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Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

Evergreen Podcasts

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1 Creator

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1 Creator

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.
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What is Two Designers Walk Into a Bar about?

Two Designers Walk Into a Bar is a podcast about iconic design and popular culture.

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Top 10 Two Designers Walk Into a Bar Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Two Designers Walk Into a Bar episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Two Designers Walk Into a Bar for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Two Designers Walk Into a Bar episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Two Designers Walk Into a Bar - Episode 04: Reddy Kilowatt, Big Boy and Advertising Mascots
play

10/28/20 • 39 min

You may think this episode is shocking. You may claim it has sizzle. That means our chosen characters are working their magic. Long before the Energizer Bunny or the GEICO Gecko, advertising icons Reddy Kilowatt and Big Boy rose from humble beginnings to popularity stretching from coast-to-coast (and beyond). We discuss how electricity became humanized, a portly youth inspired a diner owner, and those two characters grew to be embraced by multiple generations (including movie director David Lynch).

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Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!

https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-04-advertising-mascots

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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.

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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

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Two Designers Walk Into a Bar - Episode 67: All Mascots Are Wieners in Our Eyes
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01/17/24 • 9 min

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.

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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

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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.

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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

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Two Designers Walk Into a Bar - Episode 68: When the Beats Moved a Generation
play

01/24/24 • 11 min

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.

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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

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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

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Two Designers Walk Into a Bar - Episode 72: Six Marines, One Photographer. The Story of Iwo Jima
play

02/21/24 • 8 min

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.

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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

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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

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Two Designers Walk Into a Bar - Episode 14: Best of Season 1 (Episodes 7 through 12)
play

05/19/21 • 56 min

Today we’re providing even more sound bites from our first season. This is your six foot party sub of an episode, so grab a speaker and bring a healthy appetite. We crammed this sandwich full of deliciousness like the typefaces from Tootsie Roll and The Dukes of Hazzard, logos for Ghostbusters and The Rocketeer (with a Hollywood Sign bonus), stories about a blimp and a desk lamp, giant signs for Union 76 and Holiday Inn, product parody cards from the geniuses behind MAD Magazine, and some dogs playing poker and a local pitchman hit it big. Bon appetit!

Featured Episodes:

  • Episode 07: Tootsie Rolls, The Dukes of Hazzard and Childhood Memories https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-07-first-impressions
  • Episode 08: Ghostbusters, The Rocketeer and Logos Made for Adventure https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-08-movie-logos
  • Episode 08 1/2: The Origin Story of the Hollywood Sign https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-08-movie-logos
  • Episode 09: Goodyear’s Blimp, Pixar’s Luxo Lamp and How Objects Become Company Icons https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-09-adopted-icons
  • Episode 10: Union 76, Holiday Inn and Signs from the Open Road https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-10-roadside-beauties
  • Episode 11: Wacky Packages, Garbage Pail Kids and the MAD Magazine Connection https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-11-wacky-garbage
  • Episode 12: Dogs Playing Poker, Ernest P. Worrell and Pitchmen Going Pop https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-12-when-pitchmen-go-pop

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Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!

https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-14-best-of-season-01-part-02

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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

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Two Designers Walk Into a Bar - Episode 74: The ‘80s: Punk Meets Tech, New Wave is Born
play

03/13/24 • 38 min

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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

bookmark
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Two Designers Walk Into a Bar - Episode 73: Pepsi, Tropicana and the Challenge of Good Design
play

02/28/24 • 7 min

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.

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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

bookmark
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Two Designers Walk Into a Bar - Episode 77: Hey, Nice Package!

Episode 77: Hey, Nice Package!

Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

play

04/24/24 • 44 min

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.

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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

bookmark
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Two Designers Walk Into a Bar - Design Crimes: Comic Sans: Who’s Laughing Now?
play

04/01/24 • 2 min

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!

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Visit our full press release page for the full story. Happy April Fool’s!

https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/blog/design-crimes

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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

bookmark
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Podcast Q&A

Why did you start this show?

We’re both graphic designers and good friends who love great stories and the intersection of design and pop culture. We were having a conversation about an iconic illustrator named Mort Drucker passing away and the impact his work for MAD Magazine had on both of us. About halfway through the call, Elliot mentioned it would be great if we could record the conversation to share with other people. And here we are.

What do you hope listeners gain from listening to your show?

Our goal is to tell the stories behind pop culture touchstones in interesting ways and celebrate the people who brought them to life. Things like ad mascots or product parodies don’t appear out of thin air. Very often work seen as juvenile actually has sophisticated thinking behind it (which is why you remember it).

Which episode should someone start with?

That’s like asking which of your children you love the most. Our kickoff episode (MAD Magazine, Humor and Finding Pop Culture Inspiration) has been popular because listeners are always interested in our origin story. Episode 26 (Hobos, Dollar Bills and Secret Codes Hidden in Plain Sight) has been a popular one as well.

Which have been your favourite episodes so far?

Another tough question! We will choose contrasting the highbrow and lowbrow with Episode 22 (Bigfoot, Iwo Jima and the Backstories of Two Iconic Images) and then just stick with the lowbrow with Episode 24 (Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman, Tarantula and the Amazing Art of Reynold Brown). We had fun with that one.

Which episode are you most proud of?

You need to stop with these questions…There’s the episode where we reveal who really shot JFK. (Just kidding, although we do have an episode about the Dead Kennedys). The episode we’re most proud of is always the next one to drop. Our goal is to keep improving and each new topic allows us to get better.

What is your vision for your show?

We would like to grow the show in the model of 99% Invisible, one of our podcasting north stars. That means things like more live appearances, more sponsor opportunities and something offline like a book that encapsulates all the research we’ve done and wild stories we’ve told.

What is your favourite other podcast that isn't yours?

We mentioned 99% Invisible already, so we're not going to do it again. (Oops.) We love humor and good storytelling, so two other titles we like are Radio Rental and How Did This Get Made? Unspooled is also pretty good, along with… We could go on and on.

How did you come up with the name for your podcast?

We talk about this in our first episode. We want the tone of our podcast to be approachable and interesting. The listener should feel like they’re eavesdropping on two friends discussing their pop culture loves and backstories over a few drinks (that Todd always ends up buying).

Tell us a bit about yourself

We’re both Gen X graphic designers and good friends who love great stories and the intersection of design and pop culture. During our careers, we have collected a caboodle of adventures from unique luminaries we’ve known and worked with, award shows we’ve judged, lectures and workshops conducted and industry recognition received. We've been told we have good senses of humor and chemistry together, and we're not ones to turn down compliments, unsolicited or otherwise.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Two Designers Walk Into a Bar have?

Two Designers Walk Into a Bar currently has 102 episodes available.

What topics does Two Designers Walk Into a Bar cover?

The podcast is about History, Design, Podcasts and Arts.

What is the most popular episode on Two Designers Walk Into a Bar?

The episode title 'Episode 04: Reddy Kilowatt, Big Boy and Advertising Mascots' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Two Designers Walk Into a Bar?

The average episode length on Two Designers Walk Into a Bar is 36 minutes.

How often are episodes of Two Designers Walk Into a Bar released?

Episodes of Two Designers Walk Into a Bar are typically released every 14 days.

When was the first episode of Two Designers Walk Into a Bar?

The first episode of Two Designers Walk Into a Bar was released on Sep 28, 2020.

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