Pandas, yes, but not Bob, maybe…

Here’s one more project that I did at the illustrator retreat. This time, Sergio gave us five lines of a story, and we had to do a short, five panel story using his text, and our ideas for characters. Here it is, in all it’s ink smudged glory, and hey! There’s a panda!

Bob and the magic slipper....

Bob and the magic slipper….

Sergio didn’t like my ending and questioned how i knew the slipper was magic. I thought the little “magic lines” in panel three were obvious, as well as the unpredictable nature of what can happen when you put on magic slippers. It’s not always a prince charming kind of deal.  Oh well, you can’t please everyone. :o)

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

And Now for Something Completely Different

A couple weeks ago I attended an illustrator retreat/workshop, jointly put on by the Western Washington chapter of SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and our compadres in the Portland Oregon group. Putting on an event like this is not a small feat, and the organizers did an excellent job.

We had two wonderful instructors form the world of children’s literature, Kelly Murphy and Sergio Ruzzier. I learned a bunch of great techniques, as well as some strategies for getting a story moving, which I am absolutely going to put into practice…um…really soon. The following drawing (no pandas!) was the result of one of our exercises that we completed in Sergio’s class.

I think I was trying to channel Bill Watterson's snowman cartoons in Calvin and Hobbes when I did this one.

I think I was trying to channel Bill Watterson’s snowman cartoons in Calvin and Hobbes when I did this one.

I don’t want to leave you without any pandas, so…

Always read the directions...

Always read the directions…

Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

 

Fall Back, Fall Forward…

Wait…is that right? Daylight losing time is almost here!!!

Fabulous Furry Friday KNOWS that this is one of your favorites!

Fabulous Furry Friday KNOWS that this is one of your favorites!

And while we’re at it, here’s another one of my favorites!

Just because....

Just because….

Have a Fabulous Furry Friday!
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

 

 

Trick or Treat!

Or is that Trick and Trick?  Here’s one of my favorites from the archives.  Note: this cartoon was done before Princess Pinky arrived on the scene, but I think this little panda was the model for her exalted Pinkness.

Surprise! Where's my treat?

Surprise! Where’s my treat?

Note to fans of Inspector Panda, He’ll be back with the exciting continuation of The Case of the Picturesque Panda, in time for 31 Days of Pandas, coming to you LIVE! in December! That’s right, 31 whole days of panda fun. Can you stand the wait?

Be the bear, and um…wanna trade this Baby Ruth for a Dark Chocolate Milky way?
Bob T. Panda

What Does a Panda Wear for Halloween?

I mean, do they dress up as a red panda? or maybe a tiger?  This is serious, people! Pandas need to know what might be the best costume so that people give them the most stuff.  Halloween is important to panda culture. who knew?

Princess Pinky really needs to know!

Darn those Meihems!!!!

Darn those Meihems!!!!

I do want to mention that I drew this cartoon before I read the Cub Confidential post from Zoo Atlanta suggested that the twins were going to dress up as the other twin.  Just saying. The Institute of Contemporary Panda Satire has their finger…er…paw on the pulse of the panda community.

And Pinky has asked me to mention that her book is out, and you could just flip really fast through all the cartoons about the Meihems, so that you could just read the ones about Pinky. Hey, I just do what Pinky tells me to. Word to the wise, and all, Pinky must be obeyed.

It's Pink, but still kinda, um...dangerous!

It’s Pink, but still kinda, um…dangerous!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

 

Friday already?

Fabulous Furry Friday seems to roll around faster and faster, doesn’t it? Hmmmm. we seem to be in a Pinky and Meihem twins mode this week, so lets just continue with that line of thought.

This cartoon was inspired by one of my friends (now in real life) Judy Young, of the infamous Pinky fan club, who gather sometimes daily at the National Zoo to observe the actual Bao Bao Princess Pinky panda, mostly climbing up the dreaded hemlock, but sometimes frolicking for the pandarazzi.  The photo that inspired this was not of Pinky, playing with bubbles, but a group of children having a blast blowing gigantic bubbles and chasing them over the grass. I though Pinky would enjoy this activity.

Oh dear....are you going to leave her there?

Oh dear….are you going to leave her there?

The next cartoon was inspired by an internet quiz, “What Kind of Cuppycake are You?” That’s easy.  One that’s got lots of …um…frosting.

I have extra frosting!

I have extra frosting!

