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Rat fink motorcycle12/30/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() The last foray into the Weird-oh model kit line for me anyway, back in the sixties, was “Endsville Eddie.” He met his demise along with Drag Hag and the Tandem Riders when I invited most of the 6th grade boys over to the backyard to witness the destruction of my Weird-oh and Fink models via firecrackers. In fact, she still has the Weird-oh helmet to this day thanks to Bill’s generosity. Our sister Kristin was very jealous of this prized gift at the time, but Bill allowed her to wear it on occasion as she cruised the neighborhood on her customized chopper-style Sting-Ray bike. Receiving a Weird-oh helmet for his fourth birthday probably did not help his antisocial behavior. According to the artist himself, he thought model builders were becoming weary of having “just another car or plane kit.” So he designed and built five hand-made prototypes, including Davey, Daddy and Digger. How did Hawk come up with the Weird-ohs concept? The genesis lies with a talented artist responsible for much of their box art, Bill Campbell. The company was started by the Mates brothers in Chicago, Illinois and molded various aircraft and vehicles. But I did discover through various online sources that the Hawk Model Company was founded in 1928 and was one of the first American manufacturers to produce injection molded polystyrene kits. ![]() What about Hawk Models? I had to dig to find some history since historian Tom Graham has yet to write a book about that company. The Weird-ohs were molded in plain white plastic and when finished ended up being about six inches tall and eight or nine inches long. ![]() The initial Weird-oh kits featured strange and usually oversized and over-the-top parodies of sorry-looking humanoid creatures driving and shifting gears on an incredible hot rod type vehicle. Space Missiles Set Kit ReviewĪtlantis Snoopy and his Classic Race Car Kit ReviewĪtlantis Models Metaluna Mutant Kit ReviewĪtlantis 1/32 Tom Daniel Funny Cars: Mustang, Camaro, Duster, Charger!Ītlantis 1/618 Bismarck Battleship Kit ReviewĪtlantis 1/24 Son of Troublemaker Kit ReviewĪtlantis 1/1200 US Combat Task Force Fleet Kit ReviewĪtlantis 1/245 Monitor & Merrimac Ironclads Diorama SetĪtlantis 1/8 Forgotten Prisoner of Castel Mare Kit ReviewĪtlantis Snoopy and His Sopwith Camel / Red Baron ReviewsĪtlantis 1/535 USS Iowa and Wisconsin Battleship Kit Reviewĭ&H 1/35 Cyclops and the Chariot from Lost in Space kit ReviewĪ Weird-Oh World - The Art of Bill Campbell Minicraft 1/144 G4M Type 1 "Betty" Kit ReviewĪtlantis 1/54 F11F-1 "Blue Angels" Kit ReviewĪtlantis HH-3E "Jolly Green Giant" ReviewĪtlantis 1/500 USS North Carolina Kit ReviewĪtlantis 1/128 U.S. Minicraft 1/144 E-3/E-8 AWACS/J-Stars Kit Review Minicraft 1/144 B-52H "Current Flying Version" Kit Review Minicraft 1/48 Cessna T-41 Mescalero Kit Review The bike's wheels have standard 40-80 spokes.Minicraft 1/200 H-4 "Spruce Goose" Kit Review The front suspension features a Springer design, while the rear suspension is a rigid/hardtail. The bike's rear wheel is driven by a belt, and the seat is made of leather and is hand-tooled. The metallic flake paint theme includes gold and orange colors. The bike's engine is a Harley Davidson Panhead, and the oil tank has a barrel/keg design. The Rat Fink Tribute bobber features a Harley Davidson frame and a unique Alien/Egg gastank, along with mini ape handlebars/risers and a velocity stack intake cover. He is often depicted driving hot rod cars or custom motorcycles. Rat Fink is portrayed as a green and grotesque character with bulging, bloodshot eyes, an oversized mouth with jagged teeth, and wears overalls with the initials "R.F." on the front. Roth designed Rat Fink as an anti-hero in response to Mickey Mouse. Ed Roth was one of the originators of Kustom Kulture and was famous for creating several hot-rod characters, including Rat Fink. This bike was the winner of Discovery's Biker Build Off episode 3 against Paul Yaffe. Indian Larry built the Rat Fink Tribute bobber as a homage to Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, also known as Rat Fink. ![]()
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