Category Archives: panda history

This Day In History

More accurately, This Day in PANDA History!

In 1972, the first pandas* arrived at the Smithsonian National Zoo, courtesy of China wishing to gain favor and influence from the US, after Pat Nixon wanted to hug a panda** on a trip to China.

*The first panda (named Su Lin) that came to the US was brought by Ruth Harkness (read the book The Lady and the Panda for a fascinating account of this real life epic adventure story) and eventually went to live his short life at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.

** Who doesn’t want to hug pandas? I ask you! I might have used some creative license with this fact, but Pat was the one who wanted the pandas. Nixon said okay, but they absolutely cannot sleep on the couch, and they are really, really not allowed on the bed.

I am only making some of this up. copyright 2012 -A. Belov

Did you get your taxes done?

The only sure things are Pandas and taxes.

Meanwhile, we R still endangered …

The endangered species act is not a popularity contest!

“We are NEVER going to get our security deposit back!!!”

I never get tired of Frank and Mikey stories!

I know it is really scary out in the world right now. I hope my stories of pandas (and other bears) are helping you cope with it all.

Be the Bear
Bob T celebrating the Nixon Pandas Panda

For the foreseeable future, I will only have one new ‘toon each week (generally speaking) but will share a pandapalooza of goodies from the archives on the other regular posting day. We can’t go a whole week with no pandas (or other bears)!

Will We Be Hearing From Nixon’s Ghost Soon?

A dive into the archives to revisit past sightings…

Will Nixon’s Ghost return yet again? What do you think?

Be Brave
Panda On
Bob T Panda

Nixon’s Ghost Has a Few Thoughts

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As I mentioned on Sunday, (did you read Sunday’s post? No? I’ll wait…) this April is the 50th anniversary of the arrival of pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoo. Long time panda fans remember the excitement of their arrival. And with the birth of Tai Shan to the second pair of pandas (also our current panda family) at the zoo, it seemed that the pinnacle of happiness had been reached!

And then in 2013 there was another arrival…

#ClapLouder for Pinky!

In 2015 bouncing big boy Bubba came along, and in 2020, one of the darkest years of the last several decades, our little miracle Bikkie arrived to cheer us all up!

Technical Trevails

I’m happy to report I finally got more ink cartridges for my printer. I never did figure out how to print with just the black and white ink when a color cartridge was empty. There are days when I really hate technology!

This means that little felted kitties will be headed out into the world this week! There are still 12 kitties remaining! Check out the Felties Revisited page for ordering information!

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

One More Saturday Night (Massacre)

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I wish I could take credit for planning this out so well, but really, it was sheer chance that I scheduled my “salute” to Richard Nixon this week, what with the anniversary of the Saturday Night Massacre happening just last week. (Saturday, October 20th being the date that Richard Nixon fired special prosecutor, Archibald Cox, to keep the Watergate investigation from moving forward.)

It didn’t work then and we hope that it won’t work now, but the only thing that can prevent it is…

…As many people voting as are eligible!

“And they called ME a crook!”

Now if those pesky Republicans would quit trying to suppress voting rights for people who are not…um…white Republicans, we would see what’s what.

Now would ya just get out there and VOTE???? (I voted today!)

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

What will Scottish Independence mean for

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…pandas?

Oh yeah, you just know we couldn’t ignore this issue. Fortunately for our readers in the British Isles, we won’t even pretend to know what any of the facts and sides of the issue are, but we can’t resist revisiting Lady MacBear and the Scottish Panda Kindergarten, now could we?

What could be more scottish than Pandas?

Save some pie for me!

Pand-Air…it’s the only way to travel

Sunshine and Sweetie arrive in Scotland

I hope people haven’t had enough of silly love songs!

Have an excellent weekend, and don’t forget to tune in Sunday for the Zoonooz in-depth coverage of the Scottish (Panda) Independence Issue!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

What a Fabulous Furry Friday It Is…

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Today, Fabulous Furry Friday brings you more Great Moments in History! Today is the 40th anniversary of Richard M. Nixon’s resignation from the presidency, as a result of, well, some really bad stuff he did. But as much as we might like to think otherwise, we do have a few things for which to thank old Tricky Dick , the most important being….

Hello? Pandas?????

The first “official” pandas that came to live permanently in the USofA

And while we are talking pandas and politics, a faithful reader and supporter sent me a link to this story of a NY Congressional representative who is going trolling for pandas (and perhaps votes?) on the extremely long recess that Congress is now on. Feast your eyes on this editorial on the NYC-Panda question.

