Born in Los Angeles and raised in the epicentre of the California hot rod explosion, Ed Roth created automotive forms purely from his own imagination. He transformed car design, reinvented American hot rod culture and put Detroit on notice. Each of his creations transcended function and form to turn the American automobile into rolling sculpture.
From the mind of Mr. Gasser himself, with behind-the-scenes pictures from his own files, comes the story of the life and times and art of this icon of hot rodding and visionary of Kustom Kulture. Since Ed "Big Daddy" Roth first told his tale, a whole new generation has discovered the creator of Rat Fink, Beatnik Bandit, and Mysterion-and this now-classic illustrated autobiography gives new and old fans alike a look into the shop and studio. ""The Salvador Dali of the movement,"" Tom Wolfe called him, ""a surrealist in his designs, a showman by temperament, a prankster""–and Roth’s larger-than-life personality comes across here as he tells how he arrived at his famous ""plaster and fiberglass"" method of constructing his sculptures on wheels (It could be done ""by people with little or no talent and I had both,"" as he put it.) and shows off some of his more outlandish models. A fitting tribute to an outlaw legend, this book brings Big Daddy’s work to wild and wonderful life, and lets us hear the man’s incomparable voice one more time.
- The only complete history of Big Daddy Roth's life.- Ed Roth was a major influence on the world of art, pop culture, hot rods, and motorcycles.- Contains many previously unpublished photos and stories.
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth (1932-2001) was a phenomenon. His body of work is still discussed in hot rodding, fine arts and pop culture circles and his cult following remains as devoted as it was during his career. His 1963 Mysterion show car--featuring two big-block Ford V8s--was his masterpiece and the story of its rise and brief existence is legendary. Though it was immortalized as a popular plastic model kit and is featured on several websites, little is known about Roth's magnum opus. There are a number of fanciful stories of its demise--mostly fiction. Combining history and shop class, this book provides a full investigation of Mysterion--both the legend and the machine itself. Drawing on interviews, magazine articles, photos, models and other (sometimes obscure) sources, the author pieces together the true story of the car, while documenting his own faithful bolt-by-bolt recreation of Mysterion.
Car culture - pinstriping, customising and cartooning - is nearly synonymous with Southern California culture. Kustom Kulture tells the story of the revved-up legends of the custom car cult of the 1950s, 60s and 70s in Los Angeles. Features art work by Robert Williams, Von Dutch and Ed |Big Daddy| Roth. Hot rod art at its best by three masters of the form.
One girl, one painting a day...can she do it? Linda Patricia Cleary decided to challenge herself with a year long project starting on January 1, 2014. Choose an artist a day and create a piece in tribute to them. It was a fun, challenging, stressful and psychological experience. She learned about technique, art history, different materials and embracing failure. Here are all 365 pieces. Enjoy!
Chopped, slammed, channeled, blown . . . in the late '50s and early '60s all of these features lent themselves nicely to the rise of hot rod art that caricaturized the already severe design traits associated with these cars. Usually, the rods and customs in this art were piloted by slobbering, snaggle-toothed "monsters" with bulging, bloodshot eyes. Thanks to the iron-on T-shirt boom of the '70s and a raft of younger artists working today, hot rod monsters have persevered. Now award-winning car-designer Thom Taylor and legendary kustom culture figure Ed Newton reveal the tricks and techniques used by masters past and present to render these whack rods and their warts-and-all drivers. Beginning with a brief history of the form, the authors examine figures like Stanley Mouse, Ed Roth, and Newton himself, then reveal how those pioneers influenced modern artists like Keith Weesner, John Bell, and Dave Deal, to name a few. In addition to offering chapters covering topics like equipment, perspective, light sources, and other technical considerations, Taylor expands on the cartooning, proportion, and color chapters from his previous works, applying them to the subject at hand. Also includes dozens of examples of the form from many of the above-mentioned artists and more.
There was time - not long ago - when cars were much more than transportation. Part function, part fashion, part id, cars were the largest thing you could wear. Every American teenager dreamed of having their own car because it promised joy, freedom and self-expression. During this era, Bob Larivee was the undisputed ringmaster of the greatest show on Earth - the indoor hot rod and custom car show. Driven by pure enthusiasm, and possessing a natural gift of knowing what would draw people, Larivee built an empire that showcased style, color, chrome, horsepower, pop culture and fantasy. His Promotions, Inc. (PI) produced events for decades that helped define American car passion while fueling the dreams of millions around the world. Hot Rod Dreams - Car Shows and Culture celebrates the people and stories of this not-so-long-ago - and still evolving - world. From the earliest days of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth through the golden era of car-crazy TV, Hot Rod Dreams celebrates what it was really like to buy an "Outlaw", employ Playboy Playmates, and make sure Dale Earnhardt got home in time for dinner - while also exploring how popular culture inspires our concepts of personal identity.