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.

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.

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.

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.

Our conversation about the Beats continues by revisiting when Jackson Pollock revolutionized art on the coasts and how the media brought that revolution to Middle America.

We start our collection of episodes about the Beat era with the release of Jack Kerouac’s iconic book On the Road in 1957 and then discuss who the Beats were beyond Kerouac.

For our upcoming season, we’re going to be mixing it up a little bit from our first two. Think themes. Think mini-series. The Beats and Studio 54. ’80s modern and ’90s grunge.

Sometimes, in spite of their better judgment, friends choose to join us in the bar. One of our drinking buddies is frequent artist, occasional sax player and current German (formerly North Carolina) resident Kyle T. Webster.

Sometimes, in spite of their better judgment, friends choose to join us in the bar. One of our drinking buddies is artist, North Carolina resident and all-around nice guy Lenny Terenzi.

Sometimes, in spite of their better judgment, friends choose to join us in the bar. One of our drinking buddies is artist, autodidact and bon vivant in Seattle and beyond named Terry Marks.

We’re wrapping-up our second season with one last six pack of our best clips. Consider it our carryout special until we return with some Bar Snacks.

Today we’re back with a big stack of goodies from our second season. Consider it your Dagwood sandwich of audio deliciousness. Grab your knife and fork.

Today, we’re talking about the symbols found all over the one dollar bill—think pyramids with eyes—and the alphabet hobos used to communicate with their fellow travelers.

Today we explore two different examples of amazing title design for two shows on HBO, Carnivalé and Six Feet Under.

For our special Halloween episode we talk about the posters for B movies Tarantula and Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman plus the artist behind them both, Reynold Brown.

Today’s episode is loud, fast and very DIY. We jump in to talk about two of our favorite logos from two iconic bands, The Dead Kennedys and The Ramones.

In this episode we explain the circumstances that led up to two iconic images: Bigfoot walking across a dry creek bed and a group of American soldiers raising a flag halfway around the world from the United States.

Today we jump into a collection of front pages from The Onion entitled Our Dumb Century and then turn the page to highlight designer and author Chip Kidd’s incredible book Batman Collected.

Today we’re talking sports mascots. First we drop into Milwaukee to visit The Famous Racing Sausages and then swing by upstate New York to spend time with the Syracuse Orange.

Flags are one of the most well-known symbols for countries, cities and movements. Today we discuss a couple of our favorites from Switzerland and Panama.