Finally some dinosaurs

Dinos are truly fascinating. Their fossils spark the imaginations of kids and kids-at-heart. It's no surprise that Jurassic Park 4 (Jurassic World) is on the way. Then when you combine the talents of three people that also happen to like dinosaurs a lot, you get something like this:

Volume Two of the Ask DG young reader series is available now in paperback and Kindle!

Written by Mark Miller from questions asked to Dinosaur George Blasing by real kids, this book is perfect for young paleo-enthusiasts. Kindergarten through Second Grade can easily read this on their own and gain new facts with a touch of humor.

The real gems in this book, however, are the illustrations. Artist Victor Donahue makes his debut publication with impressive, detailed and entertaining images. Dino-fans will love Victor's incredible full-color drawings!

Order today to receive your book in time for Christmas! 

Paperbacks are available from MillerWords.com (autographed by author and illustrator) or DinosaurGeorge.com (autographed by Dinosaur George). Or get the Kindle version HERE.

Artist Interview - Gabe Bush

You know how they say, "It takes a village to raise a child"? Well, publishing a book does not take quite that many, but it helps to have several talented people working together. In this case, Gabe Bush brought his skill as an artist to our little project Dinosaur George and the Paleonauts. Gabe designed and illustrated the cover, as well as some really excellent insets for the chapter headings.

Of course, Loki is not in our book, but I wanted to start this interview showing Gabe's range. He has an impressive background, drawing characters from Asgard to Oz and everywhere in between. And yes, he has done some of them professionally. Now check out the cover for our book:

MM: Gabe, thanks for taking the time to talk with me today. Why don't we begin at the beginning? Please share some of your background and where you honed your skill.

GB: I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. As a kid I remember drawing super heroes a lot, the typical ones like Superman, Batman, the Hulk and Spiderman. Every now and then I would draw some landscape scenes too. One landscape scene I remember drawing often were waterfalls crashing against the rocks below. I’m not sure why I drew that so much, a lot of Bob Ross influence I guess, hahaha. I don’t do a lot of landscape scenes now, though I should. Aside from that, I got my associates in sequential art at San Antonio College and interned a few times at a comic company in San Antonio called Antarctic Press.

MM: So, you went from a boyhood fan to an industry professional. I know you work in education. That is definitely a high value for the Dinosaur George Company. George Blasing has a way of attracting like-minded people. Ultimately, it is about the kids. It seems that you have similar goals. Beyond your drawing, what do you like to do?

GB: I like to spend time with my wife and two girls. It sounds cliche, but kids grow up fast and I only wish I had more time to spend with them. In addition to spending time with my family I try to spend time building up my portfolio. Splitting up my time between the things I enjoy doing can be difficult though. Looking back now, I regret not having spent more time and dedication building up my portfolio before I got a family of my own, instead of getting up at 4 or 5 in the morning to do that now. Hindsight right?

MM: When you are doing something you love, there is not much room for regret. It is great that you enjoy your family. For me personally, my wife and children are my motivation. At least in your social media, it appears that yours are the same. You seem to have a very supportive wife who is also your Number One Fan. What do they think of your artwork?

GB: They think it's awesome—at least that's what they tell me! My whole family is very supportive in what I do, my wife especially. So much so that she even saved up money from her photography business that she does, Heidi’s Portrait Design (shameless plug, I know) and had a portion of the garage made into a room to be my very own man cave/art studio. How awesome is that! She’s not too crazy about the buxom beauties that I sometimes draw though—I like the old school pin up art of the 50’s and 60’s (Gil Elvgren is one of the best)—but she is still very supportive.

MM: Old School Pin Ups, huh? Aren't we all entitled to a guilty pleasure? Mine happens to be zombies. I haven't missed an episode of The Walking Dead. As a writer, my job is to use words to create pictures in people's heads. You do things the other way around - taking something out of your head and put it out there for the world to see. Would you say that is the best thing about your work?

GB: I would take that a step further. It's being able to see the fruits of my labor. It's all well and good finishing a piece and seeing it on the computer monitor or on the paper I drew it on, but to actually have something of mine printed out and used by people, shared amongst people, seeing that people like it enough to talk about it, I think that is what is best about it all.

