Deep In Bear Country – A Berenstain Bearcast

Wendy Mays from “Pet Cinematary” joins me to talk about the illogical happenings that occur when someone puts a remote control into helium-inflated pizza dough? Or, something? It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but Wendy is here to help me try to puzzle at least SOME of it out. https://ia600106.us.archive.org/22/items/DIBCEP135/DIBC-EP135.mp3

Oh boy! Erin Gambrill from Ladies Who Library is here to talk about a book that COMPLETELY CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD! Like, seriously. There is so much going on in this one I needed to bring in a friend just to help me get through it. https://ia800106.us.archive.org/13/items/DIBCEP134/DIBC-EP134.mp3

This week, I’m joined by Patrick Hamilton, one half of Kill By Kill, to talk about “The Berenstain Bear Scouts Ghost Vs. Ghost!” What happens in this book? Would you believe crime and deforestation? Probably. Would you believe GHOSTS! Well, calm down. Patrick and I puzzle over the book’s incredibly detailed look at survival skills, … Continue reading "Episode 133 &#82...

I’m joined this week by Master of Pollution, Mark Sweeney! He gets it! He KNOWS. Mark Sweeney understands the complicated nature of pollution in bear country and the gentle grace with which the topic is handled in “The Berenstain Bears Don’t Pollute (Anymore)” parenthetical and all. Get to know us through the fine art of … Continue reading "Episode 132 – The Ber...

My CHILDREN ARE HERE and we’re talking about “The Berenstain Bears and TOO MUCH PRESSURE!” No pressure here, though. We’re cool as cucumbers. https://ia800600.us.archive.org/24/items/DIBCEP131/DIBC-EP131.mp3

MRRRRRR CHZZZZZZMMZZZZZ! Mr. Mark Sweeney is BACK to talk about THE BEATLES and THE BARENAKED LADIES and . . . The Beatles? Also, we’ve got this COMMENTARY TRACK for you but it’s really just the middle part of a JAM PACKED episode of TWO GUYS HANGING OUT. Here’s the video we used! https://ia800102.us.archive.org/18/items/DIBCEP130/DIBC-EP130.mp3

Here I go again. It’s yet another retelling of the age old classing “The Coughing Catfish.” Does he cough? Yep. Is he a catfish? Yep. Is there a pirate ship? Oh yes. It’s a short one, folks! https://ia800103.us.archive.org/14/items/DIBCEP129/DIBC-EP129.mp3

It’s ME again! I’m back at my desk and I’m chatting about things like MALLS and STONE-WASHED JEANS and BEARY MANILOW and NOT MURDER THIS TIME. https://ia800104.us.archive.org/10/items/DIBC128/DIBC-128.mp3

In which I go LIVE on Facebook and ramble on a while about race(?) in Bear Country and embarrass myself and answer some questions. https://ia600600.us.archive.org/20/items/DIBCEP127/DIBC-EP127.mp3

This week, I’m joined by Sammi Campbell from Excessively Diverted to talk about this . . . weird . . . book. I mean, it’s great, but it’s weird. There’s ghosts but no ghosts! Bags under eyes and then no bags under eyes! Pajamas and no pajamas! What more do you want?! https://ia600100.us.archive.org/1/items/DIBCEP126/DIBC-EP126.mp3

Brad Mariska sneaks on over to talk about “The Berenstain Bears Blaze a Trail” from 1987 – a book I ACCIDENTALLY SKIPPED! Oh, and, it looks like there IS an animated adaptation! Waddaya know? https://ia800102.us.archive.org/16/items/DIBCEP125/DIBC-EP125.mp3

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...

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 F...

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 th...

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