Category Archives: Babee Bubba Bei Bei

It’s International Panda Day!

No, really…it really is International Panda Day! Who knew? Um…well, someone told me it was and while I have been trying to find some corroborating evidence that it IS in fact, International Panda Day, how about we just say that it is and have a panda party to celebrate!

Huzzah! it’s International Panda Day! Let’s have some cake!!!!!

Um...what cho doing wif dat hammer, pinky?

Um…what choo doing wif dat hammer, pinky?

And if you are done celebrating, why not head over to the nice folks at Pandas International and check out goodies in their store. All the purchases there help provide support for pandas. I mean real pandas. Because, without pandas, there could be no panda satire!

Meanwhile back at The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire, things are heating up on the election front, Bubba gets cuter day by day, and the Meihem twins are hanging out and being about as adorable as two teenage pandas can be.

I hope everyone whose clocks changed for Daylight Savings time has adjusted. It’s only an hour, but it throws me off for weeks, it seems.

And if you haven’t signed up for my newsletter mailing list, you might want to think about doing that. There is a sign up form on the top of the righthand column. I know I have not sent out very many newsletters, in fact it’s probably been 6 months since the last one. Oopsie. My bad. But I just discovered how to make a secret password protected page here, and I am only going to send the password to people on my mailing list. How do you like them apples? I plan to put fun stuff on there, and maybe only leave each page up for a couple of months. We’ll see how it goes. I hope to get a newsletter out sometime next week, so you have a little time to put your email address in the little box that says: Get even MORE Pandas and Powered by Mailchimp at the bottom of the box. At the rate I send out newsletters, I’ll hardly be a nuisance at all, and I swear on the deluxe size box of cuppycakes that I will never share your email address with anyone else.

Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda

Su Lin the first. From a a personal photograph that found it’s way to me.

Pinky Sez…

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Being the ever attentive big sister, Pinky has offered to teach baby Bei Bei Bubba Brother, a new game…called…Pinky Sez…

Don’t you wish you had such a caring older sibling?

Yeah, me neither.

How IS this different from Pinky’s normal bossiness?

It is a wonder that Mei Xiang’s fur is not turning gray! But I think Bubba is beginning to catch on to his big sister’s manipulations. He can’t quite resist the temptation of frosting, though. For now, Pinky has the upper paw.

And if you haven’t read this story by New Yorker writer Robin Wright already, take a few minutes to read it now. It might help you understand why we’re all so crazy for Washington DC’s newest superstar (panda). (Not to mention help you distract yourself from other DC shenanigans.) It is a lovely look at pandas, from the viewpoint of a lifelong panda fan.

Bubba would also like to point out that according to this article, twice as many people have viewed Bubba on the panda cam in his first four months, than they did Pinky during a similar time period. Watch out Robyn. Pinky might be able to find your address. #Don’tMakePinkyMad

Be the bear,
Bob T. Panda

News Flash: Panda Climbs a Tree

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Ha ha! that was a gratuitous headline if there ever was one. Of course a panda climbs a tree! Bubba has been climbing up a storm, ever since they let him explore the great outdoors. So, this cartoon is kind of old news, but it wasn’t when I drew it. Mommee Mei is now confident enough in his abilities that she can take a nap or chow down some boo while he is wowing the crowds with his feats of daring.

But when Bubba first started exploring the dreaded hemlock and the gingko of terror, Mei thought he might need just a little help to get started.

You can’t just DO stuff. You need instruction from an expert!

Moms…gotta love ’em.

Meanwhile, we have been having weather not very conducive to pandas, with horizontal buckets of rain today. Blergg. The good news is that it is perfect weather to work on my latest project, which will be available sometime this millennium. I don’t mean to be snarky, but it turns out a graphic novel is a whole heck of a lot of work. Sometime next month I will start sharing some sketches in progress, but for now, can I just say it is either going to be awesomely cool, or a complete pile of crap.

Sigh…We creative types are subject to mood swings and insecurity, if you haven’t figured this out yet. But never fear, Pandas are on the move, and we will bring you all the pandas that fit!

