Tag Archives: Xiao Liwu

Missing Wu…

Mr. Wu was the first baby panda I watched from birth. The following year I watched as the Meihems, and then Pinky were born, but Wu will always be the cubby of my heart. I hope that I get to visit him in China, but sometimes it is hard to track specific pandas. You think they are going to be one place, and then you go, and they have been moved, sometimes the day before.

I know I’ll recover. There are more panda cubbies to watch and love, but they won’t be the Wu Self.

where happy pandas eat bamboo, oh why, oh why, can’t…Wu?

Please refer any questions to Mr Wu’s legal team.

Are you now, or have you ever been a panda?

Princess Pinky is drawing a line in the sandbox.

Uh oh. All is not well in Pandyland!

Don’t believe EVERYTHING the panda kindergarten says!

Meanwhile, we wrapped up our successful Bubba and Ping Pin project over on Kickstarter last week! They just celebrated their 10th anniversary last week as well! Follow the link to see some of the amazing projects the’ve done over the years. I’m proud of all the projects I’ve done there, since my first one in 2012. While they have all been modest projects, relatively speaking, they have been significant to me, in the support I received and what I was able to do with it.

Thanks to all of you who supported me, I was able to:
* Travel to Italy for an egg tempera workshop in 2012
* Publish the very first collection of the Panda Chronicle ‘toons in 2012
* Publish Pandamorphosis in 2014
* Travel to China to see pandas (including actual Pinky) and create a series of artworks on my return in 2017
* Create the first of the Pin series (Starring Pinky!!!!!) in 2019
* Create the second Pin project with Bubba and Ping Ping; in 2019

Thank you all for being the bears!
Bob T Panda

Farewell Mr. Wu!

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It’s a sad day for US panda fans, as this weekend was the last time that the beloved Mr. Wu (the cute Wu Self!!!!) and his mom Bai Yun, would be on view at the San Diego Zoo, home to pandas for 25 years. Bai Yun has lived most of her life here, and brought 6 more healthy cubbies into the world, some of whom have gone on to be parents and grandparents.

I know that they will be loved and well cared for in China, but I still hate to see them go. Thanks for the memories, Mr. Wu. You will always be the first cubby of my heart.

And now, for the final installments of Bears Under the Big Top!

episode 13

episode 14

episode 15

…and it all ends with Mr Wu’s Birthday party! Huzzah!

See? I TOLD you I wouldn’t let anything happen to Mr. Wu!

How about another Wu-toon for the road?

It’s so hard to be cool when you still live with your mom.

Be the Bear!
#4EbberWu
Bob T Panda

PS: Don’t forget! Our Kickstarter is still gong on! I’ve recently added a new reward, and rewritten the project home page to make it (hopefully) less confusing. Seriously, every time I do this, in some ways it’s like the first time! :-}

More from the Wu Self’s Adventure!

Meanwhile, back to Wu’s adventure, when he ran off with the Panda kindergarten to join the circus!

A circus of Pandas! (and a cat!)

Will Inspector Panda find a clue?

Wu follows Bee the Bear…into the air!

What does the fortune teller tell Mr. Wu?

Tune in Next Sunday for the exciting conclusion of our story!

Panda On!
Bob T Panda

More Mr. Wu for You! WooHoo!

Everybody say SQUEEEEEEEE!

Dose gurls just wanted to has dere way wif wu!

But no sooner does Mr. Wu get out of mom jail after the airplane affair….(see last Sunday’s Wu toons!)

Fanmail from some Flounder?

This was the first story I did that got people upset. As if I would let anything REALLY bad happen to the Wu Self!

Voices in the night, a ladder, a letter…adios…

“Are we there, yet?”

This is a case for…Inspector Panda!

Never, never get in a car with the Panda Kindergarten!

Mysteriouser and mysteriouser!

This must be the place!

Tune (‘toon?) in next Sunday for the next installment of wu’s exciting story!

By the way, we are doing great over at our Bubba Pin Kickstarter project! If you haven’t been checking in, both the Ping Ping Pin (say that fast three times) and the Bubba and his Friends patch are now both available.

3″ embroidered patch with Bubba and his friends! only an additional $12!

Panda On!
Bob T Panda

The Wu-Stravaganza Continues!!!!!

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We continue to rend our garments and bang our heads onto our desks as we contemplate the departure of Mr. Wu and his Mom, Bai Yun, from sunny Pandiego to China. I am somewhat comforted by my knowledge of the panda estates (aka panda bases, panda ranches, etc) good care of pandas, especially those who return from the US. Also, Bai Yun is a total rock star in the world of captive born Chinese pandas because she was the first successful captive born panda at Wolong, and had the first successful captive pregnancy in the US. She now has grandchildren and (someone correct me if I’m wrong) great grandchildren around the globe.

So let’s continue with our celebration of all things Wu-self, from the days when he ruled supreme in US panda cubby-hood (till you know who-and I don’t mean Mittens came along the following year!)

Read on to the end for a sneak peek at the upcoming Bubba Pin design, for our NEW Kickstarter campaign which I’m hoping to launch sometime this week!

But now, let’s WUUP it up with Mr. Wu!

Don’t you love “rear shots” of baby pandas?

It is so hard for a small panda to prevail….

Whatever could be in the box the panda kindergarten is delivering to Mr. Wu?

Will the panda kindergarten get it put together before Bai Yun gets home?

“Up in the Air, Junior Pandas…”

Nothing like a snappy graphic to um…solve a problem!

May Day! May Day!

Mr wu’s cousin, da Sooperpanna, appears courtesy of Bruce Sebring, creator of the Sooperpanna Chronicles

Bet ya didn’t see this coming…or maybe you did.

