Well, Damn, I suppose you want to know stuff like,
who we are, and why we do this weird freakin' show???
Awe, well, we really do not know why,
and We really means I , since the show is pretty much My fault! :)


Some of the characters I work with,
And they don't even seem to mind where
I have to place my hands!!! :)


And just who am I, you may just be pondering?
My name is Ben Bigtree,
And I am to blame for this fiasco I like to call television! :)

In the beginning

Well, it all started way back when...
When, exactly you may ask? Well, honestly I can't remember, but that's not important right now!
Because this is all about us, or we, or I, or whichever you wanna see it...
It's all my fault, I did it, and I'm proud dammit!!!

Seriously though, this is my show, for whatever that is worth, and you may wonder why I do it.
From time to time, so do I...
But in all truth I do it because it is fun, I really get a kick out of entertaining and making people smile.
Of course, I am not sure anyone in Erie even does smile from it, or even likes it,
since I have recieved little to no feedback, 2 emails in 2 years.
But when I do go out on the street and people smile, shake my hand and say positive things about the show, it makes it all worth while, and I get a smile on my face, ten miles wide!


One of my disgruntled staff members,
Helping me to keep my ego in check! :)

So, what do I do on the show??? ... Pretty much, everything.
I have always said that I was 99% of the show, and maintain that to this day.
Not to sound egotistical, which we all know I can be at times, but not that I want to sound that way,
just so you know, I do get help from time to time, and appreciate it greatly! :)


Uh, it's me, DOH!


I do have a regular assistant who is a friend that runs the cameras, control board, lights and whatever technical stuff I need help with.
He used to produce as well, but since we have gone non-linear, I am now able to do this myself, which is nice since I now maintain complete responsability for when people do start calling in with complaints, the buck stops here YO!
I keep begging and pleading for people to submit segments, and have had a few submissions from my friends,
TJ, Jamie, Ron, art from Chris Brown, lots of advice and videos from Richard Concepcion and videos from another person named Chris Innanen.
I have also had offers from a group called COPA, which hopefully soon will appear on my show.
These people are all my friends whether they know it or not,
they have helped me through alot of rough times, just by helping me with my show.
Truth be told, I don't smoke, drink, do drugs or drive fast, I have nothing in my life that brings me much enjoyment, except The Mr. Bear Today Show.
And food... And Sleep, Damn, I don't even have cable, so I guess that's it, now I'm sad...

Ok, well, not really, just give me a tv show and see how easy it is for me to be not sad. :)


Me with my good buddy, Rudy!


Honestly, it brings me so much joy to do this, as I have seen people enjoying themselves for years doing shows like this, and there are so many examples of different types of puppet shows.
Sesame Street, Muppets, Muppets Tonight, Greg the Bunny, Crank Yankers, Ed the Sock, Sifl and Olly Show, Puppets Who Kill, and many other different of puppets in videos, movies and on television shows over the years.

My favorite puppet show of all time is and will always be Greg the Bunny, cause they just kicked ass!
Although, anything that the Henson company does will always rule my world, and woking for them will possibly remain a pipe dream forever... How's that for brown nosing mixed with a touch of cynicism? ;)


I would really like to do some artistic puppetry like on Greg the Bunny, I mean the old stuff from the Independent Film Channel years, that is the funniest stuff I have ever seen, artistically speaking of course.
Fox did a terrible thing by taking Greg off the air, there were more fans than they would like to have admitted, so they didn't.
They based it on Neilson ratings, which do not speak for many people, I mean how the hell is someone supposed to rate my fantastic show according to Neilson ratings, especially since this is only Community Access TV?
Just kidding, of course I know it sucks compared to pretty much everything else out there, but I try! :)

The Easter Bunny and I

Millcreek Mall Erie PA
April 17th 2003

Do I need reasons to do this show? Hell yeah!


Well, I clean toilets and floors for a living on 3d shift, please kill me now...
I have been doing crappy work like this for about 12 years now, and I have hated every moment of it.


One of the experiments I worked on,
during a brief stint as a genetic scientist...
Don't move, it can sense fear...
Yes, that's his tail, get yer mind outta the gutter! :)


I have done newspaper delivery, dishwasher, worked in a sheet metal shop making air conditioner duct, sold lawn furniture, mixed paint, warehouse grunt work, assembly, and at the height of my career I worked for a rich crazy bag lady who made us clean out a condemned building, and wouldn't let us go to the bathroom. No lie.
Now I have one part time fun job along with my full time plunger-jockey job.
At least I actually like my part time job. :)
I work at a place called Splash Lagoon in Erie, PA. It is an indoor water park, it's polynesian based, so after watching Lilo and Stitch I liked it a lot more! :)


Can you guess which job I do???
BTW, this is what I look like in real life! :)
Ok, mayby not, but it is me in the suit.


So as you can see, after years of being mentally broken, it is only obvious as to what I had to do...
Create a costume and puppet variety show to corrupt Erie and show how insane I am! :)
They're coming to take me away hee hee!!!!!!!!!!! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahem, 'scuse me, I'm all better now, yeee hawwwwww!!!!!!! :)

As you may have deducted, I needed a break from reality, and a show such as this is just what I needed, my life since moving to Erie in 1998, has been unfulfilling.
As a matter of fact in my very first apartment in my first year, I saw a man die, and someone broke into my car.
But the neat part is, they stole a bottle of antifreeze that actually only had water in it, so I hope they used it and cracked their F****n engine block! :)
There were many riots and shootings nearby, and for being my first experience living away from home, I was ready to call it quits, completely.
Then I found out that I had diabetic retinopathy, and would be blind in less than a year, woo hoo!
That was a beautiful time in my life, let me tell you... Not!
Needless to say, I moved to a nice apartment, and got my eyes taken care of and got my diabetes much more under control than ever before. Not perfect, but I can still see, which is a good thing.

Whoaaaa, hold on, slow yer roll, I know, I know, too much information... But there is a point to this revealing peek into my life.

...And here it is

It's the show man, this show kept me going, and gave me something to strive for to help me retain balance and grow some integrity.
At the lowest point of my life starting out here in good ole' Erie, PA, I started my show. And my life began anew.
So even in fear of sounding egotesticle, er, uhm I mean egotistical, the show is all about me, really.
But not in a bad way, it has helped me overcome an aversion to people, and allowed me to go out into the world and interact with crowds of people.
And even though I have spent all my time behind puppets and costumes, just going out into the world has helped to change me.
I have gained self confidence and the ability to deal with the real world, all while hiding behind those masks and puppets.
I mean, look at this page, I would never before tell people who I am, where I live, what I do, or anything about me, but here I am, and it's all due to a Bear and a dream! :)


Uh, it's me again, Run!!!


It's about my life, my goals, dreams, hopes, desires, sillyness, creativity or lack thereof. :)
I do this show in the hopes that someone else will get a kick out of it, but in the end I do it for me.
You probably can't envision what this show has done for my confidence and self worth unless you know me personally, or perhaps you can, if so then mayby this show will mean something more to you after reading this.


Here is an article written by the local Newspaper about Community Access Television,
and it just happens to have me in it, could you want any more from life? I think not... :)


Part Uno

Part Dos


Well, one last thing,
Don't believe that I have completely gained self confidence
from doing a Cable Access puppet show?
Click on my picture and I will strip completely naked!

Touch me, I dare ya!!!




Party's over, go back to your little fantasy worlds!
The real life of me, ends here.
I hope you had an interesting poke at my soul... :)