![]() ![]() He was a subject of Tom Wolf’s first collected book of essays ( The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby). Roth’s colorful career spanned decades and many different media forms. His “Weirdo” t-shirts were a fad as early as 1959, traveling across the nation via mail order from the pages of Car Craft magazine (which also featured Roth’s custom cars). ![]() The maniac mind behind the monster hot rod cartoon craze was Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. (The backs were usually blank.) Some had titles, others didn’t, but really, it was the artwork that sold the series. Whoever dreamed up mixing monsters with hot rods? It was a combo so clever, it defied explanation – and got none. It drove the parents and teachers crazy, much to the glee of the prepubescent perps who stuck them on everything from home furniture to school lockers. The colorful stickers were ubiquitous during my 1960s childhood, almost like gang graffiti, marking clear pathways wherever kids frequented. Donruss certainly produced enough of them to prove how much kids loved them. They’re bizarre… unique… and total genius. For me, the classic Odd Rod stickers qualify well in both categories. (License plates, anyone?) But other times, it’s because the concept is so inspired, that it seems like pure, unadulterated genius. Sometimes, you look at a card series and have to ask yourself, “Where the heck did they come up with this idea?” Often it’s because the idea is so bizarre, it defies common sense. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, the Architect of Odd Rods (by Kurt Kuersteiner) ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |