One of the tricky things with having a reoccurring cast of characters, is whether to let them age and change. For 50 years, the cast of Peanuts remained about 6 years old, as did Calvin for 10 years, in Calvin and Hobbes.
Once I started adding real life pandas to my cast of characters, I had to decide whether to let them age or move to China. I use a kind of self indulgent math (because if you can’t be self indulgent with math and time, what is the point?) to let my characters age just to the point where they are the most interesting (in my humble opinion) and then freeze them there.
Those of you who have been reading my ‘toons for years know all the players. But this of you who are just discovering the joys of Panda Satire might need a little cast of characters action.
Here is a short primer on the major players of The Panda Chronicles, before we get to today’s Holiday Encore Presentation!
Bob T Panda: Bob was the first panda I named in the ‘toons. He co-hosts ZooNooZ with Mehitabel the cat. He was the advisor to the panda kindergarten, until there was a little “incident” that we don’t talk about. He may or may not be Robert Thelonious Panda, aka Inspector Panda. all I know is they’ve never been seen in the same room together.
Mehitabel (the cat): My real life familiar for almost 21 years, she went over the rainbow bridge in January of 2017, just before TFG occupied The White House. She continues to host ZooNooZ
The Pandiego Pandas
Bai Yun: real life hero mother to 6 cubs. she is a fierce defender of her cubs. She is living out her golden years in China IRL, but in The Panda Chronicles, she will always reign supreme in San Diego
Gao Gao: Real life wild born Papa Panda to 5 of the 6 cubs born in San Diego. He rarely appears in the ‘toons, but he is referenced by the tape that Mr. Wu wears over his left ear to honor Gao Gao’s chewed off ear that he lost in a bar fight. Or as a cub in the wild. You decide what was the better story.
Mr. Wu: aka Xiao LiWu: Mr Wu was the final cub born to Bai Yun in 2012. He was born in view of the panda cam and so he was the first cub I watched from birth. Naturally I had to start making stories about him. He is the star of several parody adventures. (Like last week’s It’s a WUnderful Life) He also is the protagonist in my (as yet) unpublished graphic novel series The Pandayland Mysteries, along with Inspector Panda.
The Pandalanta Pandas
Lun Lun and Yang Yang: Parents to 7 cubs. I picture Lun Lun as a southern belle, she is half sister (IRL) to Mei Xiang and likes to use her status as the mother of two sets of twins to lord it over her older sister. When they talk on the phone, she is usually lounging in a beach chair, sipping an adult beverage and plotting to send her youngest twins, Six and Sebben, up to visit their cousins and maybe learn a few manners.
The Meihems: The 4th and 5th cubs of Lun Lun and Yang Yang. Born the same year as Pinky, I saw them as Pinky’s nemesis although as they aged they became more allies against their younger sisters. The real life Mei Lun and Mei Huan are the subjects of the nonfiction picture book I illustrated for author Beth Bacon, The Panda Cub Swap.
Six and Sebben: Trouble in a panda suit. As Lun Lun’s final cubs, let’s just say that the iron paw she raised her earlier cubs with, turned to jello, especially when she realized she could just ship them off to her sister’s place when they got to be too much.
Which brings us to…
The Washington DC Pandas!
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian: Papa bear Tian Tian doesn’t get very many speaking parts, only when Pinky needs a parent she can manipulate. Mei Xiang does all the heavy lifting both in the real world and in the ‘toons. It’s really hard to keep all those panda cubs in line!
Princess Pinky: The real life Princess Pinky Bao Bao (precious treasure) was born in August of 2013, more than 8 years after Mei Xiang’s first surviving cub in 2005, Tai Shan. as I had not yet had my pandapiphany when he was born, he only makes a few appearances in the ‘toons, most notably, he sent Pinky her tutu, tiara, and magical wand.
Pinky is the center of everything. As the long awaited only girl cub of the DC Panda Empire, she was born to be indulged. She has been running for president since 2016. Her main complaint about the TFG years is that he did all the things I might have imagined Pinky doing. At her heart and soul level, Pinky is really a good girl. It just doesn’t always appear that way.
Bubba: (IRL Bei Bei): Bubba is the best bear, the best son, and a perfect foil to Pinky and all her machinations. When he gets in trouble, it is usually Pinky’s fault. He has a best friend, Ping, who was inspired by a panda cub I met in China, named Ping Ping. I got to feed him carrots and have a long squeaky conversation with him. Ping can be seen wearing a dog costume (from the Year of the Dog panda kindergarten revue) and only says “Ping” but all the other pandas know exactly what he means.
Bikkie: aka Biscuit aka Xiao Qi Ji, which means “little miracle.” We did not know or expect that Mei Xiang would have another cub. She was 22 in August of 2020 and we all needed something really good and hopeful to happen because…well…ya know. But we got our miracle in August and then another one in November, although since then, it’s been a minute, if you get my drift. He wears a dinosaur costume, because I felt like it, okay? It was a gift from Ping for his public debut.
I will save the story of Frank, Mikey, and Pookie for another day. Now it’s time for our Holiday Encore Presentation of Mei Xiang’s Nightmare Before Christmas!
I hope you enjoyed this Holiday Encore Presentation! If you liked these ‘toons, hop over to the Panda Chronicles for more pandas (not to mention the archives) Mebbee buy a few books! See ya around the webs (but not on Twitter!)
Start your own damn noozletter, why don’t cha?