

A number of punk and alternative bands have used Roth's images on LP's and CD's such as: Birthday Party "An Australian Band" with Junk Yard cover 1981 and current releases by the Voodoo Glow Skulls Cover Artist "Marco Almera". Originally they were adopted by surf musicians and today the gang can be found everywhere. Rat Fink and the gang driving their hot rods have become rock-art icons. The general message intended was that being different or weird was o.k. The songs featured on these records told descriptive stories about the gang and their favorite pastimes like hot rodding and surfing. Gasser (featuring Ed Roth) and the Weirdos. There were also several record albums produced. They soon became heroes to young kids across the nation who could relate to the stories and themes of the gang. The Gang included: Rat Fink, Drag Nut, Mother's Worry and Mr. Ed brought in $ 32,000 that year in royalties, now figure out the math, that's how popular Ed's creations were. Here is a very interesting Note: During 1963 Revell paid Ed a one cent royalty for each model sold. Other model kits included "Rat Fink" and the gang a group of hot rodding monsters. Revell American produced model car kits that featured the "Beatnik Bandit" and " Road Agent". Ed had to hire several employees to help him build and produce more custom car and t-shirts.

When Ed got so busy that his garage couldn't handle the work, he moved his operation into a new shop in Lakewood, California. By 1963, teenagers across America were buying Rat Fink model kits and mass-produced Rat Fink T-shirts. "Big Daddy" was a genius at designing cars but it was Rat Fink that brought him fame. Rat Fink started as a drawing that Ed had put on his refrigerator. But when he personally airbrushed t-shirts with the monsters driving the cars, people went crazy and would line up at his booth.Įd signing autographs Route 66 San Bernardino, CA September "99"Įd's most popular monster was Rat Fink.

Ed would draw cartoons of monsters that he created and pictures of cars. Presto! His garage became his studio where other creations came into light which include the "Beatnik Bandit" and "Rotar".Įd became Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, a hot-roddin' gear head, mad scientist and struggling artist who financed his inventions by selling drawings and t-shirts at drag events, fairs and car shows. All you really needed was imagination, some motor head know-how, a lot of elbow grease and gumption. Ed's first car was called the "Little Jewel" and then shortly after that came the "Outlaw", which showed the world that anyone could design and build a car without being some kind of certified automotive engineer. Using junkyard parts and a newly developed product called fiberglass, Ed created automobiles in his garage.
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In 1958 Ed went to work full time with "The Baron" and his grandson Kelly. Ed began working at Sears in the Display Department and started pin striping cars after work.Īs his family grew so did the bills. Ed was honorably discharged in 1955.īy that time he owned several vehicles, he was married and had 5 children, all boys. He was stationed in Africa for awhile and then transferred to South Carolina for 4 years before coming home.
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Ed did pretty good in college but got bored with his engineering and physics classes cuz they just didn't have anything to do with cars.Įd joined the Air Force in 1951 and went to bombsight school in Denver where he learned how to make maps. He graduated high school in 1949, and went on to college majoring in engineering so he could advance his knowledge in automotive design. Ed's dad was a German cabinet maker and it was in the workshop where Ed learned how to build crazy stuff out of wood.Įd purchased his first car in 1946 shortly after WW II ended. His father Henry was very strict with the brothers and kept the two out of trouble by supplying them with tools and a workshop. Ed was able to do his homework and keep up with the rest of the class while he drew pictures of airplanes, hot rods and monsters. In school Ed learned to speak English and he liked to draw. He grew up in a German speaking household with a younger brother, Gordon. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth was born in Beverly Hills on March 4, 1932.
