Oh my, our most favorite panda princess has been all over the news, both in the US, but also in Canada, via a youtube video from The Smithsonian. A columnist in the Washingtonian dared to dis the snow covered panda, to the wrath of panda fans everywhere. How dare he say those things about Pinky!
I would never make fun of pandas like that.
I would do it like this:
And it was ever thus….
Stay tuned for more snowy-day fun on Wednesday!
Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda
Well, it is the first Fabulous Furry Friday of the year, but I feel like I need to take a moment for reflection on the essential nature of cartooning and satire, not to mention freedom of expression.
Yes, I am referring to the tragic events in Paris this week, when three radical extremists thought it was a good idea to invade a newspaper office and gun down 10 (or is it 15?- there were conflicting reports) of the writers, editors, and oh yes, cartoonists that wrote for the paper.
I don’t expect everyone to agree with me all the time. But the nature of writing, making art, or making comics is essentially about telling one’s own truth. It’s about taking a hard and sometimes humorous look at things that make us uncomfortable. Personally, I mostly try to stay away from making fun of religion, not that it couldn’t use a poke in the side from time to time. I’ve seen some pretty funny comics that have skewered some aspect of the trappings of religion. But maybe I have a more well developed sense of self preservation than some people.
You should feel free to disagree with me or stop reading these cartoons if I’ve offended you. We might even have a civilized discussion on our differing points of view. It’s been known to happen, and the people with whom I’ve had these conversations feel closer and more real to me. I appreciate their willingness to discuss things rationally.
It sends a shiver of fear up my spine when I remember that there are those in the world who think that differing philosophies dishonor their beliefs, and that that is punishable by death.
I thought about what cartoon would honor those who died this week for exercising their right to free speech and I couldn’t think of one that I had done that would fit that bill.
So I thought a better idea would be to do what I do best, and make you laugh.
pass the cookies, okay?
well, if I can’t carry it through security, can I eat it now?
Who says real life can’t be funny?
Be kind, be true to yourself, but most importantly, be the bear. We’ll always have Paris.
Bob T. Panda
I have several friends who actually do the polar bear plunge thing in the Puget Sound. This makes me cringe on so many levels. I’ve often thought it would be funny if you “plunged” with actual polar bears, although this is definitely NOT recommended. Back in 2009 this actually happened. The YouTube video was extremely popular as well. I thought the polar bears looked quite disappointed when the woman was fished out of the pool.
It was high time that The Institute of Contemporary Panda Satire examined this issue. Due to parentally imposed “limitations,” Princess Pinky, Mr. Wu, and the Meihems were forbidden to appear in this cartoon. Don’t worry, they’ll be back soon.
Bob still likes to get out in the field once in a while.
Coming soon: Pinky’s snow day, The panda Kindergarten’s Chinese new years presentation and much, much more panda fun! Huzzah!
Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda
It’s hard to imagine how I can top last year, especially after the end of 31 days of Pandas (which ended up being more like 47 days of pandas with all the Inspector Panda re-caps back in November) but now we are back to another year of panda hijinks.
Will there be new American cubs to push Pinky out of first place in the youngest panda in America standings?
Will Mr. Wu get to work on another case with Inspector Panda?
Will Pinky and the Meihems work out their differences in order to combat the impending menace of new cubby siblings? (And will Mr. Wu be able to stop gloating if this happens?)
What will this year’s “Panda Season of Love” bring? Can we possibly make any more fun of pandas than we already have?
And speaking of Inspector Panda, why is it that we have not seen Inspector Panda and Bob T. panda in the same cartoon frame?
These, and many more questions that you had no intention of asking, may very well be answered in the coming months. so in the meantime, sit back and enjoy the first NEW!!! cartoon of the year.
Huzzah!
Inspired by a conversation at the grocery store…
The idea for this ‘toon came about when I ran into a writer pal at the grocery store the other day. He suggested that perhaps I had a crew of pandas over in my studio, doing at least some of my work for me. Instantly, the light bulb went off in my head (either that, or I was having a stroke) and this cartoon formed itself in my head.
See? Even when I am supposedly off the clock, the Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire is working for you. Work, work, work, work.
Happy New Year! More to come! Huzzah!
Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda
PS: Oh yeah...buy books, okay? Kitty need new shoes.
Yes, and technically speaking, 31 Days of Pandas is over, but as I ran out of month before I ran out of verses, (and certain, shall we say, impatient, members of our audience wanted us to just get on with it and post the whole darn thing) we bring you the last three days of Crisp-Moss all at once.
Huzzah!
On the twelfth day of Crisp-Moss, My Panda cam Did See….
MX: no, Pinky, you may NOT have a Bamboo-tini!
I can’t hear you….
F-F-F-FI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-VE Cuppycaaaaaaakes!
whew!
Everybody sing!
Okay, is everyone ready to sing? (and personally, I think that the NZ Panda-Nanny staff would love, love, love it if you serenaded them with this song, tomorrow when you go to visit Pinky and Mum and Dad at the zoo.)