You’ve been waiting and asking, and finally, here it is! I’m getting ready to launch another Kickstarter project in my Panda Chronicles Pin Series, this time starring Bubba. I spent a bunch of time designing a pin, which I decided wouldn’t work at pin scale, and then someone suggested that I already had the perfect Bubba drawing, and lo and behold, I was able to do a little resign work to turn it into the perfect pin design.

Whaddya think?

So very Bubba, right? Finished size about 1 3/8″ wide by 1 1/8″ high

To get up to the minute notification of the project’s launch, go HERE and click the “Follow Along” button and enter your email. If you missed getting a Pinky pin, there will be a limited number of Pinky pins available and you can get them both at the same time!

UPDATE: I completed work on the Kickstarter project, submitted it for review, and was approved to launch!!!!! Get ready…get set…Launch will be Tuesday April 9th at NOON PDT Wanna see a PREVIEW? 🙂 You can’t pledge yet, but you can see what we at The Institute for Contemporary Panda Satire has in store for you!

Panda on!
Bob T Panda

Not quite April Fool’s day!

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The ides of March have past, although the ides of April will be upon us soon.

Those so inclined have a few more weeks to visit the Wu-Self and his mom before that head to China. I wonder if Bai Yun will remember it. Mr. Wu is a California boy through and through. I hope it turns out to be a good experience for him. Because I am averse to reality, Mr. Wu (and his mom and dad) will stay right here in The Panda Chronicles as if they never left. I mean, if I can have my cat live forever here, why can’t I keep my favorite pandas?

Meanwhile, while we cry into our beers over the repatriation of our beloved pandas, I plan to spend the next few Sundays of my encore presentations celebrating all things Mr. Wu.

Be quiet Pinky! It’s Mr. Wu’s turn in the spot light!

“Howdy do! I’m Mr. Wu! Who are you?”

“Wu calls his dance, ‘Ode to a Weaf’ “

Thank you all for coming! Buy my book here! (The Book of Wu! Book 4 of the Panda Chronicles)

Yo ho ho and a bottle of BooBeer!

An explorer’s work is never done.

Mister Wu and his new friends.

“You are right and Wu is wrong…I’ll never do it again, mommy.”

Panda on, Mr. Wu, Panda on…
Bob T Panda

Here are the instructions again for ordering a Pinky pin for those who missed the Kickstarter project! It’s been great seeing the happy tweets of people who have received their pins!

Pinky Pin Update: A number of people missed the opportunity to get a Pinky pin via my recent Kickstarter campaign. I have a limited number of pins still available, not counting the ones I am saving to make sets at the end of the year.

I am working on the next pin design and hope to launch a new Kickstarter pin project no later than the 2nd week of April. So, if you wanted a pinky pin, there are several options:

Option 1: order a pin via the Contact Us page with you name, address, and how many pins you would like. Pins are $20 including US shipping; $25 for shipping to Canada, and $30 for other international destinations. For more than 1 pin (up to 4 total) add $15 per pin. (4 pins fit nicely in the small padded envelopes with very little postage increase) Once you have let me know you want a pin (via the contact form) I will confirm that I still have pins available and give you payment instructions at that time.

Option 2: Wait until I do the next pin project (Bubba will be next) and add on a Pinky Pin as supplies last. I can’t guarantee there will be more at that time, but it would save you a bit of postage if you want both pins.

The return of Frank and Mikey

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It’s a good thing our favorite (non-panda) bears are here today to cheer us up. News has just dropped from the Pandiego Zoo that Mr. Wu and his mom will be going to China at the end of April. Mr. Wu was the first baby panda I watched on the panda cams from birth, and if I wasn’t already in love with him, the well baby panda exam that the zoo staff generously shared with Mr. Wu’s public, stole my heart for all times. Needless to say, the next few Sundays encore presentations, will feature the one, the only Mr. Wu-self.

If you need your own full-time remembrance of Mr. Wu, consider acquiring Book 4 of the Panda Chronicles: The Book of Wu.

Meanwhile, I think Frank and Mikey want to talk about being endangered…

Guess who’s coming for cuppycakes!!!!

Panda on
Bob T Panda

It’s Sunday Funday! Let’s have Fun with PANDAS!!!!

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The sky is gray, but it’s all black and white at the Panda Chronicles!

Yes, it’s Sunday, which is now our day for Encore Presentations of all of my (and I hope your) favorite ‘toons. I spent yesterday at the American Library Association Midwinter Conference in Seattle. It was fun and overwhelming and I came home with piles of new books to read, saw many of my writer/illustrator buddies from SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and was in the presence of more people than I usually see in a year.

If I find books in my now huge to-be-read pile that I love, I’ll be sure to pass these titles along as I know many of you love to read things that aren’t even about pandas!

But now, let’s have some of those pandas you love!

I just saw another news story on Twidder about this…

“I’ll have one of these, and one of these, and one of these, and one of…”

…and she ate the just right cuppycake all up!

Oh come on…hasn’t that ever happened to you? One minute there are two dozen cuppycakes just sitting there, and the next minute they’re gone?

let there be cake!

Inspired by a TRUE story!

I need to go have some cake!

Panda on!

31 Days of Pandas: Day It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Crispmoss

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Yes it is Day 25 of 31 Days of Pandas, otherwise known as Crispmoss among the panda set. I would like to point out that it is 46 degrees inside my house, as the electric power has not yet returned. Because of my extreme dedication, I am at the library, preparing this and the next few days of 31 Days of Pandas posts so not a single post is late.

Am I wonderful, or what????

For those who said “Or what,” I am going to tell Pinky you said that and she will do something to you I’m sure. Maybe give you a medal, maybe poof you, I don’t know. Just for that, I am going to torture you with extending Pinky in Wonderland for one more day and instead, bring you this encore presentation of everyone’s favorite holiday classic…