A Review of Prehistoric Times (Fall 2012)

The autumn 2012 edition of Prehistoric Times, the magazine for dinosaur fans and model collectors has arrived and as always there is a scramble amongst as to who gets to read it first.  Inside this quarterly magazine there is an exclusive interview with the grandson of the famous Czechoslovakian artist Znedek Burian, a brilliant illustrator of prehistoric animals and a man whose paintings have graced countless books about dinosaurs.

For fans of Placoderms there is a feature on how a giant Dunkleosteus model was made for use in American museums and Tracy Lee Ford presents a highly informative piece on the pathology found within dinosaur fossil specimens.  The two main prehistoric animals featured in this edition are the Diplodocid Amargasaurus, as we tend to call this animal “the dinosaur that thought it was a dragon” – see the pictures and drawings to get what we mean and the voracious Repenomamus – a mammal that fed on dinosaurs.

The Latest Edition of Prehistoric Times

Prehistoric Times (Autumn 2012) reviewed.

Picture Credit: Prehistoric Times

Gregory S Paul’s and his amazing book “The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs” is updated with the author himself providing information on the books content, its layout and introducing some new ideas and illustrations.  ”The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs”, is to be found on our office shelves it is regularly read by our team members and it is super book which we highly recommend.  Note to other Everything Dinosaur team members we must include this volume in our blog series about favourite dinosaur books.

Lots of updates about fossil finds in the Palaeo. news section including information on the new feathered dinosaur discovery Sciurumimus, look out for the Tyrannosaurus rex skull drawing done by Mike Fredericks (magazine editor) on page 48, we recognise this drawing as this is the illustration that Mike provided us when we asked him for a motive to help us with a T-shirt design project we have been working on.

As always, Prehistoric Times is packed full of model reviews and news stories, congratulations to Mike Landry for his superb, fuzzy Amargasaurus illustration, my nieces particular favourite in this edition.

Prehistoric Times, an excellent magazine for the serious dinosaur fan, to visit Prehistoric Times website, simply click the link below:

Visit Prehistoric Times: Prehistoric Times Magazine

Prehistoric Times (Issue 102) Reviewed

It may not feel like Summer in the United Kingdom, we have joked that British Summer Time (BST) should be changed to British Soggy Time after all the bad weather, but the Summer edition of Prehistoric Times has just arrived.

Prehistoric Times is a magazine dedicated to all things to do with dinosaur and prehistoric animal models and collecting. It also contains lots of information and articles related to fossil discoveries as well as tonnes of reader submitted artwork and illustrations.

The Summer edition features Giganotosaurus, perhaps the largest carnivorous dinosaur known to science (although Spinosaurid fans may dispute this).  The magazine’s Phil Hore has provided a highly informative article about this South American giant.  The other type of prehistoric animal featured – the Oreodonts (prehistoric mammals) provide a nice contrast and it is great to see this important group of animals and their thousands of fossils discussed in this magazine.

Tracy Ford’s contribution is a fascinating article on how to illustrate (or not illustrate) the skull fenestrae of Theropod dinosaurs and there are well-written articles on new museum exhibits at the Houston Museum of Natural History (Texas) and the Peabody Museum.

The Front Cover of Prehistoric Times (Summer 2012)

Giganotosaurus Featured on the Front Cover of "PT 102"

Picture Credit: Everything Dinosaur

Some of the artwork submitted by readers is truly amazing.  We particularly loved the Giganotosaurus illustrations by Damir Martin and the close up of those fearsome jaws by Robert Nicholls.  The artwork sent in by younger fans (Kretaceous Kids Korner) made us jealous, they are all much better than we could do.

To visit the Prehistoric Times website: Prehistoric Times

Lots of model and replica reviews plus updates on new model introductions as well as information relating to the latest dinosaur and other prehistoric animal discoveries – certainly a jam packed edition of this quarterly magazine.  Prehistoric Times is now available digitally with electronic versions available for various applications – very clever.

Prehistoric Times (issue 102)

The next edition of the quarterly magazine Prehistoric Times is out next week.  Mike Fredericks, the editor of this prestigious magazine for dinosaur fans and dinosaur model collectors sent us a picture of the front cover.   We can’t wait to get our copy, Mike tells us in an email that he will start shipping copies next week.