On the Twelth day of Crispmoss, my panda cam did see:
Twelve Pinky Presents,
Eleven Bamboo-tinis,
Ten Pandas Leaping,
Nine Pandarinas,
Eight Santa’s sleigh bears,
Seven pandas chasing,
Six pandas driving,
Four pandas sneaking,
Three triplets napping,
Two Meihems plotting
and
A Pinky in a Hemlock Treeeeeeeeeeeee!
Huzzah! And because as I type this, it is New Year’s Eve (well, except in the places where it is already the New Year) I leave you with the panda kindergarten, celebrating New Year’s Eve in their own very special way.
Happy New Years, from The Institute of Contemporary Panda Satire!
I can’t tell you enough times or how much it means to me, that you have chosen to be the bears. Thank you all, and the happiest of New Years.
Bob T. Panda
OOOOO! Pinky is a star!
F-F-F-FI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-VE Cuppycaaaaaaakes!
whew!
Alright, everyone, once more into the breach and I see you in the third row just moving your lips!
On the Ninth day of Crispmoss, my panda cam did see:
Nine Pandarinas,
Eight Santa’s sleigh bears,
Seven pandas chasing,
Six pandas driving,
Four pandas sneaking,
Three triplets napping,
Two Meihems plotting
and
A Pinky in a Hemlock Treeeeeeeeeeeee!
Only one more day pus a bonus day till the end of 31 days of pandas! Huzzah!
Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda
No WONDER I didn’t get any presents!
F-F-F-FI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-VE Cuppycaaaaaaakes!
whew!
Okay, I want to hear everyone in the back row….
On the Eighth day of Crispmoss, my panda cam did see:
Eight Santa’s sleigh bears,
Seven pandas chasing,
Six pandas driving,
Four pandas sneaking,
Three triplets napping,
Two Meihems plotting
and
A Pinky in a Hemlock Treeeeeeeeeeeee!
Yay! just four more days!
Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda
Oh no! Not again!
F-F-F-FI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-VE Cuppycaaaaaaakes!
whew!
Is everyone ready to sing along? Okay, here we go:
On the 7th day of crisp-Moss, my panda cam did see,
Seven pandas chasing,
Six pandas driving,
Four pandas sneaking,
Three triplets napping,
Two Meihems plotting
and
A Pinky in a Hemlock Treeeeeeeeeeeee!
Doesn’t that feel good?
I’m starting to look at what the New Year will bring, and I have plans and resolutions as regards The Institute of Contemporary Panda Satire. One thing I really must do is to get better about sending out a monthly newsletter. So many people have signed up to receive news of panda satire, and I have been really falling down on the job. It means that I have to reassess how much time I spend on various social media. I’ll still be there but maybe not quite as much, and it will be when I’ve gotten all my other work done. Once upon a time, I didn’t even have internet access at home, and still maintained The Panda Chronicles.
How did I do it? heck if I can remember, but do it, I did, and now I must take myself in paw, because I have big plans for next year, which I will start letting you in on in my newsletters, which i swear I will start writing any day now.
The 12 Days of Crisp-moss will be wrapping up on New Year’s Day, which means you will get three days worth of panda fun in one day. After that, I will take a short break and return on Sunday, January 4th with a brand new cartoon, and then return to my pre-31 days of pandas schedule of new ‘toons on Sundays and Wednesdays, with a encore presentation on Fridays.
Do continue to alert me to panda news or any other news story of the absurd that you think might have an application in panda satire. Use the form on the contact us page to be sure the comment gets to me. Or just use it to say “hello” or “I think you are the most brilliant cartoonist to walk the face of the earth since Bill Watterson retired.” Or something like that.
Once again, I wish you peace, happiness, health, and pandas in the new year. Thank you all for being the bears. May your inner pandas rejoice in the wonders of life, and may you always have enough cuppycakes to share.
Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda
HOW many more days are there?
whew!
On the sixth day of Crisp-Moss, my panda cam did see:
Six pandas driving,
F-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-IVE Cuppy-Cakes!
Four pandas sneaking,
three triplets napping,
two Meihems plotting
and
A Pinky in a Hemlock tree.
Is everybody singing? Has your spouse/significant other/roommate/threatened you yet, if you don’t stop singing that silly song?
Just checking.
Be the (singing) Bear,
Bob T. Panda
PS: just a reminder that there are only 3 more days to have your Panda Chronicles Books purchases (and Pandamorphosis) result in a donation for Pandas International! We love all the work that PI does for pandas! Remember, without real pandas, panda satire wouldn’t be funny!
FIIIIIVE cuppycakes!
whew!
On the fifth day of Crisp-moss, my panda cam did see:
F-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-VVVVVE Cuppy-Cakes!
four pandas sneaking,
three triplets napping,
two Meihems plotting
and
a Pinky in a Hemlock Tree!
:o)
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda