Episodes

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. 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 smell some burning rubber, it's not from us thinking—at least not this week. Instead, it's a high-octane topic coupled with some Golden Cadillacs from our bartender. Enjoy.

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 (American Sign Language) and the other (nautical flags) from a distance.

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes 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.

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 because we’re gonna be having a “wrap session” (get it?) back here in the bar. - - - - - V...

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Today we’re talking about two of the most iconic—and oddly shaped—trophies in the world: Wimbledon’s Venus Rosewater Dish and the Stanley Cup. If you’ve ever stared at a silver plate and thought, “That’s what victory looks like?” then this is the episode for you. We’re digging into the curious history of why some of the biggest wins come with even stranger hardware.

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. 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.

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 colorful backstories. So place your order for a Rainbow Paradise, because we’re drawing unwanted ...

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 grabbing a couple of Flaming Unicorns as we come back down to earth, right here ...

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. Stanley Mouse, Robert Crumb and a host of other artists make an appearance.

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 Frogs—and to see if they can stop the walls from dripping rainbow colors—as we chase t...