Pandas on the move part two….

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It has been an exciting week in pandyland…the Giant Panda Zoo Award winners were announced, (Princess Pinky: WHAT do you MEAN I din’t win? i demand a recount!!!!!) and San Diego Zoo’s current number one son is now home alone as his brother (the former number one son) has headed to a new destiny in China.

I couldn’t resist one last farewell scene.

Get out your hankies.

Yun Zi leaves his San Diego Home for China

Leaving the nest is never easy.

Coming soon, exiting news from The Panda Chronicles in support of Pandas International!

And in other Panda Satire news….Those who receive my newsletter (what? you mean you haven’t subscribed yet? Go up to the form that says: Get Even More Pandas, put ‘cher email address in there and then you’ll know before everyone else!) know that I am working on a cookbook with author and Che de Cuppycake Vicky Vladic! She is writing (and testing!) the recipes and I will be doing the illustrations. We don’t know exactly when it will be finished, but you might want to up your cuppycake consumption, so you will be ready when The Panda Chronicles Cuppycake Cookbook hits the shelves of your local and virtual bookstores.

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

I have defeated the evil computer…

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…and I didn’t even use a hammer. It was definitely touch and go for a while, but thanks to some advice from various friends around the interwebs, new software from the scanner maunfacturer, I was able to finally, (FINALLY!!!!!) quit farting around plugging, unplugging, rebooting, ad infinitum and finally, at the end, it was a case of using one cable rather than another. (not that I didn’t need the updated software, but maybe if they had had the link on their website in the first place, AND suggested trying both the USB cable as well as the firewire cable, it might have only taken me three days instead of 6.) Special pandy thanks goes out to Aaron Shepard’s blog, My Mac Fixes for the solution to my woes, as well as Frances and Ann, who suggested looking on Goggle and the support forums rather than running out to someone who would charge me $75 to say, “did you try this other cable?”

Is it any wonder that people are fed up with technology and the people who supply it as well as use it it? Oh, wait…they want me to buy a new scanner! uh huh…

Bad taste alert! BTW I’m lying about never doing it again.

The following cartoon addresses a very tragic incident that happened last week. Yes, I know, it’s not a funny situation, but my experience of the last week leads me to realize more than ever, that people’s nerves are stretched pretty thin, and it doesn’t take much to push someone over the edge.

annoyed moviegoer allegedly shoots two for texting in movietheater

Don’t try this at home….

Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

It’s Fabulous Furry Friday!

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Well, I had hoped to bring you a new cartoon today, but I am still having technical difficulties with getting the computer to recognize the scanner. I did get the software installed appropriately, because it now shows up in the applications folder, but despite the restarting and overbooting and unplugging and reconnecting of the components, it still says ; you are so scr%##92@d. in the error message.

or something like that.

Well, the big news today is that the winners of the international Giant Panda Zoo Awards for 2013 were announced this morning right at the home of the Twinkies at Zoo Atlanta, and let me tell you, there is some grumbling from other quarters if you know what I mean! The Twinkies won the coveted “Cub of the Year” award, and all I can say is it’s a very good thing that mama Mei hid Princess Pinky’s magical wand, or I think she would’ve marched her fuzzy little princess self down to Atlanta, and given them the biggest >poof< since General Sherman came through town.

Beware, the power of the paw! At least Pinky is a cover girl!!!!

Not only that, but…and I can hardly say this without shaking in my boots, but Mr Wu did NOT win the Panda Personality of the Year award.

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?????? Mr. Wu is not speaking to reporters this morning, as he needs to…um…collect himself.

Is this a personality or what?

Uh oh. All is not well in Pandyland!

I’m hoping I can resolve my computer issues over the weekend, because, hello? I have NEW cartoons to post, so anyone who can give me some advice that actually works will be rewarded. (not with money, mind you, because, let’s face it, panda satire is not the most lucrative profession in the world. But I could send you some panda goodies!)

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Emergency, Will Robinson, Emergency!

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Or was that “Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!” ?

Due to technical difficulties, I was not able to scan today’s cartoon, and so there will be a rerun.