And then, of course, the first men walked on the moon during Nixon’s first (and only completed) term:

One step for a small bear….

But the Watergate burglars had nothing on the panda kindergarten!

“What did dey knows, and when did dey knows it?” Fuggedabout da %7^$## tape!

And who says panda satire isn’t educational?

Meanwhile, yet another alert reader told me that today is national Cat Day. frankly, it feels like every day is cat day around my house, but what do I know? Mehitabel is celebrating the day by relaxing with a good book:

What cats are reading at the beach this summer!

Meanwhile, if you haven’t already done so, don’t waste another second without checking out my latest books, Pandamorphosis and The Panda Chronicles Book 4: the Book of Wu! (Mebbe you might want a copy for your very own!)

Well, we’ll see you all next week. Um..is this conversation being taped?

Be the Bear,
Bob T. panda

Friday! Huzzah! Pandas in History! Huzzah!

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I know I’ve been torturing you all week with my hints of an exciting discovery in panda history. To be truthful, it does not reveal any new information, but it DOES put me, my cute Bob self, in much closer proximity to the actual events!

Let me explain: when I first started on my journey to find my inner panda, I came across Vicki Constantine Croke’s book about Ruth Harkness just sitting on a display shelf in the library. Coincidence? I think not! Now let’s jump ahead five years to the present, and a phone call from my friend RH. He tells me that he found an old photo album that belonged to his late father. The album turned out to belong to very close friends of his parents, who in 1937, took a driving trip from Seattle, down to California, then heading east through Yellowstone, ( where they ..um…fed the bears) and finally to Chicago, where they took this picture:

note the writing atop and beside the photo

In July of 1937, this could only be Su-Lin, America’s first panda. Now I know there is lot’s of controversy in the panda community of the “kidnap” of this panda baby, and I won’t get into that here. My point is, that the first panda in America was visited and photographed by family friends of MY friend, which puts me at two degrees of separation from the first panda in America (not to mention the first panda that rode in a taxi and went to parties.) Was it not destiny, that I began to draw pandas? That I founded the Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire? Huzzah!

I was born to draw pandas and chronicle their adventures! Huzzah!

The first panda to ride in a taxi!

Be the Bear!

Bob T. (it’s my destiny) Panda

Bears in space! To the moon, Alice!

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There are so many great quotes that came out of the space program, and at least several, if not more, came out of the Apollo Space Program. In our final tribute to the late Neil Armstrong, we bring you Pandas in Space!

Danger Bob T. Panda, Danger!

(But first we pause for an important message!:

http:/www.kickstarter.com/projects/arttraveler/your-brain-on-pandas-book-1-of-the-panda-chronicle

)

one giant panda for mankind!

Also, I wanted to let you know that the folks at Pandas International (the real one, not the one I made up) have agreed to write an afterword about saving pandas (real ones, not the ones I make up) for my book. How cool is that?

Be the Bear!

Bob T. Panda

if you missed it the first time,

http:/www.kickstarter.com/projects/arttraveler/your-brain-on-pandas-book-1-of-the-panda-chronicle

One step for a small bear….

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Just heard that Neil Armstrong, the first man (that we know of) to walk on the moon (well, our moon, anyway) has just died. Here is a cartoon that was inspired by his remarks on that historic occasion.

And of course, here is the obligatory Kickstarter link to get out of the way:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/arttraveler/your-brain-on-pandas-book-1-of-the-panda-chronicle

Go in peace, Neil. You are the bear.

Bob T. Panda

Panda History: More about the Nixon Pandas

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It’s true. Sometimes I just can’t help being just the tiniest bit silly (As if you hadn’t noticed) but I crack myself up whenever I call Ling Ling and Tsing Tsing “the Nixon Pandas.” It’s really not my fault. In The Way of the Panda, that’s how writer Henry Nicholls refers to them in the chapter about panda diplomacy. Sometimes I really am NOT making things up. (but only rarely) Anyway, there have been several stories and articles floating around the internet about the 40th anniversary of Ling Ling and Tsing Tsing arriving in Washington D.C.

I hereby give you my version of the panda historical events 40 years ago this week.

Be the Bear!

Bob T. Panda

BTW: less than 200 visits are needed to bring my total views to 25,000! Invite your friends to play with the pandas!