Found an old magazine once which showed his US Coast Guard and other services T-shirt designs. I wrote a note to him asking if these were still available and about 6 weeks later received a shirt in the mail without charge. Wow.
Early '90s, Roth was at a Mother's Day Rod Run put on by Pretzel City Rod & Custom Club (Reading, Pa). The club was going to auction off all this stuff Roth was striping on, so they could donate the proceeds to charity. I thought I'd slip out of church...sneak over there, and get him to sign a model box I have (Mysterion). I told him I snuck out of church, and he asked, "Did you at least get communion?" I told him Yeah, and he signed the box. We spoke briefly, I asked if he had any cars he was workin on. All he would say is,"one is comin', and it's wild!" A short time later Beatnick Bandit II showed up. I wish I could've stayed for the auction...a lot of neat stuff was sold. I had to get back to church, or I'd blow my cover.
You too?! I saw him in his top hat and thought that can't be Big Daddy? It was! He was very kind,talked at length about everything and listened too,signed my glove box door and I bought a t-shirt. Meeting your heroes can be a great high!
I first got to meet him in the 60´s , he was airbrushing t-shirts at the delmar fair in San Diego , In the late 90´s he used to bar-be-que at the Mooneyes Christmas partys and give us free hambergers, Bitch'in guy wish he was still around.
The Jalopy Journal