Pinky will be back on Sunday! Don’t keep her waiting!

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

Princess Pinky wanted you to see this:

We are sorry to tell you that Inspector Panda was unavoidably detained, just when things were really starting to heat up. He asked me to relay his apologies, but he also reminded me to tell you that he will be back in December for 31 Days of Pandas and that it going to be all about him, at least 5 days a week. So much stuff is about to happen in this story, that I thought it would be more fun to read an installment every day, than to have to wait a week between episodes, so just hold that thought.  I will do a recap in the week before 31 Days of Pandas starts on December 1st, ‘kay?

Meantime, by special request of one of my faithful readers (who I have actually met, while waiting for Princess Pinky to get out of her $#!!@*^% hemlock, on my last visit to Pinky-land) we see just why Pinky is up to up there.

Excuse me, Mr. Watterson, but....

Excuse me, Mr. Watterson, but….

I love a good art forgery, don't you?

Now we know what Pinky does in her hemlock clubhouse!

Oh dear, the Mei-hem twinkies have made Pinky mad. Uh oh.

Oh dear, the Mei-hem twinkies have made Pinky mad. Uh oh.

If I was really on top of this whole book promotion thing, I would point out that Book 5 of the Panda Chronicles has just been released, and it is all about Pinky, except when it is about the Meihems, and that you could look at these cartoons as much as you want if you would only hop over to Amazon and order the book.

Just saying.

It's Pink, but still kinda, um...dangerous!

It’s Pink, but still kinda, um…dangerous!

Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

But who WOULDN’T want a picture with a panda?

I love my readers.

They send me links to stories about pandas, or about bears, or about totally unrelated things that might need to be addressed by panda satire. For instance, the woman who was stopped going through airport security because the frosting on her cuppycake weighed more than 3 ounces. I mean…wasn’t I OBLIGATED to write a cartoon about that?

well, if I can't carry it through security, can I eat it now?

well, if I can’t carry it through security, can I eat it now?

The other day, my friend and partner in cuppycake obsession, Vicky Vladic, sent me this story about tourism in Australia.  The funny thing is, the TV spot was generated in China. You know I had to do this cartoon:

Is this a film of the pandy kindy?

Is this a film of the pandy kindy?

:o)

Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

Fabulous Furry Friday is Back!

Oh yeah…I can’t figure it out…just a week and a half ago I was ahead on my cartoon schedule, and now I am behind and playing catch-up. or is that Ketchup?

Whatever.

Well, as I am now starting to prepare for This year’s 31 Days of Pandas in December, I may…um…have to post a few encore presentations in the meantime, so I can get ahead again. If that makes any sense.  It’s no wonder we are endangered.

Never fear, however! This Sunday will have a brand new cartoon, about a news story that was first brought to my attention by astute reader and noted cuppycake baker, Vicky Vladic. Several others have sent me the link as well, for which I  thank you. It is always appropriate to bring any such news stories to my attention, as one never knows if someone already did or not, and this one would have been a shame to miss. And just to whet your appetite for The Panda Chronicles take on this story, here is the link to the actual story. Stay tuned for a ZooNooz exclusive on Sunday!

But now, of course it’s time for our fabulous Furry Friday Encore presentations!

another cartoon inspired by real news!

another cartoon inspired by real news!

Much better to take a selfie with pandas!

Much better to take a selfie with pandas! (as was this!)

not to mention…

Who says real life can't be funny?

Who says real life can’t be funny?

Have a happy Fabulous Furry Friday!
Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

The Plot Thickens….

This is a very brief installment of Inspector Panda’s mystery, which I hope you will forgive. I write in fits and starts, but his morning I had a breakthrough in the story line, which will be coming along…um…shortly. Princess Pinky and the Meihems have finally figured out how to get into the story, and we anxiously await the reappearance of Babette de Panda.

Meanwhile, Friend to Bears Vicky Vladic sent me a link to a very funny story, which Bob and Mehitabel have chosen to comment on, in sunday’s cartoon. (OK, it was all Mehitabel’s idea…she thought it was really funny, Bob, not so much.)

Meanwhile, here is a little snippet of the Inspector Panda saga….

Inspector Panda is hot on Babette's trail....

Inspector Panda is hot on Babette’s trail….

And if you don’t already know, Book 5 of The Panda Chronicles has hit the stands! Check out Pandapocalypse NOW!…um…now. ok?

Be the Bear
Bob T. panda