Tag Archives: Rat Fink

13TH ANNUAL RAT FINK 2015 REUNION

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
Ed “Big Daddy” Roth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13th Annual ED “BIG DADDY” ROTH’S RAT FINK REUNION

June 4th thru 6th, 2015 at 404 East 300 North, Manti, UT

ratfinkreunionCAR SHOW SATURDAY JUNE 6th! 8A.M Manti City Park 200 N 400 W, Manti

Parade of show cars car show in Manti

Manti’s Main Street 5 pm Car, Truck & Bike Show

In the world or hot rodding, Big Daddy Roth was a legend.  He was one of the founders of Kustom Kulture.  He was the renowned creator of one-of-a -kind hot rods.  As creator of a little green rat, Rat Fink, he epitomizes hot rodding.  His little green monster designs still appeal to both the young and the old.

Ed Roth’s artwork appeared in underground comics in the 1980’s and the middle of the 1990’s.  Many classify his work as fine art, and can be seen in art galleries.

Mr Roth passed away in 2001.  His passion continues on with the dedication his wife Ilene Roth has to carry on his legacy.

The Reunion hosts many events fun for the entire family.  Come to Manti, Utah on Utah Heritage Highway 89 for a fun family event.

 

 

 

Hundreds of Iraq-Bound Soldiers Invited to Lead ‘Big Daddy Roth’ Parade

DATE 05/25/2007 7:15 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Hundreds of Iraq-Bound Soldiers Invited to Lead ‘Big Daddy Roth’ Parade
Hundreds of Iraq-Bound Soldiers Invited to Lead ‘Big Daddy Roth’ Parade, Collect Custom-Designed ‘Rat Fink’ T-Shirts

Some 450 soldiers who will soon be deployed to Iraq will have some special new “uniforms”to take along with them – a “Rat Fink” T-shirt especially designed for them based on an original drawing by the late Ed Roth.

The members of the Utah Army National Guard’s 1/145th field artillery unit will be presented with the shirts by Roth’s widow, Illene Roth, June 2 during the fifth annual “Big Daddy Roth” open house, which runs May 31 to June 2 in Manti.

Roth also invited the entire infantry to lead the annual ‘Big Daddy’ parade. It starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday and runs down Manti’s Main Street. She doesn’t know how many soldiers will attend, but said all 450 of them are welcome.

Ed Roth was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating the cartoon character “Rat Fink” in the 1960s, a rodent who was featured on posters, T-shirts and other items for years.

In 1966, he created a decal for army soldiers being deployed to Vietnam and the image was modified with Ilene Roth’s permission for soldiers in Iraq. This is the first batch of shirts to be handed out to troops going to Iraq.

“Since our local unit, which includes my son, is being deployed in June, I thought it would be great to send Ed’s image on a t-shirt to help them with this war,” says Ilene Roth.

The local guard unit provided input for the custom changes made to the image, and a shirt will be provided to each soldier. In addition, T-shirts will be available on-line and at the reunion for anyone else wanting to show their support, Roth says. “(The reunion) is a great opportunity to give the T-shirts to our guys. I wish them GOOD LUCK!”

Illene Roth started the annual “Big Daddy Roth” open house after her husband’s death in 2001 to honor his memory and work. It is held each year at the museum that was created to showcase her late husband’s art and memorabilia. The museum, which is an addition on the Roth home, is located at 404 East 300 North, Manti.

An avid hotrod enthusiast from the age of 12, Ed Roth started out by fixing up old cars in his garage. He then moved on to building cars from scratch and quickly became known as an artist rather than a mechanic, with his creations earning the title “sculptures on wheels.” He financed his passion by making cartoons and T-shirts, including drawings of cars and monsters driving cars, including Rat Fink.

The museum that Ilene Roth created to honor her late husband, which includes displays of Ed Roth’s art work and other memorabilia, will also be open during the reunion and is open to the public year-round by appointment.

Other highlights of the weekend include a “postcard run” Friday night to places that are connected to Ed Roth, and the parade and a car show on Saturday in Manti’s park.

Ed Roth’s life was the subject of a new documentary, Tales of the Rat Fink, by Canadian film maker Ron Mann. The movie stars John Goodman as Big Daddy Roth. It’s a combination biography/cultural commentary on Roth. Goodman narrates the film from heaven, playing Roth as he looks down on Earth with fond memories. The film also includes the voices of Jay Leno, the Smothers Brothers, Matt Groening and Paul Lemat. The real Ed Roth is included in the film in archival footage and new interviews.

