Tag Archives: Bei Bei Bubba

Pinky Returns from Canada

Was there ever a panda like Pinky, in all the history of panda-dom? So completely convinced of her rightness of her purpose? What could her mother be thinking as Pinky returns from Canada? She may be thinking, Why couldn’t I have a well behaved little panda, who just wanted to be a panda, and settle down, and have some little pandas of her own. But no…I had to have a panda cub who wants to be president…sigh….

uh oh…

And do we see a new boldness in Bubba’s attitude towards his sister? be careful, Bubba. Be very careful! You really don’t want to make Pinky mad.

Remember, you can find collections of cartoons about Pinky (and a couple other pandas) on the book page of this website! Check ’em out and collect the whole set!

Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

You Can’t Lie to Mom

22 Replies

Poor Bubba. Once again, he suffers the consequences of being Pinky’s younger sibling. If Pinky had been born sooner after Tai Shan, would she have developed as such a little terror? Who knows? We only know that Bubba is made of softer stuff (frosting?) and the least look from mom can send him into a quivering mass. He can’t lie to mom like Pinky can.

So, after Pinky has taken off for another campaign swing to get endorsements from some VIP’s (Very Important Pandas) Bubba is left to face the music…

I’ll talk! I’ll talk!

Oh Bubba…you are such a pushover!

Be the Bear! (You can do it, Bubba!)
Bob T Panda

Where is Pinky Going?

10 Replies

Poor Bubba. It is so hard to be the younger brother of such a powerhouse of a panda. But where is Pinky going? Does she have permission? Ha! Pinky don’t need no stinking permission! Does she?

Bubba: but why should I be in trubble?

Sigh…poor Bubba.

Meanwhile, back at the panda ranch, excitement is afoot…(err..apaw?) as I close in on being almost ready for The Pandyland Chronicles book 1 to be ready to send out to publishers. There will be some exciting news to announce soon, but not…quite…yet.

So I am getting back to work after a bit of traveling, being sick, and who knows what all I get up to around here.

Keep being the bear!
Bob T. Panda

Trespassers W

14 Replies

One of my favorite books as I was growing up was Winnie the Pooh. (No surprise there, huh?) And although I loved the stories, and still re-read them whenever I need something familiar and comforting to read, what this artist loved best was the drawings. and within those drawings were so many wonderful details that enhanced the story in a way that was not necessarily obvious. It was there for you to find on the many re-readings of this well loved story. And one of my favorite details was the sign outside of Piglet’s house that read, Trespassers W which Piglet claimed was his grandfather, short for Trespassers William.

So along with all the other signs and surveillance paraphernalia that Pinky had installed in “her” tree, is it any wonder that this sign should make it’s way there?

You keep using that word “share”, mommee!

What’s not to love about Pinky! That panda has a lot of…um…spunk.

Have a fun Sunday. Now would be an excellent time to eat all of that Easter candy that you have leftover. Run, chocolate bunnies! Run!

Be the Bear,
Bob T. Panda

Through the Looking Glass

16 Replies

Over the past couple of months, the friends of Bubba (and Pinky! Don’t forget Pinky!!!!!) have been posting many adorable photos of our nation’s littlest panda as he explores the great outdoors. Recently (Linda G?) someone posted at photo of him admiring his reflection in one of the viewing windows, which naturally inspired this ‘toon.

My! You are quite the good looking fellow!

Meanwhile, back at The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire Headquarters, I am hard at work on my graphic novel, tentatively titled The PandyLand Chronicles: The Case of the Picturesque Panda. When a mysterious panda enters the office of Inspector Panda, with a tale of late 19th century Parisian pandas, he must rely on his clever assistant Wu to help sort truth from fiction. Especially when it comes to the wily Babette de Panda. Was her great great great great great great grandmama truly the most sought after painters’ model of the Paris Impressionists? Or does Babette have a more sinister reason for wanting to find this painting? Think of The Maltese Falcon, except with pandas.

As those who have been following along for a while know, this story started out as a long cartoon with multiple episodes, starring Inspector Panda. As I am now trying to convert it into a graphic novel, geared toward middle grade readers, there have been many changes. The story now focuses more on the junior pandas, it is much longer, and I am doing illustrations in color. I really have no idea how long this will take me to complete, but you can find the news here as its path carries on and the drawings develop. Most enticing is that it gives me the opportunity to do even more panda versions of famous Impressionist paintings, and what could be wrong with that? (Note to Art Historians: please don’t answer this question.)

Till next time,
Be the Bear!
Bob T Panda

It’s International Panda Day!

12 Replies

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…

26 Replies

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

15 Replies

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

18 Replies

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

National Zoo Opening Time

10 Replies

You would think that the director of the Smithsonian National Zoo would know better than to mess with Pinky, not to mention Pinky’s fans. And this is not even taking into account the number of cars that use the zoo route to speed their morning commute. Looks like with the changes for the National Zoo opening time, gridlock will not only be happening in Congress.

Washington DC luminaries, such as DC Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, have weighed in on the controversy as well. This is going to be one big mess, come six AM tomorrow morning.

Well, they ain’t heard nothin’, until they’ve heard from Pinky!

I think we’ll call this little debacle: Open Late Gate

As I mentioned on Friday, I’m not really one to make New Year’s resolutions, but I will say this: 2016 is going to be a rip roaring year, politically speaking. There will be lots of rhetoric ripping the air, and The Panda Chronicles will be no exception. Cartooning has a long history in politics, in fact, most of the earliest cartoons were political in nature. Last year I visited the Cartoon Museum in Brussels, Belgium, and saw several exhibits that brought that fact home.

So.

Yes, I have my own point of view, and it may or may not agree with yours, so let’s agree now that if we disagree, we will still be civil about the whole thing and listen to each other’s point of view. And let’s check our facts before we get our panties in a twist, okay?

That said, I can’t be responsible for Pinky’s opinions. Pinky’s opinions have always been her own.

Stay tuned in right here, to hear more from Pinky later this week about her views on the Zoo’s change of opening time. It is a matter of earthshaking importance. (At least as far as Pinky is concerned.)

And keep Being the Bear, Okay?
Bob T. Panda

By the by, Vicky Vladic and I just had another cuppycake recipe posted on They Draw and Cook’s website! You can find it here