Episode 507 – The Berenstain Bears In the Dark/Ring the Bell!

This week, we’re watching along with The Berenstain Bears In the Dark and Ring the Bell. The last two segments of Season One! WOO HOO!

Also, standwithminnesota.com is still the best place to go for donations but there’s also https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-south-high-school-families to directly support the familes of South HIgh students primarily with rent support.

Episode 506 – The Berenstain Bears LEARN ABOUT STRANGERS and THE DISAPPEARING HONEY!

You ready to LEARN ABOUT STRANGERS? You ready to DISAPPEAR SOME HONEY?! Let’s go, then, bruh!

Help out in Minnesota!

standwithminnesota.com

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-south-high-school-families

Episode 505 – The Berenstain Bears: The Spookiest Pumpkin and The Dancing Bees!

Who’s got the SPOOKIEST Pumpkin?! Who’s got the DANCINGEST Bees?! Let’s find out TOGETHER!

And, if you want to help out in the Twin Cities during this time of strife, visit linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid

Episode 504 – The Berenstain Bears (1985) No Girls Allowed/The Missing Dinosaur Bone!

Watch me watch Sister Bear getting insufferable and Snuff getting the bone! It’s The Berenstain Bears No Girls Allowed AND The Missing Dinosaur Bone from 1985!

More importantly, if you want to help out in the Twin Cities during this time of strife, visit linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid

Episode 503 – The Berenstain Bears Kong for a Day/Blaze A Trail!

After a small break, I’m back! It’s The Berenstain Bears “Kong for a Day” which is barely a title and “Blaze a Trail” which is yet another Papa makes a fool of himself and everything works out okay anyways, plot. Won’t you watch?!

Episode 501 – The Berenstain Bears Knight to Remember/The Super-Duper Bowl

We BACK! And it’s episode… 7? Of The Berenstain Bears. Let’s get SPOOKED by a suit of armor and DUPED by Raffish Ralph! It’s “Knight to Remember” and “The Super-Duper Bowl!”

Episode 496 – The Berenstain Bears Too Much Birthday/To The Rescue

This week, it’s all birthdays and bull dodging with “The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Birthday” and “To The Rescue!”

Episode 495 – The Berenstain Bears And The Neighborly Skunk/The Missing Pumpkin

This week, we rewatch the 1985 Berenstain Bears episode pairing “The Neighborly Skunk” with “The Missing Pumpkin.” We talk Too-Tall’s first TV appearance (and why he looks nothing like the books), Frank Welker’s very Frank-Welkery skunk, and why “use animals to teach anti-prejudice” never quite works the way creators hope. Then it’s off to Farmer Ben’s for a pumpkin caper, Papa’s “slapstick” “detective work,” and Snuff stealing the show. Plus: a quick shout out to comedy writer Rowby Goren.

Episode 494 – The Berenstain Bears And The Giant Bat Cave/Wild Wild Honey!

This week, I’m checking out “The Giant Bat Cave” and “The Wild Wild Honey!” Get ready for political corruption, eco-terrorism, and a sexually aggressive bee queen! Sister Bear overthrows city planning, Papa Bear declares war on insects, and it gets sticky!

Episode 493 – The Berenstain Bears And The Spooky Old House/Fly-Away Pizza!

We’re back to talk the 1985 Berenstain Bears TV show with episode two! It’s “The Spooky Old House” and “The Fly-Away Pizza!” Woo hoo?

Episode 488 – The Berenstain Bears World’s #1 Teacher

This week, it’s the brand-new 2025 release The Berenstain Bears: World’s Number One Teacher, a compact “teacher gift” book built from classic illustrations of Teacher Jane, Teacher Bob, and maybe Actual Factual? I share a dedication to my own #1 teacher who’s retiring after 40 years in the classroom. Plus: a detour into Alessi vs. the Thompson Twins, candid talk on anxiety spending, and a reminder that the BusBoys’ “Cleanin’ Up the Town” deserves more love.

Episode 483 – The Berenstain Bears’ The Bike Lesson!

Riding a bike? Never learned. Feeling like an outsider? Always.

In this episode of Deep in Bear Country, I get personal — and a little philosophical — about why bike riding has always baffled me, and how The Berenstain Bears’ Bike Lesson accidentally became a warning about life, failure, and stubborn optimism.

Plus: a weird history of bicycles you didn’t know you needed. Volcanoes? Hobby horses? Middle-class German inventors? Oh yes.

