Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on November 18, 2012

You never know what you might find in Manti. OK, probably just about everyone in Utah knows that you'd find a Mormon temple there -- but what about a museum dedicated to the life, work and memory of cartoonist, custom car designer and counterculture icon Ed "Big Daddy" Roth? Roth, creator of the iconic Rat Fink character -- a bug-eyed, pot-bellied, spindle-shanked pop culture oddity inspired by Mickey Mouse -- was a late-in-life Manti resident and his widow, Ilene, still lives there and holds a special open house at the Ed Roth Museum every year.

That's the sort of information being brought to light by "Discovery Road," a new documentary travel series on KJZZ that aims to immerse Utahns in the history and culture of the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area in central and southern Utah. The first two episodes aired in September and October, and the series returns next month with a pair of episodes detailing the history of the Black Hawk War.

The sky or, more appropriately, the horizon is the limit for "Discovery Road," in which hosts James Nelson and Gina Persinger drive a vintage Pontiac Chieftain down U.S. Highway 89 and its scenic neighbors, state Route 24 and state Route 12. Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area executive director Monte Bona said that the area features colorful footnotes to history almost anywhere you look.

"We uncover all of those stories as we travel along 'Discovery Road,' " Bona said.

Lest your eyes glaze over a bit, remember that the history that abounds in the MPNHA includes recent history. Roth, featured in the second episode of "Discovery Road," died just a little more than a decade ago and his legend still brings a healthy contingent of visitors to Manti each year. Ilene Roth said in an interview with the hosts of "Discovery Road" that her husband's most indelible cartoon creation was a bit of a whim.

"Ed liked to draw things and he didn't want to copy anybody else's work," Ilene Roth said. "So he drew the Rat Fink and figured he was ugly, smelly and nobody wanted to mess with him."

Cruisin' through Beehive State life

Episodes of "Discovery Road" are a combination of sweat and serendipity. Nelson, who produces the show in addition to co-hosting it, said that the preparation to film each episode is built on research. "You need to know about the scenery, the industry, the original settlers," Nelson said. "And then when you get there, you might have some interviews already set up."

On the other hand, he said, it's equally important to make the most of what you find. On one trip, Nelson and Persinger drove up behind a man riding a horse. "We just pulled over to talk to him and find out who he was," Nelson said.

On a different occasion, the hosts dropped in at a cafe in Spring City, a dozen or so miles north of Manti. "We thought we'd just stop there and have a meal," Nelson said. "There was an incredible story that came out of that." (In a nutshell: The family that operates the cafe moved to Utah from East Germany at the height of the Cold War.)

More here:
‘Discovery Road’ takes a cruise through Utah’s heritage

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
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