It IS all about Pinky, Isn’t It?

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Oh yes, Princess Pinky’s new book Pandapocalypse Now! is now out in the world, and it has got me thinking about all things bookish, as these events tend to do. I recently read a book by one of my favorite bloggers, Allie Brosh, whose book, Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, was one I have been wanting to read. As you can tell from the title, this is a person whose life does not run especially smoothly.

She turns emotional insecurity and mental distress into an art form, and while I wish her a life with a lot less pain than she has had, we wouldn’t get to read her outrageously funny take on life, her dogs, and…um…cake.  Especially the story about cake. Check it out! “Darkly comic” is an understatement. Her drawings are simple and a little funky, but they perfectly capture the emotional angst of her existence. She hooks you in from the first story, and doesn’t let go.

But meanwhile, Princess Pinky has a few things to say about HER book…oh yeah, and there might be one or two other pandas in it.

"Oh yeah...dere MIGHT be one or two other pandas in it, but I can't remember who."

“Oh yeah…dere MIGHT be one or two other pandas in it, but I can’t remember who.”

Pandapocalypse Now! Is here! Tell your friends!

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

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

Just in case you weren’t paying attention!

Stay tuned for the return of Inspector Panda this week.

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

 

The Pandapocalypse has arrived!

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…and just in time for Fabulous Furry Friday, no less! Actually, someone has already snuck into the Pandapocalypse Now! stronghold over at Amazon and procured the first copy! Fess up! Who did that????

What’s that, you say? Is there a new Panda Chronicles Compendium perhaps? Why, yes, as a matter of fact there is, and it stars Princess Pinky and the Meihem twins!!! and the cover looks something like (OK, exactly like) this:

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

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

From the very beginning of Pinky’s reign of terror in our nation’s capitol, until her very first birthday party, this volume celebrates all things Pinky and Meihem in a three ring circus pandapalooza. Like for instance….

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

Oh, those little scamps! “How does you spell ‘hostage’?”

Or how about the first appearance of the Meihems when they were teeny tiny little pandas?

The first appearance of the twinkies on The Panda Chronicles

The first appearance of the twinkies on The Panda Chronicles

I’m sure you will want your very own copy (hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) so hop on over to the Pandapocalypse Now! page and scurry on over to Amazon  and get your own copy of The Panda Chronicles Book 5: Pandapocalypse Now!

Not since The Book of Wu have so many pandas behaved so badly. Huzzah!

Pandas are standing by to take your order. (And if you would like to support Pandas International with your purchase, I’ve been told that there is a program called Amazon Smile: just type “Amazon smile” in the search box and then you get to pick your non-profit, if I remember correctly. Once you’ve made that choice, Amazon remembers for future purchases.)

 

Inspector Panda Returns

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Well, actually, we haven’t actually seen Inspector Panda, his very own self, since Mr. Wu went roaring off with the panda kindergarten. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere…he’s probably hot on Babette’s trail, with the purloined tape in his sights…yeah…that’s it!

Meanwhile, Mr Wu is learning more about the scholarly activities of the panda kindergarten. Art Historians! Who knew????

I didn't get a decoder watch when I graduated from art school!

I didn’t get a decoder watch when I graduated from art school!

Why that Babette is nothing but a scoundrel!

Why that Babette is nothing but a scoundrel!

And, not to belabor the point, but this Friday marks the release of Book 5 of the Panda Chronicles: Pandapocalypse Now! Huzzah! Inspector Panda would like to point out that he has a cameo appearance or two in Book 5, just in case you were interested!

Be the Bear,
Bob T Panda

Give Pinky all Your Money Now!

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Yes, it’s that time of year, when your favorite public radio station starts whining and pleading to get you to support them, and National Pinky Radio is no exception.

I must admit, that I feel a little bad about making fun of a worthy cause, but that’s never stopped me before. I am a big public radio fan, and when I actually have income, I support them with my meager pledge of support. After all, I get some of my best ideas of other things to make fun of from listening to Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me.

Pinky needs stuff and she needs it now!

Pinky needs stuff and she needs it now!

And speaking of Princess Pinky (we were speaking of the Princess, weren’t we?)  Newsletter subscribers (at least those who opened their email) have gotten to see a sneak peak of the cover of the next exciting volume collected cartoons,  The Panda Chronicles Book 5: Pandapocalypse NOW! And having done my duty to my most faithful followers, I’m going to show you guys as well!

 

Are you ready?

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

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

Pinky whining and pouting all the while graciously agreed to share the book with the Meihem twins of Zoo Atlanta, because…well, she really didn’t have much choice. Actually, so many of their stories are so intertwined that I could hardly separate them out if I wanted to.

There’s more coming up from Inspector Panda this week, as well as a few announcements about Pandamorphosis. Stay tuned, Panda fans!

Be the Beart,
Bob T Panda

Fabulous Furry Friday Salutes NPR

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…and by that we mean National Panda Radio, of course.  Princess Pinky has taken over the station, as you will see if you tune in on Sunday, but we thought you might enjoy a glimpse of the early days of National Panda Radio!  (Starring Bob as a very young panda!)

One of Bob's earliest appearances on our show!

One of Bob’s earliest appearances on our show!

Panda Talk! My favorite show!

Panda Talk! My favorite show!

Don’t forget to come back on Sunday….Pinky Promise, okay?

Be the Bear
Bob T Panda

Panda Art History…Who Knew?

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I would hate to think that all those years of sleeping through paying rapt attention in Art History classes had gone to waste. Inspector Panda’s current case has therefore taken an extremely art historical turn, as if it hadn’t been traveling those roads already.

The panda kindergarten has more facets than a dodecahedron, and it turns out that they all have degrees in panda art history. Who knew? And if you are just tuning in, don’t forget to check out all the previous episodes here:

What you don't know about your favorite art museum....

