My interest in this primarily West Coast subculture initially stemmed from having a Rat Fink action figure when I was a kid. At one point I also remember collecting a card series released by Topps which featured monsters drawn in the style of Rat Fink and his friends. I didn’t know anything about these hotrod-riding and surfing monsters except that they were gross and looked freaking cool with their popping eyes, warts, and giant yaps flung open, but since reading about their history and of those responsible for their birth, I’ve become a little more knowledgeable of this renegade world of tiki gods and pin striping and have developed my own style of illustrating Rat Fink-influenced monsters.
Rat Fink and his friends represent rebellion, speed, and punk rock. These monsters are the middle finger to whatever is accepted as mainstream, normal, or proper, whether it’s in art, lifestyle, or spirituality. This stuff is right up my alley. The only problem is that I’m not really a car guy. In this world monsters and cars go hand-in-hand, but honestly, I couldn’t care less about noisy, air polluting, resource-guzzling machines. My car serves one purpose, but I’d still rather use my bicycle to get where I’m going.
Big Daddy is probably rolling in his grave. I’ve rebelled against the rebellious. I’ve taken the hotrod out of the picture but left the monster. To a gearhead there’s nothing more appealing than a work of art featuring a metallic beast driven by a greasy, slobbering monster; but to a pervert there’s nothing more appealing than a sexy vixen being driven by a greasy, throbbing monster. Here are two of my own monsters created in the image of R.F. and his buddies. Don't care too much for cars, but I find the female body very appealing. I have no shame, but I’ve still managed to censor myself for those who aren't expecting. I’ve had postcards printed of the following illustrations for those of you who are interested. Contact me at joecalibretto@hotmail.com if you’d like a set.
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