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.
Who was it that said “everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. They’re not entitled to their own facts.”? Whoever said that, they got it totally right. Unfortunately there is still a large (too large) group of people who either believe the former guy is still “president” and a group that pretends to believe it because they think that stance will benefit them.
Sigh…
But Pinky is ALWAYS right, right?
Pinky is relentless!
There is no rest for those of us who would kind of like democracy to continue being the philosophy of this country. Not that we can’t be better at it, because we can and should be, but a one party authoritarian state would definitely not be an improvement!
It’s been a year, hasn’t it? And that doesn’t even include the previous 4 years as we descended into madness of the former guy’s reign of terror.
Fezbook likes to sideswipe you with memories from years past, and so my post about the passing of the real life Mehitabel popped up, from January of 2017. She put in her time and then some, living almost to her 21st birthday. She managed to avoid coyotes, owls, and raccoons that call my woodland their home.
Mehitabel at 16. Still a beauty…
I will miss you forever, my beautiful kitty girl.
During that month, as we anticipated the incoming former guy, with a lot of trepidation, we also experienced a day of solidarity and joy as all over the world we marched to say, we are watching you. Even my little town of Langley had a massive turnout, despite many people (4 bus loads if I remember correctly) headed into Seattle for an even bigger march.
Women’s March, Langley edition!
In the final year of the former guy’s assault on democracy (is it the final year? Seems like he is still assaulting us;) we lost over 600,000 to a worldwide pandemic, which, among TFG’s many crimes, the crime of letting the pandemic run almost unopposed was one of his worst. So many families were torn apart as their loved ones died in hospitals, unable to be together or mourn their losses with family members.
The panda community lost one of our own, not to Covid, but to a bad heart, which is kind of ironic, since Jayelle had one of the biggest hearts I’ve come into contact with on these interwebs.
I made this series of ‘toons in her memory:
Who will win? Six and Sebben battle it out on the track!What WAS that stuff Six dumped in front of Sebben’s car?That’s one heck of a lot of ear wax!!!
2020 did have one bright spot…well, at least two that I can think of. The first was our own little miracle cubby born at the Smithsonian National Zoo in DC, who just made his public debut about a month ago, and is already wowing the crowds.
Is there anything more fun than watching Bike play wit Mommee or even just roll around in the den by himself?
And the real life Bao Bao (Princess Pinky to her Panda Chronicle fans)had a cubby in her new home in China. alas, as an inexperienced mom, they decided her cubby would do better with an adopted family with an experienced mom and a brother. Fortunately for us, they have their own panda cam, so we can watch her antics.
It left me with a dilemma, since I have chosen to keep Pinky a perpetual teenager, living at home with her family. Hey. It’s fiction. I can do anything I want. I mean Charlie Brown was six for like 75 years, okay?
But there is more than one way to..um… well, you know.
What could be more delightful than ANOTHER baby Pinky?
It’s been a very hard year for so many, and a hard lifetime for so many more. I’m not sure where we go from here when so many people are so insistent on denying the reality of the former guy’s loss. The events of January 6, 2021 weigh heavily on my brain. The centuries of racism and the continuing assaults on Black, Latin, and Asian people in this country hurt my very core. The GOP led states who are even now passing voter suppression bills to amplify the harms done, make me wonder if there is any hope for humanity.
Could we learn to be better people? It sure doesn’t seem like that’s the direction we’re headed in. I’m waiting for those who have the power to make laws, to practice justice, to do their jobs and use their power to help people and not just find ways to hold onto that power.
Sorry to be kind of down tonight.
Call your Congress folks, Get your vaccine, Work for social justice.
Animals have been in the NooZ again! Elephants rampaging in China, bears cavorting in streams on bear cams and bears getting locked in cars! Where will it all end?!?!?
Well, it’s late and I don’t have a plan for today’s collection of ‘toons, so I’m just going to randomly make some selections and maybe a theme will emerge. Or maybe not. I can’t always be brilliant!
Babette has ..um…toned her wardrobe down in honor of this important occasion.Panda Talk! My favorite show!Bubba is such a smart little pandaI don’t think Mei is buying the homework thing.Of COURSE Pinky has a secret tunnel!Well, she does have a valid point…
Well, I hope this will keep you entertained until I post a new ‘toon on Tuesday!
Maybe Mikey lost his phone. Did you ever think of that?
It feels like summer in a lot of places in the northern hemisphere, but the actual start of summer is still a couple weeks away! Frank and Mikey have arrived in Alaska, but their trip is not going quite as they imagined! We’ll check back in with them later to see if they have found the rest of the family!
I thought I would be having a lot more fun by now: Biden in the White House, Covid Relief checks out to the people, majorities in the House and Senate…but no. Fascism still is rearing it’s ugly head and making me tired. And as we all know, it’s all about me!
Wait…was that Pinky talking in my ear?
This week we’ll have a report from Frank and Mikey as they travel to Alaska to spend some time with their family, and Mei Xiang checks in with her sister! I bet you know what (or who!) is coming next!
But now, let’s dive into the archives for a little of that debonair French panda cubby!
Zank hebben…for leettle bears!The world swoons….Of COURSE he would be an artist!We are pandas of mystery!What grace! What form! Bebe Maurice is a painter to be reckoned with!
Did I hear the Bebe Maurice was going to be making a visit to the Panda House in DC? perhaps he will paint a family portrait!
Be the bear! Bob T Panda
Try to hold off the end of democracy for at least another week!
Meanwhile, back at the real SNZ, Bikkie seems to be taking the throngs of real life visitors in stride, or at least in cubby trot! So just remember, when real life gets too surreal, there is always the panda cam!
Yet again, Mei Xiang has given the world a little miracle! Xiao Qi Ji (which means little miracle) was born last August, completing Mei Xiang’s August trifecta. (I believe Tai Shan, her first was born in July)
Of course, Xiao Qi Ji (aka Bikkie in the Panda Chronicles) has been breaking the internet, not to mention the Cute-O-Meter, since his birth last August. Normally, the cubs have made their public debut in the late winter, but due to the pandemic closing, Bikkie did not make his public debut until mid-May of 2021. He was apparently unfazed by seeing his fans in person.
Perhaps Mei Xiang told him all about his fans, or maybe Pinky and Bubba clued him in via Zoom!
