Author Archives: Panda in Chief

About Panda in Chief

Anne Belov paints, writes, makes prints, and is the founder of The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire. You can find her paintings at the Rob Schouten Gallery and Fountainhead Gallery, her cartoons on The Panda Chronicles, and her new book here. She also writes regularly for The Whidbey Life Magazine, a free journal of art and culture on Whidbey Island. Her main regret in life is that there is no MacArthur Grant for Panda Satire.

We All Wish We Could Sit At The Cool Kids Table

A few thoughts for our nation’s Birthday Season

Today is the 4th of July, Independence Day for all who celebrate. It seems like we have both a lot to celebrate (TFG is NOT the “President”!!!) and much to mourn.

In the last year SCOTUS has taken a sledge hammer to rights we thought were ours for the rest of time. The right wing is doing their best to dismantle justice, education, and the right to live your life without being discriminated against. Smarter people than me have explained what is happening. as always, I recommend Joyce Vance, Heather Cox Richardson, Teri Kanefield, the Strict Scrutiny podcast, #Sisters in Law podcast and The Daily Beans (and their associated Clean up on Aisle 45 & Jack) if you want to know what’s going on.

As I write this on the evening of July 3rd, people are setting off fireworks, which I can only pray are being set off over the water instead of the bone dry woods surrounding my house. This is probably what it sounds like in Kyiv. If my house is consumed by flames, at least I will have scheduled this post! I’ll let you know!

Democracy is not a spectator sport. At the very least, we need to vote. If you have the time and energy, see how you can get involved. Check out the very excellent organization Run for Something and Vote Save America.

Panda on!

And since it’s our country’s birthday, we should have CAKE!!!!

Be the Bear
Bob T is for DEMOCRACY Panda

Orca Orca Orca

Back in my college days, I had my nose in a Big Fish Thriller and was completely engrossed. These were the days just after the release of Jaws, and everyone wanted to get on the Malevolent Sea Creature bandwagon. I think maybe there was a novel about a giant squid too.

So there I am, nose in book, and my friend was trying to get my attention, and finally she just yelled in my face, “ORCA ORCA ORCA!!!

I might not remember what I went into the kitchen for today, but I do remember life’s high points!

This ‘toon (and Thursday’s) are based on the true story of a pod of Orcas attacking boats off the Spanish coast. Would I lie to you?

Be the Bear!
Bob don’t call me Flipper Panda

Secret Agent Bear

Last week on Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me (the NPR Nooz Quiz) they shared a true story of bears in the Nooz. I thought it was worthy of a ‘toon, so I made one! Do you think this will get me on the show?

I looked up an article about the incident, which had several amusing quotes, my favorite being: Presumably the bear did not have a search warrant either.

Curious? Check out the article here after you read The Panda Chronicles version of it!

And who has the theme song Secret Agent Bear ear-worming your brain now?

Secret…agent bear
Secret…agent bear…
They’ve given you a number,
And taken away your name!

Be the Bear!
Bob T it wasn’t me either Panda

Truth…or BEAR!

There have been so many stories of bears in the Nooz lately. Are the bears being especially naughty? Or are there just more people filming the naughtiness of bears since almost everyone has a camera in their pocket?

Whatever the reason, we have bears coming out of our ears! (Which is better than hair coming out of our ears…) But here at The Panda Chronicles, we say, you can’t have too many stories about bears! Here, to tell you about bears and play a little Nooz quiz, are some of our favorite bears: Frank and Mikey (an don’t forget Pookie!) on a show we are calling;

Wait, Wait, Don’t Eat Me

Can you tell I listen to Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me?

Be the Bear!
Bob T I crack me up! Panda

Keep those bear stories and videos coming!

Pandas! (and a Bear)

After all that folderol of TFG’s arrest and all the blathering he and the rest of the GQP are doing, I think we need something light and fluffy.

Here ya go!

We are not even close to be out of the soup, not by a long shot, so take two small bears, a cuppycake, and some hot cocoa with little marshmallows, and call me in the morning.

(Just kidding. Don’t call me!)

Be the Bear
Bob T on the edge of my seat Panda

Today’s the day we’ve been waiting for.

Maybe not the ultimate day we are waiting for, of course. But it is the day he will have to appear in court, in Floriduh, and be confronted with the charges against him, and plead guilty (guilty guilty) or not guilty.

Honestly…I’m really not sure how we’ve survived this long, what with the completely lackadaisical storage that top secret documents were stored, hauled around, and left in public spaces that anyone with access to Merde-A-Lago could just slip into and rifle through some boxes.

Considering the outrage over Hilary’s emails, the cries of “No fairs! He’s done nothing wrong!” coming from the seditionist caucus of the GQP are especially outrageous. Now Bill if the president does it it’s not illegal Barr is going on his redemption tour, saying, “Yep, if he did even half of what the indictment says, he’s going down.” TFG, predictably, now calls his former Roy Cohn lazy and incompetent, no more than a coffee boy, and claims he fired him, rather than that Barr’s obsequious resignation letter told TFG what an honor it was to serve him.

Am I mad? You bet! I hope you’ve read the full indictment by now. It’s easy reading with a lot of blank space, so shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes or so. Here’s a link to Teri Kanefiled’s excellent annotation of the indictment.

Meanwhile, I thought the day should be commemorated in The Panda Chronicles

I’m afraid things are probably going to get ugly as we see this indictment, along with the coming ones for January 6 and the investigation in Georgia. But the alternative to facing these things head on would be far, far worse.

We cannot be fated to fall into fascism

Be the Bear
Bob T I’ll be brave if you are Panda

A Bear is a Bear (Especially when there are cuppycakes!)

Once again I want to thank all my observant readers who alert me to stories of bears in the Nooz. That most of these bears are caught in the act of behaving badly, well…bears will be bears!

Yeah! Why does everyone think that Frank and Mikey were involved in any bad behavior by bears?

Stay ‘tooned! It might actually be indictment week!

Be still my heart!

Be the Bear
Bob T it’s always time for cuppycakes Panda