Santa Monica, CA, Friday, October 30, 2009, after 17,520 hours of badly needed slumber, the famous “Santa Monica Dragon†emerged from its secret cave to claim its rightful place in the kingdom of Santa Monica.
Dragon creator and ghoulish dragon rider, Dr. Tim Katzen, a local Sunset Park resident, has a passion for dragons. Fondly also named, “Tim’s Dragon†by his family and friends, the dragon has had many evolutions since its early days. Starting out on an old wiggly push type wheel chair, it evolved to an electric chair, a golf cart, and to the current drivable version. Today’s dragon is built on an old retired utility diesel paneled truck equipped with a gas powered extension cherry picker, which will be converted to the neck and smoke blowing head.
The dragon is a hobby for Katzen, but comes together with a tremendous amount of help from his wife, Debbie Wong, and his friends.
The fierce winged smoke blowing dragon has earned its notoriety over the years. In the past, the dragon was spotted at St. Matthew’s Parish School in Pacific Palisades to welcome the celebrated author, Cornelia Funke, writer of the Dragon Rider series.
This fantastic dragon mostly comes out during Halloween with Katzen seated on top, dressed as the ghoulish dragon rider. Under the cover of dark, the dragon travels from its secret hiding place to various exciting locations.
Dr. Tim Katzen lives in Santa Monica together with his wife Debbie Wong and their two daughters, Melanie (10yrs old) and Shelby (1).
