Rat Fink: The Real Story Behind That Weird Hot Rod Art

Rat Fink: The Real Story Behind That Weird Hot Rod Art - Past Gas

Рет қаралды 32,993

Жыл бұрын

Rat Fink was artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s biggest envelope-pushing creation that drove teenagers to car shows and parents up the wall. But how did a young man with no automotive engineer training, who almost flunked out of high school, make such an impact on American car design? How did he stand out in Southern California during the height of kustom kar madness? And what type of legacy can a few crude creatures really leave behind? Today on Past Gas, the gnarly life and creations of hot rod iconoclast Ed “Big Daddy” Roth.
Thank you Innova for sponsoring Past Gas! Use code 15PASTGAS at check out to get 15% off the 5610 using amz.run/6lj9
Thank you, Valvoline. Valvoline is the EXCLUSIVE motor oil of Donut! Get Valvoline for your car today!
Thanks to Turo for sponsoring Past Gas! Forget boring rental cars and find your drive at Turo.com. Every trip is backed by liability
insurance. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.
Finally, this podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Find more balance, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/PASTGAS today to get 10% off your first month.
Thumbnail credit: Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
Image credit:
Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange www.pickpik.com/woman-kids-gr...
Ed Roth’s “Orbitron” by Jerry Thompson
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Ed Roth’s “Rotar” by Sicnag
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Ed Roth’s “Mysterion” by Sicnag
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Ed Roth’s “Road Agent” by Andre Thompson
i.pinimg.com/originals/5a/2e/...
Ed Roth’s “Surfite” by Bill Abbott
www.flickr.com/photos/wbaiv/3...
►LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE!
bit.ly/PastGas
Donut Media brings you some of the craziest stories from all of automotive history in their new podcast "Past Gas!". Hosts James Pumphrey and Nolan Sykes walk you through incredible stories behind your favorite cars and manufacturers, like underground Japanese racing clubs, bitter racing rivalries and how some of your favorite classic cars came to be. Remember, it's about cars, not about farts.
►Check out more Donut Media Videos: • Evolution of the Porsc... .
►Subscribe here: bit.ly/1JQ3qvO
►Want a Donut shirt or sticker? www.donut.media/
►Like us on Facebook: / donutmedia
Donut Media is at the center of digital media for the next generation of automotive and motorsports enthusiasts. We are drivers, drifters, and car enthusiasts who love to tell stories.

Пікірлер: 96

@matthewboudreaux2693 Жыл бұрын

Thank you all show much for bringing back the videos.

@spigetts Жыл бұрын

Rat fink never went away. It just went underground. Glad it never got trendy.Old school surfer rockabillys introduced it to me in the 80s. Love you Ed Roth and Fam❤

@MrOkieChef Жыл бұрын

As a 10 year old in SoCal in the 60's I bugged the shit out of my dad until he drove me to Bellflower to get a Rat Fink t-shirt from Ed's shop.

@ChaseTheHonda Жыл бұрын

A lot of history missed here but it’s hard to cover the guy and the movement he created if you only pull news stories. He had a HUGE influence on car customization and we wouldn’t be modifying cars now if it weren’t for people like him and Dean moon in the early years. Overall I’m happy I listened to it, you should should do Moon next and tour the shop. Would love more hot rod culture on this page. Also he started selling ww1 helmets with the spikes before the whole SS thing happened. Anything to be different and rebellious

@jjojo8365 Жыл бұрын

I'm so glad yal talk about Rat fink! I grew up with his art so this is awesome 💖

@Herrendez Жыл бұрын

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth found inspiration from one of my favorite illustrators from back in the day, Basil Wolverton. That dude has some CRAZY art! Great podcast fellers! I now have something to listen to that I enjoy.

@SilverbackOrangutan71 Жыл бұрын

My family went to school with him.. my dad hates his guts - ie my dad could never beat Ed in a race. He was one of the greatest out of the Dow river area… and we had tom seleck just down the street

@brixhodl4765 Жыл бұрын

Long time lurker who enjoys the video podcast. Thank You!

@TheAquabears Жыл бұрын

I'm surprised that you guys didn't go into the long strange life of the Orbitron. If you haven't looked into it, look into. It's a trip what happened to that car.

@matsinkal 11 ай бұрын

The podcasts are back to being awesome. Thanks guys.

@teslahodson3387 Жыл бұрын

Last year at a car show I had the opportunity to show Ed's son my Roth monster inspired tattoo.

@invaderbrynn 4 ай бұрын

I grew up in the custom car world in Utah late 90s, early 2000s. Rat Fink was such a staple. I had no idea he eventually converted and moved to Manti - I wonder if that's part of why his work was still so pervasive at the shows I went to. Wish I would've known before I left so I could have attended one!

@user-qi7tu2pg3x Жыл бұрын

I had saved the Roth Honda at galapin from sitting in a yard for $500 as a 20 year old and ended up selling it because it was hard to store and keep safe. I did really well on my return sold it out to Ohio from nor cal was happy see it hit the collection. I had tried donating to reno and Peterson but at the time no one had interest.

@billyccall5774 Жыл бұрын

Rat Fink is basically a pre internet meme

@speedracer2please Жыл бұрын

The hardest I've laughed in a while, you guys are on a role! And still learned something new.

@obeseperson 7 ай бұрын

I feel like Rat Fink when I’m speeding towards the dollar store

@Scott-S- Жыл бұрын

Extremely happy the videos are back!

@texholmes3 Жыл бұрын

So glad yall back on video

@angriinomad3527 Жыл бұрын

Man this really brought back some memories. Also made Metal Mulisha pop up into my mind. I wonder if there is any cool automotive history with them

@carpartsduckfarts2089 Жыл бұрын

Yes!!! So happy to have your beautiful faces back again!!

@lifeisafrs Жыл бұрын

Awesome, good to see you dudes 🤌🏻

@michaelwieber1857 Жыл бұрын

I was literally thinking about Ratfink while listening to your podcast the other day. Cant remember which one since Ive been binging them. But its so weird you decided to do this as a subject this week.

@jdmartinez2006 Жыл бұрын

Finally caught up with all the podcast!!! Keep up the great work and thank you for the company during work.

@taquito1561 Жыл бұрын

I gave up on keeping up a while ago lol, now I just listen to the recent ones or whichever Spotify/KZfaq recommends 🗿

@s.o.s.exploration2412 Жыл бұрын

My father was no artist but he taught me how to draw a rat fink! I plan to pass that onto my daughter.

@nwerd7584 8 ай бұрын

His style is the whole basis of Rob Zombies art, he just took it and exposed many more young people to it at the time that probably never would have been.. but he also pushed it further

@scotscottscottt Жыл бұрын

Pumped.

@Uzidoesitson Жыл бұрын

Much much better. I’m now back as a full subscriber. Even with alerts! Thanks gents!

@anthonyramirez1408 Жыл бұрын

I know big daddy Roths kids. One of them was my boss in a auto parts store in the city of Bell CA called Western Auto before they closed it down.😂😂😂

@FoxMacLeod2501 Жыл бұрын

Finally; THANK YOU! I really wondered if anyone was listening there, for a good while.

@xLordJeevesx Жыл бұрын

40:45 to 41:20 is so magical lol

@Yeetmasterji Жыл бұрын

Love you guys

@murphmanmatt11 Жыл бұрын

super cool subject and im pumped u guys got video back, are u gonna put video on spotify too?

@jakehauber Жыл бұрын

Bbq tip for you guys: put your meat on a wire rack in the fridge overnight to dry away the surface moisture for a much better crust

@badad0166 Жыл бұрын

I've always heard it as "Rev-elle" as opposed to Rebel with a v. Steve Allen died in an L.A. car crash at 80 years of age. He was the O.G. host of The Tonight Show. Jack Parr did the show for a few years and then Johnny Carson moved in and never left. Letterman got a lot of his stunt "bits" from Steve Allen's origin (Alka Selter suit, Velcro wall type stuff).

@1sleet460 Жыл бұрын

Yes face cam is back

@Mazalgn9 Жыл бұрын

I love you guy’s!

@Gunny426HemiPlymouth Жыл бұрын

This was awesome. Crazy that VW trikes didn't come in until 67 or so.

@0o0ification Жыл бұрын

I believe a lot of the examples from this episode are at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, NV. Might be worth a content road-trip ^^

@iaganfoss Ай бұрын

I saw a rat fink reference in spongebob and had to look up where it originated from 😂

@williamhelms9942 Жыл бұрын

Way To Go, guys! There's another Joe Weber, the host of 2Vintage KZfaq channel.

@Nick_CF 11 ай бұрын

My friend and old room mate Cathy is a licnesed Rat Fink artist and pin striping artist. It is incredible to watch it being done. Sucks she moved.

@jamessizemore7103 Жыл бұрын

My uncle had a shirt like the one in the thumbnail and I thought it was so cool

@skullofironhold Жыл бұрын

41:14 Rob himself is probably watching this and laughing lol

@NekoWinters Жыл бұрын

Big Daddy Roth is considered one of the furry elders, he literally in an interview stated that he saw rat fink as a visual form of himself, he hated Mickey Mouse and didn't feel it was real, so his character was a rat, grimey and greasey and little crazy but always having fun. So we point to Roth as a reason there's a strange but wonderful crossover between car/motorcycle people and the furry community (the third part of the trinity is the military and law enforcement community) there's a sweetspot between various groups and gosh damn are those people extra awesome!!! 🤘

@taquito1561 Жыл бұрын

damn, I hadn't looked at it that way, and you're not wrong!

@boofingenthusiast Жыл бұрын

Furries don’t deserve oxygen

@NekoWinters Жыл бұрын

@taquito1561 no joke I came back to this podcast on a return trip from Anthrocon (one of the two largest furry cons in the world constantly upping the record) and there was a carshow, and you name it, it was there, from getting to drive a gamer friends Dino to sitting in a DeLorean and Pantera, it was awesome... Sadly I only witnessed 1 buff horse D: (but as he was a powerlifter we got a photo of him lifting me over his head while standing in his early ford model T :P The joke being his car only has one horse power but its alot)

@Imsadude28 11 ай бұрын

I go to the high school where he graduated from They honor him in the indoor cafeteria

@jasonwhitwam197 Жыл бұрын

KEEP the I Think You Should Leave references coming!

@christianmotivates Жыл бұрын

I ❤ donut

@hi_tech_reptiles Жыл бұрын

James is starting to look like a cross between John Cleese and a little Trip Taylor. Just an observation. Keep killin it boyz.

@erichdowns4604 Жыл бұрын

that song is on the beavis and butthead do america soundtrack

@jasonsylvestre Жыл бұрын

Cartoons magazine is still around, Rat Fink appears inside from time to time.

@skkrrtskrrt1470 Жыл бұрын

There is a bar stool called The Rat Fink in Ocean City you heard it a bar stool with a motor two-stroke design for a bar race in the past front window on the Boardwalk Ocean City Maryland the artist rat fink

@Does_it_come_in_black Жыл бұрын

Fast Pas!

@nickfoudos410 Жыл бұрын

0:58 the gas jets are clogged on there you gotta take er apart and clean er bud

@illmannered1 Жыл бұрын

My stepdad just got given a free Blackstone. I'm jealous af..

@SuburbanBeard Жыл бұрын

finally!!!!

@Magic-Conk Жыл бұрын

Video is back? Okay, you have another weekly viewer. Thanks guys!

@mattmatthews5414 Жыл бұрын

Heaowll yeah!

