Gary and Eric are at it again!

It seems you can't keep Eric and Gary away from Dinosaurs, as they're back gallivanting around Los Angeles in search of prehistoric beasts.

Dino Gallery!

Due to the successful Kickstarter campaign, the Dino Gallery website is open and ready for business! You can see it here at https://dinogallery.com/

Dinosaur Art Gallery!

Richard Jones, producer of the Gary and Eric dinosaur shows, is at it again on Kickstarter, trying to drum up funds for an online art gallery for dinosaur art! Featured artists at the moment were both involved in the old dinosaur shows: namely William Stout (http://www.williamstout.com/) and Charles Chiodo (http://www.chiodobros.com/).

If you watched any of the old Eric and Gary dino shows, you should instantly recognize William Stout's bright, vibrant, comic-book-esque dinosaurs that were part of his '80s 'The Dinosaurs: A Fantastic View of a Lost Era'.  This book has been updated in the years since as "The New Dinosaurs" featuring newer artwork and dinosaur revisions as our understand of dinosaurs changes.

Charles Chiodo, of the Chiodo Bros. also did various dinosaur artwork for the Gary and Eric dinosaur shows (among other dino shows!), and also had a hand in creating the various stop motion and puppet creations that Gary and Eric interacted with.

So if you want some signed prints or custom artwork from either of those two, be sure to pledge at the Kickstarter! http://kck.st/18iP70g

In Search Of....

Watch as producer Richard Jones and dino enthusiast Joshua Ballze search through the Chiodo Bros. mold mausoleum in search of treasure! But what will they find?!

Kickstarter Tour Behind the Scenes Footage, Courtesy of Josh Ballze

Some behind the scenes footage of the Kickstarter tour I was on back in Feb. from Joshua Ballze, the man behind the recent Jurassic Con and our guide through the La Brea tar pits in LA!

"Dinosaurs Then and Now" Limo Ride!

Part of the "Dinosaurs Then and Now" tour for the DVD release of Dinosaurs Dinosaurs Dinosaurs, this video shows yours truly along with host Eric Boardman, producer and director Richard Jones,and the rest of the Kickstarter tour backers on our limo trip through L.A. Listen as we here Richard talk about Canadian film crews, and recount our favorite moments from the show!

Success!

Well, the Kickstarter campaign was a success! Thanks to all the fans out there who helped complete the Gary and Eric dinosaur documentary package, and especially those of you who joined me in the grand tour! Over time I'll have more Gary and Eric stuff to show you, so stay tuned to this blog for more exciting videos and images.

Gary and Eric at Kingdom of the Dinosaurs

Here is some raw footage of Gary and Eric at Knotts Berry Farm, on their now defunct ride, Kingdom of the Dinosaurs (1987-2004). You can see a lot of good information on the ride here at the Knotts Preserved website, http://www.knottspreserved.com/Site/1982_-_2010/Pages/Kingdom_of_the_Dinosaurs.html

This was shot for Son of Dinosaurs, and you may recognize some of the cuts, only now you can hear Richard Jones in the background!

And don't forget about the Kickstarter! We're halfway there and need to keep the momentum going to get all the dinosaur show re-released in their DVD glory!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dinos/save-dinosaurs-dinosaurs-dinosaurs-from-extinction

Kickstart A Dinosaur! Save DINOSAURS, DINOSAURS, DINOSAURS From Extinction!

Richard Jones, producer of the Gary and Eric documentaries, has just launched a Kickstarter page to help drum up funds for the next Gary and Eric dinosaur show DVD!


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dinos/save-dinosaurs-dinosaurs-dinosaurs-from-extinction

Click that! ^

Is your favorite show not on the first DVD?! (Dinosaurs Dinosaurs Dinosaurs sadly isn't!) Then I bet it's probably on the second! With Kickstarter, you can pledge to donate money (and receive various rewards) and you won't be charged unless the project completes its goal; virtually a non-losing proposition!

I've just donated, but between you and me I have my eye on that Grand Tour package sitting around the 2.5k mark...if any 3 people wanna split  625 bucks with me we, drop me a line...

In any case, if you love dinosaurs, if you love Gary and Eric and if you love opening your wallet and pledging money to back wonderful projects such as this one, then who am I to stop you?! Go ahead! And be sure to spread the word to all dinosaur and Gary/Eric fans. Let's do this, people!

Gary, Eric, Lisa, those Two Girls, the Smartest Kid in the World, and Lee van Cleef

Here is some more footage from Knotts Berry farm, showing Gary interviewing an interpreter named Lisa at the end of the ride, then Eric romping around the park interviewing the locals. That kid really is amazing. I bet he saw some of the earlier Gary and Eric shows.

But do you see that train scene near the end there? In Son of Dinosaurs this is where Gary and Eric first bump into their soviet spy. But did you know the train scene was originally written for a spaghetti western star? Producer Richard Jones explains...
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Here’s a little behind-the-scenes trivia now that Dinosaur Theatre has posted the clip of the “A Spy Tails Gary and Eric”:

When “Son of Dinosaurs” began production it was planned that the total running time was going to be about 88 minutes so that it could air in syndication as two, 1- hour specials. The clip posted was going to be the reintroduction to the plot at the beginning of part 2. Anyway, for a variety of reasons, and the fact that the Disney Channel licensed the programs, the plan changed to make just a one part hour show. Some of the material that later showed up in “Return of Dinosaurs” was actually stuff that was shot to be in “Son of Dinosaurs”, including the rest of Eric’s trip to Canada and the Albertosaurus unveiling in New Mexico.

Probably the most interesting thing that almost happened, was that “the man who will stop at nothing to get the egg” was not going to be a Russian spy, but rather “Spaghetti Western” icon Lee Van Cleef. I had worked with Lee on a Civil War documentary (see photo) a few months before starting plans for “Son of Dinosaurs”.

We began talking about doing a cameo in a kid’s-show, and he seemed to like the idea. The script was written with him in mind. If you look at the train scene at Knott’s Berry Farm, it is clearly referencing Lee’s first scene in “For A Few Dollars More”. Lee and I even got to the point of discussing wardrobe to replicate that look. When I told Knott’s that Lee may be coming to do the scene, the cowboy performers there were thrilled with the idea of having the bad guy from classic Westerns from “High Noon” to “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” spending some time at Knott’s.

Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, the stumbling block was money. These were low-budget children’s documentary productions and Lee (or maybe his agent) couldn't rationalize working for so little. In fairness to the other performers, I couldn't offer more. I hired Alex Rodine, and he did a great job. He had played many enemy agents over a long movie and television career, and liked the idea of doing something for his grandson.



At the time, I was of course disappointed, but it probably didn't make much difference in the kid’s-show universe. It would have been interesting to get Lee and Jimmy Stewart in the same room again – they had worked together in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” and “How The West Was Won”…but it wouldn't have meant much to dinosaur-loving kids. Over the long haul, it may have given some cult status to “Son of Dinosaurs”.

Richard Jones- Producer