Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

Episode 129: Punk Meets Tech and New Wave is Born (Classic)

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Bold colors. Funky haircuts. The Cold War and the Cola Wars. Video games and MTV. Japanese electron...

Episode 128: Homage Designs - A Poster for Swatch and an Orgy for Disney

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone says that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But if that were true, copyright law wouldn’t need to exist. We’re discussing a c...

Episode 127: Psychedelia Comes Down, Hangs Around and Gets Reinvented

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For one last time, we’re delving into the depths of our expanded minds to talk about the impact of psychedelia on popular culture. We may have been ...

Episode 126: The 1960s and the Era of Peak Psychedelia

04 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In our last episode we talked about the origins of psychedelia and learned about Bicycle Day celebrated every April. (Hint: it involved a lot of scien...

Episode 125: The Origin Story of Psychedelia

21 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re taking a trip through the looking glass. We’re kicking off our series on psychedelia with its origins, the impact on a generation of ...

Episode 124: Talking Food Mascots with Kirk + Kurtts (Classic)

07 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. What do Betty Crocker, Charlie Tuna, Tony the Tiger and the oddball characters from Off Limits Cereal...

Episode 123: The Origin Story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We have one more Christmas gift for our listeners! Today we’re going to be talking about a holiday icon that began as a marketing stunt. (Let’s be...

Episode 122: Trailblazing Toys - Hot Wheels Cars and Mego Action Figures

10 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just in time for Christmas, we've brought some classic toys with us that have become iconic collectibles. First, we suggest you grab your seat belt a...

Episode 121: Giving Thanks for Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms

26 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As we head into the holiday season, we’re giving thanks by spotlighting the four freedoms—Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Fear...

Episode 120: Politicians, Superheroes and Stars - Noteworthy Magazine Covers

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Magazines. They’re still big business, but today’s magazines are a pale imitation of what they once were. And being on a magazine cover meant that...

Episode 119: Scary Good Posters - The Thing and Creature from the Black Lagoon

29 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Since it’s still October, we’re continuing with the second of our two Horror Month episodes here in the bar. If you didn’t get enough shock and ...

Episode 118: Monster Sponsors - Gritty from Philly and Monster Cereals from General Mills

15 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Since it’s October, we’re gonna jump into the next two episodes with Horror Month here in the bar. Horror? Sure, regular listeners will wonder wh...

Episode 117: The Batmobile and the DeLorean - Iconic Pop Culture Cars

01 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While we don't recommend drinking and driving, we do recommend talking pop culture and cars while sitting safe and sound on a couple of bar stools. B...

Episode 116: Cat Posters with Paul Hennessey (Classic)

17 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’re taking a short break. In the meantime, grab a drink and kick back with one of our classic episodes. Cats. You may love ‘em, hate ‘em or f...

Episode 115: NBC, Netflix and Network Branding

03 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When we say "TV network," what do you think of? When we say "TV network brand," what pops into your head? Is it a logo or a sound? Is it an animation ...

Episode 114: The Fall and Rise (Again) of Tiki Culture

20 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve been exploring the Polynesian Pop trend that swept suburbia. From the 1930s to the ‘70s, tiki culture was everywhere. And then, like the tid...

Episode 113: Embracing and Evolving the Tiki Style

06 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're continuing our series on tiki culture as we look at how professional designers embraced and evolved the island aesthetic. Was it low brow...

Episode 112: Tiki Culture: The Story of Post-War Polynesian Pop

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re dressing up the bar with coconut mugs, gardenia flowers, surf boards and pu-pu platters because we’re diving into the first of a three...

Episode 111: Good Movies and Old Books - A Conversation with Matt Stevens (Part 2)

09 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re returning to the bar with Matt Stevens, a designer and illustrator who has been successful working with clients ranging from a tequila b...

Episode 110: Good Movies and Old Books - A Conversation with Matt Stevens (Part 1)

25 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re sitting down with a new friend, a designer and illustrator who has been successful working with clients ranging from a local hot dog sho...

