CARTOON RAT FINK CARS MOVIE
CARTOON RAT FINK CARS SERIES

Roth developed Rat Fink in the ‘50s as the underground culture’s response to Mickey Mouse. Here are just a few examples.“His stuff was all outrageous,” said Dick Messer at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, where the Outlaw car now resides. Rat Fink will forever be a symbol of alternative culture, and as long as we remember the man behind the rascally rodent, that is enough.Įd Roth's artwork goes onto inspire even Lethal Threat's T-shirt designs, decals and much more. Around the country, new Rat Fink reunions are starting to pop up for those who are passionate about his work. Even though Ed Roth will never be touted in magazines like Andy Warhol, his artistic contributions helped people in the hotrod lifestyle carve out a niche. Hosted by his wife in the final city he lived in, it is the perfect way for those who still appreciate his incredible art to pay their respects. Long after his death in 2001, Roth’s accomplishments are still celebrated in the form of the Rat Fink Reunion, held annually in Manti, Utah. Just a side note: if you haven’t listened to Junkyard before, do yourself a favor and go do it! As soon as you’ve finished reading our blog, of course. The most notable artwork of Roth’s post Rat Fink was the album cover for Junkyard, The Birthday Party’s seminal post-punk record in 1982. Each one was unique, but retained Roth’s love of absurdity (and flaming exhaust pipes).

CARTOON RAT FINK CARS SERIES

Rat Fink would be one in a series of unmistakable caricatures from Roth through the 60’s, including Drag Nut and Mr. Soon enough, you couldn’t be a part of Kustom Kulture without seeing the backstabbing varmint on t-shirts, keychains, decals, and so much more. The design immediately caught on, and exploded.

Roth debuted Rat Fink with an ad in a car magazine in 1963, but that would only be the beginning. No matter how feral Rat Fink’s design appears, the satirical edge of Roth’s intent is always there to serve as a self-reflexive wink, creating a sense of solace for the counterculture without ever pandering to a wider market. He is usually drawn behind the wheel of either a car or motorcycle with the engine roaring, and even when he isn’t, you can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s up to some kind of mischief. While echoes of Mickey can still be seen in the ears and nose, this still comes across clearly as a new beast. Usually colored green or gray, the rat is known for having a dramatically exaggerated body shape to capture his depravity including a twisted smile, eyes bulging out of their sockets, and rows of sharp, crooked teeth. Rat Fink embodies everything that makes Roth’s style so simultaneously kooky and clever.

As a response to Mickey Mouse’s chipper demeanor, Rat Fink - the inverse of everything cutesy, sanitized, and family friendly - was born. Seeing that poverty and suffering in the world were largely ignored by consumer culture, Ed Roth felt the same way. If this sappy, utopian portrait of life makes you want to barf, don’t worry.

CARTOON RAT FINK CARS MOVIE

Life in a Disney movie is cheery, carefree, and upbeat, with any problem being easily solvable in the length of a motion picture. The expansive pop culture effect of Walt Disney’s films was his primary inspiration. We’ll break it all down for you right here.Īfter selling airbrushed t-shirts for a few years at the end of the 1950s, Roth would come up with the idea for Rat Fink. If you don’t know the history of one of Kustom Kulture’s most underappreciated figures, just keep on reading. You’ve more than likely seen shirts and patches indebted to Roth’s signature style, or even featuring one of his designs, including from us. His work as a custom car designer was defining in the Southern California scene, but it was his playfully malformed monster caricatures like Rat Fink that led to his now cult status as a pop-art iconoclast. Our love for the rat extends to a love for his creator, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth.

In fact, we love that gnarly little creature and the mayhem he represents so much, that he just might be our number one choice. If Rat Fink wasn’t one of the images that just appeared in your head, you may want to reconsider your answer, at least if you’re in earshot of anyone in the Lethal Threat family. Take a moment to think about the iconography from hot rod and biker culture that holds the most significance.

Cartoon rat fink cars