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.

Pinky has a plan

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Pinky has a plan, and you can be sure that it will be something that gives her mother heartburn. What can I say? Pinky marches to the beat of her own salsa band, and nothing you or I (or her mother) say will make her toe the line.

Pandas. You gotta love ’em!

There were no tigers involved in this plan, so it must be okay, right?

I think I got the bug out of my computer that was altering my header graphics. Now we shall see if I have my firewall defenses adequately beefed up so that Pinky can’t get back in and change things!

I wonder what the minions’ mother thinks of Pinky’s influence on her children? Oh well, not my concern! Tra la, tra la!

Be the (irresponsible) Bear!
Bob T. Panda

Fabulous Furry Friday presents Mei Watch

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A new report from panda nanny extraordinaire Nicole McCorkle reveals that while Mei Xiang may be doing a little decorating around her den, we shouldn’t start knitting booties for the new arrivals just yet. Pandas are notoriously coy when it comes to revealing if they are actually pregnant or not.

Therefore, it is time for our favorite show…Mei Watch!

we are still hoping for a panda cub trifecta

will the pitter patter of little paws soon follow?

This doesn’t have anything to do with Mei Xiang, but I was looking for this one!

Will Mei have a new cub or two? Will Pinky take time out from her campaign to babysit? Will the minions be caught breaking in to Bob’s campaign headquarters? Stay tuned to this channel! and remember, Vote Pinky, Vote often!

Declare your support for Pinky!

BTW, I’ve been having a little internet frolic (get your minds out of the gutters, people!) over on the blog Cordelia’s Mom, Still, and we have been doing a group post between Cordelia’s Mom and a few other bloggers. I even did a special cartoon for it, but the only place you can see it is here!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Satire vs Direct Quotes

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A recent commenter to this blog reminded me of something satirical folk singer Tom Paxton once said. “Some people you don’t have to satirize, you just quote ’em.” ’nuff said.

There is something very funny going on here…

Normally, I would give these lines to one of the feline candidates, but we haven’t gotten there yet.

On another disturbing note, I think “someone” has hacked into my computer. My normal graphic header for all my cartoons has been altered, and for some reason, I am unable to remove the overlay of text. I suspect Pinky is somehow involved in this. I better call her mother and see if she is monitoring Pinky’s computer usage.

Vote Pinky, Vote often!. Hey! that’s not what I meant to say! Stop that Pinky!

Meanwhile, my colleague in cuppycakes, Vicky Vladic, has a great post about the sneezing baby panda video, not to mention full length movie over at her blog V Something Speaks. Go check it out! You will be rewarded by a yummy cuppycake recipe!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

But First, a Word From Reality

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We all love pandas. And we all love panda satire. (okay, I’m stretching the point a little, but just be patient with me.) So if you are here, and reading this blog, I think we can agree that we have at least one thing in common. Pandas.

But now, let’s have a word from reality…

I’m guessing that we all have differing opinions on some things and that’s okay. Every once in a while, I make someone mad because I put words in my pandas’ mouths that disagree with what the reader believes and that’s okay too.

Today, the Supreme Court agreed that any two people in this country can get married and that their marriage will be recognized throughout the country. I think that’s marvelous. I myself have no intention of getting married, but that has been my right to get married or not for my whole life. I have friends and family who this has not been their good fortune, to have this as their decision to do or not. But now they have that right and I say huzzah!

The cynic in me says that as the years and decades go by, same sex couples will discover the rights of divorce, child custody and community property, but perhaps that’s as it should be. Why should heterosexual couples have all the fun?

The pandas have nothing to say about this, at least not yet. The general atmosphere in the pandy kindy is one of celebrations. After all, it’s really hard to tell what sex pandas are, let alone whether they are the same sex or not.

This political season promises to be an even more acrimonious one than those that preceded it. I will do my best to only make fun of the things that people actually say and do, and so far it seems like this is going to be a bonanza year for satire. If I make something up, I will try to make sure that it is rooted in reality, and not just me saying something nasty about someone whose politics I disagree with.

Okay. enough of this serious crap. Let’s have fun with pandas! Vote Pinky 2016!

Vote for Pinky. Do YOU want to explain why you didn’t?

Bring on the clown car!

BTW, you can show your support for Pinky by buying Vote Pinky merchandise at my pandyland store. Huzzah!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Fabulous Furry Friday

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Last week we revisited some of the earliest appearances of Princess Pinky and the Meihems. Pinky thought we should continue in this vein. Don’t ask me how she gets away with this high handed behavior. She just does. (I am putty in her paws.) So join us as Fabulous Furry Friday presents….

Pinky tests her powers….

And then, there was the first appearance of Pinky’s magical wand (for those of you who came in after the start of our show)…

National Zoo cub makes mom Mei Xiang disappear

oops.

Princess Pinky is fooled by Mei Xiang at the National Zoo

Oh Princess Pinky, mom has a trick or two up her paw, I think…

And even though I may incur the wrath of those who have a different political viewpoint, I just have to share that traumatic day when…I shudder to remember…the Pinky-cam was shut down! Remember, cartoons have a long history of being political and maybe through humor, we might resolve our differences.