What you don’t know about your favorite art museum….

And look at those stacks of paintings! Did you realize there were so many fine art pandas in existence?

And look at those stacks of paintings! Did you realize there were so many fine art pandas in existence?

Next time you are at the National Gallery, go and ask at the information desk if you can be taken to see the secret stash of paintings of pandas by all the greats of the 16th through 20th centuries. The National Gallery has a lovely Mary Cassatt that Minette modeled for. And the “Little Panda Dancer” by Edgar Degas is exquisite! Just ask at the front desk, and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. They’re just being modest.

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Our Story so Far: Inspector Panda…

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…has an omniscient narrator! If you are just tuning in to our story, you can see links to all the earlier episodes here. Of course certain pandas who shall not be named here were a little bit (just the tiniest bit, you understand) miffed that they had not been included in the story, so we had to make someone the omniscient narrator.

And who gave Pinky her wand back?

And who gave Pinky her wand back?

Does Pinky know too much?

Does Pinky know too much?

As you can well imagine, we are pretty excited over here at the International Headquarters for The Institute of Contemporary Panda Satire, as we anticipate publication of The Panda Chronicles Book 5: Pandapocalypse NOW! starring none other than Princess Pinky and the Meihem twins! We are awaiting our proof copies, to make sure that the pictures aren’t put in sideways or anything like that. And because enquiring minds want to know, we will reveal the cover FIRST to my long suffering newsletter subscribers, so if you want to be the first on your block to know what the cover will look like, do sign up for the newsletter!

Read on, MacDuff, and Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

 

 

 

 

Pandas Celebrate Banned Books Week

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Can we make this kind of stuff up? No we cannot. It is Banned Books Week, those scandalous literary tomes that send some people scurrying for their zippo lighters, and no books make censorious individuals fan the fierce flames of fascism more, than  books that celebrate….

The Literature of the Panda?????

Yeah, right.  But to celebrate all banned books, we bring you an encore presentation of some of Bob T’s works of literary genius! Huzzah! Where’s my zippo?

Bob's first foray into the realms of literature ...

Bob’s first foray into the realms of literature …

What could be more fun than blobbing...I mean blogging?

What could be more fun than blobbing…I mean blogging?

If any book should be banned....

If any book should be banned….

And lest we forget that there STILL is no MacArthur Grant for Panda Satire....

And lest we forget that there STILL is no MacArthur Grant for Panda Satire….

In my non-panda-satirizing time (what little there is of that,) I’ve been reading the new book by Elizabeth Bird, Julie Danielson, and Peter D. Sieruta, Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children’s Literature, which is a great read in honor of Banned Books Week. It’s full of untold scandals, books that were banned (and burned!) quite often by people who hadn’t actually read them, they’d just heard there was something naughty about them. It’s quite an eye opening read, especially if you thought children’s literature was all fluffy bunnies and sleepy kitties.  Not only that, but it is giving me a great reading list of books I want to read. I highly recommend it…um…when you are done reading The Panda Chronicles, anyway.

Hope you are having a happy banned book week! Read something naughty today!

And speaking of Books to be Banned, the fifth book in the Panda Chronicles series will be coming out next month! Huzzah! If you want a sneak peak at the cover, make sure you are signed up for my newsletter which I swear I am going to write and send out next week. Look for the link at the top of the right hand column that says:

GET EVEN MORE PANDAS

and add your email address to the growing list of panda satire fans!

Be the Bear,
Bob T Panda

Wait…isn’t Inspector Panda Supposed to be Here?

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I’m sure that Inspector Panda will forgive us for bumping him out of his usual day, I hope to make up for it on Sunday with the next exciting episode. I mean, how could I leave you hanging with Mr. Wu roaring off with the panda kindergarten, just after Babette (was THAT Babette????) stole his tape?

Because I’m an evil person…um…panda deep down.

But, today’s ‘toon brings a recent kerfuffle between Pinky and the Meihems to a close, and was inspired by this news story which was just.  too.  enticing.  to ignore. Here’s another account of the incident which was extremely inspirational in creating todays’s offering. You may recognize Pinky’s parting remarks as a quote from the news story.

And in case you are just joining us this week, here are the previous cartoons (which will all appear in the soon to be released Book 5 of the Panda Chronicles!)

If you think that maybe elephants never forget, they have nothing on pandas.

If you think that maybe elephants never forget, they have nothing on pandas.

Is this any way to treat our Nation's most adorable icon?

Is this any way to treat our Nation’s most adorable icon?

The forces of Meihem are only barely in check.

The forces of Meihem are only barely in check.

And now, for today’s feature presentation!

"Do you know who I am????" Yeah, we do.

“Do you know who I am????” Yeah, we do.

Be the bear,
Bob T. Panda

Oh Come On. That’s Not a Panda

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Yesterday was International Red Panda Day! And no, we don’t mean that pandas are communists. We’re talking about those cute little guys called red pandas and while they are from the same neighborhood and do have that sort of thumb thing going on, they are not closely related to giant pandas. (“Yeah”, say’s Wu. “We’re much bigger, maybe even GIANT”)

Ahem.

We were invited to come on board over at V Something Speaks for her celebration of Red Panda Day, but in case you didn’t go by there, here is the cartoon starring Rusty, the Red Panda who escaped from the National Zoo in Washington DC, until they finally caught up with him at Georgtown Cuppycakes have a little afternoon repast.

"They'll never catch me!"

“They’ll never catch me!”

I think Rusty is a excellent candidate to join the panda kindergarten, don’t you?

Hope you had fun on Talk Like a Pirate Day and International Red Panda Day!
Pandi-darity forever!
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda