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
September 23, 2026 • 43 mins
A lot of chain restaurants and widely-known food products have real names and personalities behind them. Some of these businesses put their founders front and center — a certain international chicken chain comes to mind — while others stick with founders’ names even when the motivations for starting the business get lost as the times and brand stories change.
Today we discuss a couple of our favorites: Bob Evans ...
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September 9, 2026 • 57 mins
Postcards. Even in the age of instant communication, receiving a postcard in the mail is pretty fun. Friends checking-in from familiar haunts or destinations unknown with little pieces of mailed artwork.
Today we’re discussing a couple of iconic types of postcards that have delivered surprise and delight to mailboxes for decades: QSL cards and the giant letter “Greetings From” souvenirs.
So ask the bartender to ...
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August 26, 2026 • 32 mins
We're still on summer vacation, so we’re revisiting one of our classic episodes.
Hey, Vern. In this episode we discuss how artwork advertising cigars became a cornerstone for kitsch and a character promoting local businesses became a movie star. What is the deal with dogs playing poker, anyway? And how did Ernest P. Worrell go from plugging local car lots in Nashville to saving Christmas in movie theaters across the country?...
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August 12, 2026 • 33 mins
With news of Ken Kesey’s bus Further returning to San Francisco, we’re revisiting one of our classic episodes.
Today we’re taking a trip through the looking glass.
We return to our series kickoff on psychedelia by discussing 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 discus...
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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