satire, if I remember correctly. I am grateful that he has been a supporter and cheerleader for The Panda Chronicles, and I am grateful for all my readers, and pandas…well now I’m just getting schmoopy again.

Have a great weekend, watch some panda videos, and have a (couple or three) cuppycakes! See ya next week.
Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

Fabulous Furry Friday Salutes Pandamorphosis

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It’s finally here, launch weeks for my wordless picture book, Pandamorphosis! From a germ of an idea in one of my early cartoons, Pandamorphosis grew into a wordless picture book that took more than four years to complete. I’m so pleased to say that Pandamorphosis is now ready for panda (and cat) fans everywhere to enjoy.

Here’s the cartoon that started it all:

It all started here…..

…and ended up here….

I’ll be doing some guest posting around the interwebs in the next couple of weeks, and I’ll let you know where all those places are as they are posted. I am also scheduled to talk about Kickstarter and Pandamorphosis on Whidbey Air Radio’s Isle of Arts show this coming Monday. Stay tuned for more details on that!

Huzzah!

Till next week,
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

It’s Panda Scout cookie time!

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I don’t know how Panda Scouts in the Pacific Northwest do it… It’s been raining like crazy, so going door to door to sell cookies or setting up in front of the grocery store is hardly an option….there are even rumors of snow for this weekend.

On my honor, I will try…to eat as many cookies as I possibly can….

On the other hand, there may not be so many cookies left to sell, so maybe it’s not a problem.

And as we mentioned on Wednesday, It’s almost time for The Academy Awards Ceremony. Here is one of my favorites for an encore presentation.

What will Christopher Robin say about this?

Today is the last day, in fact we are in the last few hours of my Kickstarter campaign to fund Pandamorphosis. Hope you’ve had a chance to stop by and see what else comes out of my studio. (panda-wise, that is). You have until 1 PM PST to join in the fun.

Sometimes things DO turn out happily ever after.

Thank you all so much for your participation, in bringing Pandamorphosis to life!

You are da bears….
Bob T. Panda

As we move into Academy Awards weekend…

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…it’s time to revisit this year’s Pandy Awards!

Mr. Wu still has not gotten over the existence of his new girl cousins, let alone that he was not chosen as cubby of the year. (We tried to explain that he wasn’t BORN in 2013, but he was not having any of that.) Maybe when his book comes out, he will feel a little bit better. (More on The Book of Wu next week!)

Those girls are a force to be reckoned with.

And I’m sure you are happy to hear that my Kickstarter campaign for Pandamorphosis is coming to an end, but I have to tell you one more time, that it’s coming to an end! I hope you will consider supporting it, even for a dollar! Yes, you can do that. Here’s one more image from the book to enjoy.

pandas are sneaking out into the world….

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

The Panda Kindergarten is very talented….

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Once again, our newest panda kindergarteners take to the stage to show you just how talented they are.

Fresh from their victory in the Giant Panda Zoo Awards, the Cub-lanta twins, Bert and Ernie, share the stage with (well, as much as she’ll let them) none other than Princess Pinky!

we are friendly, not ambitious!

Meanwhile, over in Kickstarter land, Pandamorphosis is still going strong. As we move into the final 4 and a half days, you still have time to pledge your support to bring this project to it’s triumphant close. Huzzah!

pandamonium ensues!

Support Pandas International with your purchase of Panda Chronicles Books 1, 2 or 3

You also have that same 4 1/2 days to support Pandas International, with your purchase of any of the 3 Panda Chronicles books. Huzzah again!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

Fabulous Furry Friday ‘bears’ tribute…

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…to some of my guiding lights of writing and illustrating for children.

You know how sometimes someone plants a little seed of an idea in your head, and for a while you don’t notice that it’s growing. Say for maybe, for example, 20 years or so, and then one day, it just springs forth with a great big duh!?

My friend, writer and teacher, Deb Lund and her husband Karl Olsen used to house sit for my landlords, when Deb and Karl first moved to Whidbey Island. I got to know them and they came to know and admire my artwork. One day Deb said, “You know, you would be really good at illustrating children’s books.” I said something like, “yeah, yeah, in my spare time,” because I was kind of on a fine art mission, and I didn’t want to get distracted.

So, fast forward 20 years and one day, after I had been panda-ing around with my cartoons for a year or so, it popped into my head that It. Was. Time, and so I called Deb up and said, “It’s time!!! NOW what do I do????” Deb pointed me in the direction of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and I went to a conference, started paying attention, took a class with Deb, and soon Pandamorphosis started on it’s long journey.

