When I was approached by Tony Pinto last year I was skeptic. I didn’t know him and what he was saying was a little mind-blowing: a whole movie about the sky-rocket prowess of his son from typical dinosaur nerd to being a youthful full academic. He approached me because “his son liked my artwork”… so at the beginning I treated matters in a simple professional way… they just wanted to use some of my artwork and that was it… a movie? Well that was seemed pretty high stakes… but the more I investigated , the more things were getting rally serious. The amount of Paleo-people involved was staggering. And the simple admirable motive: the dedication of a father encouraging to his son’s talents resulted at the end in something that was much more than that… it became an example to be followed by the new generations!

https://www.whydinosaurs.com/about

Yes Tony Pinto put to work his talent to fulfill his son’s dreams,. He knew very well what his son could be able to achive and pu it into action but what emerges from the film and the achivements that James Pinto i goes beyond the simple “dinofan” he was in his childhood to an inspirational inacademic individual.

The film spans three and a half years of his teenage life in a coming-of-age story that concludes with James heading off to the prestigious UC Berkeley to become a paleontologist. He is currently a senior undergraduate working at the UC Museum of Paleontology 

II was lucky enough to be invited to the preview screening of “Why Dinosaurs?” in London. I was also lucky and felt honoured to add my own input to the very approachable dynamic duo of Tony (director) and James Pinto . I likd opennness above all… and they turned the day into a memorable event that lacked pretentiousness and reminded me of my best days with the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meetings… where professionalism and spontaneity were not in collision. So relaxed was the atmosphere that nobody was afraid to talk to anybody else…

The entourage accepted my invitation to visit Dinosaur rEvolution at the Horniman Museum, right after a visit to the Crystal Palace dinosaurs… a London landmark that is unfortunately neglected and decaying in the middle of the elements, natural or otherwise… the trees and the weather are taking its toll and only a few people, like the Rhys Griffin and the efforts of Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs https://cpdinosaurs.or are doing whatever they can to restore and protect it, despite the staggering amount of money any reparation costs. The budget amounts for any restoration are shocking! They are the only ones that seem to care about it… when it really should be a matter of national pride and government (not charity) support… after all that is the place where “Dinosaurs” were born after Owen coined the name in the 1850’s… the sculptures are worn-out and badly hidden by vegetation to the level that they are barely visible… a true shame. The visit was expertly guided by. Sarah Jayne, that gave us a very complete and accomplished summary of the history of the place … and even if the weather didn’t help, it was quite enjoyable.

The culmination of the long day was the premiere in London of “Why Dinosaurs?”, just a couple of streets away from the park that made dinosaurs famous. After the generous reception, the proceedings were expertly introduced by Dr. Dean Lomax, producer of the film, and Dr. Ellinor Michel (from the Friends of the Dinosaurs of Crystal Palace trust), The documentary is basically a detailed invitation for any budding palaeontologist to follow iand persevere in the realisation of their palaeodreams. The documentary is packed wth a plethora of interviews of celebrity and non-celebrity palaeontologists, collectors and technicians in the field of Palaeontology… and it is a joy to watch. This is a documentary that everyone (including young paleoartists) need to see.

I myself have never tired to try to popularise Palaeontology and the Pinto team have found an optimal formula of doing just that: personalising the path towards to realise their own full palaeontologial potential via a unique father/son association. This documentary most probably will at the end be part of one of the most influential streaming channels on TV and the internet.. but first it will continue its merry way across England’s cinema venues, Lyme Regis and Sheffield included) and Europe in screenings like this

And what better way to finish the evening by exchanging gifts and meeting people that I had always wanted to meet in person, like Nizar Ibrahim,, the Man of Spinosaur Controversy in the flesh… and his son, both present at the screening? Yes they were there and now have got at least four posters of my version of his favourite dinosaur: Spinosaurus... tailor made to his requirements… at least Ibrahim’s son loved them! And by the way,, I managed to get James Pinto to reveal his favourite dinosaur, and quess what?… it WAS Spinosaurus!

I must thank earnestly Tony Pinto, James Pinto and the whole entourage that included too many to name all, but I’d like to highlight “thanks” to Janet Smith, James Pascoe, Rhys Griffin for their support, and Kallie Moore and Jessica Lippincott for their gifts (books)… maybe we’ll see each other taking Dinosaur rEvolution across the pond to North America one of these days!

And lastly… good luck Tony and James Pinto... and thank you for your inspiring the New Wave with your efforts. Popularising dinosaurs and the promotion of Paleontology : We are all in it together!