Let’s dive back into one of the earliest Berenstain Bears books!

Episode 482 – REWIND The Berenstain Bears and the School Scandal Sheet (1994)

Gossip, Journalism, and Junior High Justice! This week on Deep In Bear Country, I am joined once again by the first-ever guest of the show, Mitzi — now a fully fledged junior high student with opinions and receipts. Together, we dive headfirst into one of the most wild Big Chapter Books in Berenstain history: “The Berenstain Bears and the School Scandal Sheet” (1994).

THRILL as we spiral into debates over gossip, freedom of the press, teacher-student dynamics, too-tall’s surprising Dally energy, and why you probably shouldn’t let children run a newspaper. Also: The Outsiders vs The Berenstain Bears, printers: who has them?, and a lot of editing around my stupid mic!

Available wherever you get your bear-based media.

Episode 481 – Tax-Wise: A Pictorial Romp Through the Tax Form by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Before they created the beloved Berenstain Bears, Stan and Jan Berenstain were drawing… THIS?! Tax-Wise: A Pictorial Romp Through the Tax Form (1952) is a bizarre, hyper-specific IRS humor book filled with visual gags, surreal scenarios, and more gendered 1950s weirdness than you can shake a W-2 at. In this episode, I (Phil Gonzales) walk you through the entire book — panel by panel — and try to make sense of its wild humor, historical context, and what it tells us about the Berenstains before they became family-friendly legends.

This was a personal request from Mike Berenstain himself, and honestly, it’s the perfect unhinged way to celebrate tax season.

Episode 478 – The Big Honey Hunt (REVISITED!)

“We ate our honey. We ate a lot. Now we have no honey in our honey pot!”

This week on Deep in Bear Country, we’re taking a nostalgic look back at The Big Honey Hunt (1963)—the very first Berenstain Bears book!

Join me as I revisit this classic, explore its origins, and discuss how Stan and Jan Berenstain’s collaboration with Dr. Ted “Theodore” Geisel shaped the Bear Family we know today. From rejected story ideas to wild illustrations and Papa Bear’s very questionable honey-hunting methods, this episode has it all! Or, some. Has it some.

Plus, what’s next for the show as we approach the 10th anniversary?

Listen to past episodes: https://berenstainbearcast.org/episode-2-the-big-honey-hunt/
Let me know what you think in the comments!

Episode 474 – The Berenstain Bears’ New Neighbors!

Did The Berenstain Bears’ New Neighbors really tackle racism? Or was it just another 90s attempt at a “message book” that missed the mark? In this episode of Deep in Bear Country, we take a deep dive into the 1994 classic that started it all—literally! This is the book that launched this podcast, but I’ve never properly covered it… until now.

What we’ll uncover:

  • Is Papa Bear actually racist?
  • What does this book say about prejudice and inclusion?
  • How does Bear Country’s “specism” reflect real-world biases?
  • The wild history of octagon houses (it’s relevant).
  • Why did this book disappear from my show for SO MANY YEARS?

PLUS: We’ll explore how The Berenstain Bears’ New Neighbors still holds up in today’s world, why it feels eerily relevant now, and what lessons we can take from it.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts!

Episode 470 – The Berenstain Bears and No Guns Allowed!

This week, I’m circling back to a book I skipped over for whatever reason and… wow, it’s a thoughtful piece of writing for kids. A surprisingly complex look at Culture of Violence Theory, it’s “The Berenstain Bears and No Guns Allowed!”

Episode 463 – The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear (Redux)

It’s a Christmas miracle as I take a look at a book I’ve already covered! That’s right, we’re going back and re-evaluating “The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear!” It’s a holiday treat!

Episode 454 – The Berenstain Bears Halloween is Sweet!

Ghouls and Ghosts and Ghosts and Gob-o-lins! It’s Halloween time and this week, we’ve got a board book from 2020 that warms my dark little heart. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Halloween Is Sweet!” and… it is!

Episode 440 – The Berenstain Bears Why Do Good Bears Have Bad Days

Brother and Sister get a real crash course in theodicy this week when some BAD THINGS happen and their friends tell them it’s a PUNISHMENT FROM GOD and boy oh boy. Hey. Why do good bears have bad days? Well, maybe “The Berenstain Bears Why Do Good Bears Have Bad Days?” will help us answer that question!

Episode 439 – The Berenstain Bears Get The Job Done

When the cubs are assigned the chore of cleaning out their old playhouse, will the presence of creepy crawly spiders keep them from getting the job done? HINT: the book is called “The Berenstain Bears Get The Job Done.”

Episode 421 – The Berenstain Bears’ Country Cookbook

This week, I am joined by the lovely Elana to discuss “The Berenstain Bears’ Country Cookbook.” It’s a little bit country; a little bit cookbook. But, do the recipes… recipe? Find out now!

Episode 418 – The Berenstain Bears Brother Bear and the Kind Cub

It’s a retelling! IT’S A RETELLING! This week, we’ve got a RETELLING of a book we covered only a couple years ago. Whoulda thought? It’s “The Berenstain Bears Brother Bear and the Kind Cub” and it’s SIMPLE. You can read it all by yourself!

Episode 417 – The Berenstain Bears The Very First Christmas

Oof. Let’s talk about The Nativity. It’s “The Berenstain Bears The Very First Christmas!”

Episode 413 – The Berenstain Bears God’s Wonderful World

We’re back in nature this week with… wait, have I done this before? It’s “God’s Wonderful World” y’all! Woo!

Episode 411 – The Berenstain Bears: Here’s the Church, Here’s the Steeple

Open it up… where are the people? It’s “The Berenstain Bears: Here’s the Church, Here’s the Steeple” and we’ve got a LOT to discuss.

Episode 401 – The Berenstain Bears We Love Our Mom/Dad!

I can’t believe I’ve been doing this show for over 8 and a half years and I’ve only now had my parents on as guests. That’s right! For the first time ever, Gale and Ruben Gonzales are on the show to talk about “The Berenstain Bears We Love Our Mom!” and “We Love Our Dad!”

Episode 400 – The Berenstain Bears Hospital Friends

It’s my 400th official numbered episode! In celebration, I have Mike Berenstain back on the show to talk about the history of “The Berenstain Bears Hospital Friends!”

Episode 375 – The Berenstain Bears Talking Stories

I’ll show you love, I’ll show you everything
With mouth wide open
With mouth wide open
I’ll show you everything, oh yeah
With mouth wide open
Wide open

Episode 370 – The Wild, Wild Honey Saga

Decades ago, the Berenstain Bears’ Saturday Morning Cartoon secretly presented a multi-part saga that only reveals itself when you’re bored and watching a Berenstain Bears Saturday Morning Cartoon. It’s the “Wild Wild Honey Saga!”

JUMBO RERUN Episode 255 – The Berenstain Bears’ Birthday Boy

One last rerun! It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Birthday Boy” with BONUS CONTENT!

JUMBO RERUN Episode 250 – The Berenstain Bears and the Wrong Crowd/Rowdy Crowd

Another JUMBO BONUS! In 2020, Megan Sunday joined me to discuss “The Berenstain Bears and the Wrong Crowd.” Well, I’ve added twenty minutes to the end of BONUS content about the religious rewrite. Enjoy!

JUMBO RERUN Episode 249 – The Berenstain Bears and the Soccer Tryouts/Too Small For The Team

It’s a rerun from 2020, but with BONUS content! Christy Admiraal and I talk about SOCCER BALLS!

Episode 368 – The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw (2022)

You might think you’ve heard this story before, but… well, you have. But you’ve never seen it like this! 2022 brings us a whole new edition of “The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw” featuring previously unpublished art by Stan and Jan Berenstain. It’s pretty cool.

Episode 366 – The Berenstain Bears Gone Fishin’

Is this my shortest episode in years? Yes. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Gone Fishin’.”

Episode 363 – The Berenstain Bears Go Green!

The Bears care a lot for the environment, but in “The Berenstain Bears Go Green!” we’re not given an environmental tale so much as a treatise on the importance of having a decent municipal dump and a non-corrupt mayor. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Go Green!”

Episode 362 – The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble With Things

You know what stinks? THINGS! This week, Brian Skinner from Center of Weirdness is back to talk about how terrible it is to buy toys for your kids? Or King Solomon? Or something? It’s The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with THINGS! Just… just things.

Episode 361 – The Berenstain Bears Thank God For Good Health

The Bear Family is typically fairly healthy, and who do they thank for that? GOD. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Thank God for Good Health!” It’s a rewrite if that means anything to ya. No?

