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

Heard from some of the local car and biker guys that he got the rat fink idea from a death threat he(roth) recieved from a customer(biker) who he has swindled or didnt pay up or something like that. And in the letter the biker called roth a fink rat.
Heard this story around 99-2000

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Uh.... no.

To me, Roth was an artist, who just so happened to like cars. It may have been that a car was an easy way to make his art mobile and available to the m***es. I think, if Roth had been into planes, he would have made some crazy airplanes. He's an artist.

 

I got to meet Mr Roth at SEMA (and luckely got a chemtool poster signed by him) Very nice and wanted to spend time you everyone and talk to them. Then again at the Houston autorama where he was set up with a booth selling merch. I had my truck in the show so I was able to get into the show a little earlier than (gen pop) and I walked in from the parking lot with him to his booth and we talked....I told him how I was a fan of his work and I thought he was an ICON. And he told me "how tired he was and said dont give up on my dreams"

I only wish I had bought more of his merch and talked to him some more...But after he told me how tired he was I didnt want to bother him anymore.....

Sadly It was torward the end

Kyle

 

He was at a show in Alb. NM. Just before he p***ed, I was lucky enough to talk to him and get his book and t shirts signed. There some of my prized possessions !

 

Great memories of Ed , and his family as well as his shop on slauson in maywood. My dad at the time worked next door at harris repair shop and I went to school with his son Darrel. Rode in a few of his cars and spent many hours in his shop playing with rat fink stickers, which were seen all over my junior high school. Great memories of a great man , his talent , His creations and his family, Great to see he lives on here. ^5 to all ty for the great memories this web page has brought back to me. (oo that reminds me my JR high school teacher still has my Chrome German Helmet from roth) < eh that was 40 yrs ago doubt the teacher is still around: /
Take care ....

 

I'm not taking the bait on this one... LOL

 

Ed Roth got a death threat from Jesse James?

 

Love all things Von Dutch, and Big Daddy Roth. Growing up in the 60's and 70's, fell in love with them, and the cars because of it since a kid. I still have my 60's/70's era "Odd Rod" stickers you used to get with a stick of cardboard bubble gun.

 

Saw him around many times and driving up Katela in Orange. Used to yell at him if he could stop and sell me some stickers, Didnt have any on him. Gave me his address to come over and get some. . Went to his house a few times, bought stikers from him, looked at his stuff in his garage. Just a regular working man. lived in a small home.

This pic looks like up the road from Bob and Genes heading out Santiago Canyon from Chapman over the hill toward cooks corner/ Irvine lake

Saw Von Dutch at Betz speed and color a couple times. He wasnt famous then. He was just some guy I heard that painted those eyeballs. Didnt think twice about him. Didnt know who he was and it wasnt a big deal like all the stuff about him now

 

Not that far back...it would have come from a REAL biker. (you know, suicide clutch...jockey shift...KICK START...)

 

Little hobby shop on Washington Blvd in LA had a model car contest. I built an AMT 49 Ford as I remember and an AMT 40 Ford Coupe. Big Daddy Ed Roth showed up to judge the contest and my 49 Ford won first place and my coupe took 4th. I am 69 now and still have that memory. Was a big moment in my young life.

 

I just found this thread and would like to share some stories. As a young kid all of 8 years old I used to hang out at the shop that was located on Southern Lyn and Atlantic Blvd in South Gate. This was the home of Baron (Owner), Roth, Kelly and Slimbo. One day while I was hanging out and watching the painting going on I think it was Roth or Kelly said hay kid if you are just going to sit there and watch, why don't you help us by sanding between the tapes. I said yes and about a year was at the shop every Saturday all day long. This was 1955 or 56 and at that time Roth was already in the back room doing tee shirts and sweatshirts with the famous Rat Fink on them. I used to watch him spray painting those shirts as fast as he could and the amazing thing I noticed is that he would do them all different and they were all great with lots of colors. Roth and Slimbo were like what we called Beatniks at that time it was the in culture. Slimbo was into painting bikes and he would air brush the frames, tanks and fenders. Baron was Kelly's grandfather and owned the shop and were just artist and went about their work. Kelley would do the Scallops, Flames, Pinstripping and lettering. In those days most of the custom cars had names like Purple People Eater, Suzzy Q, My Blue Heaven and so on. I would also hear all the great stories from the nights before. I was given cart blanch to the coke machine and could have a coke anytime I wanted and this was payment for sanding the cars. Inside the coke machine there would always be a bottle of Vodka for Slimbo and whoever else wanted a drink although I never witnessed anyone drinking during the day. I do know that there were parties after hours and when Von Dutch would come by in the evening I would always hear the stories on Saturday. One time I was told that Von Dutch was there on a Friday evening and was told hay kid you should have been here, ole Dutch was here last night and he got on his motorcycle and did donuts in the street on Atlantic Blvd. for about 10 minutes before the cops came and he took off. Yea, Von Dutch would pop in and say hi but at that time I did not know who he was. I heard all the stories about him but to me he was just another guy that would come in and hang out. One other story is that, one day Kelly asked me to leave my bicycle there and he would take care of it for me. When I came back the next Saturday I was almost in tears they had taken it all apart and painted it a candy colored brown with lighter brown shaded highlights. Then Kelley pinstriped the whole bike and it was just like some of the custom cars they did. Slimbo and Roth had sprayed the bike while Kelley did the details. They all pitched in and did the bike and they told me this was a thank you for helping them with the cars. I have to say to this day it was the coolest bike I have ever seen and I wished I still had it. I could go on but there is not enough room on this post. They were all really cool guys and took care of me. Thank You