Nah, I didn’t think so either. Just deal with it.

How much can a small panda stand? Pinky has a way of putting things in perspective.

Next Friday, I think the Meihems should have the day to themselves. what do you think, Pinky?

Youthful Indiscretions, Part 2

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All I can say is, at least Mei Xiang did not star in one of those…um…you know….educational movies for pandas. If you get my drift. This was not one of those youthful indiscretions.

But leave it to Pinky. As we learned in a previous post, The panda cam at the National Zoo in Washington DC, takes up 60% of the entire Smithsonian bandwidth. Which, is as it should be.

Just saying, you know?

We can definitely use this in Pinky’s campaign….

Meanwhile, we are keeping a close eye on Mei Xiang, as she relaxes in her secluded panda den. Is there going to be another cub in DC this year? Or what if there are two? Will Pinky be able to cope with the distraction from her campaign?

Stay tuned!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Youthful Indiscretions

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When I first started watching and drawing pandas, people would send me pictures of pandas from the internet, as well as any video that featured an adorable panda. Okay, I think all pandas are adorable, even muddy messy ones.

But one video made the rounds more often than any other. Recently, an interesting discovery was made by the good folks at Pandas International, because, enquiring minds wanted to know!

What could this youthful Indiscretion be?

Of course, my other favorite panda video is this one. I really want that job.

Stay tuned to learn of Mei Xiang’s secret, early film career!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Panda Commerce news!
I just added several new designs to my Pandyland Store on Cafe Press! Included are items for Princess Pinky’s Presidential Campaign, as well as a mug celebrating the Panda Kindergarten! Here are the new designs, for bumper stickers, t-shirts and sweat shirts, and magnets. 10% of the profits from June sales will go to Pinky’s campaign…um…I mean Enrichment Fund at the NZ. Many of her toys are funded by donations from her loving fans, so this is a chance to put panda satire to work for Pinky. Here are the new designs:

Nobody expects the Panda Kindergarten!

Declare your support for Pinky!

Vote for Pinky. Do YOU want to explain why you didn’t?

Fabulous Furry Friday

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It’s hard to believe that 2015 is almost halfway over. Where does the time go? Any day now, the panda progeny season may begin. We are hopeful that there might be two new panda cubbies in the US, although we are hoping for a trifecta, which has not happened yet. Ms Lun Lun of Atlanta has not revealed whether she is interested in completing the triple crown of panda-dom, but we are ever hopeful!

We had no new panda cubs in the US last year, but in 2013, we celebrated the birth of the Meihems and…ahem…Princess Pinky, America’s sweetheart (“and icon! don’t forget I am a icon!!!!!”).

I think this would be an excellent opportunity for Fabulous Furry Friday to look back on the birth of our about to be two year-old reigning panda princesses, don’t you?

A look-back at the birth of the meihem twinkies would not be complete without Mr. Wu’s commentary.

The first appearance of the twinkies on The Panda Chronicles

Sweet dreams, little bears! This cartoon was written before…um…Pinky poofed the twins into girls.

And just how did the panda kindergarten get her address?

Such a little darling! How could her big brother resist spoiling her?

When Pinky got her first tutu…

Tune in again next week, for more from the childhood of the Meihems and Princess Pinky!
(Not to mention more from the Pinky for president campaign! Vote Pinky 2016!)

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Sorry, You Are Not on the List.

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Sometimes inspiration hits when you are least expecting it, and in today’s cartoon, I was inspired to give the 2013 born triplets (now heretofore in these pages to be known collectively as “the minions”) a very important job as part of Pinky’s campaign team.

If you’d like to see Pinky, you need to be on the list.

And Mommee, sorry, you are not on the list.

Minion security: you can’t be too careful.

I think maybe the little girl minion is still too star struck by Princess Pinky to really be taking her job seriously, but hey, who isn’t? Pinky Money, anyone?

Meanwhile, I am starting to think about the next book in the Panda Chronicle series….Huzzah! Stay tuned.

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Pinky Money, Part 2

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Pinky’s campaign to be President is rocketing on, despite the little set back of not being able to sell Tiger selfies at the Zoo. Some people are so unreasonable!!!!

In concert with Pinky’s recently discovered popularity, her plan to print her own money is working out nicely, at least for Pinky.

For Bob T., not so much.

Butter wouldn’t melt in her adorable little mouth….

And yes, there really is Pinky Money.Don’t spend it all in one place.

I wanted to add a special thanks thanks to writer Jane Steen, who gave me a lovely write up in her newsletter this week. A few weeks ago, she wrote a post about how she had written a chapter that contained references to some early John Singer Sargent paintings that didn’t exist. Being a huge Sargent fan, I wrote to her, telling her of my…um…penchant for forging Sargent. Thanks again for your kind and complimentary words, Jane. Not to mention the plug for pandas. Did I mention I have books for sale?

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda