I am Thankful

I am thankful for pandas, for laughter, for days the sun shines in my window, for misty mornings where everything is gray, and a panda…might…just …walk out of the fog.

Last Supper, Cupcakes, DaVinci

Princess Pinky says, she is thankful for cuppycakes and da panda kindygarten and her magical wand!

I am thankful that I still have a roof over my head, enough resources to keep the heat on and food on my table. I am thankful for those who help those who do not.

I am thankful for kindness, for peaceful dealings, especially with those who might not be in agreement with me. I am thankful for the help of friends, in big ways and small.

I am thankful for all of you who read my ‘toons, buy my books, engage in panda chat on Twidder and Fezbook. I haven’t had this much fun since kindergarten.

I am thankful for the mentor program through the Nevada chapter of SCBWI that welcomed a goofy story about pandas into the program, and all the lovely people I met there and hope will be connected to for a long time.

Be kind, be generous, be peaceful, be the bear.
Bob T. Panda

(back to business as usual tomorrow!)

Walk Like a Bear

When I wrote this cartoon, a soundtrack of a ’60’s style, Jersey Boys band singing in a Frankie Vallee falsetto immediately started playing in my head.

Walk like a bear,
look at my hair,
I want some boo,
Don’t yo-oo-oou?

Ahem. Sorry. I digress. Today’s ‘toon features Pinky’s ever more popular brother. Will he surpass Princess Pinky in popularity? Will he become a Smithsonian Icon? Only time will tell….

These paws are made for walking....eventually.

These paws are made for walking….eventually.

Meanwhile, the newest books from The Panda Chronicles Pantheon of great literature are here and ready for your holiday gift giving! Why not Give the Gift of Pandas this year? It’s as easy as click, click spend!

Huzzah!
Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Busing for Beavers

What else could you call relocation of 76 beavers in Idaho in 1948, except busing for beavers? We recently heard this story, which came courtesy of the Boise, Idaho NPR station. The funniest things are occasionally true, true things are often funny. (At least we think they are.)

Of course, The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire couldn’t sleep until we commented on this exciting bit of history.

And leave it to the vivd imagination of the panda kindergarten, to see a parallel between the 1948 Beaver Air-Drop and a possible solution to the current rat problem that new York City is facing.

Uh oh! It's the panda kindergarten and they have a plan!

Uh oh! It’s the panda kindergarten and they have a plan!

Over here Mr. Kitty! We have a surprise for you!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Fabulous Furry Friday

Wouldn’t you know it…a little while ago I had an idea about what I wanted to post for this week’s Fabulous Furry Friday offering, and now I can’t remember what it was. This happens more often than I wish it would. I don’t know if it indicates impending dementia, or that there is just too much going on in my life and my brain is full so nothing new sticks to the surface. Is that really a thing?

Meanwhile, as I write this, the wind is howling, small branches are hitting the roof, and who knows how long we will have electricity?

Hey! That reminds me….

where happy pandas eat bamboo, oh why, oh why, can't...Wu?

where happy pandas eat bamboo, oh why, oh why, can’t…Wu?

We're in for it now, Binky!

We’re in for it now, Binky!

Hang on to your hats, kids, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!

Hang on to your hats, kids, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!

I don't think we're in Pandiego any more, Binky....

I don’t think we’re in Pandiego any more, Binky….

I’m really hoping this doesn’t happen here. In the meantime, if you had your own copy of The Panda Chronicles Book 4: The Book of Wu, you could read the rest of this story of The Wizard of Wu, even if your power went out. well, if you had a flashlight. You do know where your flashlight is, right?

Baby, it’s cold out there!
Be the Bear, Bob T Panda

 

Get Your Crayons Ready!

Why not buy that set of 128 colored pencils you’ve always wanted? The box of crayons with the built in sharpener. …the 164 color marker set with 35 different shades of…pink.

You know you want it.

And of course by “it” I am talking about the FINALLY  released The Panda Chronicles  Coloring Book!!!! Because, as we have recently learned, coloring books for grown-ups has become a “thing.” I hear it is almost as relaxing as watching panda videos.

Nooooo! Not the PINK crayon!

Nooooo! Not the PINK crayon! It’s here! Huzzah!

Get your crayons ready, because The Panda Chronicles Coloring Book is NOW READY for ordering! And during the rest of November, in honor of my birthday season, there is a 15% discount if you buy it from my Createspace store (just click the Createspace button on the book page) and insert this discount code in the appropriate box:

E6DRL2FQ

Please note, this will save you money if you are buying multiple copies for presents, so if you are just getting your own (but what about cousin Sally? she loves to color!) and you have free Amazon shipping, you will spend about the same amount of money, so just ignore this and go to Amazon.

Huzzah!

Get your crayons ready!!!!

Get your crayons ready!!!!

Meanwhile, Pinky seems to have hacked into my computer again. Now where did I put her mother’s  Me-phone number? I noticed that a large number of viewers came by on Sunday. Is it because you love Bubba, or is it that you like to see Pinky behaving badly. I’m waiting.

Be the Bear,
Bob T Panda

And you thought Pinky had reformed

Tell me you didn’t fall for that adorable little tear-stained face, turned up to Mommee, saying, “oh no, mommee. pinky will never do that again.”

And you thought Pinky had reformed…

Really, Pinky....It's not nice to tease your little brother.

Really, Pinky….It’s not nice to tease your little brother.

I know I shouldn’t do that, but excited/angry/scared pandas are so much fun to draw.
My bad.