Don’t you just hate it when your refrigerator is infested by…pandas? Especially when you need a snack for a long journey!

There are some other big influences in my trip to writing and illustrating for children, but they are people I have never met. (OK, one of them signed the book I bought, but that doesn’t really count.) The author/illustrators I consider to be my primary guiding lights are Chris Van Allsburg, and David Wiesner. They create art and stories that inspire me. The paintings they create for their books are brilliant in their own right, and when put in service of whatever tale they are telling, pure magic happens.

When I was making the rounds of publishers and agents with Pandamorphosis, one agent who turned me down commented, “don’t you think the artwork is too good for children’s books?”

‘Scuse me?
I don’t think that’s possible.

So I will try, to do my duty, to art and illustration, to aspire to the quality of art and the rich and quirky story telling, of my heroes.

And here is a Fabulous Furry Friday Funny, cause, like, I did NOT forget!

And just how did the panda kindergarten get her address?

What’s that stuff getting all over my paws? Oh…it’s frosting!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

The Pandamorphosis Report….

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Have I mentioned how wonderful you all are? Not in the last 15 minutes? oh, well…

Thank you for all the pandarific support I am getting over at Kickstarter for Pandamorphosis. I am now at 159% funded with a little over 9 days to go. There has been support from so many people, Panda love and support from Pandas International and the folks at Buffoonery/ Grizz coat who had a really successful Kickstarter campaign to fund a panda coat. (I know! how incredibly cool is THAT???)

If you haven’t been by, I hope you will visit the Pandamorphosis project and support it if you are so inclined. If you can’t support it, I hope you’ll share it with your friends on Facebook and twitter. Next to financially backing a project, one of the very best ways you can support it is to share it. Your endorsement means the world.

Notice the very sensible panda who is walking down the stairs and holding the handrail. :o)

I am busy doing the happy panda dance today!
Huzzah!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

The Panda Olympics are on a tape delay…

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….so here is Princess Pinky with a new episode! (Apologies to Mr. Wu, for taking over Mr. Wu Wednesday, but he was um…busy.)

Never say “No” to a Pinky!

Be the bear!

Remember, there are 9 more days to visit and pledge on Pandamorphosis on Kickstarter, and the same to have any Panda Chronicles Book purchases benefit Pandas International during February. Huzzah!!!!

Bob T. panda

I feel truly Fabulous on Fabulous Furry Friday

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…because my kickstarter project is doing so well in the first two days. As of last night we have passed our initial funding goal, but are we stopping there? No we are not! One of the things that Kickstarter advises, is that you ask for the bare (or ‘bear’) minimum that it will take to both do your project, and fulfill your rewards. This is because it’s an all or nothing deal. If you really need $10,000 or the project can’t happen, It doesn’t make any sense to give you the $5,000 if that’s all you’ve raised, because then you can’t do the project, or fulfill the rewards, and then people get kind of snarky. (For good reason)

But, if you’re thinking ahead, there are always more parts to the project than you’ve first presented, and if you make secondary goals, maybe you can do some of them too, if you raise enough money. So get on over to the project, and sign up for a book or some original art. There will be some new rewards later today as well as some clearly stated additional goals.

Of course the panda kindergarten wanted to lend a hand with the fundraising, and who am I to say “no”? (Nobody says “no” to the panda kindergarten!)

Ha ha! George Clooney… where do those little pandas get these ideas?

But just because we are doing well, it doesn’t mean that we are out of the woods (or that we are doing what bears usually do in the woods!)

The panda kindergarten has been SOOOOOO helpful in past campaigns:

Says Babette de Panda: “It’s all about MOI` “

And here’s a little something from the panda kindergarten as they celebrate valentines day…

How splendiferous is chocolate? Let me count the ways

Princess Pinky Returns in our Salute to the Olympics

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Princess Pinky is standing behind me and stamping her little (adorable) foot in impatience, but she is just going to have to wait a few seconds longer, while I send out a HUGE round of thanks to my Pandamorphosis supporters who showed up in the first 24 hours of my 15 day Pledge drive. I will be listing names on the roll of honor as soon as I get Pinky’s new cartoon posted.

Sheesh! Mr. Wu was never this bad. (Or was he?)

I keep hearing the song “bears on the Run” going through my head…the ski run, that is!

Thank you all again for supporting the Kickstarter campaign to fund Pandamorphosis. Oh, you haven’t done that yet? You can click the link on the side bar or this one right here.

Funding is already at 48% in the first 24 hours. You guys are the bears!
Bob T. Panda