The film was screened in Utah last year and in 2006 and 2007 was seen during festivals around the world, most recently in Michigan in March and in April in Singapore.

Ilene Roth said her late husband met with Mann in 2000 when he came to Utah to discuss the movie. She said her husband was very excited about having a movie produced to spotlight his creations with Rat Fink and fiberglass cars.

Ilene Roth met her husband after he moved to Manti from California in 1987.

For more information about the Ed “Big Daddy” Roth Open House, call (435) 835-2393.

Information is also available online at: http://www.edroth.com/

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

‘Big Daddy Roth’ Movie Premieres at Toronto International Film Festival

DATE 09/15/2006 7:15 AMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

‘Big Daddy Roth’ Movie Premieres at Toronto International Film Festival

The world premiere of Tales of the Rat Fink, a documentary/drama about the late Ed Roth, a Sanpete County resident, was held this week at the Toronto International Film Festival. Roth was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating 1960s cartoon characters. He died in Manti in 2001 at the age of 69.

The movie was directed by Canadian filmmaker Ron Mann and stars John Goodman as Big Daddy Roth. It’s a combination biography/cultural commentary on Roth. Goodman narrates the film from heaven, playing Roth as he looks down on Earth with fond memories. The film also includes the voices of Jay Leno, the Smothers Brothers, Matt Groening and Paul Lemat. The real Ed Roth is included in the film in archival footage and new interviews.

“I am so happy to have a movie that will preserve Ed’s legacy,” Ilene Roth, Ed Roth’s widow and the Sanpete County auditor, has said about the film. Both she and her late husband met with Mann in 2000 when he came to Utah to discuss the movie. She said her husband was very excited about having a movie produced to spotlight his creations with Rat Fink and fiberglass cars.

The film opened in Toronto Sept. 15 to positive reviews. Hotrod Hotline called the movie “A multimedia laughfest, not only gives the viewer a look into the very fertile mind and imagination of Ed Roth, but is also a window into the ’50’s and ’60’s that brings back memories of those times much like ‘American Graffiti’ did. If it comes to your area, don’t miss it.”

Tales of the Rat Fink is being theatrically released by the indie film distributor Abramorama. Following the film festival in Toronto, the movie will open in New York, Boston, Detroit, Chicago and Austin, eventually making its way to Utah. An avid hotrod enthusiast from the age of 12, Ed Roth started out by fixing up old cars in his garage. He then moved on to building cars from scratch and quickly became known as an artist rather than a mechanic, with his creations earning the title “sculptures on wheels.”

He built one new hot rod per year during his prime, and gave them names like the Outlaw, Beatnik Bandit and the Surfite. He financed his passion by making cartoons and T-shirts, including drawings of cars and monsters driving cars. His most famous cartoon character was a rodent named Rat Fink, which became very popular in the 1960s and was featured on posters, T-shirts, rings and more.

Every year, Ilene Roth holds a “Rat Fink Reunion” celebration to honor the life of her late husband. The weekend attracts hundreds of his fans from around the world. One of the reunion’s special events is an open house at the “museum” Ilene Roth built on to her house to showcase Ed Roth’s creations. His art work is framed and hanging on the walls, and other memorabilia is on display. The museum is open to the public year-round by appointment.

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Open House Honors Life of ‘Big Daddy’ Roth

DATE 02/21/2006 7:15 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Open House Honors Life of ‘Big Daddy’ Roth
The Fourth Annual Big Daddy Roth Open House, which honors the life and work of renowned artist/car designer Ed Roth, will be held April 20 to 24 in Manti.

The event is held each year at the museum that Ed Roth’s wife, Ilene, created to showcase her late husband’s art and memorabilia. The museum, which is an addition on the Roth home, is located at 404 East 300 North, Manti.

After Ed Roth’s death in April 2001 at age 69, Ilene Roth decided she needed to find a way for people who loved and respected her late husband and his work to honor his memory. She came up with the idea for the open house and it is now an annual event.

Roth, who was also known as “Big Daddy Roth,” was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating the cartoon characters the Beatnik Bandit and “Rat Fink” in the 1960s.

This year’s open house will include the touring “Rat Fink Statue Display,” which includes more than 40 depictions of the character Rat Fink painted by artists from all over the United States and Japan. The collection was recently on display in Austin, Texas, and will be going on to the Peterson Museum in California following the weekend’s events. The museum that Ilene Roth created to honor her late husband, which includes displays of Ed Roth’s art work and other memorabilia, will also be open during the reunion and is open to the public year-round by appointment.

Other highlights of the event include a Friday night fundraising barbecue at 6:30 p.m. and an 8 p.m. showing of Tales of the Rat Fink, a new documentary by Canadian film maker Ron Mann. The movie stars John Goodman as Big Daddy Roth. It’s a combination biography/cultural commentary on Roth. Goodman narrates the film from heaven, playing Roth as he looks down on Earth with fond memories. The film also includes the voices of Jay Leno, the Smothers Brothers, Matt Groening and Paul Lemat. The real Ed Roth is included in the film in archival footage and new interviews.

Ilene Roth has said she is delighted about the film. Both she and her late husband met with Mann in 2000 when he came to Utah to discuss the movie. She said her husband was very excited about having a movie produced to spotlight his creations with Rat Fink and fiberglass cars.

On Saturday, there will be a 1 p.m. lunch and a 5 p.m. parade of cars down Main Street. The parade will feature both hotrod and antique cars. Roth was known for building one-of-a-kind show cars and is famous for his “plaster and fiberglass” creation method. The movie, Tales of the Rat Fink, will be shown again at 8 p.m.

In addition, two of Ed Roth’s creations will be on display during the Open House, a Stealth he built in 1999 and his “Rat Fink,” constructed in 1963.

The open house will also include musical performances, videos and slide presentations, displays of show cars, food, and professional car “stripers.”

An avid hotrod enthusiast from the age of 12, Ed Roth started out by fixing up old cars in his garage. He then moved on to building cars from scratch and quickly became known as an artist rather than a mechanic, with his creations earning the title “sculptures on wheels.” He financed his passion by making cartoons and T-shirts, including drawings of cars and monsters driving cars. His most famous cartoon character was a rodent named Rat Fink, which became very popular in the 1960s and was featured on posters, T-shirts and more.

Ilene Roth met her husband after he moved to Manti from California in 1987.

For more information about the Ed “Big Daddy” Roth Open House, contact Ilene Roth at (435) 835-2142.

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

Sanpete ‘Cruise-In and Poker Run’ Set for Sept. 8-9

DATE 02/21/2006 7:15 AMFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

This is part of an occasional series by the Sanpete Country Travel and Utah Heritage Highway 89 Alliance on the people and places along U.S. Highway 89.

Sanpete ‘Cruise-In and Poker Run’ Set for Sept. 8-9

The sixth annual Sanpete Cruise-In and Poker Run will be held Sept. 8 to 9 in Mt. Pleasant City, aimed at attracting “old car” enthusiasts from around the state.

There will be prizes awarded in several categories, ranging from the car with the most bugs on it to the oldest car to the first car entered.

“All of the trophies are homemade, it’s just for fun,” says organizer Teri Morris. There will also be a special trophy presented by Ilene Roth, wife of the late “Big Daddy” Ed Roth, who was famous for designing and building hotrod cars and for creating the cartoon characters the Beatnik Bandit and Rat Fink.

“We just wanted to have an event that would allow people who wanted to show off their classic and antique cars to come and have them be seen by the entire county,” Morris says.

Morris started the car event six years ago in her hometown of Wales. But it’s grown too large to be accommodated in the small town, so this year it was moved to Mt. Pleasant, with the city park serving as the home base for the festivities. “We wanted a place that was more centrally located and where people could stay overnight nearby,” she says.

Highlights include dinner in the park on Friday accompanied by rock and roll music, followed by a cruise down Main Street at 8 p.m. On Saturday, there will be a day-long car show that is open to the public and an 11 a.m. “poker run,” preceded by breakfast in the park. For the poker run, participants drive their classic and antique cars to sponsoring businesses, including Cruisers in Fairview, Native Wines in Mt. Pleasant and Auto Zone in Ephraim, collecting playing cards at each stop. Upon return to the City Park, prizes are awarded for the best poker hand.

Last year, 60 cars and more than 150 people registered for the event, which includes the car show, dinner, breakfast and poker run. Registration cost is $25 in advance or $30 day-of.

“The entire event is open to the public, and a lot of things for people to see and do,” Morris says.

She originally came up with the idea of a “cruise-in” while contemplating ways to put some oomph into the region’s summer celebrations. She and her husband Glen, both “old car nuts” organized a car show. “The first show only had 10 cars, and six of them were ours,” she says. Since that time, the event has grown in popularity, attracting people from all over the state.

For more information, contact Teri Morris at 435-283-8286.

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For more information Contact:

Monte Bona
Sanpete County Travel and Heritage Council
(435) 462-2502

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