Danny Marianino and Gloria Cavalera teamed up to co-author a book for kids

When it comes to cool art events, The Phoenix Zoo has been straight-up ruling the roost (pun intended) lately.

The Wild Side Gallery, focused on conservation, has a collection of comic book art that a person could go ape for. Additionally, on Saturday, November 8, the Zoo and the gallery welcome local author and musician, Danny Marianino, to celebrate the release of his latest book, “Dana and the Lost Lizard,” with a meet and greet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Marianino is the author of several books, including his first book, “Don’t Punch a Rock Star,” which chronicles the aftermath of knocking out infamous heavy rocker, Glenn Danzing, in 2004. (Full disclosure: Marianino and I were bandmates at the time and technically still are since our band, North Side Kings, has never officially broken up)

Some of his more recent titles, like “Night of the GabaGhoul” and “It Blows My Mind,” have been part of his partnership with Australian illustrator Mick Lambrou, and “Dana and the Lost Lizard” is no different. It is his second children’s book, and this time he has a longtime Valley rock ‘n’ roll manager, Gloria Cavalera, as a co-author.

The book is, in many ways, a tribute to Dana Wells, Gloria Cavalera’s son, who died in 1996 as the result of a tragic incident involving two cars on an early summer morning in August of that year. It’s also an excellent story of a boy who dearly loves his escape artist iguana, Moose. 

The collaboration started with Marianino and Cavalera talking one day about how there were several times Marianino was visiting the Cavaleras, and Wells couldn’t find his iguana. 

“Danny (Marianino) was like, ‘Hey, I want to do a book about Dana always looking for Moose. I think it’ll be a real cool children’s book.’ (Marianino) is just so innovative. It’s very impressive to watch how he does everything,” says Cavalera.

Their friendship goes back to the early 1990s. Cavalera remembers meeting Marianino when Max was recording the album “Point Blank” with his Nailbomb project with Alex Newport in 1993. 

“We needed someone to play a phone trick on, and our friend, ‘Fatty’ (aka Mike McCardle), said he had just met a guy, a funny Italian guy, and they called Danny (to make the prank call). That’s when Danny said, ‘Okay, tough guy,’ and he was just so funny, and crazy,” says Cavalera. 

As a longtime friend of Cavalera and her husband, musician Max (of Soulfly and many others), Marianino was also impacted by the death of Wells, as the two had become friends after Marianino moved to Arizona from his native New Jersey in the early 1990s. The two had connected through the local music scene. 

“I met somebody (in Wells) who I could talk to about the stuff that I liked. He would come up to me at a show and go, ‘Hey, where did you get that Biohazard shirt?’ This was before most people out here knew a lot about them, but he did. Dana was somebody to talk to, and we bonded over music real quick,” says Marianino.

Marianino spoke at length about Wells and the friendship they shared.  This included memories of Wells losing his beloved iguana, Moose, and not knowing exactly where the large lizard was located on numerous occasions. This was the inspiration for the book, but Marianino was not moving forward without Cavalera’s blessing.

“I wanted to do something back. They (the Cavalera family) have done so much for me. I wanted to give them something back. It’s a beautiful thing, and that was my goal,” says Marianino over a cup of coffee in his Scottsdale home. 

The book has all the elements that a good children’s book needs. Lambrou’s art is engaging and captures the spirit of Wells and Moose with both humor and heart. Both Cavalera and Marianino were in awe of how well the illustrator captured her son and his friend, respectively. 

“When I got to the last page, I cried,” says Cavalera before adding, “It’s really a great honor for me, as his mom. I had given Danny some pictures of Dana, and he shared them with his artist. The little details he caught…it’s just amazing.”

“We tried to, you know, in a cartoony way, give him as much realism as we could… We actually gave him the same haircut Dana had as a little kid with that shaved side of his head, but the way Mick (Lambrou) captured him, without ever knowing him, was awesome,” says Marianino. 

Marianino, with Cavalera’s help, has crafted a lovely story with an excellent message about friendship, boundaries, and respect. While Dana and his lost lizard share a wonderful bond, they also understand that when they are apart, the feelings between them are still there and just as powerful as when they are together. 

Who doesn’t need to remember that from time to time?

“It’s a lesson you can take with you as a kid and as a grown-up, whereas you can have a best friend, and you may grow away from that best friend, but that doesn’t mean that that person isn’t still your friend for life,” says Marianino.

Who would have thought that the dude who knocked out Danzig would one day be writing children’s books? It may seem unlikely, but get to know Marianino and spend some time with the Cavaleras, and you’ll quickly realize how much family means to them. Wells was an impressive young man, and the book is a terrific homage to his memory, but “Dana and the Lost Lizard” is something everyone can enjoy. 

Meet author and musician Danny Marianino in the Wild Side Gallery at the Phoenix Zoo on Saturday, November 8, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free with Zoo admission. “Dana and the Lost Lizard” can be purchased here and here.