Author Archives: Panda in Chief

About Panda in Chief

Anne Belov paints, writes, makes prints, and is the founder of The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire. You can find her paintings at the Rob Schouten Gallery and Fountainhead Gallery, her cartoons on The Panda Chronicles, and her new book here. She also writes regularly for The Whidbey Life Magazine, a free journal of art and culture on Whidbey Island. Her main regret in life is that there is no MacArthur Grant for Panda Satire.

Fabulous Fabulous Furry Friday

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By the time this goes to press, the new twins of Zoo Atlanta will hopefully be one whole week old. I say hopefully, because as fabulous a mom as Lun Lun is, and as wonderfully dedicated and competent as the whole panda support staff is, baby pandas are incredibly fragile and many things can still go wrong. I’m not trying to be Debby Downer here. These are the facts and Nature is a hard mother sometimes. But today, when the cubs are not even 12 hours old, we in the panda community are rejoicing, and nobody rejoices like a panda!

So let’s party like a panda!!!!!

There’s nothing on earth that I’d rather do….

Mehitabel gets even.

What makes a panda run? Cuppycakes, of course!!!!

The panda kindergarten in las vegas hotel room

What happens in the panda kindergarten, STAYS in the panda kindergarten

Legalize cake today! Prevent illicit cuppycake activities.

One panda’s disaster is another panda’s delight!

Escape! Come with me, little cake, so we can be alone together.

Be sure to tune in on Sunday for a special ‘toon from all the junior pandas of the Panda Chronicles!

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

Bear and Breakfast 3

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Isn’t it nice to see Pinky and Bubba getting along so well? Aren’t you proud of Pinky for including her little brother in her activities? Don’t you want to go stay at her Bear and Breakfast vacation spot? It’s really quite reasonable considering you get to spend a night with an icon! It’s only…um…$25,000 a night, after all, and she has some of those nice fluffy bathrobes to wear!

Just remember, Mr. Bun belongs to Pinky so keep your paws off!

You knew Mommee was going to get angry, didn’t you? And besides…those are for the paying guests.

Bubba was just trying to be helpful!

We’re keeping an eye on the Cublanta Panda cam still! Hoping for news soon!

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

Bear and Breakfast 2

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NEWS FLASH! WE HAVE TWINS!

LUN LUN GAVE BIRTH TO TWINS ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 3RD and the US panda fans have gone wild, as you might imagine! Cub A was born at 7:20 AM and cub B was born at 8:07. So far, so good, but we are keeping our pseudo thumbs crossed that they are healthy. Panda cubs are really really really tiny and fragile. You can keep up to date on the zoo’s panda page here.

Here’s my earlier post about the panda watch:

I am intermittently watching the Zoo Cublanta panda cam, just in case Lun Lun pops out her cubs. She just kind of lying around, chewing on the odd piece of bamboo, not really serious breakfast eating, mind you, just because it’s something to do. Panda cubs are so tiny, you can’t tell if a panda is pregnant by looking at her. Sometimes the cubs don’t even show up on an ultrasound, but this time they did and they could see two. They must know what they were looking for, because it didn’t look like a panda to me.

But meanwhile, back at the Pinksonian National Zoo, Pinky is putting her plan into action with her brother’s help. Not that I expect she gave him much choice.

And now…Bear and Breakfast 2!

Pinky enlists her brother's help in her scheme

“Just run along and put these brochures where people will see them!”

What could possibly go wrong with this plan?

Um…I guess we’ll find out on Wednesday. Bwahahahaha!

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

Fabulous Furry Friday

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Sometimes I have a really clear idea of what I want to do for Fabulous Furry Friday, like when it is some panda’s birthday or something has happened in the news that I don’t want to just stick my head under the bed to forget, but this week, that is not the case.

It is time for the new school year to start, up here in the Northern Hemishphere, so maybe that would be a goos subject for today’s round of encore presentation ‘toons.

Let’s see what I can find, shall we?

Panda middle school!

The ORIGINAL panda kindergarten cartoon!

4) what I imagined the pandas were saying.

the original inspiration for the panda chronicles kindergarten…

Nobody expects the Panda Kindergarten! By the way… you can get this on a mug here!

“Class….Claaaas….CLASS!!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned for more from Pinky’s Bear and Breakfast story coming up on Sunday! Till then,

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

Bear and Breakfast

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Pinky has an idea: bear and breakfast !
It is an idea that could make her LOTS of money for her cubpaign.
It is also an idea that could get her into lots of trouble with Mommee and the zoo director.

But when has that ever stopped Pinky?

Aren’t you already in enough trouble, Pinky?

Meanwhile, the end of summer approaches and Lun Lun is waiting in her den, hopefully cubs are on the way soon! Stay tuned! You’ll know as soon as we do (or maybe even before!) Panda keepers and veterinarians are on the job round the clock now, and with twins, that will go on for some time.

Be the (expectant) Bear!
Bob T panda

An Embarrassment of Pandas

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Ever since I learned that the collective noun for pandas is “an embarrassment of pandas” I have looked for an excuse to use it here. Of course I learned this on the internet, so, I am not entirely certain that this is correct, but since I couldn’t find anything else* I decided to go with this and hope for the best.

I did find the term “a cupboard of pandas”, but since this was in the entirely facetious book, 101 Facts About Pandas, which, among other “facts” classified pandas as a species of walnut, I decided that “cupboard” was probably not correct.

But no matter! One thing that we can be absolutely certain of, is that Pinky will embarrass her mother at any opportunity, especially in public in front of large numbers of people!

An Embarrassment of Panda (Mothers)

Never fear, Pinky has a cunning plan!

Bubba is getting entirely too comfortable with having an opinion that is not Pinky’s.

