a one day event at Holidayland in Disneyland in California.
The show was promoted as an annual show, but was only held once.
The participants of the car show drove their cars down Main Street USA and continued to Holidayland for the show and judging.
At the time the show was held, Disneyland was only about 4 years old, and they were hungry for special events to bring more customers to Disnelyand Famous cars and people attending: Norm Grabowski's The Kookie T The Kopper Kart Dean Jeffries' 1956 Porsche Ed Roth's Tweedy Pie and Excalibur The name Excaliber came from a sword Ed used as a gear shifter in the car. The sword was a Revolutionary War sword that came from his mother-in-law's family. As no one could pronounce the name for the car, he changed it to the Outlaw later on in 1960.
If you can imagine the Beach Boys "Little Deuce Coupe" playing in you mind, while at a So Cal dragstrip in the mid 60's, with Ed "Big Daddy" Roth in the vendor row selling monster shirts... this book is for you (or just in time for your dad or grand dad who were there!)
It's a rare person who lives the dream, is at the right place at the right time, and meets his heroes. They did not disappoint him.
Dan grew up in California, somewhere near San Francisco, and got to see the Oakland Roadster Show (63-67) when Cushenberry, Barris, Jeffries, and Winfield were unveiling for the first time their great works of show car masterpieces.
He wrote a fan letter to Ed Roth, and got a response, and even talked to him on the phone... that, well damn, that is pretty frickin awesome...
and once while at a mall, saw Brian Wilson, and was fortunate to introduce his son, a Beach Boys music fan, to Brian. Wow.
Dan went from being a young kid inspired by the icons of hot rodding and show car masterpieces, to a bonafide participant in the Revell 2nd Annual National Custom Car Contest, the one judged by Ivo, Shelby, Nancy, Roth and Moon! Not a sideline fan at all! Dan was living the car nut life, high octane, full bore!
And when he grew up... he became an artist! Yeah, that is cool, that's the evolution we all hope for, and Dan made it happen. Grade school text books with flames and pinstripes to the Art Center College of Design graduate!
See how all of this is so similar to what I've been posting?
Well, here are things in common, so if you already like: Ed "Big Daddy" Roth Rod and Custom magazines of the early 60's slingshot dragsters, A/FXers Mouse sweaters and t-shirts Model car kits Art Center College of Design and hot rod art...
- you're going to love this book.
Dan made this book become a tribute to family, by incorporating his dads art and influence, as he taught Dan some drawing techniques for getting the tires and wheels to look right, took him to the car shows, and he was both a Boeing machinst on B17 parts and a WW2 soldier. And I don't just mean the kind you're born with... he illumintates the Roth Industries family of artists and monster designers - Ed Newton, Tom Daniel, and Robert Williams. Dan even, without realizing I suppose, makes the many connections between the Art Center College of Design and hot rodding, by pointing out the alumni of the ACC that went on to work in the Ed Roth world... as Jack Leynnwood, a WW2 P-38 pilot, and then illustration instructor at the ACC was working at Revell in the peak of the Roth - Revell collaborations and painted the model car box covers for Outlaw and Mysterion!
Plus, Ed Newton was creating the water transfer sticker and t-shirt designs while Ed was making the show cars, and Newton was also a ACC alumni. Look at the connections!
Also, the astute observations Dan has of art (Rod and Custom Sept 1963 cover with Roth's Mysterion is a Mondrian modernism color backdrop to frame the cars) and that the sponsorship of Don Prudhomme's creation (Revell Snake anad Mongoose) led to him being priced out of drag racing (WHOA! Damn, I hadn't ever realized how true that is!)
Stats 143 pages all color illustrations, photos, and art it takes about 2 to 2 and a 1/2 hours to read/look at/enjoy 17 pieces of Ed Roth art 3 photos from the drag races 34 photos from Oakland Roadster Show 13 magazine covers from the golden age of Rod and Custom and Car Craft 6 kit car boxes from Revell or Monogram
How many hot rod book authors also have an IMDB page? Just this one is my guess! You've enjoyed his work on Escape From Planet Earth and Arthur Christmas for example. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1673477/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 He also was an illustrator for Rolling Stone Magazine and Dan designed the polar bears for Coca Cola!
The Conistoga Star pictured below was one of several Wagon based Vehicles. The Booger Buggy up above was another, the Fink Mobile is the 5 wheeled orange creation and the Wagenmister.