@marshallroots4504 Ай бұрын

The cover art in the video is from white zombie if you didnt know

@professorginz2379 Жыл бұрын

Rat Fink actually came from Mickey Mouse. Ed was showing his niece, I think, how to cartoon. He was showing her how a character could be distorted, when he used Mickey Mouse as an example. The result was Rat Fink. The rest is history.

@Yeetmasterji Жыл бұрын

Past gas is coated though

@deeno9804 6 ай бұрын

RIDING IN FRANKENSTEINS CADILLAC

@Raceboy77 Жыл бұрын

Do one on Zakspeed!

@Eric.Clarke Жыл бұрын

What's the name of the beef Jerky at the beginning of the video

@christianmotivates Жыл бұрын

finallyyyyyyy

@Paiitt Жыл бұрын

Mr first time seeing this art style was from that Tony Hawk American Wasteland game

@stevebutters306 Жыл бұрын

Got enough sponsors yet

@mikesharptattoo 5 ай бұрын

What about Rk SLoane?

@turbhoeheflin1168 Жыл бұрын

Can you guys do something on cooper tires? Please!! They have a firestone thing going on which is gonna probably kill people. My wife that is a Pepboys manager is trying to fix cooper issues but they (cooper) won’t answer calls from actual dealers! They are trying to blame issues on customers while knowing they have issues now!!!

@inappropriatevideos1353 Жыл бұрын

I need to know the name of the tiktocker james talks about at the begining

@cobrien151 4 ай бұрын

I'm a Dracula, I love my Frankenstein wife

@masonmorrow9300 Жыл бұрын

🎉🎉🎉🎉

@djd34d14 Жыл бұрын

Disappointed the misfits song wasn't listed among the accolades in "modern" pop culture

@speedracer2please Жыл бұрын

I was thinking the same lol literally the only time I've heard the term before. I do recognize the the design itself now that they show it, though

@djd34d14 Жыл бұрын

@@speedracer2please i was lucky enough to grow up knowing rat fink and general hot rod culture but for the longest time I thought Danzig spelled it with two T's so I wasn't sure it was the same one 😅

@Californiansurfer Жыл бұрын

2014 to 2018. I worked in Jeffersonvill Indiana. I remember arriving and taxi drivers ignored me, I meet black guy, he said, your a Blackman out here. I didnt’ understand. Then, I arrived at my work site. it was raining Outside which I knocked on door, people saw me outside, they ignored me. Well, it was six hours later, the owner arrived, he asked why you outside. They wont open the door.. damn, he gave them a lecture. I didnt know racism still exist. You had black and white co workers . I meet Boe, he was Hawaii guy. I asked how did you end up here? There was no work in Hawaii. The black man took me in, he worked with black workers. Blacks take in Mexicanos, Chinese or what ever. Well, Car culture is big, they knew more about California . I attended Ratfink show, I said, I am from California. they told me abut Moonies in Norwalk California and Shelby. I never knew. ❤❤❤. The sad thing of Indiana is that they created eugenics , eugenics was used by adolf hitler for final solution. Adolf hitler learned from white Americans when they genocide the American Indians Downey California ❤❤

@Rogue0257 Жыл бұрын

That's not a duck. It's a loon.

@jamesbashaw5831 Жыл бұрын

Leave it to Joe to bring wet beef jerky.

@LemmyKBrinkwood 5 ай бұрын

funny enough, fred durst would actually work as a german name. durst means thirst. thirsty fred. do with that what you will

@NicholasThomas-gy4jr Ай бұрын

R.F. is a copy of Stanley Mouse's Monsters kinda. Roth went to a Monster Artist named Monte and had him design the famous Rat Character and lied to everyone that he created it. Monte went into a deep Depression when he saw how popular his Monster Design became after Roth promoted it. Roth was not a nice Guy and the Hell's Angels destroyed his small Shop after he refused to give them some Money for featuring them in his Chopper's Magazine. Big Daddy was a Copy Catter and he got branded for it. Notice he profusely said-I can't draw anything he wasn't lying about that.