Episode 109: Foxes, Flies and the Design of Blaxploitation Posters

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you’ve ever caught a late-night flick full of high-speed chases, stylish wardrobes, and unforgettable soundtracks, you might’ve stumbled into t...

Episode 108: Cups, Plates and Trophy Design

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you wander into any school, bar or thrift store, you're bound to see a collection of trophies. Have you ever wondered why they often look like cups...

Episode 107: U.S. Wartime Propaganda Posters

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We want you! If you’re looking for something to volunteer for, if you’re ready to be part of something bigger than yourself...Something that will ...

Episode 106: The State Flags of Ohio and Maryland

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re talking about a couple of state flag designs. And just like everyone here in the bar, they have unique appearances and colorful historie...

Episode 105: Iconic Book Covers for Jurassic Park and The Great Gatsby

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re going all literary, getting in touch with our bookish sides. We’re not being antisocial, but we’ve brought a couple of books to the ...

Episode 104: Movie Studio Logos for 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re going aaaalllll Hollywood. We're talking about movie studio logos, quite possibly the oldest examples of liquid branding, with one logo ...

Episode 103: Game Show Logos for The Gong Show and Match Game

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re going to be talking about game show logos – the good, the bad and the ugly — and how sometimes all of those qualities could be found...

Episode 102: Al Hirschfeld and Elvis, Postage Stamps - Part 2

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re going to be talking some more about postage stamps. The way they reflect pop culture and how they are an art form that celebrates other ...

Episode 101: The Penny Black and Dag Hammarskjöld, Postage Stamps - Part 1

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re going to be talking about postage stamps: the history and origin of them, who uses them and whether or not they’re still relevant in o...

Episode 100: Food Mascots with Kirk + Kurtts

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do Betty Crocker, Charlie Tuna, Tony the Tiger and the oddball characters from Off Limits Cereal have in common? Along with fellow creatives Kirk...

Episode 99: Cat Posters with Paul Hennessey

22 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cats. You may love 'em, hate 'em or feel indifferent, but there's no escaping their power, especially if you spend any time online. Cats have a long ...

Episode 98: Goodyear’s Blimp, Pixar’s Luxo Lamp and How Objects Become Company Icons (Classic)

08 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Goodyear Blimp is turning 100 years old, so we’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Ever wonder why a tire company is most known for a bl...

Episode 97: The ‘80s: New Wave Gets Fashionable (Classic)

25 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Video may have killed the radio star, but it poured gasoline on the spark of New Wave. As MTV exploded...

Episode 96: Elliot and MTV's The Real World

11 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today we’re bringing you an example of the bonus content you can find on our Patreon page. In the summer of 1994, the television show The Real World...

Episode 95: Return to the Mailbag

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we take a step back from our typical subject matter to dig into our mailbag once again as we answer questions submitted by you, our li...

Episode 94: Iconic Music Videos - Part 2

13 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re bringing some video tapes with us into the bar — or at least some trusty YouTube links. Why? We’re talking music videos! And we have so mu...

Episode 93: Rural Electrification, Hope for Obama and Posters for Good (Classic)

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. With Election Day happening in the United States, we wanted to mark the occasion with two amazing post...

Episode 92: Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman, Tarantula and the Amazing Art of Reynold Brown (Classic)

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. For our special Halloween episode, and because of our love of B movies, we wanted to pay homage to one...

Episode 91: Iconic Music Videos - Part 1

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're bringing some video tapes with us into the bar -- or at least some trusty YouTube links. Why? We're talking music videos! And we have so much to...

Episode 90: Roller Coaster Logo Battle

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our latest episode is for the thrill seekers. We're pitting roller coaster logos against each other. And not just any roller coasters...We're each rep...

Episode 89: Looking Back on Four Years

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of International Podcast Day, we’re taking a look back at our own origin story. How the podcast began, why we continue to do it and what co...

Episode 88: Talking Music Posters with Paul Hennessey

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Both eye-catching and informative, posters are one of the most highly collectible forms of design. They are used to promote products, places, events, ...

