Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

Pop culture inspires some serious fun. Join hosts Todd Coats and Elliot Strunk, two creatively curious pals living between the bookends of grand museums and dive bars, the sweet spot where highbrow and lowbrow become drinking buddies. They talk influential work and uncover stories of how the familiar became iconic. Think Behind the Music for the stuff we love. ----- Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/ for images, links, episode extras and more. ----- Two Designers Walk Into a Bar is part of the Evergreen Podcasts network.

Episodes

Episode 138: Signs of the Times - Barber Poles and Pawn Broker Balls

July 29, 2026 • 47 mins
We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. There are visual icons that have symbolized professions for so long their origin stories are unknown to the very customers served by them. These independent businesses are owned by all kinds of people serving millions on a daily basis throughout the world, all using these same basic signs outside their establishments. We're discussing barber poles and pawnbroker balls, two symbo...
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Episode 137: Pop Culture Products - Wonka Bars and Duff Beer

July 15, 2026 • 46 mins
Today we’re going to use our imaginations a little bit. We’ve brought a couple of interesting products with us to the bar...but not just any products. These two were originally created for movies and television, and later made the leap into the real world once they became household names. We’re having dessert first as we sample a Wonka Bar and then we're wetting our whistles with a couple of Duff Beers. So order...
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Episode 136: KISS, The Bicentennial and the Year 1976 (Classic Episode)

July 1, 2026 • 42 mins
In honor of the nation’s 250th birthday, we’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Why 1976? Plenty of reasons. We discuss each of our ages in this, the banner year our nation was turning 200 and everything in sight had bunting and was painted red, white and blue. KISS was at the height of their powers as Michael Doret’s amazing album art from “Rock and Roll Over” was gracing turntables from coast...
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Episode 135: Cult Products - TaB Soda and McDonald's Fried Apple Pie

June 17, 2026 • 44 mins
Today we’re digging around in the backs of our minds and the pits of our stomachs to remember a couple of beloved food products. Ones that have cult followings and large groups of people who lament these products’ eventual demise. We’re talking about the origins of TaB Soda from Coke and the fried Apple Pie from McDonald’s. (Hey, we never said this was a health food podcast…) So ask the bartender to...
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Episode 134: Iconic Pop Culture Cars (Classic Episode)

June 3, 2026 • 47 mins
We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. 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. Buckle up as we travel back in time to discuss what are arguably the two most popular cars in pop culture: the original 1960s Batmobile and the DeLorean from Back to the Future. Sometimes they worked, oftentimes they didn't. If you s...
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Episode 133: Visual Alphabets - Nautical Flags and American Sign Language

May 20, 2026 • 52 mins
Signs, signs. Everywhere a sign. Today we’re going to be talking about a couple of colorful visual alphabets. Not typefaces, but the kinds of alphabets that are their own languages. Created to solve specific problems, one works face-to-face and the other from a distance. So give the high sign to the bartender and order up a couple of Ocean Breezes. We’re bringing you the histories of American Sign Language and nautica...
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Episode 132: Game Show Logos for The Gong Show and the Dating Game (Classic Episode)

April 29, 2026 • 65 mins
We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. 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 in a single piece of artwork. We’re zeroing in on a couple that are loud, busy and colorful, just like the era they were created in and the sets they were created for: The Gong Show and Match Game. So grab the re...
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Episode 131: Fabric Patterns and the Stories Behind Camouflage and Paisley

April 15, 2026 • 52 mins
There are some new tablecloths here in the bar, which has gotten us thinking about fabric patterns. Today we’re going to be talking about a couple of patterns that, if you don’t personally have them in your wardrobe, you likely know someone who does. We’ve brought in the funky character known as paisley and the shady character known as camouflage. So ask the bartender to mix up a couple of Army & Navies becau...
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Episode 130: Cups, Plates and Trophy Design

April 1, 2026 • 35 mins
With March Madness wrapping-up and spring break calling, we’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. 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, plates and other objects you wouldn't think about grabbing after a robust game of tennis or an intense hockey match? We did, and we’ve got a couple of amazing examples...
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Episode 129: Punk Meets Tech and New Wave is Born (Classic)

