Deep In Bear Country - A Berenstain Bearcast

In this episode, Bradley, Jeremy and I finally make it to the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. Pictures taken by Brad. And here are some pics *I* took! https://ia600809.us.archive.org/20/items/DIBCEP124/DIBC-EP124.mp3

So, no show this week. We’re regrouping. It’s been a busy start to fall. https://ia600100.us.archive.org/33/items/DIBCEP1235/DIBC-EP123-5.mp3

Those Bear Scouts are at it again! What is “it” exactly? Adapting cartoons into chapter books is what it is! That’s right, it’s the 1980 classic special “The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw” rejiggered into a Bear SCOUTS book. Does it work? Eh. https://ia601303.us.archive.org/15/items/DIBCEP123/DIBC-EP123.mp3

Just when you thought they couldn’t create YET ANOTHER series for us to follow, we begin the next adventure in chaptered bookery “The Berenstain Bear Scouts!” And, man, are they plumbing the depths of the Saturday Morning TV series for this one. And, you know, that ain’t all bad. I’m kicking things off with “The … Continue reading "Episode 122 – The Berenstain Bear Scots and the Humongous Pumpkin!"

Hey, there was an episode sort of based on “Showdown at Chainsaw Gap!” Only, they fixed the title and changed the plot. Kept the bird, though. So, Mark came back to talk about it! Here he is! https://ia800802.us.archive.org/13/items/DIBCEP121/DIBC-EP121.mp3

Mr. Mark Sweeney RETURNS! And this time he’s got OPINIONS about BIRDS and CHAINSAWS! https://ia800800.us.archive.org/33/items/DIBCEP120_201710/DIBC-EP120.mp3

Jon Biegen and Nick Wood slide on over from Stranger Still to talk about children successfully managing a television station. That’s . . . that’s really all that happens in this book, so – so, lesson learned, I guess. https://ia800804.us.archive.org/32/items/DIBCEP119/DIBC-EP119.mp3

Sorry everyone. No show this week. https://ia800809.us.archive.org/28/items/Apology_201709/Apology.mp3

It’s Part 3 of our Mike Berenstain meetup and Brad, Jeremy and I finally hit the archives! The above is pages from an unpublished finished book. The above is examples of the evolution of “The B Book.” Above is a slideshow of Stan and Jan’s early art school work and various studies. https://ia800600.us.archive.org/20/items/DIBCEP118/DIBC-EP118.mp3

Brian and Josh – from Predict-O-Cast and . . . another show – actually come INSIDE MY HOUSE and INVADE MY SPACE to talk about “The Berenstain Bears and the Freaky Funhouse!” Join us as we talk about MURDER! ATTEMPTED MURDER! And . . . Frankenbear’s Monster? Also, the funhouse doesn’t figure into the plot … Continue reading "Episode 117 – The Freaky Funhouse!"

I’m alone! I’m scared! I’m surrounded by ghosts! It’s a spooktacular book about TRAUMA. That’s right! The Berenstains wrote a secret book about dealing with trauma and I didn’t figure it out until near the end of the episode. Keep on surprising me, Big Chapter Books! https://ia801002.us.archive.org/1/items/DIBCEP116/DIBC-EP116.mp3

Ollie, my teen and co-host of It’s Del Toro Time! – A Guillermo del Toro Podcast, joins me this week to talk “The Berenstain Bears and the School Scandal Sheet!” In which we discuss the terrible things the cubs accuse a teacher of and also divide the cubs into their Hogwarts Houses. IT’s kind of … Continue reading "Episode 115 – The Berenstain Bears and the School Scandal Sheet!"

We’re back with Part 2 of our big Mike Berenstain meetup! This episode, Brad and Jeremy and I get grilled as to our intentions; we talk about books whose success caught Mike off guard; what books didn’t do so hot; and dish the hot goss. Or, not. I can’t remember. https://ia800806.us.archive.org/14/items/DIBCEP114/DIBC-EP114.mp3

Welcome to the world of degraded audio! Please bear with this terrible sounding episode, as I flop around trying to talk about “The Giddy Grandma.” Things didn’t work out according to plan, but I think I get my point across. Also, I have a Patreon page! https://ia600804.us.archive.org/14/items/DIBCEP113/DIBC-EP113.mp3

This week, I am joined by Michael M. Rader of We’ll Get It Right Next Year to talk about “The Berenstain Bears at Camp Crush!” This book gets WAY OFF TRACK and doesn’t really involve crushes and barely involves camping. It does involve the most loathsome of Bear Country characters, however, Mervyn Grizzmeyer. Ish. https://ia803103.us.archive.org/17/items/DIBCEP112/DIBC-EP112.mp3

Meghan Griffin of Judging Book Covers and Fableulous Retellings joins me to talk dress codes, law enforcement and a Berenstain Bears book that gets way more political than we were anticipating! https://ia801006.us.archive.org/2/items/DIBCEP111/DIBC-EP111.mp3

Hoo boy! This is it! The first part of our massive trip to the Berenstain Bears studio! It’s so big, I’m not only splitting it up, but I’m sprinkling it throughout upcoming episodes, just so you don’t get burnt out on this one thing. So, I’ll be alternating traditional episodes with Mike episodes. I think … Continue reading "Episode 110 – Meeting Mike (Part 1)"

WHAT’S ALL THAT NOISE?! It’s ambiance. Brad, Jeremy and I sit in a diner in the Strong National Museum of Play and catch people up on just what we’d been up to. We give our impressions of the previous days and it all serves as a prelude to the major editing job I have in … Continue reading "Episode 109 – Diner Talk"

It’s summer and the week of the Fourth of July and I have no time to record a new episode. So, here’s a classic from the archives. Obviously, anything about upcoming anything is now hopelessly out of date. ENJOY! https://ia601507.us.archive.org/16/items/DIBCSUMMERRERUN67/DIBC-SUMMER%20RERUN-67.mp3

What a weird book. Kerry Nelson from Random Sampling joins me to talk about the gross violation of trust that occurs at Bear Country School! Also, democracy in action? Maybe? https://ia800804.us.archive.org/20/items/DIBCEP108/DIBC-EP108.mp3