MM: And like the image above from Dinosaur George and the Paleonauts, it really adds something special. Both Dinosaur George and I were so impressed with your work. It transformed our little story and took it to a new level. And we have received great feedback from our young fans. We all enjoy the benefits of our creativity, but tell me what is the most challenging thing about your work?

GB: That would have to be. . . me! I am really one of the hardest critics of my work. I also have a hard time receiving compliments because of it. I’ll finish an art piece and look at it thinking that I could have done better or see the things I messed up on. The other thing that gets me the most is my attention span. I’ll work on a piece and then get an idea or see something that sparks another idea and then I’ll go off and try working on that. I'll keep doing that, until eventually I’ll have all these pieces that have been started on, but not completed. That is probably the MOST annoying challenge.

MM: Oh, the burden of being TOO gifted? Just kidding. I understand where the muse takes you, you have to go. I know you could see something on TV or hear something one of your children says and then you are off on a whole new tangent. It comes down to focus and discipline for any type of artist. I have a sense of what fuels your creativity, but who, or what, influences your artistic style and direction?

GB: Here is another indecisive moment for me. There have been a lot of different artists that have inspired me throughout the years. To name a few and in no particular order, they have been well-known comic artists, Joe Madureira, Jim Lee, J. Scott Campbell, Humberto Ramos, Edgar Delgado, Adam Hughes, to amazing digital artists like Stanley Lau (Artgerm), Warren Louw, Charlie Bowater, Ray Frenden, Loopydave and Serge Birault (PapaNinja) to famous illustrators and designers such as Sam Spratt, Olly Moss, Drew Struzan, Norman Rockwell and Alphonse Mucha!!....ARRRGH! I can’t do it!...I can’t!...I just can’t say that there has been one person who has influenced me the most. I guess that's a good thing though—art is a living thing, it changes with the times and so should your inspiration.

MM: That is an impressive list. I will leave it to our readers to Google those names. I am sure they will have a rich gallery to view. Now, we have come to the part of the interview where I like to have a little fun. Sometimes, I think asking unusual or humorous questions gives us a special insight that the "safe" questions don't. So, going off the path, tell us something that is not common knowledge about you?

GB: I’m not crazy about swimming. I’ll get in the pool every now and then with the kiddoes, but God gave me two legs to walk with, not two fins to swim with, hahaha.

MM: I'm not big on swimming either. I'm sure it had nothing to do with watching Jaws as a young child. As an artist and a big time superhero fan, if you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?

GB: Ugh, I'm a very indecisive person, well sometimes I am...dah, see what I mean! I like many characters for many reasons. I like Superman and Hulk because they can fly or jump really high and are really strong (I've had many dreams where I'm flying and upon waking up I've had to actually confirm it was just a dream). I enjoy running, so I also like The Flash because of his super speed. That would be awesome to get around that fast! I also really like Batman and Wolverine for their ferocity, cunningness and fighting skills. Hmm, since you are asking for ANY fictional character, I'm going to have to go with the hardly spoken of character, Superhulkflashbatverine, its a mouthful I know. He exists, really, just take my word for it and don't ask anyone.

MM: Superhulkflashbatverine? Sounds a little suspect, but I will let you have that one if you can produce an illustration. I will be watching for it on your Facebook page (link below). Since you mention both Superman and the Hulk, I will bring up a debate that I have had with my own children. With you being something of an expert, who do you think would win between Superman and the Hulk, if they crossed over from their respective universes?

GB: Hmm, thats a tuff one. Superman was always my favorite growing up, but my wife and kids say that I act like the Hulk sometimes because I can get pretty grumpy, hahaha. I'm going to take the middle road and say that it would be a tie. I imagine that they would both eventually just tire each other out and fall on the ground for a nap.

MM: A draw huh? Sounds like you took the easy way out. Then we will leave it to the readers of this interview - please comment below who you think would win that epic battle. Whoever gets the most votes (Superman or Hulk), will be declared the winner. For the sake of our poll, they exist in our current reality - that means no Kryptonite, no additional Gamma radiation and no other superheroes. Gabe, thank you again for visiting with me today. Let's wrap this up with where people can connect with you.