March 18, 2026 • 40 mins
We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Bold colors. Funky haircuts. The Cold War and the Cola Wars. Video games and MTV. Japanese electronics and European fashion. Iconic music and movies... If New Wave was a style and attitude, then music was the delivery device. In this episode we discuss the political climate, creative activity and DIY attitudes that led to the formation and rise of one of pop culture’s ...
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Episode 128: Homage Designs - A Poster for Swatch and an Orgy for Disney

March 4, 2026 • 49 mins
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 couple of items that could be called homages…or could be called unfair (or even unauthorized) use (but we’ll leave that up to you): a Swatch poster from the ‘80s and The Disneyland Memorial Orgy from the '60s, two projects with colorful artwork and equally co...
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Episode 127: Psychedelia Comes Down, Hangs Around and Gets Reinvented

February 18, 2026 • 33 mins
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 at the bar a bit too long getting our minds…expanded. We have a lot to talk about today as we discuss what happened with psychedelia after The Summer of Love and Woodstock. (Spoiler alert: Nothing like going mainstream to kill a counterculture style.) So help us out by gr...
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Episode 126: The 1960s and the Era of Peak Psychedelia

February 4, 2026 • 33 mins
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 science and experimentation along with maybe a little bit of balance.) Today we dive into the era of peak psychedelia: the mid ‘60s. We talk about the design and music inspired by this—ahem—experimentation and how that informed pop culture for a generation. So, ask the ...
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Episode 125: The Origin Story of Psychedelia

January 21, 2026 • 33 mins
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 pop culture and its lasting effects. Psychedelia’s origins are messy, fascinating, and full of odd little historical crosscurrents. We discuss science, bicycle rides and the first official album of psychedelic music. So, ask the bartender for a couple of Psychedelic Fro...
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Episode 124: Talking Food Mascots with Kirk + Kurtts (Classic)

January 7, 2026 • 32 mins
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 have in common? Along with fellow creatives Kirk Visola and Andy Kurtts of the “Kirk and Kurtts” design podcast, they were all our drinking buddies one evening! We chewed the fat with Kirk and Andy about some classic characters and their impact on pop culture (and sn...
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Episode 123: The Origin Story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

December 24, 2025 • 33 mins
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 honest. Sometimes it feels like Christmas is just one big marketing stunt.) But we’re with friends, so we're getting into the Christmas spirit. (Or spirits!) Today we’re going to be talking about everyone’s favorite red-nosed reindeer, Rudolph, and his orig...
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Episode 122: Trailblazing Toys - Hot Wheels Cars and Mego Action Figures

December 10, 2025 • 50 mins
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 and buckle-up as we white knuckle the wheel and talk the fast-paced glitz of Hot Wheels cars, and then we’re gonna fight for truth and justice as we get our hands on some highly collectible Mego superhero action figures. So order up a couple of Caped Crusaders. We’re gonna...
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Episode 121: Giving Thanks for Norman Rockwell’s Four Freedoms

November 26, 2025 • 37 mins
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 and Freedom from Want—along with the man who brought them to life in ways everyone could understand: Norman Rockwell. We talk about how while critics threw shade his way, Rockwell created what is arguably the most iconic Thanksgiving image of all time, parodied and rem...
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Episode 120: Politicians, Superheroes and Stars - Noteworthy Magazine Covers

November 12, 2025 • 56 mins
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 you hit the big-time. Sometimes that was amazing, other times not so much. Today we’re discussing some iconic covers that made statements from the shelves of newsstands and delivered surprises to unsuspecting mailboxes. John Lennon, Demi Moore, Richard Nixon, New York ...
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Episode 119: Scary Good Posters - The Thing and Creature from the Black Lagoon

October 29, 2025 • 37 mins
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 terror from our last episode, you just weren't listening closely...Come to think of it, that could be said about any of our episodes. Today we’re discussing a couple of amazing horror movie posters for The Thing and Creature from the Black Lagoon. The stories that i...
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