The part about the shorts, flip flops and tank top doesn't sound Ed either. When he came to Starbird's show in 1960 with the Outlaw, I was 16 and I helped him unload. I had come to the show setup with my custom model cars and a card table. He allowed me to display the models inside the ropes with the Outlaw. I watched him paint shirts and fetched him hot dogs all weekend long. I became inspired to paint shirts for my friends in school. The next year he came back to Kansas City with the Beatnik Bandit for Ray Farhner's show. This time, I had a t-shirt booth and was his "competition". But even at that, he spent some time showing me how to make my work better, by painting a shirt for me for free! As a result of that encounter, I had a rewarding career of painting shirts and never needed a job or a boss (just like Big Daddy).
I remember all the model cars and stickers, never got to meet the man though. One thing I will never forget was a few years back when I first met Fritz and he was doing the Druid Princess over. I was able to actually be up close on it while it was still in pieces and also watch as Fritz kinda freaked thinking the chromer lost some pieces! It was an honor to actually see something like that in person and also to meet Fritz! I thank him for turning me back on to what Big Daddy has done!
Ahhhh Quit it Nick yer gonna make me blush. I am glad I had the chance to meet You also! I could sit and chat ROTH & RAT FINK all day man! stay well, Stay Fink Fritz
When I worked at Bell Auto Parts back in the '60s, I got met Ed and hung around with Ed Fuller who worked for him, amyway, somewhere around 1971 or '72 I was driving back from Iowa to Maywood when I fell asleep at the wheel on Route 66 about 60 miles east of Albuquerque. I completely totalled my '56 Chevy but did manage to salvage some of my "stuff". I was staying with my brother there and as luck would have it, Ed Roth was at a car show the next week-end. So I went to the show and asked Ed if could take some of my stuff back in his trailer. Well, he was showing his VW trike and RODE it there and still had another show in Carlsbad before he went back home, BUT he did offer me a ride with him on the trike if I wanted to go! Unfortunately, I was WAAAAY to sore to even attempt it, and of course today, I really wish I could have! Ed was a GREAT guy! Wolf
I use to sign my name in elementary school, '67-'68, Cory "Big Daddy" Vaughn on my school work. The teacher finally put a end to it. She asked me who big daddy was, and I told her about the rat finks, cars with bubble tops and the t-shirts, I couldn't believe she didn't know what I was talking about. I was living in my own little world back then. When you are a kid , it seemed like I could see those t-shirt designs better in those ads, and thats all I would draw.
Big Daddy's recording career - I've been trying to get copies of these albums for my LP collection, but they can get pretty expensive.
How many of you folks remember these? These came from gumball machines during the early to mid 60s. I collected these like crazy. I have amassed a pretty good collection of originals now, thanks to eBay.
I hope I'm not too late to the party but I just found this post. Some great stories here. And the beautiful thing about the man's character is that everyone tells the same stories of generosity and integrity. My dad had a small ad business in Maywood around the corner from Roth Studios and placed the ads that Ed Newton and Robert Williams drew in the car books. I was like 9 and basically tagged along with my dad on summer days when he'd chat up Ed at his studio and when he was airbrushing shirts at the car shows in L.A. I remember one visit in particular when Ed was working on the "bike/truck." He was covered head to toe in white plaster dust and just free-handing the mess into a body shape. What struck me were the nice wheels and engine parts peeking out from all the globs and drips of plaster over a wood frame. He was super friendly to me but I was too shy to engage him so he gave me a "Wild Child" t-shirt. He gave my dad the original bike truck ink drawing by Ed Newton for a photostat and I stared at that drawing when we got home marveling at how Newton used black ink lines and small splotches of white paint to capture the look of chrome. What really blew my mind though was the stack of mail the girls in the other room were opening for T-shirt orders. Piles and piles of quarters everywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if the employees were paid in quarters back then. I never saw the bike/truck finished and don't think much of the blue paint job in the photos but because of that experience it is one of my favorite Roth cars. I don't know the story but for awhile in the mid-sixites he had a big sign out in front of his house: "FREE HOUSE." He was bigger than life in all areas of his life I suspect. Later when I got into advertising I hired Roth to draw a Yamaha V-Max. That's when I realized he didn't draw all those shirt designs in the sixties. Not dissin' him but it's just that it took me 30 years to realize his was a business of creativity, image and productivity. I could see how he got the best out of some very talented people. He was the definition of inspiration. And he deservedly got credit for everything that came out of his little shop in Maywood. At around 1992 he sent me this letter after I mailed a note to him reminding him of how we knew each other. He just turned my letter over and wrote on the back pimpin' me to use his upcoming L.A. Zoom in an Acura commercial. In case the words are small on the attachment it reads: "Thanks for the note. Built me a shop up here and finishing my Acura powered Hot Rod. Good to hear from you and nice to know that one of the Maywood Geeks made it in the world of SANITY. (signed) How Bout a commercial with the "L.A. Zoom" and me saying "If you gotta buy a stocker, get an Acura." I wish I made that commercial back then. Bo
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the guy standing next to ED is David Mann. Ed bought "Hollywood Run" for $85.00 from David, and then David did ten more paintings... Anyways, that's my guess.
Great stories. Somewhere, I have a photo of that same old house with "FREE HOUSE" spraycan-painted onto the siding with 12" letters. I took it the same day I shot (what's left of) this photo of his shop. The Outlaw was in the canvas-covered trailer and I had delivered it back to Ed after a two year show tour back east. The primer on the front fender of my Impala was the result of an traffic accident I had on the morning of November 22, 1963...at the exact moment of the JFK assasination.
have you ever had to explain to a civillian what a 'RAT FINK' is and had them just stare back having no idea what you were talking about and wondering why you would be interessted in such things? people have no idea. Big Daddy was the Michael Jordon of car culture.
Ha ha, you should have seen me trying to explain it to the dentist and his staff when he cemented the bridge I showed in my earlier post!
I first met him in the 60's , at a fair, he was air brushing T-shirts but I could'ent talk my par'ents into buying me a t-shirt. I remember my mom saying " why do you want a T-shirt with a rat on it ? " from then on I collected his stuff, I have alway loved his drawings and cars . later in life I was lucky enough to talk to him. He was at the Moon Eyes show bar-b-que-en and giving us free hamburgers. What a great man , and a hell of a nice guy. Now days , I always wear my top hat to car shows, as a tribute to him, so we won't forget him.
WOW, I can't believe all the great stuff in this post! The pics and stories are "FINKTASTIC" keep them coming I love 'em! FRITZ
Quote: <table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"> Originally Posted by roddinron IMO, if Ed Roth would have come along today, he'd probably be banned from the HAMB. But because of him, there are a lot of guys here doing some real "outside the box" things and being praised (as well they should be). Ed didn't want to do what had already been done, he did his own thing, and to me, that's the truest definition of the rod and custom "tradition". </td> </tr> </tbody></table> I laugh every time that I start reading ANOTHER "what is traditional?" thread with people asking for "permission" to do their cars & trucks a little differently than all of the others.
Found a link to a scan of the Ed "Big Daddy" Roth 1964 Monster Catalog. http://www.flickr.com/photos/coop666/sets/72157624598092362/
A thread worthy of a re-start. Found this just now while cleaning up. R&C "little pages," June, 1960.
The Jalopy Journal