Episode 87: Gen X and the Golden Age of Magazines

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The late '80s and the '90s were a golden age for magazines. With the World Wide Web a few years away, advertising dollars were being pumped into print...

Episode 86: Gen X Music Appears from Underground

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The late '80s and the '90s were a golden age for Gen X music, even well beyond the long shadow of Nirvana's Nevermind. We flipped through the crates t...

Episode 85: Selling to Gen X Without Selling Out

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Gen X was coming of age during cynicism and ironic detachment. A DIY attitude rooted in authenticity coupled with increasing access to personal tech a...

Episode 84: Denver, Los Angeles and Stories of Designing for the Olympic Games (Classic)

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Bum-bum-ba-bum-bummm…Nothing brings the world together every couple of years like the Olympic Games....

Episode 83: When Gen X Came of Age

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s plop down on the couch in your favorite record store or skate shop for a few minutes. It’s time to relive the end of the 1980s and begin a n...

Episode 82: Riffs on Riffs Crossover

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Record albums. You know 'em. You love 'em. But do your favorites fall short when art overshadows music (or vice versa)? We invited a couple of buddies...

Episode 81: Fun Food Containers

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

History repeats itself... There are no new ideas… Everything old is new again… Sure, we get excited when we have custom meal kits delivered to our...

Episode 80: Vernacular Architecture

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did you ever look at a building with a business inside and think, “Yeah…that totally used to be something else” and wonder how you knew that? Yo...

Episode 79: Signs of the Times

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are visual icons that have symbolized professions for so long their origin stories are unknown to the very customers served by them. These indep...

Episode 78: The Reflex Blue Conversation

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We were lucky enough to have Donovan Beery of the long-running design podcast The Reflex Blue Show pull up a stool next to us. We talk about some of o...

Episode 77: Hey, Nice Package!

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are some products so iconic that you know what they are as soon as you lay your eyes on them. The color, the shape or some other distinctive bra...

Episode 76: The ‘80s: New Wave Gets Fashionable

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Video may have killed the radio star, but it poured gasoline on the spark of New Wave. As MTV exploded, youth culture moved to center stage and compan...

Design Crimes: Comic Sans: Who’s Laughing Now?

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Todd Coats and Elliot Strunk, the creators behind the hit design and pop culture show Two Designers Walk Into a Bar, announced last week at the PodFes...

Episode 75: The ‘80s: New Wave and the Boob Tube

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If New Wave was a style and attitude, television was how it was delivered to the masses. In this episode, we talk about two important touchstones duri...

Episode 74: The ‘80s: Punk Meets Tech, New Wave is Born

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bold colors. Funky haircuts. The Cold War and the Cola Wars. Video games and MTV. Japanese electronics and European fashion. Iconic music and movies.....

Episode 73: Pepsi, Tropicana and the Challenge of Good Design

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

February 28: This week marks a quirky moment in pop culture (and soft drink) history. Michael Jackson's hair caught fire back in 1984 while shooting a...

Episode 72: Six Marines, One Photographer. The Story of Iwo Jima

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

February 21: This week marks the anniversary of an event that was made famous by one of the world’s most iconic photos: the raising of the flag on M...

Episode 71: The Goodyear Blimp: More Than a Bunch of Hot Air

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

February 14: This week marks the anniversary of an accident. Not a normal accident. A blimp accident. The USS Macon, one of the two largest helium-fil...

Episode 70: Black Cats, Fireworks and Celebrating a Logo We Love

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

February 7: Logos and graphics are an important part of sports. This week marks the moment back in 1988 when Michael Jordan made his signature slam du...

Episode 69: KISS and their Flaming Wheel of Death

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

January 31: Way back in 1973, KISS played their first show at the Popcorn Club in Queens. Now, it's no secret that Todd is a member of the KISS Army, ...

Episode 68: When the Beats Moved a Generation

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

January 24: This week marks an important pop culture moment when Bob Dylan arrived in New York in 1961 after dropping out of college, playing a show a...

Episode 67: All Mascots Are Wieners in Our Eyes

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

January 17: It's only appropriate that we talk sports this week. Why? This was when the first Super Bowl was played in L.A. back in 1967, with the Gre...

Episode 66: The Failure of Google Glass

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

January 10: Remember when the iPhone was first announced? Well, it happened this week back in 2007. Now, the iPhone is one of the world’s most succe...

Episode 65: 1979, Disco and the Opening of Studio 54

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

January 3: This week, way back in 1979, the double-album soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever reached sales of 25 million worldwide, making it ...

Episode 64: Rubber Chickens vs. Whoopee Cushions

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, rubber is the name of the game as we discuss two products that held the promise of endless hours of entertainment and were found in t...

Episode 63: Charles Atlas vs. Art Instruction Schools

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we discuss two products that held the promise of self improvement and were found in the pages of comic books for, literally, decades....

Episode 62: Ant Farms vs. Sea Monkeys

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we discuss two educational products that were found in the pages of comic books for, literally, decades. It’s Sea Monkeys versus th...

Episode 61: Andy Warhol: When The Factory Meets Studio 54

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Andy Warhol once said, “The key of the success of Studio 54 is that it's a dictatorship at the door and a democracy on the dance floor.” We begin ...

Episode 60: Andy Warhol: Movies Emerge from the Underground - Part 2

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we continue with the second half of our conversation about Warhol’s anti-films. We talk about lonesome cowboys, sexploitation, scree...

Episode 59: Andy Warhol: Movies Emerge from the Underground - Part 1

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Factory scene produced all sorts of art, including films. We start with Warhol’s anti-film Sleep and dive into underground movies from the perio...

Episode 58: Andy Warhol: Album Covers Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Part 2

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Peel-away bananas. Working zippers. Andy Warhol elevated music album art to a new level. Building on our last episode, we talk about Andy’s influenc...

Episode 57: Andy Warhol: Album Covers Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Part 1

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Beginning with the backstory of one of the most iconic albums of all time, 1967’s “The Velvet Underground and Nico,” we return to The Factory sc...

Bonus Episode: Nostalgia and Marketing: A Conversation with Kate Christensen

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today we have a special guest we’ve welcomed into the bar. We reached out to Kate Christensen after reading an article she wrote for the website Mar...

Episode 56: Andy Warhol: The Silver Wears Off The Factory - Part 2

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode wraps-up the chronicle of The Factory’s downward slide. Drella has made the scene at The Factory and there has been some fallout. A scr...

Episode 55: Andy Warhol: The Silver Wears Off The Factory - Part 1

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode begins the chronicle of The Factory’s downward slide. If you work with and entertain people living on society’s fringes, things happe...

Episode 54: Andy Warhol: New York and Rise of The Silver Factory - Part 2

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We wrap-up the second of our two episodes by talking about just how high (pun intended) the Silver Factory could get. Powered by the social unrest bre...

Episode 53: Andy Warhol: New York and Rise of The Silver Factory - Part 1

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 53: Andy Warhol: New York and Rise of The Silver Factory - Part 1 We begin with the first of two episodes talking about the rapid and unpreced...

Episode 52: Andy Warhol: Andy Becomes the Center of Pop Life

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Easily New York’s most successful commercial illustrator, Ambitious Andy wanted to be accepted in the hoity-toity fine art world. Unfortunately, he ...

Episode 51: Andy Warhol: The 1960s Scene and the Emergence of Pop

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We begin our fourth season with an introduction to the cultural chaos of the mid-1960s. As The Beats began to fade and the Hippies take center stage, ...

Episode 50: The Pepsi (Logo) Challenge

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Pepsi announced it’s moving forward by moving backwards (sort of), returning to more of a traditional look for their logo and cans. (Think black. It...

Episode 49: Listener Mail

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we take a step back from our typical subject matter to answer questions submitted by you, our listeners. We discuss meeting sports mas...

Episode 48 1/2: The Beat Era: Frank Sinatra and His Golden…Arm?

