civilized ku # 2203 ~ an old friend
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 04:12PM ;)
Rat Fink ~ Binghamton, NY • click to embiggenThis past weekend, during my wanderings around NY's southern tier, I came across an old friend who goes by the name of Rat Fink. He was looking a little worse for wear but it was great to see him again. And, man, did he bring back a flood of memories.
I number Rat Fink amongst my friends because, while I was growing and festering as a youth during my high school years, I supplemented my newspaper route income by drawing (for a generous fee) various illustrations - bw line drawings only - of Rat Fink, primarily for use as school book covers. Peak season for this economic windfall was usually the beginning of the school year when all of that year's books needed new book covers. Although, it continued throughout the school year as those who had resisted the initial Rat Fink Fever realized that they just weren't cool without some illustrated vestige of Rat Fink.
Looking back on it, I now realize I was probably in violation of some copyright law but, then again, I was definitely a small-change operator. I have no idea whether Big Daddy Roth actually copyrighted his stuff back then. I am certain that I wasn't the only one riding the wave.
That said, I am not sure that my parents overly delighted that all of art classes they sent me to, at the local Art Museum, were finally paying off in my mining of that particular genre.
Reader Comments (1)
Brings back memories alright hot rod magazines, Big Daddy Roth, surfin',summer of 1960, had a car but not old enough to drive. Thanks Mark
Be nice to see the mural restored.