Big Daddy Roth decals

Coop posted a bunch of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth decals from the 1960s. He was the creator of Rat Fink. (Shown here: Jackhammer Jill's evil cousin, or inspiration for Blackwater's business plan?)

[#1 posted by Takuan , June 25, 2008 6:18 PM]

there was a certain mentality at the time
http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/FullMetalJacket2.jpg

[#2 posted by Adam Hominem , June 25, 2008 7:11 PM]

F.T.A. back then stood for Fuck The Army.

If anyone was wondering.

[#3 posted by Takuan , June 25, 2008 7:15 PM]

harass the brass
http://www.infoshop.org/myep/love3.html

[#4 posted by Lobster , June 25, 2008 7:36 PM]

People are shocked by how racist these things are but are we really being any more fair to the "Islamofascists?" No, of course not, and why should we, because they are blowing up innocent men, women and children, and our troops. I'm not sure of the lesson we should take away from this. I'd like it to be that we're being racist even if the hate is directed at the Enemy Du Jour, but the more likely lesson is that racism is justified if you're running a propaganda campaign.

[#5 posted by buddy66 , June 25, 2008 7:39 PM]

Notice the leftover *Asians* from WWII. Vicious racist stuff.

[#6 posted by Antinous , June 25, 2008 7:45 PM]

the more likely lesson is that racism is justified if you're running a propaganda campaign

Ah, propaganda. That's the straight road to world peace. How about truth and education instead?

[#7 posted by Jack , June 25, 2008 8:13 PM]

Everyone debating the morality of the decals misses the point. Big Daddy Roth was a talented opportunist. He sold decals with the Star of David and then also sold an Iron Cross decal as well. Kind of disturbs me how many German/Nazi and racist stuff outnumbers the other stuff, but I'
m willing to let this slide.

Now, on the topic of Von Ducth...

[#8 posted by orangwutang , June 25, 2008 9:34 PM]

I am an American expat living and working in Vietnam, and I find the image offensive. Just because it expressed the mentality at the time doesn't mean we need to be recirculating it in 2008. Also, Boing Boing could have chosen many other examples of Roth's artwork. The fact that the jackhammer in this one is similar to Boing Boing's logo is really a weak excuse for posting an image like this. Call me weak-skinned or whatever, but I know how this image would make my Vietnamese friends feel, and I just don't see the need to post it. I usually find Boing Boing to be a reasonable and tolerant blog, so I am really surprised to see this here.

[#9 posted by Antinous , June 25, 2008 9:40 PM]

Orangwutang,

I think that Mark's use of the word 'evil' and reference to Blackwater put it in context. It's already raised the issue of racist propaganda in war, which is very relevant to our lives in 2008.

[#10 posted by Takuan , June 25, 2008 9:48 PM]

it is an offensive image. Pretending it never existed is even more offensive.

[#11 posted by Takuan , June 26, 2008 12:46 AM]

"INTERNATIONALISM IN PRACTICE: An American soldier in a hospital explained how he was wounded: He said, “I was told that the way to tell a hostile Vietnamese from a friendly Vietnamese was to shout ‘To hell with Ho Chi Minh!’ If he shoots, he’s unfriendly. So I saw this dude and yelled ‘To hell with Ho Chi Minh!’ and he yelled back, ‘To hell with President Johnson!’ We were shaking hands when a truck hit us.” (from 1,001 Ways to Beat the Draft, by Tuli Kupferburg)."

[#12 posted by Halloween Jack , June 26, 2008 7:18 AM]

Jack: The Iron Cross both predates the Nazi regime (it was first awarded during the Napoleonic Wars) and is currently used as the symbol of the Bundeswehr; it's not a Nazi symbol.

[#13 posted by Anonymous , June 26, 2008 8:26 AM]

Iron crosses were also hugely popular in surfing and hotrod circles in the 60's. It wasn't an race thing so much as a 'let's piss off our parents' thing.

[#14 posted by Bob K , June 26, 2008 9:30 AM]

There was an awesome display of art in the Roth show at the Peterson Automotive Museum in LA last year. Included was a whole wall full of Roth decals as well as the original silk screen printing frames sued to screen t-shirt designs.

Low brow art heaven!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10181840@N08/2613766672/

[#15 posted by Jack , June 26, 2008 12:46 PM]

#12 POSTED BY HALLOWEEN JACK:
And the Swastika was a symbol in Hinduism before that loonball Nazi grabbed it for his own use. And the Confederate flag was a proud symbol of Southern independance... And white supremacy. How do you explain Big Daddy Roth's SS decal?

Regardless I stand by my statement. Big Daddy Roth was basically a very talented artist, and a shameless counter-cultural opportunist. But I'm still a bit disturbed by the tons of Nazi symbolism in the work he sold.

Appreciate the art, but don't delude yourself.