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Turns out we’re not quite ready to let The Beats go! Sticking with our topic of separating myth from reality, we wrap-up our dive into mainstream in...

Episode 48: The Beat Era: Beats, Beatniks and Myth vs. Reality

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For our final episode about The Beats, we touch on the TV debut of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and the introduction of character Maynard G. Krebs. ...

Episode 47: The Beat Era: Illustration and Artwork Styles with Jim Flora

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For our final illustration episode, we wrap-up our jazz album conversation by sharing the story and work of Jim Flora. His cartoonish style “betraye...

Episode 46: The Beat Era: Illustration and Artwork Styles with S. Neil Fujita

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Building on our last episode, we continue talking illustrators and jazz albums by sharing the story of S. Neil Fujita. Jump in with us as we recap how...

Episode 45: The Beat Era: Illustration and Artwork Styles with David Stone Martin

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Records have always featured mood-setting illustrations in addition to more standard photographs. In this episode we share the story of the fun and id...

Episode 44 1/2: The Beat Era: Andy Warhol and Jazz Albums (Bonus!)

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Any conversation about art will involve Andy Warhol sooner or later. Today we jump in and discuss album illustration from early in his career for Coun...

Episode 44: The Beat Era: John Hermansader and Two Iconic Jazz Album Designs

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The jazz label Blue Note Records existed before Reid Miles was hired, so we talk about the guy who set the stage for him: John Hermansader. Once we’...

Episode 43: The Beat Era: The Origins of the Blue Note Records “Look”

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This episode begins with the founding of iconic Blue Note Records. Albums from the golden age of jazz—the same ones The Beats listened to—have a d...

Episode 42: The Beat Era: Pollock’s Drips and How They Changed the Art World

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our conversation about The Beats continues by revisiting when Jackson Pollock revolutionized art in America and how the media brought that revolution ...

Episode 41: The Beat Era: Kerouac’s On the Road and the Movement It Started

04 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We start our collection of episodes about The Beat era with the release of Jack Kerouac’s iconic book On the Road in 1957. We discuss who The Beats ...

Season 3 Preview: The Beats, Studio 54, 80s Modern and 90s Grunge

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hi, it’s Todd and Elliot here with a quick announcement about Season 3. We’re going to be mixing it up a little bit from our first two seasons. Th...

Episode 40: Bar Snacks with Kyle Webster - Part 4 (Dire Straits, Super Mario, Street Fighter, Tennis and Alex Gross)

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, in spite of their better judgement, friends choose to join us in the bar. One of our drinking buddies is frequent artist, occasional sax pl...

Episode 39: Bar Snacks with Kyle Webster - Part 3 (Mood Lighting, Bourbon, Egg Nog and A Room with a View)

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, in spite of their better judgement, friends choose to join us in the bar. One of our drinking buddies is frequent artist, occasional sax pl...

Episode 38: Bar Snacks with Kyle Webster - Part 2 (Superman II, The Michelin Man, The Kool-Aid Man, Snap, Crackle and Pop, and Hanna-Barbera)

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, in spite of their better judgement, friends choose to join us in the bar. One of our drinking buddies is frequent artist, occasional sax pl...

Episode 37: Bar Snacks with Kyle Webster - Part 1 (MAD Magazine, Puma and Bugs Bunny)

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, in spite of their better judgement, friends choose to join us in the bar. One of our drinking buddies is frequent artist, occasional sax pl...

Episode 36: Bar Snacks with Lenny Terenzi - Part 4 (Sega, Dr. Strange, Italian Sausage, Guitar and Lowbrow Artists)

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, in spite of their better judgment, friends choose to join us in the bar. One of our drinking buddies is artist, North Carolina resident and...

Episode 35: Bar Snacks with Lenny Terenzi - Part 3 (Vodka and Cranberry, The Finger Lakes and Iron Maiden)

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, in spite of their better judgment, friends choose to join us in the bar. One of our drinking buddies is artist, North Carolina resident and...