I thought we’d start out with one of my favorite stories of the Meihems (which, of course, include Miss Pinky Panda!) Inspired by the real life drama that took place concerning a certain bridge between NJ and NY, and involves a certain governor…
Toon in this week to see if I actually get any new ‘toons done for this week!
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
It’s been a year, hasn’t it? And that doesn’t even include the previous 4 years as we descended into madness of the former guy’s reign of terror.
Fezbook likes to sideswipe you with memories from years past, and so my post about the passing of the real life Mehitabel popped up, from January of 2017. She put in her time and then some, living almost to her 21st birthday. She managed to avoid coyotes, owls, and raccoons that call my woodland their home.
I will miss you forever, my beautiful kitty girl.
During that month, as we anticipated the incoming former guy, with a lot of trepidation, we also experienced a day of solidarity and joy as all over the world we marched to say, we are watching you. Even my little town of Langley had a massive turnout, despite many people (4 bus loads if I remember correctly) headed into Seattle for an even bigger march.
In the final year of the former guy’s assault on democracy (is it the final year? Seems like he is still assaulting us;) we lost over 600,000 to a worldwide pandemic, which, among TFG’s many crimes, the crime of letting the pandemic run almost unopposed was one of his worst. So many families were torn apart as their loved ones died in hospitals, unable to be together or mourn their losses with family members.
The panda community lost one of our own, not to Covid, but to a bad heart, which is kind of ironic, since Jayelle had one of the biggest hearts I’ve come into contact with on these interwebs.
2020 did have one bright spot…well, at least two that I can think of. The first was our own little miracle cubby born at the Smithsonian National Zoo in DC, who just made his public debut about a month ago, and is already wowing the crowds.
And the real life Bao Bao (Princess Pinky to her Panda Chronicle fans)had a cubby in her new home in China. alas, as an inexperienced mom, they decided her cubby would do better with an adopted family with an experienced mom and a brother. Fortunately for us, they have their own panda cam, so we can watch her antics.
It left me with a dilemma, since I have chosen to keep Pinky a perpetual teenager, living at home with her family. Hey. It’s fiction. I can do anything I want. I mean Charlie Brown was six for like 75 years, okay?
It’s been a very hard year for so many, and a hard lifetime for so many more. I’m not sure where we go from here when so many people are so insistent on denying the reality of the former guy’s loss. The events of January 6, 2021 weigh heavily on my brain. The centuries of racism and the continuing assaults on Black, Latin, and Asian people in this country hurt my very core. The GOP led states who are even now passing voter suppression bills to amplify the harms done, make me wonder if there is any hope for humanity.
Could we learn to be better people? It sure doesn’t seem like that’s the direction we’re headed in. I’m waiting for those who have the power to make laws, to practice justice, to do their jobs and use their power to help people and not just find ways to hold onto that power.
Sorry to be kind of down tonight.
Call your Congress folks,
Get your vaccine,
Work for social justice.
Panda on
Bob T Panda
Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s real.
Meanwhile, back at the real SNZ, Bikkie seems to be taking the throngs of real life visitors in stride, or at least in cubby trot! So just remember, when real life gets too surreal, there is always the panda cam!
Be the Bear
Bob T Panda
Who would have guessed my creative journey would have taken me into the realm of needle felted pandas, or even Panda Satire? Certainly not me! When I was in art school, back in the days when you could get a college education for less than the price of a house, if you were a painting student, you PAINTED! Nothing else was acceptable! You did not “waste” your talents on such frivolous pursuits as Panda Satire, for crying out loud!
For some number of years, I held to those principles. Eventually the realities of a more regular cash flow lead me down the path of printmaking (etching to start). Eventually I embraced other forms of printmaking, such as lithography, monoprint, and monotype. One of the universal truths I discovered was that all forms of making art have something to offer, and each technique you add to your tool box, circles back around and makes the other forms you practice stronger.
Working on black and white etchings made my paintings much stronger, with greater attention to composition and light an dark values.
The recession of 2008 hit me hard, and I needed something to cheer me up. Pandas were the answer. I don’t know what the question is. What I do know, is that one thing leads to another: panda satire lead to starting to write children’s book (another pursuit which has a long way to reach its conclusion) and it also led to making needle felted pandas.
Some of the stories are mine, but the felty panda troop inspires stories in the people who welcome them into their homes. I am honored to be entrusted with some of these stories, and rather than my usual dive into the archives today, I am going to share some of the photos sent to me by a lover of the felty bears. They have added their own touch to the settings, and as one who has always loved dollhouse miniatures, the exquisite details they have added to the scenes thrill me no end!
Be The Bear
Bob T Panda
By popular request….
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
I WAS kind of hoping that once President Biden took office and started, you know, doing helpful presidential things, that the crazy insurrectionists would calm down, but no.
But we CAN have some panda ‘toons! Here are some now! Just the thing for Mother’s Day! (I’m pretty sure this is what your mom wanted!)
Panda Birthday season is approaching! Order your cake now! (Don’t flunk cake!)
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
Hm…this dream is not getting any better!
This dream is NOT going the way Pinky wanted it to!
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
It feels like spring today (despite the fact that I just woke up from a nap!) and now as the days get longer, I can still go outside!
So here is a little random collection, of ‘toons through the years that I have done in the spring. Do I have a theme? Um…not really! I’m just going to rummage through the ‘toons and see what amuses me today. I hope it amuses you too!
It must almost be time to select the Torch Bears for the next Olympic Games!!!
My recent operating system upgrade and new printer brought along another round of technical difficulties!
It’s always a good day to dump on Barker Carlson!
Are your taxes done?
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda!
Or…is it a nightmare? I guess we’ll just have to see!
Tune in again next week for more installments of…
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
So, back in the real world, Princess Pinky Bao Bao lives in China, and she has had a cub. We don’t know exactly why her cub is being raised by a foster mother, but she seems very well cared for and lives a happy cubby life. But in the world of The Panda Chronicles, all the pandas live at home with their parents…
And Ping…
And Frank and Mikey…
But that’s all to the good, for all the story possibilities that go along with a large cast of characters! (And that doesn’t include when Lun Lun sends all the girls up to visit their aunt and cousins!)
But the idea of Pinky having a cubby was too good to ignore, and so, we are having another one of those dream sequence thingies, which hopefully everyone will wake up from! As Mommee Mei says….
Where is this story headed? Well, to be honest, I really don’t know! I think you can be sure there will be some payback for Princess Pinky!
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda