Deep In Bear Country - A Berenstain Bearcast

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!

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

Christmas is coming (slightly) early this year! It’s the Berenstain Bears’ first scratch-and-sniff book since “Papa’s Pizza” and it’s got TWELVE scents and they smell… sometimes. Sometimes they smell. It’s “The Berenstain Bears The Wonderful Scents of Christmas!”

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never seen it like this! 2022 brings us a whole new edition of “The Berenstain Bears Meet Bigpaw” featuring previously unpublished art by Stan and Jan Berenstain.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.

Whaddaya get when Brother and Sister won’t stop bragging? You get Grizzly Gramps throwing a lot of Bible quotes at them and then yelling that they’re fool! That’s right, the worst bear in Bear Country is back to learn these kids a thing or two in “The Berenstain Bears and the Biggest Brag!”

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

My co-host from It’s Del Toro Time, my own Willow, is back to talk about the hottest bears in Bear Town. It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Lemonade Stand!”

What’s more fun than talking about a Berenstain Bears book? TWELVE. Twelve books. It’s “The Berenstain Bears’ Phonics Fun” and… is it? Is it really?

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!”

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.

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? https://ia601505.us.archive.org/6/items/dibc-ep-361/DIBC-EP361.mp3

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!” https://ia601409.us.archive.org/0/items/dibc-ep-360/DIBC-EP360.mp3

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!

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!

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!”

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!”

This week, Jen Armstrong, CEO of gaming company SolidRoots, joins me to talk about her company and how they came to design three new Berenstain Bears games for kids!

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!

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!

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

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!

It’s a flashback to 2018! Enjoy!

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

You say you love trucks, but DO YOU? The Berenstain Bears do. You know they do because they use the actual heart in their title! It’s “The Berenstain Bears We ❤️ Trucks!”

What happens when you try to turn a spoooooky haunted house book into a book about aiding the unhoused? I don’t know. But, Elana is back to help me figure it all out. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Help The Homeless!”

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 … Continue reading "Episode 347 – The Berenstain Bears’ Computer Trouble"

Mitzi is back to talk with me about honey and hunting and helping. But, who is hunting whom and who is helping what? It’s “The Berenstain Bears Honey Hunt Helpers!”

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!”

Okay, one final Berenstain BABY Bears book and this one has the delightfully long title of “The Berenstain BABY Bears Me First! Me First! Coping On The Playground!” So, join me as we discuss the pinnacle of BABY Bear books, the crossroads of Too-Tall’s psyche and “coping.” What does it even mean?

Okay, we’re back for real and I’ve brought Brad and Jeremy! They’re here to talk about something that’s been going in the Collector’s Group involving cups and puzzles and coloring books and Dollar Tree. It’s the Dollar Tree Saga, y’all!

I was having a bad day and decided to record a Patreon episode in 2020. Here it is. “The Berenstain Baby Bears My Every Day Book.”

Wanna learn a bit about CAR SEATS? I hope you do because this week is another old Patreon episode “The Berenstain BABY Bears My Trusty Car Seat!” Let’s gooooooo!

More Berenstain Baby Bear action from Patreon. This one is about a bed! A baby bed? Perhaps?

I’m releasing some old Patreon material! This is my first coverage of the Berenstain Baby Bears books. It’s about pacifiers! Hoorah!

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!”

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

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 … Continue reading "Episode 336 – The Berenstain Bears and The Easter Story/The Very First Easter"

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

This week, Bradley Mariska and Jeremy Gloff take over my show again! Yep! I’m nowhere in sight, giving these two crumb bums free reign to talk about whatever they want! Is it Berenstain Bears-related? Yes, of course. They’re the BBBoys!

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 TexasTransgender Education Network of Texasallgo qpoc (allgo envisions a just and equitable society that celebrates and nurtures vibrant queer people … Continue reading "Episode 333 – The Berenstain Bears and Mama for Mayor!"

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

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 TexasTransgender Education Network of Texasallgo qpoc (allgo envisions a just and equitable society that celebrates and nurtures … Continue reading "Episode 331 – The Berenstain Bears’ Gossip Gang/Truth About Gossip"

“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!

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.

This week, we go back to Spooky Cave for a religious look at a Cub Club book I’d forgotten existed! It’s “The Berenstain Bears Faith Gets Us Through” but I mostly talk about musicals and The Descent.

Should you? I mean, should you *really* let the Bible be your guide? Specifically on a WHITE WATER CANOEING TRIP? Well, let’s find out. It’s “The Berenstain Bears Let The Bible Be Your Guide!”

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 … Continue reading "Episode 326 – The Berenstain Bears and the Secret Clubhouse/Deep Dark Secret!"

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.

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.

The Berenstain Bears are READY TO GO CAROLING! And John McCoy is here from Sophomore Lit to go caroling with me! We kinda talk about the book but mostly talk about the carols and then things get a bit off track. What are your thoughts on Lulu? It’s “The Berenstain Bears Go Christmas Caroling!”