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

Celebrating Lun Lun

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It’s true that most of the ‘toons on the Panda Chronicles focus on the younger panda generation. There is more scope for the imagination, as some other “Anne” (with an ‘e’) might have said. But Lun Lun has recently submitted to an ultrasound, which shows not one, but 2 cubs in the oven. I’m trying not to get excited, because there is still a lot that can go wrong with pregnant pandas. But so far, Lun Lun has proved to be a great mom and has had healthy cubs even while…um…their gender identity was sometimes not what it seemed.

Join us as Fabulous Furry Friday salutes Lun Lun!

Sweet dreams, little bears!

Oh, those southern Belle pandas!

“Hello, Bai Yun? this is Lun Lun…about that detective you suggested…”

Will the twins get a merit badge for their road trip? will Lun Lun fess up to where the girls are? will Inspector Panda get a clue, or at least more twitter followers. Stay tuned!

Is this any way to treat our Nation’s most adorable icon?

The forces of Meihem are only barely in check.

Well, that’s all we have time for today! Be sure to tune in on Sunday as we bring you the aftermath of the Cake Party Convention (not to mention Pinky’s Birthday!) We’ll try to keep an eye on the panda cam at Zoo Cublanta to try to catch the big event. Feel free to reach out here, or on Facebook (Bob T. Panda) or @PandaChronicle on Twitter if you hear news before I do. Because, contrary to the belief of SOME persons who will not be named here, I do not spend ALL my time on the internet!

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

It’s Not a Party Unless There’s a Fight

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Back in the real world, Pinky had a wonderful time at her birthday party, having her own cake all to herself. Bubba on the other hand, either decided it was too hot, got spooked by the huge crowd, or just decided it was time for a nap, and left his cake for his mom Mei Xiang to have her way with. Fortunately in the world of Panda Satire, the party has just begun!

So it’s one for brawl and brawl for one!

It’s not a party till the pandas start a brawl! Fortunately, Bubba has his priorities in order.

And in other panda news, the Toronto Zoo, home of the almost one year old Canadian panda twins (known to the pandaratti as the TTwinkies) Now have a panda cam!!! The cam is only operational from 9 AM – 6:30 PM Toronto time, but it is a welcome addition to people who…um…really, really, REALLY need to watch panda cams for their…um…work. check it out here! (Not during working hours, of course!)

Panda Cam Follies

Late breaking news update!!!!!

An ultrasound from Zoo Atlanta conforms Lun Lun is carrying twins. I know, I know…it’s almost impossible to tell whether pandas are pregnant or not, but now there are pictures! We are not nearly out of the woods, so let’s all clasp our paws together and wish for a safe delivery and two healthy cubs. BTW, this will put Lun Lun on top of the panda production table for US pandas, as this will be number 6 and 7. (Bai Yun had 6 before she retired after the Wu Self was born; “when you have already produced perfection, why try for more?” said the modest young Wu)

More news when we have it!

Be the Bear,
Bob T Panda

It’s My Birthday Too

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Well, yesterday was the big party at the National Zoo, with birthday cakes for Pinky and Bubba…um…make that cakes for Pinky and Mei Xiang, since Bubba decided there was way too much hubbub and went back to his den to take a nap and play with some of his presents. We will have a cartoon eventually about the events of the day, but not just yet, because…

The Cake Party Convention is off to a great start!

Yes, the cake party convention has commenced and Pinky is in rare form!

Pinky, please do not get your brother all wound up!

Well, just between you and me, Pinky is not such a bad sister after all, because when they went home that night (which was Bubba’s Birthday Eve) we witnessed this scene in Bubba’s room….

From Pinky to Bubba…his own bunny!

Fortunately, Bubba’s nanny keepers didn’t let Mei Xiang eat the entire cake, and they brought it inside so that he could enjoy it in his den. Pinky, of course, had a great time with her cake, which she didn’t have to share with anyone!

While I couldn’t be at the party, I’m having a great time seeing everyone’s pictures and videos!

Be the (birthday) Bear!
Bob T Panda

Bei Bei Turns One Year Old!

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Bei Bei, better known here in these pages as Bubba, Pinky’s beleaguered little brother, turns one year old next week! There is a party for him on Saturday August 20th (two days before his actual birthday on the 22nd). Bei Bei is a much loved panda, as you can read in this article written around the time of his public debut back in January.

But I promised you a slew of Bubba ‘toons to celebrate his birthday season, and around here…

...A Promise is a Pinky Promise!

PP: um, dis is not going to interrupt my presidential campaign, is it?

The very first cartoon …Bubba gets his cap!

Now, I know I said these were all going to be about Bubba, but losing his twin was a big part of the story back in August of 2015….

Mr Bun has a question, daddee.

Fortunately, Bubba proved to be strong and healthy and…um….a good eater.

He’s small for now, but Bubba Bei Bei is shaping up to be a whole lot of panda!

Feed me, Mama!

These paws are made for walking….eventually.

Happy 100th day Birthday! More frosting!

And better than getting his name, there was the day that Bubba got his official Panda Chronicles outfit!!!

What the well dressed panda cub is wearing this season!

And then there was the day he had to figure out what to wear for his debut…

And let’s end with the day that Bubba broke the cute-o-meter!!!!

See? I told you it was broken!

Well, that’s all for now, except maybe a message from our sponsor, reminding you that you can have your very own Bubba Mug! Check out all the swell things here at the Pandyland Store of CafePress!

Isn’t that just the cutest thing?

Be the bear! And have a fabulous furry Friday! I hope you had as much fun as I did revisiting the ‘toons!
Bob T Panda

As an extra bonus, here is Doxiemom’s video of Bubba and his mom, playing in the tub!