Episode 360 – The Berenstain Bears God Bless/Loves the Animals

No, not the famous English rock ‘n’ roll band The Animals, but the actual animals walking around on the Earth! This week, we look at TWO Berenstain Bears books, but really? They’re the same book. But also? They’re not. It’s “The Berenstain Bears God Bless/Loves the Animals!”

Episode 359 – The Berenstain Bears Get Involved!

There’s a flood in Bear Town! Oh no! And it’s up to the Bear Family, and the entire town, to help out! Elana joins me for a book that actually involves the Bears… getting involved. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Get Involved!” And, spoiler: THEY DO!

Episode 358 – 60th Anniversary Interview w/Mike Berenstain!

Happy 60th Anniversary to the Berenstain Bears! In recognition of this incredible milestone, I’ve invited Mike Berenstain on the show to chat about those bears, his parents, his childhood and anything else we want to talk about. Happy Anniversary, Bears!

Episode 357 – The Berenstain Bears God Bless Our Home

This week, my voice is SHOT. Also, we learn a lot more about the Bear Family’s house, like the layout and structure and also how God fits into it, apparently? I like it! It’s “The Berenstain Bears God Bless Our Home!”

Episode 354 – The Berenstain Bears’ Dinosaur Dig!

The Berenstain Bears and dinosaurs go together like Rice Krispies and marshmallows… and butter(?) I think. So, I’m super glad to have the actual Dino Dad on my show to talk about “The Berenstain Bears’ Dinosaur Dig!”

Episode 353 – The Berenstain Bears and the Tooth Fairy

You can’t HANDLE the TOOTH! I can’t believe we didn’t make that joke. Anyway, Brian Skinner is back and we’re talking puffy stickers, disappointing transformers, beating up the ice cream bike kid and something else. Oh right! “The Berenstain Bears and the Tooth Fairy!”

Check out Center of Weirdness, Brian and Josh Hollis’s podcast!

Episode 352 – The Dollar Tree Saga – The Saga Continues!

Updates from Dollar Tree Land with Bradley Mariska and Jeremy Gloff! Plus, Berenstain Bedsheets: appropriate bachelor bedding? And, a new Garbage Pail Kids card has Phil excited!

Episode 351 – The Berenstain Bears: All Things Bright and Beautiful

Bright AND beautiful? In THIS economy? It’s “The Berenstain Bears: All Things Bright and Beautiful.”

2022 Summer Rerun – 02

It’s the follow up episode to last week’s episode that is a rerun of the 2018 follow up to the first 2018 episode. It’s the Jellybean Books Part Two!

Episode 350 – Becca Peter!

So, Becca Peter is on the show because we had a couple of things to talk about. That’s it. Just wanted to chat!

Episode 347 – The Berenstain Bears’ Computer Trouble

Well, we got trouble, my friends. Right here in Bear Country. With a capital T and that rhymes with C and that stands for COMPUTER. This week, we welcome to the show Kate Queram, writer for States Newsroom, who has a bone to pick with the Bears and some thoughts about just how Papa came to be the voice of reason in “The Berenstain Bears’ Computer Trouble!”

Episode 345 – The Berenstain Bears Jobs Around Town

This week, we’re taking a look, and a look back, at a book we’ve covered in one form or another several times over the years. Only now, there’s some GOD in it. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Jobs Around Town!”

Episode 338 – The Berenstain Bears’ Easter Sunday

Hoppy Easter, everyone! I wasn’t going to do an Easter episode this weekend, but things don’t always turn out the way we plan, do they? So, I’m releasing it EARLY to keep my word! Happily, Reverend Lauren is back to take us to Church and talk about Noah? It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Easter Sunday!”

Episode 337 – The Berenstain Bears’ Easter Parade

I wasn’t planning on talking about Easter Parades, but here we are! It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Easter Parade!”

Episode 336 – The Berenstain Bears and The Easter Story/The Very First Easter

The Reverend Lauren is back! Yes, Reverend Lauren McLeavey has returned to Bear Country to talk about Easter and, more specifically, the First Easter. and, even more specifically, “The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story” as well as “The Berenstain Bears and The Very First Easter!” She gives us the skinny on how good a job those Bears do at telling us about the Resurrection (spoiler: a pretty good job!) And, we might go off on a few tangents!

You can find The Reverend Lauren here, here and here!

Episode 335 – The Berenstain Bears, Do Not Fear, God Is Near

I’m not afraid! I’M NOT AFRAID! It’s “The Berenstain Bears, Do Not Fear, God Is Near!”

