Re: Ray Harryhausen passes away

[Dino Guy Ralph <dinoguyralph@gmail.com>]

When I was in high school, Ray Harryhausen responded to a letter my Mom wrote 
asking for advice on how to become a special effects artist. Ray kindly replied 
in a letter, and included black-and-white photos from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. 
He was working on the Golden Voyage at the time. Needless to say, I was 
thrilled! Some time later, I spoke with him in person when I attended a couple 
of his public appearances, telling him, like everybody did, that I loved his 
creatures, and that he was a great inspiration to me. And, yes, I was 
fascinated by his dinosaurs, and the Willis O'Brien dinosaurs that had 
fascinated Ray himself as a youth. Ray's artistry breathed life into these long 
dead creatures, and served as the inspiration for generations of scientists, 
artists, filmmakers, and enthusiasts. Like the fossils of our beloved 
prehistoric beasts, Ray Harryhausen's films will endure long into the future, 
serving as a time capsule, providing evidence for the life and activities of 
this one extraordinary man.

Dino Guy Ralph
Member of Society of Vertebrate Palentology
dinoguyralph@gmail.com