Art Collection: Rat Fink Drawing By Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, 1991/2

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This is the kind of thing that PSP punching bag Gallery on Baum sells: quick sketches made on the run by famous artists for fans. The main difference between this one and many of those sold by the GoB, however, is that this one is genuine.

So how do I know that? What makes me so sure? It certainly isn't a very attractive drawing of Rat Fink by any means. The inscription makes no sense. The glossy paper and sharpie aren't typical cartoonist's tools. It isn't published art, so you can't compare it to a printed source. How can I be so cocky as to declare this to be the work of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, and not just some imitator with a sharpie and a light box? Easy: because I watched him draw it from two feet away, and then he handed it to me. OK, fair enough. So how do YOU know it's genuine?

You just have to trust me. Ha ha!

OK, so, the story:

I was in Seattle promoting and presenting the Festival of Animation's "Sick and Twisted" show in in 1991 or 1992. For some reason, Ed Roth was in town, and simply showed up one night. I was stunned. I had always been a fan of his work, and knew what he looked like. Ed wasn't interested in seeing the show, because he was a devout Mormon and didn't want to see obscene cartoons (fair enough, but ironic considering the disgustingness of Rat Fink). What he really wanted to talk about was getting in touch with Spike and Mike, the FoA's producers, and getting them to finance a Rat Fink film. To tell you the truth, it was hard making much sense of what he was saying... he was a really strange guy. But he kept going on and on about wanting Rat Fink to be computer animated, which just absolutely baffled me (think back to what computer animation looked like around this time). I promised I would pass along his interests to Spike and Mike, and I believe they did end up talking to him, but also couldn't make head or tails of what he wanted to do, so nothing came of it.

Before Roth scooted out of the auditorium, I blurted out, like a schoolgirl, "I'm such a big fan! Could I possibly trouble you for an autograph before you leave?" All I had, unfortunately, was a sharpie and a blank piece of glossy magazine stock, but I was thrilled when "Big Daddy" whipped out Rat Fink in about five seconds. The word balloon, "Ike! Make me move!" refers to his desire for Spike and Mike to produce a Rat Fink cartoon.

But you still have to trust me on this one. After all, Tony Greco at the Gallery on Baum has a talent for spinning tales about the dubious drawings in his collection, too.