Welcome to this special panda birthday season edition of The Panda Chronicles! In honor of Zoo Atlanta’s pride and joy, Mei Lun and Mei Huan turning one year old today, we have an extra ‘toon to celebrate!
Huzzah!
There must be cake!
I bet the Meihem twins will be out of detention in time to go to Princess Pinky’s pawty in August!
Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda
I love watching movies where things blow up (OK, now you know my dirty little secret) but I really wish that fireworks displays were limited to professionals that (mostly) know what they are doing, and hardly ever burn down stuff (like my house) that isn’t supposed to burn down.
Did I mention it’s hardly rained in the last month? And Mehitabel doesn’t like them either. At least Guy Fawkes Night is in November when everything is nice and soggy. And now, The Panda Chronicles tribute to the Fourth of July!
Just saying.
uh. oh.
Huzzah for Rumpy Dog!
Thanks to Rumpy T. Drummond for making a guest appearance at The Panda Chronicles!
And lest I forget, the answers to the art history quiz! #1 is, of course, John Singer Sargent’s Madame ‘P’, #2 is Edgar Degas, That pesky number 3 is Mary Cassatt (and yes, in the Boston Museum’s version of A Cup of Tea, there are two women, but there was not another panda to model available to Ms. Cassatt .) #4 is Claude Monet’s Panda with a Parasol, and of course, everyone’s favorite in #5, James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s Arrangement in Black, White, and Gray.
I will be contacting the winners forthwith.
Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda
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
…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
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.
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
All of you who are fans of NPR are well aware of the semi-annual pledge drives, when NPR stations raise money for their programming and operating expenses. Of course, National Panda Pinky Radio is no exception! This suggestion was made by one of the Panda Faithful, whose identity escapes me at the moment. Speak up, if you want the blame credit.
Also, around the web, our very own Mehitabel got a shout-out on VSomething Speaks, in Vicky’s recent post about the musical Wicked. She made some great observations about what this musical, which re-tells the story from The Wizard of Oz from the point of view of the witch.
But meanwhile, back at the panda-ranch, Princess Pinky and the Mei-hem twins are having a pledge drive for National Panda Pinky Radio.
Pandas are standing by to take your calls!
Be the Bear and Panda On!
Bob T. Panda
…while I rack my brain for recollections of words that start with the letter “R”
While ragamuffin rabble rousing renegades run rampant raising hell around the panda kindergarten classroom, I request that you recall your favorite reads of childhood. Do you remember rambling tales of ransomed rascals? Stories of rebels rebounding through rebirth and revelation? Recall recalcitrant renegades rebuffing requests to rebuild? Rah Rah!
The letter “R” rejoices for the panda kindergarten!
The panda kindergaten knows where you live.
to repeat…
Evilness is one thing, but there must be snacks! An episode of “The Wizard of Wu”
Look out Mehitabel! here comes the panda kindergarten!
But sometimes, there is redemption….
Today, you are a bear.
Thanks again to the A to Z blog challenge for hosting all of us and bringing new readers to our shores, even if it is mostly each other. Huzzah!
Be the Bear, Right?
Bob T. Panda
Today is an off day from the A to Z, but I always (okay, most of the time) post a cartoon (a new one, no less) on Sunday and Wednesday, and today is no exception.
I did leave a wedding party early JUST so I could get home to post this. Oh wait, “M” day (for martyr) was last week. Anyway, I did want to post my salute to Easter today, a holiday celebrating chocolate, and some other stuff as well, which, were I not a complete heathen, I would know about.
A tiskitt a taskitt , a great big wheelie basket!
I’ll be back tomorrow with more alphabetical atrocities.
Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda
Special what? Oh, I don’t know…I was looking for a word to go with “Sunday”, and “special” popped into mind. Just ignore me. It’s OK.
Well, meanwhile on the Pandamorphosis front, preparations are proceeding apace to launch Pandamorphosis into the world. Thanks to all of those who have offered their support, not only with my Kickstarter project, but also with the upcoming book launch, now scheduled for April 16th (yes, THIS April 16th) just in time for International Panda Day. And no I am not making this up!
Meanwhile Friend to Pandas, Henry Nicholls posed the question, “which would the panda kindergarten prefer: Regular Pepsi or new Pepsi Max? ”
Whichever one has more sugar in it would be my guess. Afterall, scientists have now determined that pandas have a “sweet tooth.” Hello? cuppycakes? Just sayin’.
enquiring minds want to know….
And a quick note, I’ll be participating in the A to Z challenge, where I will be posting daily for the month of April. We are to use a letter theme for each day (A to Z, right?) Ah, if only every day could be the letter “P” but I’m sure somehow I’ll manage to make everything panda related.
Till Tuesday, then,
Be the Bear!
Bob T. Panda