O/T...Who wants to tell me about Ed Roth?

Thanks Franco! Great story,by the way.
While I'm certainly no writer, I find myself in a strange position of being asked not only to come up with a book on our art,but also similar themes that we feel would interest the same audience....These book ideas are crossing over and overlapping each other,so it will be interesting to see what kind of projects get printed...

 

Very cool stories. Glad to see you're gonna do a book Johnny...I don't think most of us can get enough of BDR!

 

bttt

 

See? Told you my memory was failing... so sad - the first sign of aging...

At least I got the characters and the punch line correct. heh.

Becca



[ QUOTE ]


I found a foto of Ed and Ken.
Ed and Kenny we're paintin' Toilet Seats up at Hot August Nights when this happened. I guess Ed's noise wouldn't stop
dripin' so he stuck a rag in his mouth to stop the water works.

Good luck with the book sounds like a great idea.

Moldy

[/ QUOTE ]

 

Man....there's so much I would like to post here about Ed and share,but I don't know where to start....I think it's better to enjoy what you guys are coming up with...
Another word about Franco's post: VF got to enjoy actually working with Ed on the road,where it can get pretty funny at times...Ed could get grumpy,and downright cantankerous at times and one minute he was joking and the next he was giving ya that look that says "Don't try to upstage me,hear?" He also couldn't smell...so combine that with his food habits and I think it's something ya won't ever forget!

 

Great stories! Can't wait for the Book Johnny! I first met Ed back in 97 at The Reunion at Mooneyes. Showed him a Rat Fink pez Dispenser I had made, He said "Where'd Ya get that thing?" I Said "I Made it." He grunted and grabbed the Frightning Lightning Mysterion I was holding in the other hand, signed it and walked away. Last time I saw Ed was Mooneyes 2000, Before the cops shut it down. I had been messin around with some clear resin and made a Rat Fink head that looked like it was made of Ice. Showed it to Roth, he smiled and put it in his pocket. Does this mean he liked it? Couple weeks before we lost him I emailed him a picture of a Fink Toilet Seat I had painted, he replied "Very Good," and told me to always put his name and tm on anything Fink related I did. It was nice to get some approval from someone I had always admired. I've been a big Fan of all things Monster since a kid and loved the bulging eyes flies and slobber, spent most of my time in school scribblin monsters. I was lookin forward to seein Ed later that year at Moldy's Fink gathering. Didn't happen , I was there, he wasn't and it wasn't the same without him. Johnny please add some of your stories! We're waiting.......

 

Johnny,
I never met the man, my loss I am sure, but did I know him? Hell yes I did. Just like every kid who bought car mags in the 60's or 70's or 80's. Been a fan since Tweedy Pie, still think it is one of the best Ts ever built. I use to draw monster shirts at 4-H camp for the other kids with permanent markers. Did I mention I am 54 years old. Which brings me to my little story. I ran into an old aquaintence of mine about three years ago. After the ussual chit chat of catching up about the last twenty years the guy says. "Hey, you remember that shirt you drew for me at 4-H camp, Well I still got it! Don't fit anymore though." lol
One of my heros for sure.
George

 