See, what happened is, that I finally had to give up my old operating system on my computer, which was operating on “Tigger” and I didn’t want to go to the new, new operating system, because it’s getting such crappy reviews, AND my scanner won’t work with it at all, so I compromised on Snow Leopard because it’s not so very different from Tigger. And every thing would work. Ha!

So.

I downloaded the new and appropriate “driver” (whatever the heck THAT is) and now it says that my scanner isn’t on or connected, when it jolly well is.

Where is Princess Pinky and her magical wand when I need her?

Princess Pinky helps with new years resolutions

You say you want a resolution, well, you know, it is hard to change a bear….

Tell me a story, mommy!

sigh….

being the non technological bear.
Bob T Panda

The Deleted Interview Question

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Former President Nixon was famous for (among other things) bringing pandas to the United States from China. He was also famous (or is that infamous?) for a missing 18 minutes of recording tape, when the Watergate break-in was being discussed.

Here at The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire, we are thrilled to bring you another segment of here-to-fore missing public document. We are, of course speaking of a little bit of film footage that was deleted from Princess Pinky’s recent press conference, held on the eve of her public debut.

And now, without further folderol, we bring you the Pandagate tapes:

Pinky answers difficult questions from the press in her own way.

Be the Bear!

Bob T. Panda

It’s Fabulous Furry Friday, tra la, tra la!

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Although I miss those elevated readership numbers that come with posting a new cartoon every day, (and didn’t I do a fabulous job with that? pats self on back) It is good that I can get to some other projects that have been in the works for a while. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ll know what they are. If you don’t…well, you’ll find out eventually!

In the meantime, here are some encore presentations from the archives to get you in the mood for the weekend!

..in which we introduce Inspector Panda….

THIS is a case for Inspector Panda!

Inspector Panda says, “Know the signs of cuppycake dependency”

Legalize cake today! Prevent illicit cuppycake activities.

It IS all about the cuppycakes!

Princess Pinky returns on Sunday in a new cartoon! Huzzah!!!!!!! (And…um…she might have found mommee’s hiding place for her magical wand!)

Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

He’s leaving home…

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We knew it was coming: the trauma of sweet Yun Zi going off to China, after 4 years living with mom, dad, and his self absorbed little brother. Part of the deal we make with China is that all cubs born here get re-patriated to China, after they reach 2-4 years of age. We don’t welcome it, but there is a good reason for it. Because of the small captive population of pandas, It’s important that we don’t have pairings between relatives that are too close.

We recently got word that he’ll be leaving on January 11th, just a few days away. Maybe he’ll leave his little brother his baseball cap.

There’s no place like home…

Just because it’s the way things are, doesn’t mean we can’t make fun of it.

Be the bear,
Bob T. Panda

I resolve not to make any resolutions….

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…although it MIGHT be a good idea for the panda kindergarten to resolve a few things, and then the there’s Princess Pinky….how do you solve a problem like a princess?

Hey! here I am on Sunday afternoon, working on my new schedule, which is to bring you the Monday cartoon on Sunday! Huzzah! Of course, if you don’t check in until Monday, well, the pandas will be here waiting for you. Mr. Wu Wednesday will continue, although he doesn’t have any adventures planned for a while. I think maybe he should stay home for a little bit, don’t you?

Speaking of planning (who was speaking of planning?….Oh wait, it was me!) If you want to be the first to hear about what I have planned for the next year, you still have time to sign up for my once-in-a-while newsletter. (I’m sending it out on Tuesday morning) This month, not only is it chock-a-block full of news, I also have prepared a PDF of the entire Wizard of Wu adventure story. Huzzah! Buuuuut, the only way you’ll get it is to sign up for my newsletter. It’s the second from the top sign up form on the right hand column, just under the sign-up to get these posts delivered to your inbox.

And now, bring on the bears!

You say you want a resolution, well, you know, it is hard to change a bear….

Oh, that adorable Princess Pinky! What will she do next?

Keep Being the Bears,
Bob T. Panda

Hey! Fabulous Furry Friday is back! Panda on…

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31 days of pandas was fun and a big success, IMHO, (don’t cha just love how young and hip I sound when I use those twitter/IM all cap-letters thingies? yeah, me neither.) It was really fun to dive deep into some story lines, and not keep people waiting for a week or more

to
see
what
was
going
to
happen.

