In a recent episode, we talked about the movie The Man with the Golden Arm and its connection to the Beats. The production was fraught with controversy. Director Otto Preminger had to jump through hoops, and his challenges taught us a few lessons about how heavy restrictions can lead to a more adventurous outcome.

When digging into research for our episodes about The Beats, we came across a few pop culture threads that tie North Carolina to one of our favorite actors. Maybe you know him as Gilligan. Maybe as Maynard. Either way, you know Bob Denver.

In what is being heralded as a breakthrough in the twin fields of podcasting and artificial intelligence, Two Designers Walk Into a Bar has become the first podcast completely produced with no human intervention.

San Francisco is one of those places with different mythologies that hinge on who you’re talking to and the era you’re talking about. Elliot’s familiarity with the 415 was mostly through skateboard magazines and videos, but even a wide-eyed Buckeye could imagine there was waaaay more to see in this unique place.

As two pop culture junkies, we wanted to know how Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs and the lot became who they became and, maybe more importantly, why they still have power to capture our (and very likely your) attention some eighty years later.

George Lois recently passed away at 91. His name may not be well-known in the mainstream but his work and his…um…persona certainly are.

We decided a retreat was in order. But where? We decided to look at a map. There, smack-dab in the middle of the country, we landed on a spot: the Midwestern capital of live jazz, barbecue, strip steak and craft breweries.

If you've been kicking around the podcast for any length of time, you are familiar with our love of research, especially when it relates to pop culture.

Todd Coats and Elliot Strunk, the two designers and hosts who skyrocketed to national prominence since their September 2020 podcast debut, are going to be included in the forthcoming book “Top 100 Podcasts to Listen to Before You Die.”

If you’ve spent any time at all listening to an episode of our podcast, you know we love research. Here’s a reading list for our second season.