Johnny IM,in a big hurry or I be late for work, so I dont have time to read all the replies to this post,but Im sure there will be many.I wanted to put in my 2 cents because of the affect this man had on everyone.This is what happened to to me.It was about 12 years ago and me and my son ,who must have been about ten at the time,were at a show somewhere and we were wandering around,a dad trying to keep his sons attention, and the son was not the least bit interested in what was happening at this scene.I looked over at a large group of people and wondered what was the big hoopla.After getting a bit closer, my heart started to beat at a fast rate--it was ED ROTH! Read about this guy and his creations all my life never dreamed I might one day see him.My son said whos that guy?I only new one way to explain it to him, in words he would understand.I said I guess you would say hes, the Michael Jordon of the car world.My sons eyes got about twice thier normal size and he said can we meet him? Of course sudden panic hit me, and I told him he was probably far to busy and important to talk to us.And just about that time Ed said ,hey let that little guy through,and lets see what hes got to say.I couldnt believe it, he sat my son down in a chair next to him and treated him like royality.First he asked him what he was interested in and what his plans were for his life.Then he took some of his comic books and art he was selling and said,this is what I do.And preceded to autograph his work and gave them to my son.Ill never forget that look my son had that day.Guess what my son frammed the art work and to this day still has it all,also he has attended college and has turned into a decent artist,its his favorite thing to do! And finally after I had given up all hope of him being interested in cars,hes starting to become a gearhead.All I can say about Ed, is that he was a much bigger person than even he will ever know,he was like the salt of the earth to us,kind,down to earth and common as hell.Traits that usually dont go with people who have the talents of a man like him.He is a man who deserves a big place in hot rod history,hopefully he will get it,I know with us ,he already did 12 years ago.Gotta go or I will be fired.Thanks again Ed-- we miss ya!

 

.......did I mention my newest tattoo of the Johnny Ace artwork of my concept of Ed's favorite son "Finky??"

 

Ha ha ! thanks SK8...I'm gonna borrow that image from ya to use for one of the Christmas posters...I'm short on time as usual....

 

Yeah, Chad, I think he liked it.

BIG HUG to you and your gurl......... hope she's doing ok and you too..

Becca

[ QUOTE ]
. I had been messin around with some clear resin and made a Rat Fink head that looked like it was made of Ice. Showed it to Roth, he smiled and put it in his pocket. Does this mean he liked it? .......

[/ QUOTE ]

 

I never had the pleasure of meeting Ed Roth, but my good friends dad 'Mad Mike' who is a pin striper used to hang with him 'back in the day'. Here is a very cool pic taken in the mid-'60s of my friend Guy with Big Daddy holding him.

geocities.com/racedagto/roth_.jpg

(You'll have to paste this in your browser to see it.)

Rest in peace Ed.

----- Bart -----

 

That is a very cool pic, Big Daddy had the LOOK didnt he!

 

Man...that shot is CLASSIC! I'm thinkin' I want to make this "recollections" project into a full-scale call to any and everyone who Ed meant something to....It should be separate from the project on the history of Monster Art and the true origin of the RF image....something to put next to Franco's book!
But HAMB material should be the main focus,and I do not intend to profit from this....I just wanna see it exist in book form...

 

[ QUOTE ]
Ha ha ! thanks SK8...I'm gonna borrow that image from ya to use for one of the Christmas posters...I'm short on time as usual....

[/ QUOTE ]

YOU brought him to "life" Ace Man! By the way, "Unkl Ian" and some of the coolest guys around laid some stripes on "Finky's" longboard at Sulpy's Panel Jam a couple weekends ago. It is AWESOME! I will try to get a few shots of it posted soon. Things have been pretty hectic around here too......XOXOXO

 

Hey Man..."Parts is Parts"tm..!
I know there are more stories out there.....Please share 'em?
Nads....Mr. Gasser?......McPhail?....RF?

 

Had to post DragginGTO`s pic up for everyone to see.

 

Sorry to say my only Roth story is a*****ty one. We were at the autorama (same one as Donzie earlier on this post), my dad and I. Walked by him, and he was in that t shirt and his top hat. Were gonna wait to get autographs, but the line was kinda long and I had a real bad hangover, so I said "f### it, we'll catch him next year, hes ALWAYS here." Unfortunately, I was wrong.

That*****s.

Jason

 

Keep the stories comin please. Here's a great find I picked up at a Swap meet a few months back. I remember seein this image on a sweatshirt Von Franco did, in one of the videos? Can't remember but I saw it somewhere.

 

Might as well jump in. I meet Roth in 1988 if my memory is correct. I was finishing up my college career when a friend told me he was hosting a Rat Fink Reunion at his shop so be sure to stop by and meet Big Daddy Roth. I had only been laying lines and lettering a few months and was much better on the drawing table than I was pulling long lines and tight turns but thought what the heck, go and meet the man.