Be the bear,
Bob T Panda

On the Evening of Friday the 13th: While running errands in my car this afternoon, I heard the horrific news from Paris. It makes me so sad to know that there is so much intolerance and hatred in the world. To the people of Paris, you are living through what some of us only experience in nightmares. I wish for peace and an end to violence. It feels strange to inhabit my insular little world filled with pandas while you are under attack. The only thing I know how to do is to continue attempting to bring beauty and laughter to the world. Be the bear.

We R All Endangered.

...we will always have Paris....

…we will always have Paris….

According to the inestimable Janet Reid it is “Party with Your Bear” day tomorrow. I’m sure she wouldn’t make that up. Pass the cuppycakes.

One Step for a Small Bear…

Oh dear.

It is Friday the 13th. I hope nothing bad happens today.

We will try to counteract the potential preconceptions of the day by sharing some good news! Firstly, earlier this week Bubba took his first steps on all fours! He was heartily congratulated by Mama Mei, so today we celebrate…

One Step for a Small Bear…One Giant Panda for Bearkind!

#6 is getting ready to make his move!

#6 is getting ready to make his move!

Huzzah!....ooops.

Huzzah!….ooops.

And who could forget Mr. Wu’s valiant attempts at his first step?

"Howdy do! I'm Mr. Wu! Who are you?"

“Howdy do! I’m Mr. Wu! Who are you?”

And then there are the pandas that made history with the first moon landing…oh…um…it wasn’t pandas? I must have misspoken. My mistake.

One step for a small bear....

One step for a small bear….

And, as I promised, or at least implied, that there was more than one bit of good news, it is this: The Panda Chronicles Coloring Book will be available very soon! Huzzah! I am waiting for my proof copy before I hit the “GO” button, but expect an announcement as early as next week.

Get your crayons ready!!!!

Get your crayons ready!!!!

The Season of Cake Part Two

It is my Birthday Season, and that means it is the season of cake! I love cake. Did I mention that? Frosting should be declared a national treasure. Just saying.

I don’t have one of those skimpy one day birthdays. No, I have a birthday season. My birthday season lasts one day for each year old I am, and while I’m not going to reveal exactly how old I am, let’s just say that my birthday season is very, very, very, long. Certain parties, who shall not be named here, think it is entirely too long, and that maybe I should cut back to a birthday week, or at the very least, a birthday month.

Pah!

So today’s cartoon is about….

Cake.

Inspired by a TRUE story!

Inspired by a TRUE story!

Yes, It’s true! I heard about it on the internet, so it must be true. Mehitabel is such a spoil sport! I mean these guys are scientists!!!!!!

Well, I need to go…um…have some cake.

Be the Bear (and have cake!)
Bob T. Panda

PS: I finally got that pesky Pinky header off of my cartoon! Who knows what trouble she will get into next!

 

The Campaign of Bob…

The campaign of Bob does not run smoothly. No, really. Did you think it would? Well, you are in the wrong place for things to run smoothly. Just saying. What? Did you think you had tuned in to an episode of Little Den on the Prairie or something?

No, this is panda satire! It’s hard! It’s gritty! We are endangered! Excuse me, now it is time for my nap. But first…

And how did Pinky manage to hack into my computer again?

And how did Pinky manage to hack into my computer again?

You would think that Mama Mei would be happy that Pinky is taking her little brother in paw to teach him a few things. Not to mention being proud that her little girl is so tech savvy!

Meanwhile, in other news, Amazon has opened a store in Seattle, and I am thrilled. I would be more thrilled if they actually put my books in their stores, but that may be too much to hope for.  If you live in Seattle, and happen to drop by their store, put in a good word for pandas, okay? We are endangered, you know.

And progress on my coloring book is humming along. I hope to finish compiling it in the next week, so I can get it out in the world (via Amazon!) before the holiday shopping season. I am also working on a major revision of “The Case of the Picturesque Panda” so that it is a middle grade graphic novel. Some major changes are afoot (a paw?) and I can’t resist sharing one of the sample pages here:

Yes, Mr. Wu gets to be the smart one!

Yes, Mr. Wu gets to be the smart one!

I’d love to know what people think about the color, style of the illustrations, whatever you want to tell me. and I…um…promise I’ll read it and won’t ignore any negative things you might have to say. I might whimper a bit, but you don’t mind do you? This is a VERY long term project, so don’t be expecting this one any time soon, but you will be among the first to know when it is finished!

Well, pandas wait for no man!
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

 

 

 

The Season of Cake

Because it is my Birthday Season, it is also the Season of Cake. so today, for fabulous Furry Friday I rounded up a bunch of cartoons about…

CAKE.

just in time for the upcoming onslaught...a visit to Bob's First campaign!

just in time for the upcoming onslaught…a visit to Bob’s First campaign!

yoga for pandas

All salute the sacred cuppycake!

There must be cake!

There must be cake!

another cartoon inspired by real news!

another cartoon inspired by real news!

Thanks again to Henry Nicholls for alerting me to this story

Thanks again to Henry Nicholls for alerting me to this story

Good enough for a princess to eat!

Good enough for a princess to eat! The Princess Pinky Cuppycake, Recipe by Vicky Vladic, Cuppycake portrait by me!

If it's my birthdaycseason, there must be cake!

If it’s my birthdaycseason, there must be cake!

let there be cake!

let there be cake!

Be the Bear! Let’s all have cake!
Bob T. Panda