Episodes

The late '80s and the '90s were a golden age for magazines. With the World Wide Web a few years away, advertising dollars were being pumped into print and art directors and publishers did not disappoint with their offerings. In this episode we talk about Raygun, Wired, Rolling Stone and Vibe and the approaches of David Carson, Plunkett + Kuhr, Fred Woodward and Gary Koepke. Elliot also tells the story of trying to get an internship at one of these lauded publications. Flip to your favorite liqu...

The late '80s and the '90s were a golden age for Gen X music, even well beyond the long shadow of Nirvana's Nevermind. We flipped through the crates to prep for this episode. With sore fingers and tired eyes we walk through iconic albums by Bjork, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Pixies. Grab your favorite concert t-shirt and a cool PBR. It's time once again to join us in the bar. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!...

Gen X was coming of age during cynicism and ironic detachment. Companies (and their marketing departments) had to think of ways to sell to those who didn’t want to be sold to... Advertisers like Benetton, the Gap and and Diesel Jeans undertook this task with some interesting results.

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Bum-bum-ba-bum-bummm…Nothing brings the world together every couple of years like the Olympic Games. With such a large stage and a chance to influence audiences around the globe, designers jump at the chance to create something great. In this episode we discuss what did (or didn’t) happen in Denver in 1976 and the Technicolor vibrancy of Los Angeles in 1984.

Let’s plop down on the couch in your favorite record store or skate shop for a few minutes. It’s time to relive the end of the 1980s and begin a new decade of cultural change. In this episode we discuss what was in the news, the invention of the "slacker" character, the mood of skepticism, irony and emotional detachment that grew out of the glossy 80s, culture jamming and not selling out even as personal technology began to take hold. We also try to get to the bottom of whatever the term "alter...