GB: I have a few places on the interwebs that I hang out at. Like I said earlier, I like pin up art so beware the buxom beauties. Consider yourself warned :P

https://www.facebook.com/gabebush.fanpage

http://pgmb.deviantart.com

http://gabebush-art.tumblr.com

Dinosaur George and the Paleonauts is available on Amazon Kindle and will be a Kindle Countdown Deal beginning March 20th. You can get it here: http://amzn.to/18R8WNt

Autographed books are available from the Dinosaur George Store: store.dinosaurgeorge.com

Also available from Dinosaur George Media:

(in print at the DG Store or on Kindle)

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. If you enjoyed this interview, please let me know in the comments below or join me on Facebook.

www.FB.com/MarkMillerAuthor

Interview with Dinosaur George Blasing Part Two

My first post of 2014. Either I've been lazy or I was saving the first post for something good. Let's go with the second one and say Happy New Year!

Some exciting things have happened since last we spoke with our friend Dinosaur George.

The biggest of those is the debut of Dinosaur George Media and its first publication:

Dinosaur George and the Paleonauts

Episode One: Raptor Island

This exciting middle-grade reader is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle.

Order your exclusive autographed copy directly from Dinosaur George at this link:

Dinosaur George Store

With that out of the way, on to what you've been waiting for! This is part two of the highly popular interview with Dinosaur George Blasing - the man, myth and legend. (read part one HERE)

MM: Welcome back to the sequel! Last time, we talked about our young reader picture book, Ask DG (which you can get in Paperback or Kindle). This time, we are going to discuss the new middle-grade chapter book series: Dinosaur George and the Paleonauts. Readers can find out more about the book by reading the synopsis at the end of this interview. What I want to know is do you have anything specific you want to say to your readers in your writing and speaking events?

DG: The most important thing I can tell you is that you should read as many books about paleontology as possible. We all have favorite books, but if you just read the same book over and over, you’ll only learn what is in that book. If you read a lot of different books, then you’ll be much more knowledgeable about the study of prehistoric life. And the more you read, the more you learn. And that is what makes science so much fun!

MM: That's one of the things I like about Paleonauts. It is a great adventure story with plenty of your trademark humor, but also it is educational. There is even a section at the back of the book called "Paleofacts" which gives interesting details about the dinosaurs in the story. And trust me, they are not your common Hollywood dinos. It takes someone with a real knowledge and passion for the subject to incorporate unique and accurate details like these. I understand that the concept for this story has been on your "To Do" list for five years or more. You've had plenty of time to think about the story. In creating your adventure, what do you think makes a good story?

DG: To me, a good story is one that makes you never want to put the book down. I love stories that make you excited, happy, or sometimes a little scared. But most importantly, a good story must have a hero who is kind, and treats people with respect. I like stories that have bad guys, or villains, as long as they get what they deserve in the end. I also think a story has to have some humor. When you read something that makes you laugh out loud, THAT is a good story!

MM: I absolutely agree. A truly good story should elicit a range of emotions, not simply tension or humor. I am particularly pleased with our results on Paleonauts. We managed to create a fun adventure, put the characters in a little danger and even some comic relief. I think a lot of young people will have a hard time putting this one down. Part of the pleasure for me working with you is that we share a lot of common values. It seemed to come easy for us to put those morals and lessons into the story without standing on a soap box (except for right now). I think most of our values are instilled on us when we are young. I don't think we have to go quite all the way back to the Mesozoic, but can you tell us about your life growing up? For example, did they have electricity? Ha, ha, ha!

DG: Too funny! Yes, we had electricity in the 19...[coughs - rest of year is inaudible]. I was born at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. But we moved when I was very young, so I don’t remember very much about it. We lived in a small city in Maryland and I can remember going to the Smithsonian Institute all the time. But we moved to a farm near the city of Hondo Texas and I started the 2nd grade there. Almost all of my childhood memories were growing up on the farm. We had cows, chickens, pigs, horses, goats, geese, sheep, turkeys, and many other animals. We even had a pet owl, raccoon and opossum at one time. I had a very fun and wonderful childhood. I spent hundreds of hours looking for Indian artifacts, studying the animals, fishing and, of course, hunting for fossils.

MM: It sounds like your time on the farm had a big influence on the man you have become. Judging from your social media presence, it appears that your family was a major part of that and you seem to be very close. What do they think of your work?

DG: My parents, and brothers and sisters are very supportive of what I do. I know they are proud of how I’ve dedicated my life to teaching children. Because I travel a lot, I don’t get to see my family as often as I wish I could. But when I do see them, they all want to know where I have traveled, and what new discoveries I have made. It’s kind of funny to hear them call me “Dinosaur George” instead of just “George”.

MM: Look at all the space we've filled up already. It seems when we get together, we never run out of things to say. With so much hot air between, we should enter a hot air balloon race! I want to end this section of the interview with a thought and a question. One of our goals with the Paleonauts series is to make paleo-education fun for our readers. One can hope and dream that our story can be life-changing, but my question is: what are some books that were life-changing for you?

DG: There are two books that have had a very big impact on my life. One of them was titled Dinosaurs and more Dinosaurs. It was written in 1965 and it was the first dinosaur book I ever read. I can remember how much I wished the pages would come to life so that I could see a living dinosaur. I checked that book out at our school library so many times, I almost had it memorized. The second book that really changed my life was called Dinosaur Heresies. It was written by one of my favorite paleontologist Dr. Robert Bakker. This book changed the way I looked at dinosaurs. When I was young I thought dinosaurs were nothing more than giant lizards. But “Dinosaur Heresies” demonstrated that dinosaurs were more like birds, and were much faster and smarter than we thought.

There is still plenty more from Dinosaur George.

Subscribe to my blog by so you don't miss Part Three.

Up at that top left, you can "Follow by Email".

About the book: 

Dinosaur George’s uncle is missing! 

Professor Stone was the world’s leading paleontologist. At least, until the day he disappeared. Now George is searching for him. 
No one knows where Professor Stone is, but that’s not the only problem. They don’t know when he is either. Thanks to Dr. Morgan’s invention, the professor is lost in time. 
To save his uncle, George joins a team of scientists and explorers. Armed with hi-tech gadgets, they will travel 65 million years into the past. Only history knows what they will discover. 

Will George be the first human to see a living dinosaur? 

Will he find his uncle before it’s too late? 

Episode One: Raptor Island takes George to the Late Cretaceous of Southern Asia. It’s his first real chance to try out his amazing equipment and hopefully find a clue to Professor Stone’s whereabouts. But something is waiting on the island. 

In a story packed with humor and excitement, experience the past like never before. Learn about dinosaurs and all of the latest theories of their existence. Don’t miss the PaleoFacts at the end of each episode with all the dino-details.

In the next post, we will have some more information on the Paleonauts artist, Gabe Bush.

Until then, find us on Facebook:

Dinosaur George

Mark Miller Author

Gabe Bush Illustrator

      

Interview with Dinosaur George Blasing

Part One

I currently have a young reader picture book available from Dinosaur George Media and co-authored with "Dinosaur George" Blasing. It is my great privilege to call him friend first and co-author second. He is kind and generous. His dedication to children and education is exceptional. Whew! Got all the flattery out of the way up front. Now I can get into the embarrassing stuff. If you don't already know George, I hit him with the hard questions in this interview.

MM: I know this one is a high priority. For anybody that follows you on Facebook, we know you have a "rocky" history with an un-named Ex-Wife and her mother. Can we get intimate for a moment? What inspires these jokes? Have you ever been married?

DG: Ah, my famous mothers in law jokes are truly classics. LOL. I’ve been married twice, but I am not married any longer. Honestly, both of my ex-wives and ex-mothers-in-law were the nicest people you could meet. I have a very good relationship with all of them and I don’t have anything bad to say about them at all. I just like telling jokes about them because it makes people laugh. My biggest worry is that one day they’ll read my jokes and come hunting for me.

MM: That is something I've noticed about you. You definitely like to laugh. That must come from spending all day with hundreds of kids. I wonder what a day with Dinosaur George would be like?

DG: I think people would be surprised to find out that I am actually very quiet when I’m not performing in front of an audience. I don’t like being in large crowds and I stay away from big public events, like sporting events, concerts, etc. I feel like I give all of my energy when I’m speaking to the public, and so I really need some down time to myself to rest up. When I’m off, I often do things by myself just so I don’t have to have a conversation with anyone. I’ve performed live to well over 2 million people in my career, and I would rather speak to a huge crowd instead of a small group. But once I am finished performing, I like going to my hotel room and not going out to see the sights or hang out with friends. It’s such the opposite of what people expect.

MM: Funny that you say "when you are off". It seems that you are constantly working. You are always heading to a school or library. It is apparent that kids and their education are very important to you. When you do get a few seconds of alone time, what do you like to do?

DG: I have three favorite things to do when I’m not working. First, I like to go fishing. I have loved fishing since I was very young, and my favorite place to go is the Texas coast. I like fishing in the ocean. Second, I like to go to my family ranch and look at the wildlife. I study modern animals so that I can learn how they behave in nature. Not only do I find this very relaxing, but it gives me insight into how prehistoric animals may have behaved. And third, I like to go fossil hunting! I’ve had the chance to dig for fossils all over North America. I really like looking for dinosaur bones, but I also like looking for prehistoric mammals too. It is so awesome when you find something cool, like a tooth or claw. Maybe someday you can join me in a fossil hunt. Maybe we’ll find a Tyrannosaurus!

MM: Some people might think that fossil hunting is the only thing a paleontologist does. However, you also consider yourself an educator. Each provides its own challenges. What do you consider particularly challenging?

DG: The most challenging part of my job is convincing some children that some of the things they see on television or on line are not scientifically accurate. The Jurassic Park movies were very exciting and looked quite realistic, but unfortunately they included a lot of things that were not accurate. For instance, Velociraptors were depicted as being taller than a human, when in fact they were actually smaller than a large dog. It’s sometimes difficult to explain to young children that the movie was wrong. A book of fiction, like ours, is made for fun. But we work very hard to insure that the information about the dinosaurs is as scientifically accurate as possible. 

MM: Since you mentioned the book (the first of many), let's switch focus. Our first book together is called Ask DG. It is a young reader, which means it is ideal for ages 5 to 10. The concept is based on your YouTube series, Ask Dinosaur George. It is non-fiction and presented in a straight forward question and answer format. I appreciate the opportunity to work with you. It's not everyday that an author gets to write with one of his heroes. It was also a distinct pleasure for me to include some illustrations by my son, Zak. He is an incredibly talented young man (all bias aside). Looking at Ask DG the picture book, what do you want to accomplish with it?

DG: I started the “Ask DG” page of my website about 15 years ago because I wanted young people, or anyone for that matter, to be able to ask questions that they might otherwise not be able to get answered. It started off with a handful of people mailing me letters. I would sit down and answer every single letter I received. But soon it became impossible to answer so many letters, so I began to post their questions and my answers on my website. As word spread about my willingness to answer any and all questions, I began to receive hundreds of questions every month. So then I started filming my answers, because it was easier than emailing my answers. Now I receive as many as 1000 questions a month. I wish I could answer every one, but it’s just not possible. But I hope that by answering their questions, it will encourage people to continue to study paleontology.

MM: It definitely does that. I see it as another opportunity to share your knowledge. It is also a lot of fun to create. 

Both the paperback and eBook are available exclusively on Amazon. Readers can get the eBook at this link:

http://amzn.to/18T6hmx

Starting November 22nd, Ask DG will be a Kindle Countdown Deal. On Friday, you will be able to get it for ONLY 99 Cents, but that special price only lasts for 35 hours. Then it goes up to $1.99. Finally at midnight on Sunday, back to the usual $2.99 (which is still a great deal!). Put it on your calendar, or get it today.

Dinosaur George and I had such a great time with this interview that it won't all fit in this one post. Subscribe to my blog by so you don't miss Part Two. Up at that top left, you can "Follow by Email".

Also, be sure to connect with us on Facebook:

Mark Miller Author

Dinosaur George

Illustration by Zak Miller - Dyoplosaurus Giganteus skull

as seen in Ask DG Volume One