Tag Archives: panda kindergarten

Episode 4: The Case of the Picturesque Panda

Yes, we are back with episode 4 of The Case of the Picturesque Panda. If you’ve missed the first three episodes, you can see Episode 1: here, Episode 2: here, and Episode 3: here. And for a little bit of Art Historical (or is that art hysterical?) background on pandas that modeled for the impressionists, see last Friday’s post.

And now for today’s feature presentation:

Why DOES Mr Wu have a piece of tape on his right ear?

By the way, pandas are still rampaging around the interwebs, most recently Pandamorphosis was reviewed by Henry Nicholls, author of The Way of the Panda, on his Animal Magic blog at The Guardian.

More pandas around the block:
Kirby Larson’s Kirby’s Lane: Friday June 13, 2014
June 9th on Cordelia Calls it Quits, and
June 11th on Cordelia’s Mom, Still

Stay tuned for more from Inspector Panda next week as he asks searching questions, such as, “Why do you have a piece of tape on your ear?” Also coming up, more from princess Pinky in her new role as leader of the panda kindergarten!

The Panda Kindergarten Gets Some New Books.

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Well, if I am going to live in my imagination, why shouldn’t I imagine that Bill Watterson had read of the panda kindergarten’s dastardly kidnapping deed, and took the appropriate measures for revenge. Of course, I would expect no less than that the revenge would be perpetrated on the “grown-ups” (such as they are.)

He who laughs last, laughs…um…last.

Huzzah for the panda kindergarten. (What…surely you don’t think that I am a grown-up…get real.)

Keep being the bear!

Panda On
Bob T. Panda

Episode 3:The Case of the Picturesque Panda

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Yes, yes, I have been promising the next installment of The Inspector Panda mystery, The Case of the Picturesque Panda, and so here it is! Yes, yes.

This is, perhaps, the bones of a story I have been wanting to write, that has been canoodling around in my head for a while, that of a young panda that emigrates to France in the late 1800’s, and becomes a favorite model of the Impressionist painters. I’m hoping that her story will shape itself within the Inspector Panda story, so that I can write it, and illustrate it with paintings done in the style of various late 19th century painters.

Meanwhile, Inspector Panda has a mystery to solve…

…and so the story begins…

…of a young panda’s arrival in France, and all that followed…

And just to pique your curiosity, here is the painting that Babette is searching for:

Portait of the mysterious “Madame ‘P’ “

Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter!

Meanwhile, pandas are playing around the interwebs, in celebration of Pandamorphosis!
Kirby’s Lane
Cordelia Calls it Quits
Cordelia’s Mom Still
and more to come (um…as soon as I write them!)

So keep being the Bear, and Panda ON!
Bob T. Panda

It All Falls Apart…

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…especially when you have three girls, and two of them are twin sisters. What? You thought they were all going to get along happily forever? You have obviously never been a pre-adolescent girl, if you thought that. Ah, the shifting loyalties, the tattling on each other…those were the days…

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

Sigh…I suppose after the cookie incident, they were waiting to get even.

Meanwhile, pandas are appearing around the interweb in celebration of Pandamorphosis. They have recently made a appearance on Kirby Larson’s blog, Kirby’s Lane. Huzzah!

On Wednesday, Inspector Panda will return to continue his tale of mystery and intrigue. ( Well, we hope so, anyway.)

Be the bear!
Bob T. Panda

Fabulous Furry Friday Salutes…

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…the panda kindergarten!

What could be better for this Friday the 13th than a look at the panda kindergarten, those rascally, recalcitrant, ruffians? They are the inspiration (well one of the inspirations, anyway,) for my newest book, Pandamorphosis!

The first appearance of the panda kindergarten, in much (MUCH) more innocent times…

And BTW, we’ve been making some guest appearances around the interwebs: hear just where all these pandas came from on Cordelia’s Mom, Still, and how Pandamorphosis finally got published on Cordelia Calls it Quits. There will be some more guest appearances over the next couple weeks, which I will be sure to alert you to!

Meanwhile, back to the pandy kindy:

panda on rocking horse

The panda kindergarten’s hit game show, wheel…of…pandas!!!!!!

And of course, who could forget the panda kindergarten in their first appearance in the Panda Olympic Games?

Huzzah!

Going for the …um…chocolate chip.

But the panda kindergarten may be best known for leading some of the newer and younger pandas astray…Sigh….I’m sure they are trying to be good…

“You are right and Wu is wrong…I’ll never do it again, mommy.”

And while we are thinking about Friday the 13th, (We were? Isn’t that kind of scary?) be sure to stop over to VSomethingSpeaks for this interesting look at the myths and mystery of Friday the 13th, which this very day is paired up with the full moon!

See you on Sunday for the exciting conclusion of “Pinky and the Meihems take a Hostage” (there is a panda scout merit badge for hostage taking, isn’t there?) and the return next Wednesday of Inspector Panda and the Case of the Picturesque Panda!

Keep Being the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

and yes, it’s now available on Amazon!

Resistance is Futile!

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I can never resist a good joke…especially when it’s me making it! Inspector Panda is taking the day off while we continue the sordid tale of Hobbes’ kidnapping by the panda kindergarten.

