It’s Mr. Wu’s Birthday Season, so let’s all enjoy this encore presentation of Bears Under the Big Top. If you missed the first half of this feature presentation, just go back to last Sunday’s post!
We hope you enjoyed this feature encore presentation! Maybe it took your mind off of, ya know, the republican attempt to disassemble democracy. Mebbee not.
Be the Bear.
Bob T Panda
One of the first long stories I wrote, was the one where Mr. Wu runs off to join the circus with the panda kindergarten. I think it was his first meeting with Bee, the Bear. Since it is Mr. Wu’s birthday season, I thought it would be fun to have an encore presentation of the whole story.
You can find this story, as well as other stories of the Wu Self in my 4th ‘toon collection, The Panda Chronicles Book 4: The Book of Wu. (available from that big online retailer who shall not be named)
‘toon in next Sunday for the conclusion of our story, as well as on Tuesday and Thursday, for the further excellent adventures of Frank and Mikey!
Till next time, keep defending democracy, get your vaccination, and Be the bear!
As always,
Bob T Panda
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
Recently I’ve begun to invite friends of the Panda Chronicles to request specific encore presentations for my regular Sunday offering. This week, by request, I’m highlighting Bee the Bear!
I had to think for a minute about how Bee (the Bear) came into bee-ing! It all came rushing back, when I remembered that when I did my 2nd Kickstarter campaign to publish my first collection of ‘toons in printed form, a friendly bee-keeper here on Whidbey offered some local honey as an extra incentive to contribute to my campaign.
Later I revised her a little bit:
and also…
When Mr. Wu came along, Bee (the Bear) appeared in many of Mr. Wu’s adventures, including the story when he ran off with the panda kindergarten and joined the circus, The Wizard of Wu, and It’s a Wunderful Life!
And while we’re on the subject, (what subject was that?) It’s almost birthday month for Mr. Wu, and the Meihem twins, so the Sundays of July will be filled with encore presentations with Mr. Wu and the Meihems! (Pinky Junior shares [NOT DAT WORDS!!!!] her birthday [July 29th] with The Wu Self!) The wizard of Wu always has an encore presentation in October and it’s a Wonderful Life, during the Christmas holiday season. I’ll reprise Mr. Wu’s entire circus adventure during his birthday month!
August, of course, will be full of the House of the Xiang-Tian clan! Definitely something to look forward to!
I hope you enjoyed this visit with Bee (the Bear)!
Be(e) 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
Well, it’s late and I don’t have a plan for today’s collection of ‘toons, so I’m just going to randomly make some selections and maybe a theme will emerge. Or maybe not. I can’t always be brilliant!
Well, I hope this will keep you entertained until I post a new ‘toon on Tuesday!
Till then…
Be the Bear…
Panda on…
Bob T Panda
I thought I would be having a lot more fun by now: Biden in the White House, Covid Relief checks out to the people, majorities in the House and Senate…but no. Fascism still is rearing it’s ugly head and making me tired. And as we all know, it’s all about me!
This week we’ll have a report from Frank and Mikey as they travel to Alaska to spend some time with their family, and Mei Xiang checks in with her sister! I bet you know what (or who!) is coming next!
But now, let’s dive into the archives for a little of that debonair French panda cubby!
Did I hear the Bebe Maurice was going to be making a visit to the Panda House in DC? perhaps he will paint a family portrait!
Be the bear!
Bob T Panda
Try to hold off the end of democracy for at least another week!
By popular request….
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda
While all of Bikkie’s fans prepare to converge upon the Smifsonian Panda Zoo, (and the chaos of a reservation system being overloaded with all of his fans) those of us with non-panda zoos took a day to visit the “other” pandas.
Yes, I do mean red pandas. Of course I asked them where the real pandas were. They were not amused. No matter, it was a fun day at the zoo, meeting up with some of #PandaTwitter for a morning’s wandering in the May Seattle sunshine!
Here are some Sunday Fun Day ‘toons to hold you, until the next exciting episode of Pinky’s Dream drops on Tuesday!
Who doesn’t love a couple of adorable grizzly bears?
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