Episode 118 – Meeting Mike (Part 3)!

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

These boxes contain copies of books from various publishers.

A photo of Stan and Jan rests atop one bank of art drawers.

Mike shows examples of the color process and all the work that went into producing a single image.

Some of Stan and Jan’s early comics work.

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The above is pages from an unpublished finished book.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.”

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The Mama and Papa cutout used for the magazine article.

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

An unpublished children’s book.

Mike’s assistant, Maryann.

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Episode 114 – Meeting Mike (Part 2)

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.

Episode 110 – Meeting Mike (Part 1)

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!

Mike’s desk at Berenstain Studios

A look at the production schedule for upcoming books.

Jeremy and Brad sitting with Mike.

Mike shows the cover of the upcoming bullying book featuring Skuzz! Pic by Bradley Mariska

The two alternate covers for “Why Do Good Bears Have BAD Days?” Pic by Bradley Mariska

Episode 109 – Diner Talk

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.

Episode 100 – Collector’s Corner 8!

It’s 100 Episodes! And, what better way to mark the occasion than by having my Collector Boys on to talk about upcoming books in Bear Country. Also, a surprise? A surprise.

You can find Bradley’s official list of books at his website, visit Jeremy’s site to discover his amazing music, or join the Collector’s Facebook Group!

Episode 98 – Collectors Corner 7!

My collectors are BACK and they’ve brought with them . . . nothing. Nothing at all. This episode is a special “free form” episode where anything brought to the table comes out of *us* and our IMAGINATIONS. Trust me, it works.

You can find Bradley’s official list of books at his website, visit Jeremy’s site to discover his amazing music, or join the Collector’s Facebook Group!

Interview – Bradley Mariska

On the drive down to Austin, MN for the opening of Bradley Mariska’s Berenstain Bears Exhibit at Sweet Reads bookstore, I had plenty of time to chat with Mr. Mariska.

Here . . . is some of that chat.