Episode 333 – The Berenstain Bears and Mama for Mayor!

I’m Phil Gonzales and THIS… is POLITICS! Actually, it’s a rewrite, redo, gender-swap of “The Big Election” but it’s called “The Berenstain Bears and Mama For Mayor!”

Places to Donate:
Ukraine aid


Organizacion Latina de Trans en Texas
Transgender Education Network of Texas
allgo qpoc (allgo envisions a just and equitable society that celebrates and nurtures vibrant queer people of color communities.)
The Mahogany Project, Inc. (We aim to reduce social isolation, stigma, and acts of injustice in TQLGB+ Communities of Color)
Embrace Austin (Embrace Austin is a coalition of LGBTQIA2+ individuals, organizations, and businesses in Austin. We aim to build bridges between queer people and queer initiatives, boost Austin’s queer economy, and set a new standard for cultural competency in LGBTQIA2+ Austin*)
Out Youth (Out Youth serves Central Texas LGBTQIA+ (lesbian/gay/bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning, intersex, and asexual) youth and their allies with programs and services to ensure these promising young people develop into happy, healthy, successful adults)

Zebra Coalition (Zebra Coalition is a network of organizations, which provide services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and all youth (LGBTQ+) ages 13 – 24. The Coalition assists young people facing homelessness, bullying, isolation from their families, and physical, sexual and drug abuse with individualized programs to guide them to recovery and stability.)
The Trevor Project (The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people.)
ALSO Youth (ALSO Youth is a Non-Profit Charity that provides peer support services, educational programs, advocacy, and referrals for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning youth ages 13 to 24, their families and friends, and the community, thereby enhancing self-esteem, promoting healthy dialogue, and increasing awareness of sexual minority youth issues.)

Episode 332 – The Berenstain Bears At The Aquarium

This week, we’re off to see the whales! The dolphins! The fish! It’s “The Berenstain Bears At The Aquarium!”

Episode 331 – The Berenstain Bears’ Gossip Gang/Truth About Gossip

Ready to dish that hot hot goss?! Well, Sister sure is. TWICE! It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Gossip Gang” and the exact same book “The Berenstain Bears Truth About Gossip!”

Places to Donate:
Ukraine aid


Organizacion Latina de Trans en Texas
Transgender Education Network of Texas
allgo qpoc (allgo envisions a just and equitable society that celebrates and nurtures vibrant queer people of color communities.)
The Mahogany Project, Inc. (We aim to reduce social isolation, stigma, and acts of injustice in TQLGB+ Communities of Color)
Embrace Austin (Embrace Austin is a coalition of LGBTQIA2+ individuals, organizations, and businesses in Austin. We aim to build bridges between queer people and queer initiatives, boost Austin’s queer economy, and set a new standard for cultural competency in LGBTQIA2+ Austin*)
Out Youth (Out Youth serves Central Texas LGBTQIA+ (lesbian/gay/bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning, intersex, and asexual) youth and their allies with programs and services to ensure these promising young people develop into happy, healthy, successful adults)

Zebra Coalition (Zebra Coalition is a network of organizations, which provide services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and all youth (LGBTQ+) ages 13 – 24. The Coalition assists young people facing homelessness, bullying, isolation from their families, and physical, sexual and drug abuse with individualized programs to guide them to recovery and stability.)
The Trevor Project (The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning) young people.)
ALSO Youth (ALSO Youth is a Non-Profit Charity that provides peer support services, educational programs, advocacy, and referrals for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and questioning youth ages 13 to 24, their families and friends, and the community, thereby enhancing self-esteem, promoting healthy dialogue, and increasing awareness of sexual minority youth issues.)

Episode 330 – The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect and…?

“Show some respect for Judge Reinhold! I mean… your parents.” It’s “The Berenstain Bears Show Some Respect” and a SECRET BONUS! Tee hee. I respect you all!

Episode 329 – The Berenstain Bears’ Valentine Love Bug

We’re unhinged this week as Brian Skinner from Center of Weirdness and Christy Admiraal from our very own Pizza Toast join me yet again to discuss Valentine’s Day! It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Valentine Love Bug” but it’s really just madness. It’s madness.

Episode 326 – The Berenstain Bears and the Secret Clubhouse/Deep Dark Secret!

