We had to do one more earthquake related cartoon and this one plumbs the depths of bad taste. Hope you like it.
Like many who grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s, I had a Barbie Doll and her friend Midge, and her dog fido. I always wanted Barbie’s dream car, but I never got one. I guess this cartoon is a reaction to that childhood depridation. Or something like that. Or just another excuse to make fun of stuff.
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda.
We had to do one more earthquake related cartoon and this one plumbs the depths of bad taste. Hope you like it.
Like many who grew up in the 1950’s and 60’s, I had a Barbie Doll and her friend Midge, and her dog fido. I always wanted Barbie’s dream car, but I never got one. I guess this cartoon is a reaction to that childhood depridation. Or something like that. Or just another excuse to make fun of stuff.
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda.
I know, I know. This was extremely tragic, horrific, and a whole lot of other bad things. However, we at the Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire firmly believe in the healing power of laughter and hope you do too. Because when it was all over and we had all seen the pictures of pandas being rescued and the devastation that the earthquake caused, the American pandas need to relieve the tension with a few cartoons.
Mehitabel would like to point out that she is NOT as insensitive as she is sometimes made out to be here.
The reference to a panda having a gun is from a earlier cartoon based on, you guessed it, the right to arm bears.
Here at the Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire we pride ourselves on the fact that there is no joke too lame for us to find a way to relate it to pandas.
Be the Bear!
During my initial period of obsession (I like to call it research) I looked at as much information on pandas as I could find. My local library had a copy of an old National Geographic video called Secrets of the Wild Panda. I thought, “oh boy! gossip and innuendo!” But it turned out to be fairly factual (read: boring,- as if anything about pandas could be boring!) So I thought I should make my own version of Secrets of Pandas:
I also began to think about various news items I would hear about on the radio and think, “How would this relate to pandas?”
Personally, I don’t think I was so far off.
Tomorrow (and I swear I’m working on new cartoons…) The 2008 earthquake in China.
Be the Bear!
As we continue our journey into advanced stages of Pandaphilia, something really exciting (if you have a kind of boring life, it was exciting) happened. I got a comment from a writer who was working on a book about pandas. He wanted to know how I started doing “panda satire” and whether I knew of other examples of pandas as humor material. Of course I had to look up his blog, to make sure he wasn’t some nut job, (or at least a harmless one, hopefully). He turned out to be Henry Nicholls, a serious writer of popular science with many magazine articles and a previous book to his credit. One thing led to another, and I offered to let him use one of my cartoons to appear in his book. Yay! It certainly was one of my proudest moments when I got my copy of The Way of the Panda hot off the press, with my very own cartoon in it. Attention Panda Shoppers! If you haven’t read this book, get it now! (available through Amazon and maybe your local bookstore.) Pandas, of course have written some of their own books as well:
But of course, sometimes when pandas write books, their um…fact thingies are not always um…welll…correct.
Well, till next time,
Be the Bear!
As we continue our journey into advanced stages of Pandaphilia, something really exciting (if you have a kind of boring life, it was exciting) happened. I got a comment from a writer who was working on a book about pandas. He wanted to know how I started doing “panda satire” and whether I knew of other examples of pandas as humor material. Of course I had to look up his blog, to make sure he wasn’t some nut job, (or at least a harmless one, hopefully). He turned out to be Henry Nicholls, a serious writer of popular science with many magazine articles and a previous book to his credit. One thing led to another, and I offered to let him use one of my cartoons to appear in his book. Yay! It certainly was one of my proudest moments when I got my copy of The Way of the Panda hot off the press, with my very own cartoon in it. Attention Panda Shoppers! If you haven’t read this book, get it now! (available through Amazon and maybe your local bookstore.) Pandas, of course have written some of their own books as well:
But of course, sometimes when pandas write books, their um…fact thingies are not always um…welll…correct.
Well, till next time,
Be the Bear!
If you think that this is my sleazy attempt to foist off a bunch of old cartoons as new material, well you just might be right. However, we have recently acquired some new fans, who may not have had the patience to delve through all the old material to learn about the history of pandas. Or at least the history of pandas as represented by the Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire. So, while you explore the road to my pandapiphany, I will have a little time to work on some new cartoons. Pretty neat, Huh?
It all started innocently enough. I was reading the Atlantic Monthly magazine, and there was an article by James Fallows, who, at the time, was on a long term assignment to China. This part is absolutely true. He wrote an article about the research and breeding programs in China, and the article included pictures of many panda toddlers, doing adorable things like standing on their back legs and smiling at their attendants as they searched their pockets for treats. I was intrigued. Then, I happened (!) on youtube videos of little pandas playing in their playgrounds. Uh oh…. I was hooked.
Meanwhile, my cat Mehitabel was starting to get annoyed.
But there was no turning back.
We’ll return with further installment of the “Pandadelphia Story” in a day or two!
Be the Bear!
Well the wait is over and it is now known that Mei Xiang is not and possibly was never pregnant. While we are sorrowful for this disappointing news, it didn’t stop us from hacking into Mei’s private email correspondence with other pandas at American zoos. Here is a transcript of a number of communications:
firstpanda@nationalzoo.bear to gracelandpanda@memphiszoo.cute : Hey, YaYa. Guess you heard the news by now. I tried to keep the thing going, but finally, I was just tired of the charade. How goes life in the south? LOL
gracelandpanda@memphiszoo.cute to firstpanda@nationalzoo.bear: I feel your pain. The thing is its just way to hot down here to even think about…well you know. And by the way, just ignore anything Lun Lun writes to you. She’ll pretend she’s sympathetic, but she really just wants to brag.
Firstpanda to gracelandpanda: Thanks for the heads up. I put my phone on voice mail so I don’t have to listen to her. Who cares about Po or Pooh’s toilet training anyway? I’m just hoping they’re not going to come up with some excuse to deport us. It’s not MY fault, if you get my drift….
southernbelle@pandamom.cub to firstpanda: Hey sweetie, I keep getting you’alls machine and I just wanted to send my …condolences. Did I tell you about the cutest thing Po did yesterday? Well, I have to go. A mother’s work and all…bye now!
surferbear@sandiegozoo.beach to firstpanda: Hey man, so sorry about your loss or whatever. We’ll all be meditating and lighting incense for you, that is if I can find some matches. After that little incident in the gift shop, they are keeping a close watch on the fire-sticks. Keep the faith. Peace and love….
Well, that’s all we have time for today. Tune in for more of our clandestine look into the private communications of the American panda populace!
Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda
All of us in the panda-sphere are not so patiently waiting for Mei Xiang, the First lady of Pandas in our nations capital to…well, do something. Keepers at the zoo were first hopeful that she was “with cub” but now are not so sure. And yet, she continues with her hormonal hi-jinks while we all hover over our computers waiting and watching. So of course, it’s time for another cartoon.
Welcome to “Mei Watch”!
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda
Just wanted to give you a heads up that we are still following the drama at the National Zoo, with our first lady of Pandas! Mei is continuing to engage in hinky behavior. Some would say she is milking the situation for all she is worth.