Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

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 to the bar — Joe Watson and Toby Brazwell from the Riffs on Riffs podcast — for a conversation about a handful of desert island-level albums: how they sound, what they look like and if, ultimately, the combination works. We talk earworms, visual puns, the classic and the obscure, leveraging their expertise to make us look smart and their wallets to cover our tab. Crack open a beverage, find a seat and see if any of your picks are on our list. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-82-riffs-on-riffs Check out Riffs on Riffs when you need a break from us. https://evergreenpodcasts.com/riffs-on-riffs - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 homes or when we see amazing food in farmer’s markets and grocery stores near our homes. But food marketing has been around for a really long time. Today we discuss a couple of popular approaches from yesterday that continue to reappear in pop culture today: Charles Chips and fruit crate labels. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-81-fun-food-containers - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? You know, the jewelry store that used to be a pizza parlor or the drive-up coffee shop that was once a spot to drop off film are peppered in towns all across the country. Today we’re talking about a couple of businesses that, in their respective heydays, could be found in shopping centers and strip malls everywhere. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-80-vernacular-architecture - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 icons that, unless you’re truly in the middle of nowhere, you can find within minutes of where you live, work or both. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-79-signs-of-the-times - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 our shared pop culture influences, listening to vinyl (and the creative opportunities record albums afford) and where we go to find inspiration (hint: Wikipedia addictions). We also found out Reflex Blue was inspired by bar conversations as well! Bottoms up! - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-78-reflex-blue - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 brand feature says, “Accept no substitute. There is no equal.” Pour yourself a drink on the rocks, kick back against the bar and listen as we uncork the stories of the bottles from Coca-Cola and Absolut Vodka. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-77-nice-package - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 companies making wearables were more than happy to cater to changing tastes. In this episode we focus on Vans and Swatch, a couple of iconic fashion accessories found on the wrists and feet of Gen X. As we wrap-up our season on New Wave, let us know if you feel there's something we missed. We just might circle back down the road. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-76-new-wave-gets-fashionable - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 PodFest Expo Upfronts the release of their newest investigative true-crime series, Design Crimes: Comic Sans, Who’s Laughing Now?, set to drop on April 15, 2024. The five-part show, hosted by Strunk and Coats, will explore the history of Comic Sans and Vincent Connare, the infamous typeface creator employed by Microsoft who single-handedly destroyed the aesthetic of hundreds of thousands of printed documents and early web pages, and how he became consumed by the world’s hatred of his most famous creation. Listen now! - - - - - Visit our full press release page for the full story. Happy April Fool’s! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/blog/design-crimes - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 during one of pop culture’s signature eras: the launch of MTV and the debut of Miami Vice. It's all pastel wonder and neon glow in our latest episode as New Wave meets the boob tube. Turn on, tune in and enjoy. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-75-new-wave-and-the-boob-tube - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 signature eras. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-74-punk-meets-tech - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 an ad for Pepsi, which was, to put it mildly, a production challenge. In this mini-episode we talk about the origins of the original Pepsi Challenge and a foolproof way to make small children cry. Drink. It. Up. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-50-pepsi-logo-story - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima. We talk about how the photo came to be and why it's still instantly recognizable today. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-22-iconic-images - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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-filled airships ever created, crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California and sank. This reminds us of one of our favorite company icons floating over a stadium near you: The Goodyear Blimp. Float on. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-09-adopted-icons - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 dunk from the free throw line, inspiring the Air Jordan brand and, more specifically, the Jumpman logo. But there are logos we love that don’t have the same iconic status. Here's the explosive story behind one of our hard working favorites that hasn’t gotten its rightful due. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-06-unsung-logos - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, so we felt highlighting their coming out party was appropriate for this week's mini-episode where we talk about the artwork for their landmark album “Rock ‘n Roll Over." - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-02-1976 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 at Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village. His performance reminds us of the Beats, one of our favorite eras. We take a few minutes to jump into our origin story about that movement and its impact on post-WWII American culture. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-41-the-beats - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Green Bay Packers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10. Speaking of Wisconsin athletics, the first thing that comes to mind four us is the Famous Racing Sausages from Milwaukee! If you haven't listened to this episode yet, it's time to ketchup. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-20-sports-mascots - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 successful products. Most tech never hits that milestone. Some comes before its time, and sometimes it goes sideways and gets creepy. Here’s an excerpt from one of our episodes about a tech product with lofty aspirations that didn’t quite make the cut: Google Glass. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-15-magnificent-flops - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the then best-selling LP in history. To honor this milestone, it’s only appropriate we highlight one of our episodes that celebrated a temple of the disco scene: Studio 54. Beautiful people, bumping tunes and an anything goes atmosphere with Andy Warhol as part of the mix. You’re about to go past the velvet rope. Welcome to the club! - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-61-factory-meets-54 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the pages of comic books for, literally, decades. It’s the visual humor of the rubber chicken versus the sonic disturbance of the whoopee cushion. Dig some quarters out of your piggy bank. We’re all about to learn a thing or two… - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-64-chickens-and-whoopee - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. It’s Charles Atlas and his Dynamic Tension versus the Art Instruction Schools. Sneak one of your dad’s beers from the garage. We’re all about to learn a thing or two… - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-63-atlas-vs-art - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the Ant Farm. Buckle up. We’re all about to learn a thing or two… - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-62-ant-farm-vs-sea-monkeys - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 this episode with Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager on the evening of April 26, 1977 as they open the doors to Studio 54, smack-dab in the middle of the glitter and grime in and around Midtown Manhattan. We discuss Warhol moving from being the darling of academic art nerds to mainstream provocateur and celebrity worshiper, bringing his scene with him. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-61-factory-meets-54 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode we continue with the second half of our conversation about Warhol’s anti-films. We talk about lonesome cowboys, sexploitation, screen tests, and how the Factory scene was ripped off for a much more mainstream Oscar-winning movie — which didn’t make Andy very happy. We then wrap-up discussing films influenced by his approach. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-60-movies-emerge-2 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 period and The Factory’s influence on them. We then shift gears to discuss how that approach popped-up in later “low-fi” movies like John Waters’ Pink Flamingos. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-59-movies-emerge-1 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 influence on other "special" treatments of albums that—especially in our era of digital downloads—make having the real thing from bands like Bob Marley and The Pet Shop Boys worth the effort. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-58-albums-wild-side-2 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 scene as it was becoming commercially successful—but no less of a sideshow—as musicians come calling for new ideas or simply hipster art cred. We also discuss the design work Warhol created for bands like the Rolling Stones and the idea of turning a disposable record holder into individual artistic keepsakes. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-57-albums-wild-side-1 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Marketing Brew about marketing and nostalgia. We thought “Marketing and nostalgia? Hey, that’s us!” Kate is currently on the faculty at Indiana University. She’s produced movies for Disney, TV shows for Sony, and is very aware of pop culture through both her background and ongoing research. We talk about toys, food and childhood memories among many, many topics. And, of course, the movie Airplane! comes up. So grab your favorite feel-good drink and join us as we jump into our conversation with Kate. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for the video of our conversation, show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/bonus-episode-marketing-and-nostalgia - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 script entitled “Up Your Ass” led to Andy Warhol barely cheating death at the hands of its author, Valarie Solanas. She called the Factory dwellers the “Stupidstars” and Warhol “a vulture and a thief.” The resulting scars Andy had — both physical and emotional — would last the rest of his life. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-56-silver-wears-off-2 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode begins the chronicle of The Factory’s downward slide. If you work with and entertain people living on society’s fringes, things happen…some good, some not so good. Add a constant flow of amphetamines and acid and the not so good can take a deadly turn. During this time, Andy Warhol was easily the most famous artist in America and enjoyed being the messiah of cool, until all of that changed on June 3, 1969. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-55-silver-wears-off-1 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 brewing in the mid-1960s, this collection of junkies, drag queens and hangers-on led by the Oddball Oracle made some great work and also caused a lot of irritation in the art world. Andy couldn’t be stopped. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-54-rise-of-silver-2 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 unprecedented success of Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory. It was part studio, part party palace and part crash pad for tripping pop stars, street gurus and suicidal Superstars. It didn’t take long for Andy’s hangers-on and wanna-be this or thats to become household names within this hub of design, fine art, music, movies and celebrity worship. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-53-rise-of-silver-1 - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Easily New York’s most successful commercial illustrator, Ambitious Andy wanted to be accepted in the hoity-toity fine art world. Unfortunately, he found that would take a little time and the right moment. The explosion of consumerism set him up to be a household name. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-52-warhol-becomes-center - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you and support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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, changes were happening in both the U.S. and overseas that would set the stage for new forms of art and expression. Warhol found himself in the right place at the right time. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-51-emergence-of-pop - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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's a slimming color.) But as they kick their last logo to the curb, we go back in time to discuss how they became saddled with this burdensome brand look in the first place. We talk ovals, smiles, globes, magnetic fields and cosmic forces of the universe in this special breathtaking and scientifically-tangential episode. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-50-pepsi-logo-story - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 mascots, paying homage to a creative icon, using big words, MAD Magazine, how we come up with our episode topics and whether or not we’re secretly teachers masquerading as podcast hosts. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-49-listener-mail - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Support us on Patreon for subscriber-only extras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 interpretations with a quick conversation about the movie “The Man with the Golden Arm” which centers on a jazz drummer played by none other than Frank Sinatra. The film’s soundtrack from Elmer Bernstein along with the Saul Bass-designed poster and opening titles helped make this film iconic. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-48-and-a-half-golden-arm - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. We jump into berets, bongos, sunglasses, sandals and the slang. Where did this popular notion – The Beatnik – come from? While some of it was rooted in reality, this caricature came from a combination of hangers-on and mainstream culture’s response to not understanding The Beats. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-48-beat-myths - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our final illustration episode, we wrap-up our jazz album conversation by sharing the story and work of Jim Flora. His cartoonish style “betrayed a diabolic humor and uninhibited sense of outrageousness” that evolved over the years to go from borderline obscene to children’s books. We also name names of a couple contemporary artists directly influenced by Flora’s manic work and highlight his album art from “Mambo for Cats.” - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-47-jim-flora - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 pop culture arrived at a “look” for artifacts from the era of The Beats through the work of Fujita, another artist whose work influenced our cultural landscape and help explain why those jazz-themed Pinterest boards you follow look the way they do. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-46-s-neil-fujita - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Records have always featured mood-setting illustrations in addition to more standard photographs. In this episode we share the story of the fun and idiosyncratic illustrator David Stone Martin finding jazz music. We then shift into discussing how pop culture arrived at a “look” for artifacts from the era of The Beats being influenced by the atomic age, the space race and jazz, and what that meant for the later work from Martin. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-45-david-stone-martin - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Count Basie, a group called Trombone By Three and a duet with Thelonious Monk and Sonny Rollins. We also discuss the phenomenon of different layouts for album issues and reissues, especially in jazz. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-44-the-beats-bonus - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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’ve set the scene, we jaw about a couple of our favorite albums from artists Horace Parlan and Jackie McLean. Who was in charge of designing them? Why did they make the creative choices they did? And, perhaps most importantly, does each album’s look do a good job of translating sound into visuals? - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-44-the-beats - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 distinct look and feel, largely thanks to a single label. We drop into the coffee houses, jazz clubs and record label offices of New York to talk about the late-night, rebellious music people were listening to and some of the personalities behind that work. We then conclude by discussing the design of Lee Morgan’s 1961 album “Leeway.” - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! [Episode page link here.] https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-43-the-beats - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our conversation about The Beats continues by revisiting when Jackson Pollock revolutionized art in America and how the media brought that revolution to Middle America. We discuss different spots in the U.S. where The Beats found themselves and name some of their wider influences including the abstract expressionist painters and jazz musicians they shared creative and social spaces with. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-42-the-beats - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 were beyond Kerouac (Ginsberg, Burroughs and more), the conformity and consumerism they were questioning and rebelling against, and their impact on pop culture for future generations (including the one you’re in). - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-41-the-beats - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Think themes. Think mini-series. We heard streaming services like Netflix make crazy money with these things so we thought, Why not? (We have a rather large bar tab we need to pay.) Anyway… We’re still talking design and pop culture, but how certain people in specific eras left lasting impressions on our culture. The Beats. Studio 54, 80s modern and 90s grunge. We’re hard at work on these episodes right now. In the meantime, catch-up on past episodes you may have missed, visit our YouTube channel to see what we look like in person, visit our website for episode notes and other extras, and be sure to review us on your listening platform of choice. We look forward to sharing drinks and conversation very, very soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 player and North Carolina resident Kyle T. Webster. Today we ask him even more thought-provoking questions over a few drinks: What’s your favorite album cover? What video game (arcade or console) is the best? What’s your favorite sport? What’s the best Halloween costume you ever had? You’re at the fair. What is the one thing you never miss? Who is your favorite “kitsch” or “lowbrow” artist? If you like this episode, be sure to listen to our other three conversations with Kyle. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episodes-37-40-bar-snacks-kyle-webster - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 player and North Carolina resident Kyle T. Webster. Today we ask him even more thought-provoking questions over a few drinks: What was the last thing you bought based on the ad or package? Tell us about your favorite drink? (We’ll see if the bartender can make it for you.) What’s your favorite place you’ve had a chance to visit? If you like this episode, be sure to listen to our other three conversations with Kyle. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episodes-37-40-bar-snacks-kyle-webster - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 player and North Carolina resident Kyle T. Webster. Today we ask him even more thought-provoking questions over a few drinks: What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? Who was (or is) the best advertising character? Are you camp Warner Brothers or camp Hanna-Barbera? If you like this episode, be sure to listen to our other three conversations with Kyle. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episodes-37-40-bar-snacks-kyle-webster - - - - - Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to [email protected] and we promise to read it. After that it’s anyone’s guess. - - - - - Visit https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/merch to have a look at stuff we’ve made for listeners just like you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices