T. rex Go Boom: The Prehistoric Cartoonery of Dr. Richard Kissel

September 14, 2012 - January 11, 2013

T. rex Go Boom features the scientifically whimsical artwork of paleontologist and cartoonist Dr. Richard Kissel.

Dr. Richard Kissel is a paleontologist, educator, and cartoonist. From the forests of Germany to the deserts of Texas, Richard has excavated the remains of ancient amphibians, early reptiles, and those wonderfully grotesque creatures called dinosaurs. His scientific and popular writings have appeared in a host of publications, including Natural History, and he is a featured scientist online at NOVA's scienceNOW. In March 2012, Richard and his cartoons were featured in the New York Post.

While a love of all things prehistoric led him to scientific research and illustration, a love of creating characters and discovering their personalities led Richard to cartooning. More often than not, the two are inseparable, and T. rex Goes Boom features his latest parade of primeval characters.

Before coming to Ithaca, Richard called Chicago's Field Museum home for five years, where he served as the scientific advisor for the Museum's 27,000-square-foot exhibition on the life's prehistoric past—Evolving Planet. He also co-authored the companion book Evolving Planet: Four Billion Years of Life on Earth. Currently at the Paleontological Research Institution, he also teaches courses at Ithaca College and online for Johns Hopkins University. Most importantly—and with his wife Kelly—Richard cartoons and creates on a nightly basis for his Ithaca-based "our secret treehouse."