A 1977 graduate of the San Carlos Academy, part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, he was among the contributors of the weekly Barcelona satirical magazine El Papus.

[1] Rey is best known for his innovative work in the field of dinosaur paleoart.

In conjunction with Robert T. Bakker, he promoted awareness of the developing evidence for feathered dinosaurs.

[3] Rey was the main illustrator for Dr. Thomas R. Holtz Jr.'s Dinosaurs (2007), and he won the Two-Dimensional Art category for the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology's 2008 Lanzendorf-National Geographic PaleoArt Prize.

[4] Rey is an expert on Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings and he contributed the liner notes for the Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions live album.