Brad and Jeremy are back to talk about “The Berenstain Bears and the Secret Clubhouse!” That’s right, they found a book that seemed, for a hot minute, to have been the source of last week’s mystery. However, an email from Mike Berenstain completely reframed everything for us. We’ll be talking about the origins of “The Trouble With Friends” this week!

Find Jeremy’s music here!

Find Brad’s collector’s page here!

Episode 325 – The Berenstain Bears The Trouble With Secrets

This week, I take a look at a book that might be older than I think it is. It’s “The Berenstain Bears The Trouble With Secrets” and is it based on an older book?! Please HELP ME.

Episode 324 – The Berenstain Bears Kitten Rescue!

Happy The New Year! Willow joins me to talk about what might very well be our final Good Deed Scouts book “The Berenstain Bears Kitten Rescue.” It’s ridiculous.

Episode 322 – The Berenstain Bears Get Ready for Christmas

MERRY HAPPY! It’s our truncated Christmas Season and we’re celebrating by digging our nativity scenes out and talking about nativity scenes! Let’s talk The Nativity, Where’s Spot and the very nature of Lift-The-Flap Books as a concept! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Get Ready For Christmas!”

Episode 320 – The Berenstain Bears Mama’s Helpers!

More Good Deed Scouts = More Willow! What happens when the Good Deed Scouts help Mama Bear? Not much! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Mama’s Helpers!”

Episode 319 – The Berenstain Bears’ Neighbor in Need!

This week, the Good Deed Scouts are back and so is Willow! Do the GDSs do… anything worthwhile this week? Probably not? Is there a witch? Maybe? Do we have to make up our own plot just to stay awake? Definitely.

Episode 316 – “Meet The Berenstains” Uncommon Ephemera

This week, Deep In Bear Country goes deeper than usual into the wild world of Berenstain Bears ephemera with our guest, Mark O’Brien of the YouTube channel “Uncommon Ephemera!” He’s unearthed a Filmstrip interview/documentary about Stan and Jan Berenstain that is one of the most delightful things I’ve ever seen. I also have on, as a bonus, my collectors Brad Mariska and Jeremy Gloff to talk about the Filmstrip and just shoot the breeze. It’s fun!

Watch “Meet the Berenstains” here!

Episode 314 – The Berenstain Bears and the Gift of Courage!

It’s a regular David and Goliath tale up in here, except David is Sister and Goliath is Too-Tall and Sister doesn’t so much defeat Too-Tall as “stand back and watch him get attacked by hornets.”

Episode 313 – The Berenstain Bears Kindness Counts!

This week, does kindness count? Does it “count?” Well, Jan and Mike seem to think so! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Kindness Counts!”

Episode 312 – The Berenstain Bears and A Job Well Done!

Some people like their jobs RAW, but I like mine WELL DONE! It’s “The Berenstain Bears and A Job Well Done!

Episode 311 – The Berenstain Bears and the Forgiving Tree!

Hey, it’s time to talk about forgiving! And forgiveness! And stealing a bike and crashing it in to a mailbox! It’s “The Berenstain Bears The Forgiving Tree!”

Episode 275 – Mike Berenstain!

Mike Berenstain joins me for the first time in way too long to discuss the saga of “The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas.” No, not the saga of the story; but the saga of its creation. It’s a big big tale. Big.

Episode 234 – Benjamin Clark and the Charles M Schulz Museum

DIBC-EP234-01-01.jpg

This week, I have a very exciting guest on the show. Benjamin L. Clark is the curator of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Palo Alto, California. He’s joining me this week to talk Schulz, cartoonists, legacy and the delights of archives!

Benjamin’s Twitter – twitter.com/BLClark
Charles M. Schulz Museum Twitter – twitter.com/SchulzMuseum
Charles M. Schulz Museum Website – schulzmuseum.org

Episode 222 – The Berenstain Bears Learn About Colors/The Berenstain Bears God Made the Colors (1993/2003)

DIBC-EP222-01.jpg

What is color? Is it real? Why do colors? What am God? Where God does meet color? Why? I answer ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS AND MORE in “The Berenstain Bears Learn About Colors” and the religious rewrite “The Berenstain Bears God Made the Colors!”

Episode 197 – Deep In Bear Country Live Show HOT WASH!

phil poster sneak (1).png

Boy oh boy, are you ever tired of hearing about the live show? I know! Well, this is it, folks. I’ve asked Elana and Mark back on the show to talk about how they felt the show went, to discuss the process and to play you a few clips! Courtesy of Mr. Bradley Mariska!