Meanwhile, around the web, I am on a bit of a blog tour, in honor of the publication of Pandamorphosis, my wordless picture book about…um…pandas. This week I wrote about the journey to publication on Cordelia Calls it Quits, and then I headed over (virtually speaking, of course) to Cordelia’s Mom, Still to tell the tale of where all these pandas came from! I have a few more stops on the tour coming up in the next couple of weeks. If you would like to have the pandas come by for a visit, drop me a comment and we can set something up!

Meanwhile, here is the continuation of our story:

I love a good art forgery, don’t you?

As I mentioned on Sunday, this cartoon and the previous one were inspired by Pearls Before Swine’s creator, Stephan Pastis and his recent series in which he collaborated with Bill Watterson. I see your “set my hair on fire,” and raise you, “I would rip my own liver out with my teeth.” Is that enough name dropping for one day?

OK, Mr. Watterson, I have your tiger. Come and get him.

A Salute to the Masters of the Medium

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Every once in a while I mention how I’ve learned from artists of the past, whether we are talking about fine art ,or illustration, or comics. One of my major inspirations in drawing comics is Bill Watterson, creator of the brilliantly unsurpassable Calvin and Hobbes.

So imagine my delight and envy when I read the post by Stephan Pastis (of Pearls Before Swine fame) where he relates the story of a project he recently did with Bill Watterson, which was brought to my attention on Twitter from Liam F. Walsh, cartoonist for The New Yorker. (And yes, I realize I am name-dropping like hell. Get over it.)

Of course, I had to let the pandas have their way with this story.

Excuse me, Mr. Watterson, but….

I’m sure that the panda kindergarten will..um…take very good care of Hobbes.

Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

Literature of the Panda: From Fabulous Furry Friday

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Pandas have long had a presence in literature. The prestigious BamBooker Prize in panda literature is one of the coveted awards by the panda literary establishment. (I bet you didn’t know there was a panda literary establishment, did you?)

While panda literature has often been overlooked by the world at large (read: overbearing cats), it is, in fact, one of the most loved genres in many parts of the globe. From autobiographical works, to novels, and poetry, pandas are on the forefront of creative writing. Or was that “creative accounting”? Well, no matter, today, Fabulous Furry Friday celebrates,

The Literature of the Panda!

Bob’s well received autobiography

It all started here…..

What do you mean by “was?”

The Life of PIE….get it? *chortle chortle*

The cake abides….

Editors note: And of course, since this month is Pandamorphosis launch month (the real one, not Bob’s version of it) I had to stick in another plug for Pandamorphosis. You can find it on Amazon, or if you happen to live on Whidbey Island, Moonraker Books has copies in stock! (yay! Independent Book Stores!)

Huzzah!

Well, that’s all from Fabulous Furry Friday! Keep Being the Bear, Panda On, and Pass the Cuppycakes!

Bob T. Panda

Inspector Panda in His Feature Debut

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I know, I know, I’ve been promising this for a long time, but what with one panda then another, and Princess Pinky being so. very. insistent. that it is all about her, what’s a panda satirist to do? And I might add, I do have a few other things on my plate besides writing and drawing panda cartoons all day. (subliminal message…buy….more….books….)

Anyway, at long last, I am starting Inspector Panda’s epic (I hope) saga, starring Robert Thelonious Panda as Inspector Panda, Mr. Wu as his erstwhile assistant, and Babette de Panda as the troubled and troubling femme fatale!

(Special note to Princess Pinky: while this story is NOT about the Highway closing hacker incident, that case is still open, and Inspector Panda never closes a case unsolved. Just sayin, ‘kay?)

If “trouble” ever had a proper name, that name is Babette de Panda…

As a rather geeky illustrator/cartoonist side note, I decided to make a switch from using technical pens for my drawings, to old fashioned dip pens. I’m thinking that I can get a much more expressive and varied line with them. Just part of my evolution as a comics artist. (plus then I get to buy some new stuff in the art catalogues. Huzzah!)

Be the Bear and Panda On!
Bob T. Panda (not to be confused with Robert Thelonious Panda)

From the Fabulous Furry Friday Archives….

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Spring has come and gone in the Pacific Northwest, as we slosh toward the month here known as “June-uary” and the (brief) visitation of balmy days in the 60’s and low 70’s become just a distant memory, just in time for Memorial Day weekend here in the US of A.

We need funny, we need pandas, and we need it now!

I’m ready for my close-up…um..I am, aren’t I?

Are we laughing yet?

Mei xiang and bao bao try to cover up highway-gate

Inspector Panda is on the job!

As we prepare for an Inspector Panda Mystery, let’s reacquaint ourselves with this superior sleuth….

“Hello, Bai Yun? this is Lun Lun…about that detective you suggested…”

…of course Boo-mints are pretty good too.

Will the twins get a merit badge for their road trip? Will Lun Lun fess up to where the girls are? Will Inspector Panda get a clue, or at least more twitter followers? Stay tuned!

That’s it for Fabulous Furry Friday’s visit to The Institute of Contemporary Panda Satire archives!

By the way, Pandamorphosis is now available from Amazon. Check it out on our The Panda Chronicles: The Books page today!

Keep Being the Bear!
Bob T. Panda