subject: Ed Big Daddy Roth Turned Hot Rodding Upside Down [print this page] The world of hot rods may never have become as popular had it not been for Ed Big Daddy Roth. Ed Roth was not only a mechanical genius he is also revered for being the artistic creator of 'Rat Fink' a cartoon icon that became the beloved mascot of the hot rod culture during the 60s. For Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth those caricatures he created were not only imaginative they were just as unique and outrageous as those over-sized hot rods that he constructed from the ground up.
Roth also created a number of other 'over the top' cartoon characters but it may be 'Rat Fink' that is the most well known. Ed Roth was not only a brilliant artist and cartoonist he was also a hot rod enthusiast who built and customized cars.
Even though Roth was not the innovator who created 'Monster Hot Rods' as an art form he was directly responsible for helping boost the popularity of hot rods and the hot rod culture.
Surprisingly Ed Big Daddy Roth is recognized more for his cartoon drawings than he is for his innovative genius at constructing cars. Yet he was one of the innovative geniuses who truly took 'hot rodding' to the next level.
To him the visual appeal and bodywork of a hot rod was just as important as the performance of the cars and their overall engine design. Roth was also one of the first hot rod enthusiasts to create new types of fiberglass bodywork for these powerful racing machines.
Without Roth's expertise and innovations the hot rod could well have remained backyard projects for 'shade-tree mechanics'. It was all about achieving a delicate balance in the mind of Ed Roth, and the balance was between fearsome engine power and grand body design.
Many baby boomers are aware of the Roth influence. They may well remember all of those model car kits that were sold during the 60s with emblems of Rat Fink and other Roth inspired characters. There were even some Rat Fink comic books that eventually hit the market for a short period of time.
Ed Roth remained a hero of the counterculture art movement for most of his life. He was equally revered by the fans and engineering experts that populate the world of hot-rods. His Kustom Kulture racing machines have commanded top dollar for many years.
The cartoon character known as Rat Fink was just one of Roth's many contributions to the hot-rod world. It is said that Ed Big Daddy Roth despised the popular Mickey Mouse icon and this Walt Disney character inspired him to create his own unique 'monster' version of Mickey.
During the 50s and 60s this counter-culture, cartoon rat became a symbol of both Kustom Kulture cars and the world of hot rods. Rat Fink, with his bloodshot, oversized eyes, yellow teeth and red shirt was soon adorning hot rods all across the nation.
Rat Fink and Ed Roth remained popular over the years but they both enjoyed a resurgence of popularity during the 1980s and 1990s, particularly on the East Coast.