But, I can’t keep that up all year, and get anything else done, like getting the Book of Wu ready to go to print. And other stuff, which will be revealed for the first time in my upcoming newsletter…um…hopefully next week. It’s all good, it’s all fun, and it’s all pandas! Huzzah!

Before I share this weeks encore presentations with you, I want to take a minute to say a fond farewell, to someone who was a regular follower and commenter here at The Panda Chronicles, and also on other panda forums around the web. She went by the name Grammmie Cooper, and yes, that was with 3 ‘m’s’. I did not know her particulars, other than it was clear from her notes to me, that she was quite elderly, in poor health off and on, and her main joy in life was watching the pandas. Real pandas, I mean, on the various panda cams around the world. She was an early, enthusiastic supporter of my cartoons, and commented frequently. She was not afraid to tell me that she thought I was stepping out of line when I would let young Mr Wu go off carousing with the panda kindergarten, and she was just as willing to express her delight with other drawings. She got great joy and comfort from watching pandas. If there is any kind of afterlife, I’d like to think that pandas are there, too, bringing comfort and joy to the inhabitants, teaching people the art of somersaulting down a grassy slope, and then sitting around eating cuppycakes.

Panda on, Grammmie.

And now, let there be pandas!

National Zoo cub makes mom Mei Xiang disappear

Pinky wanted me to run these cartoons again!

Princess Pinky is fooled by Mei Xiang at the National Zoo

Oh Princess Pinky, mom has a trick or two up her paw, I think…

Beware, the power of the paw!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

It’s a WUnderful life: the epilogue

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Happy New Year from The Panda Chronicles!

A short epilogue to It’s a WUnderful Life popped into my head as I was finishing up the previous episode, and so here it is, from my brain (on pandas) to your brain (on pandas.)

A bear and his mom…together forever? What lengths will Bai Yun go to to get the hammock all to herself?

I just wanted to let you know about a few minor scheduling changes for the upcoming year. I still plan on doing two new cartoons a week, plus a Friday encore presentation of an older cartoon or two. Sometimes they will have themes that echo something that is happening in the real world or panda world, but mostly, they are just cartoons that I really like, and want to give you the chance to see them and tell me how funny I am. Mr wu will continue to control Wednesdays, at least for a while. Princess Pinky, the twins, and all the rest will have to share the sunday time-slot. Sorry.

The other change is that instead of posting on Monday, I will post on Sunday, later in the afternoon. In fact, all posts will happen later in the afternoon, about 4 PM PST/PDST. As much as I have tried to take myself in ..um…paw, I am powerless to resist the siren song of Facebook and other social media. I love “meeting” and talking with you all there. I plan to continue this, just not in my “prime work time.” I have paintings to paint, and (more importantly) pandas to draw, and not enough of y work is getting done before I sign into have a lovely visit with you all.

I know you will all understand, and of course want these pandas to keep on coming your way, for which I am extremely grateful. Your kind words, enthusiasm, (and yes, even your agitated responses to all the harrowing situations I have put Mr Wu in this last year) have touched me, delighted me, and spurred me on to greater heights of panda satire and drawing than I ever dreamed was possible. I hope you will want to continue reading The Panda Chronicles. I love your comments, even when you yell at me.

If you would like to support my efforts here, there are three meaningful ways to do so:
1: share this blog with your humor loving friends. They don’t even have to be panda fans. The Panda Chronicles have converted more than one person to the cause of pandas!
2: Write a review of any or all of my books on Amazon and/or Goodreads. This really does help my visibility, which helps to sell more books.
3: (you knew this was coming) Buy my books! Buy them for yourself, buy them for presents. You can go directly to Amazon from the Panda Chronicles: the Books page.

Here’s to the upcoming year in pandas! (and if you want to be the first to know, sign up for my free, every once in a while news letter to be in the know (if you know what I mean!) Just look for the sign-up form titled Get Even More Pandas near the top of the right hand column!

Keep Being the Bears!
Bob T. Panda