Episode 149 – The Berenstains’ A Book

DIBC-Ep149-01.jpg

This week, I celebrate THREE YEARS of “Deep In Bear Country” by bringing back my first ever guest, Mitzi! And she’s . . . less than enthused by this week’s book. It’s the “Berenstains’ A Book” and it’s about the letter A! Hooray?

Episode 135 – The Sci-Fi Pizza!

DIBC-EP135.jpg

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.

Episode 129 – The Berenstain Bear SCOUTS and the Coughing Catfish!

DIBC-EP129.jpg

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!

Episode 128 – At the Teen Rock Cafe!

DIBC-EP128.jpg

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.

Episode 126 – Maniac Mansion!

DIBC-EP126.jpg

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?!

Episode 125 – Blaze a Trail!

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?

Episode 123 – The Berenstain Bear SCOUTS Meet Bigpaw!

DIBC-EP123.jpg

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.

Episode 119 – Media Madness!

DIBC-EP119.jpg

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.

Episode 118 – Meeting Mike (Part 3)!

DIBC-EP110

It’s Part 3 of our Mike Berenstain meetup and Brad, Jeremy and I finally hit the archives!

2017-07-11 13.35.19.jpg
These boxes contain copies of books from various publishers.

2017-07-11 13.35.52.jpg
A photo of Stan and Jan rests atop one bank of art drawers.

2017-07-11 13.36.04.jpg
Mike shows examples of the color process and all the work that went into producing a single image.

2017-07-11 13.43.57.jpg
Some of Stan and Jan’s early comics work.

2017-07-11 13.45.41.jpg
The book that would become “The New Baby.”

The above is pages from an unpublished finished book.

The above is examples of the evolution of “The B Book.”

2017-07-11 14.14.08.jpg
The Mama and Papa cutout used for the magazine article.

Above is a slideshow of Stan and Jan’s early art school work and various studies.

2017-07-11 15.07.06.jpg
An unpublished children’s book.

2017-07-11 15.24.27.jpg
Mike’s assistant, Maryann.

Episode 115 – The Berenstain Bears and the School Scandal Sheet!

DIBC-EP115.jpg

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 a discussion that goes all over the place. Also, we talk about the importance of owning up to your terrible terrible mistakes how if you’re a cub, you face no consequences for those terrible terrible mistakes.

Episode 114 – Meeting Mike (Part 2)

DIBC-EP110We’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.

Episode 113 – The Berenstain Bears and the Giddy Grandma!

DIBC-EP113.jpg

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!

Episode 110 – Meeting Mike (Part 1)

DIBC-EP110.jpg

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 that’s fair!

2017-07-11 12.21.26
Mike’s desk at Berenstain Studios
2017-07-11 12.21.47
A look at the production schedule for upcoming books.
2017-07-11 15.25.22
Jeremy and Brad sitting with Mike.
Photo Jul 11, 12 29 51
Mike shows the cover of the upcoming bullying book featuring Skuzz! Pic by Bradley Mariska
Photo Jul 11, 12 28 14
The two alternate covers for “Why Do Good Bears Have BAD Days?” Pic by Bradley Mariska

Episode 109 – Diner Talk

DIBC-EP109.jpg

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 store for myself. Yeesh.

SUMMER RERUN – Meet the Berenstain Bears!

dibc-ep67

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!

Episode 106 – The Berenstain Bears and the Wheelchair Commando!

DIBC-EP106.jpg

Today, I am joined by writer, musician, educator and Ninja Turtles Blogger Jamie Tyler to talk about wheelchairs, ableism and the way we approach people living with disabilities. Also, should you call a person in a wheelchair “Wheels?” Come on, people.

Episode 104 – The Berenstain Bears Accept No Substitutes!

DIBC-EP104.jpg

It’s a live recording of a Facebook Live show! I’m talking about “Accept No Substitutes” and people are listening. So, that’s what’s going on.

Episode 103 – The Berenstain Bears and the Female Fullback!

DIBC-EP103.jpg

Shannon Campe of Stage of Fools: the Unofficial Royals Podcast joins me once again and this time we’re talking sexism! Things get downright creepy in Bear Country as the town erupts over the thought of a girl getting girl germs all over their precious football. Farmer Ben turns out to be a nightmare, Coach Grizzmeyer should be fired and Papa Bear . . . what a disappointment he turns out to be.