Be the Bear,
Bob T Panda

Smile! You’re on Pandid Camera 2

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Poor Bubba. What a shock it was to find out that people had been watching him ALL. THE. TIME. on the panda camera. Are they really allowed to do that? I’m afraid so, Bubba, and what with your sister’s presidential aspirations, not to mention your Cubby of the Year Award, you won’t have a moments privacy during your entire residence at The Pinksonian Zoo.

Between Apps on mobile devices, 24 hour panda cams, and all the videos and photos taken by visitors to the zoo, your EVERY. SINGLE. MOVE. will be recorded and commented on. Not to make you self conscious or anything.

Add to that, the time honored tradition and privilege of older children to tease, torment, and generally one up their younger siblings. Not that I know anything about this. HAHAHAHAHA! For the record, I am the put upon younger sibling. But we are all done with that, right?

I has no sekrets!!!!

Meanwhile, over on Kristen Lamb’s blog, she has been taking to task those online news sites that make a practice of not paying writers. C Hope Clark, over at Funds for Writers (one of my favorite and always read newsletters) has also addressed this extremely disturbing trend. As a writer, painter, and cartoonist, I have come up against this idea that “if you love doing something, you should do it for free”. Phooey on that! As both Kristen and Hope have both so eloquently said, creative people have the same bills everyone else does. We have rent, mortgages, doctor bills, need food, clothes, you name it.

Now, I post this blog for free, and you can search the archives at will. I do this willingly. You can walk into the gallery that shows my paintings and see them for free. You can even see them online. The only way I make any income is if someone buys my paintings, books, or reproductions. If that truly is not in your budget, come visit here often; visit your public library. I’ve been there and I am a great fan an user of public libraries. But if you have the wherewithal to buy books or paintings, be they mine or any of the thousands of great writers and artists out there, please do. It will be appreciated and is the only way we keep from living in a cardboard box. Visit my book page or Pandas Love Links page. And don’t support sites that make money from the work of creatives without providing compensation to those who create the content.

Be the (slightly preachy) bear!
Bob T Panda

Smile! You’re on Pandid Camera

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Come on Bubba…won’t you give us a little smile? didn’t you know we were…um…watching you?

What’s that blinking red light over there?

As any of you who happen to be younger siblings know very well, that it is the time honored tradition, (or is that privilege?) for older siblings to torment younger siblings. Now, I was not watching pandas when Tai Shan was a mere cub, but I don’t think he would have put his little sister through the same things that Pinky has put Bubba through. That’s just my opinion and I have nothing to back this up. He did send her….ahem…some very nice presents.

We might say that as the middle child, Pinky has worked hard to distinguish herself. One could wish that she didn’t appear quite so gleeful when she gets Bubba all wound up. But what fun would that be?

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

Open Late Gate 3

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Yes, I had promised to conclude our story about the change in the National Zoo opening times, but several things got in the way, like Bubba’s debut and whoever it was that broke the Cute-o-Meter.

And then there was Snomaggedon 2016 known on twidder as #Snozilla. The video of Tian Tian, the paterfamilias of the National Zoo Panda clan has been going wildly viral on the interwebs, which I know because at least 6 separate people either tagged me in the video or posted it on my FB page. My sympathy goes out to all of you who are stuck at home with nothing to do while the storm rages on outside, and the snow drifts reach your upper story windows, other than watch panda videos, curl up on the couch and read and eat microwave popcorn. You did remember to stock up on that, didn’t you?

So, without any further ado about nothing, here is the final episode of Open Late Gate

How many times do we have to tell you…Don’t make pinky mad!!!!

What can we say?

Starting this week, we will be exploring the potential for pandas in the Pacific Northwest! Could it happen? We don’t know, but people who know people are talking about it. And by that, I mean, “people other than me!”

Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda

The Cute-o-Meter

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The other evening, I was sitting around regaling my friend, Mr. Badger about Bubba’s debut at the National Zoo and he asked if Bubba broke the Cute-o-Meter which of course gave me the idea for todays’s ‘toon.