I show up to hang out for a while and talk to Ed a bit, watch him do some lettering on a few things just having a good time. Everybody was laying paint down on drums that would be auctioned off latter that day. I walk up to see what Ed was putting on the can, don't remember what it was but when he was done he turns to me, hands me his brush and some paint and says something along the lines of don't just stand there watching me, put something of yours up there.

So I'm thinking what do I do now, Big Daddy Roth just handed me his brush and said get to work. OK, I'll do some scroll work I had been working on so what do I do, screw up the first line. Quick, what do I do now, I didn't want to wipe it off so I remembered something I was told a long time ago. Take advantage of your mistakes. So I look at it a minute decide I can turn this screwed up line into a comic of a man holding out the brush or waving hi, can't remember exactly. Roth had slipped off while I finished and gave me a memory I will always remember. I meet him a couple more time but I never bothered him when he had a brush in his hand, I thought he might put me on the spot again.

 

Here's a picture of me and Ed and my little girl Sophia taken in '97 or '98, can't remember.
It was at the Later Gator show put on by KKOA.
He worked his**** off but gave me a few seconds for this shot. I can't say I knew him, but I loved him nevertheless.
He was like no other, he can never be repaced.
I still have my Rat Fink Club membership certificate.

 

Just out of interest dig this bootleg Rat Fink decal by Impko. A friend gave me this years ago saying, "You like that monster*****."

 

Great posts,Nads....priceless foto! That is one memory your daughter will treasure ....My daughter met Ed at Merky Melvin's 1st party, and she will always have that.

 

Like lots of you guys, I only met Ed at car shows. At a show in the mid '90s he drew an 11x17 RF poster for me. I lost it when I got divorced..

But I didn't lose the one I really liked. The year after he drew the poster I caught up with him again after he had set up his booth before the show started he was walking around looking at everyone else setup. While I was helping a pal set up his display I saw Ed and took a break. I mentioned that I cherished the poster that I got from him but that I collected artists' self portraits. He said come by the booth after the day was over. I dropped by and he had already packed up. He said he wanted to do something for me and whipped a portrait out on a napkin right in front of me. Looks like an 8 year old drew it, but that sharpie art on a napkin is one of my favorite pieces.

 

The other time I met Ed was the year before he died at VLV when I drove my '54 Chevy out there. The greatest road trip of my life.
I met some great Aussie dudes and I mentioned that I dug English Fords in the ID line. The cool cats GAVE me an issue of Australian Custom Rodder from '68 with an Ed Roth ad in it. I took it over to Ed's booth and he signed the ad for me.
I'm not one for hero worship or anything like that, but Ed was a genuine hero in my book. he loved children, he was spiritual, he was the man. His product gave several generations of rat Finks much pleasure.
Little did I know that in a few short months he would be gone. I can still feel the loss today as I type this.

I thought he'd live forever.

 

The "autograph" Ed did for my son...

 

And the letter he wrote after we sent him a thank you...

 

The first time I met Big Daddy was back in the eighties
at Peach days in Brigham City Utah. My best friend Leon
Howerton ( who is no longer with us ) grabbed me by the arm and drug me down to where Ed was. I had a tee shirt on that said lost in the fifties. Ed looked at the shirt and then
did this. He said I musta been born ten years to early.
I talked to him several times after that but that first
time will be with me forever.
Thanks Ed, Rest in peace.

 

Just my opinion, Who needs to write a book about Ed.
Just copy this thread. It tells everything I ever knew or heard about "Big Daddy Ed Roth"
What better tribute than the words of those who you spend time with in life.
Here is a tee he signed for me, Gary Mizer drew it but Ed signed it and we talked about his life in Manti.
I have memories a lot of folks don't.

 

Keith, thanks for the posts...as far as "why write a book" with these memories,it is one of the things I feel the need to do....You are right, the things written here are typical of the Man,and I want them preserved.....
.... my goal is keep the positive things handy for those who may not have known him....and to continue to share with everyone the gift he gave me.
Thanks again to all you guys,
Johnny Ace