All kidding aside, Bubba has been wowing his fans in the Panda House and in the media around the world ever since he first stepped on the stage last week. He was recently the subject of this article in the New Yorker, by Robin Wright. I’m telling you people, panda fans are everywhere!

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen just who broke the Cute-o-Meter.

See? I told you it was broken!

And back at the 2016 Presidential race, it seems that Pinky has been given yet another assist from one of her loyal fans who took Pinky on a White House tour, introduced her to the Secret Service, and allowed Pinky to take measurements for curtains and furniture. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pinky didn’t make a visit to the White House kitchen to see what kind of bamboo they keep in stock. (Answer: none!)

The following photographs have been leaked by our intrepid Washington DC correspondent!

Is Pinky headed for an off limits area of the white House?

Could this be Pinky’s future office?

I do not have a good feeling about this….

Many thanks to intrepid correspondent, Anna Lisa, who shared her trip to the White House with Pinky, and her pictures with us!

Now if I could just get ahead in the polls…..

Till next time,
Be the Bear
Bob T. Panda!

Pinky Shares The Spotlight

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Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!

Excuse me. I think that the title of today’s post is really funny. As we all know, or at least those of us who have been following Princess Pinky since her earliest days know, that “share” is not a word she uses. But of course I could not resist. You might say that the phrase Pinky shares the spotlight is, in fact, not…um…true.

If you want the truth, read National Geographic or The Nature Magazine, not The Panda Chronicles.

But here is what you’ve all been waiting for! Live coverage of Bubba’s Debut at the National Zoo!

I didn’t THINK that Pinky knew the “share” word.

In all of the excitement about Bubba’s debut, we kind of left you hanging about Pinky’s view of the change in the National Zoo opening time. Don’t worry, we will resume our exclusive coverage of this issue, according to the view from the panda house, this coming Wednesday.

In other bear related news, tomorrow is Winnie the Pooh day (in my opinion it would be the Ernest H. Shepard illustrated version) and I for one, tip my hat to the great Pooh Bear. Everyone might have something with honey to celebrate this bear of little brain’s day. And remember, most of the great philosophical questions can be answered by reading the wise words of this simple bear. Huzzah!

Till then, be the bear!
Bob T. Panda

I’m Ready For My Close Up

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Is Bubba ready for his close up? We will see! Out in the real world, he has already met many of his most adoring fans during Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) special debut. Membership does have its privileges!

But what does Pinky think about all this? Is she ready to share the spotlight with her younger, extremely adorable brother?

I’m ready for my close up

Poor Bubba. He just wants to do everything that Pinky does. I’m glad he got his wardrobe issues resolved. :o) It is just exhausting being a public panda!

And speaking about public pandas in Washington State (were we?) I am closely following the news about the effort to bring pandas to the Pacific Northwest. Bamboo grows really easily here. Ask anyone whose neighbors have planted it! No big news as of yet, but I am monitoring the situation closely. Never fear!

Don’t forget to tune in again on Friday for another encore presentation of Fabulous Furry Friday and again on Sunday for Bubba’s debut cartoon. (This has all been the behind the scenes scoop, that for some strange reason, the zoo does not share with us. Aren’t you glad I bring you the REAL story?)

Till then,
Be the Bear,
Buy stuff with pandas!
Bob T. Panda

Bei Bei Panda Debuts to Acclaim!

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There is one more cartoon about Princess Pinky and her “views” of the change in hours for the National Zoo in Washington DC, but there are events that take precedent! I am, of course, referring to our latest national treasure, Bei Bei Panda, known to the readers of The Panda Chronicles as Bubba. (Pinky’s note: or boo boo!)

This past Friday marked the first day that members of the Friends of the National Zoo got to be up close and personal with him, and he did not disappoint. But what was going on behind the scenes? How did Bei Bei prepare for his role as a national icon? (Pinky’s note: excuse me. i am the only icon around here. Get in line, boo boo.) Rumor has it, he even waved to the crowd.

But let’s peek behind the scenes, shall we?

006 bubba debut 1 100res

Stay tuned for our next look behind the scene of bei Bei’s…um I mean bubba’s big debut!

Be the Bear
Bob T Panda