Summer 2012 Edition of Prehistoric Times

Giganotosaurus on the front cover

Picture Credit: Mike Fredericks/Prehistoric Times

It looks like the Giganotosaurus depicted on the front cover has been in a fight.  From the puncture wounds and cuts on the snout and jaws we could surmise that this is a result of face-biting between two of these huge, fearsome creatures.  Pathology on the jaws and snouts of Theropod dinosaurs suggests that such intraspecific combats did occur (competition between two animals of the same species).  These fights could have been between siblings to establish dominance, or within adult animals to establish a hierarchy within a pack, or possible fights over females between males or squabbles over a kill.  With a skull measuring around six feet in length and with jaws liked with re-curved and very sharp teeth  you would not want to get into an argument with a Giganotosaurus.

To visit the Prehistoric Times website and subscribe: Prehistoric Times

Packed full of features, reviews, news about the latest fossil discoveries this magazine is ideal for grown up dinosaur fans and model collectors – we heartily recommend it.

Review of Issue 101 of Prehistoric Times

Prehistoric Times, the dinosaur fan and model collector’s must have magazine starts its next one hundred issues with an edition that balances the latest dinosaur replica news, fossil finds and discoveries with some thoughtful retrospectives on the inspirational artwork of Charles R Knight, a countdown of the top ten dinosaur cinema battles of all time and a wonderful insight into the attempts of fans of the original King Kong film to recreate a lost scene from the movie.

The front cover, shows part of the stunning painting of Tyrannosaurus rex in a stand off against Triceratops. The artwork was created by Charles R Knight and the full mural can be seen in the Field Museum, Chicago, we think.  Charles R Knight was one of the most important and influential illustrators of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals in the latter part of the 19th and the first part of the 20th Centuries.  Prehistoric Times pays tribute to his ground-breaking artistic endeavours and features an interview with Richard Milner author of a new book highlighting the great man’s contribution.

Prehistoric Times Front Cover – Issue 101

Charles R. Knight's Work is Celebrated in the latest edition of PT.

Picture Credit: Mike Fredericks/Everything Dinosaur

Amongst all the usual inclusions, letters from dinosaur fans and collectors, updates on new replicas plus some brief reports on the latest fossil discoveries there is the second part of the excellent “Tree Climbing Theropods” article written by Tracy Lee Ford. In this thoughtful piece, the author asks if some dinosaurs could perch, how did they get into the trees in the first place?  In addition, there is a detailed feature on one of our favourite Lambeosaurine Hadrosaurus – Corythosaurus and a special section featuring that bizarre, toothed sea-bird Hesperornis.

Tying in with the magazine’s social media activities there is a run down of the top ten dinosaur movie fights of all time as suggested by readers and the third part of the story of Invicta dinosaurs researched and written by our own dear chum Anthony Beeson.

Packed with more things to excite a dinosaur than a palaeontologist’s rucksack after a visit to Lyme Regis at low tide, Prehistoric Times is an essential read.

To visit the Prehistoric Times website: Prehistoric Times

Worth a special mention is the fascinating but all too brief article on the dedicated work of a group of King Kong devotees who are busily re-creating one of the lost scenes that never made it from storyboard into the finished movie – the infamous “Spider Pit” scene.  After being tossed into a ravine by the giant ape, the terrified men who have survived the fall; battle with an astonishing array of fearsome monsters.   Having discussed the original 1933 film with colleagues, we think that the scene was never added to the final film as it was thought to be too shocking.  I’m sure the experts at KongisKing.net will be able to give us a steer.

Hopefully, we will be hearing more about the work of the King Kong fans in future editions and for the time being issue 101 of Prehistoric Times has more than enough contained within it to keep us going.

Prehistoric Times Reaches its Century

Prehistoric Times, the magazine for dinosaur fans and prehistoric animal merchandise collectors is celebrating its 100th edition.  Yes, in a feat not matched by any English batsman in the current Test series against Pakistan, Prehistoric Times (PT to its friends) has reached 100 not out.

First of all we should congratulate all those dedicated people involved in producing such an excellent quarterly magazine.   Issue 100, in common with all the other editions of this magazine is absolutely jam-packed full of interesting articles, updates and Dinosauria related data.

Mike Fredericks, the dedicated editor of the magazine published the last issue with two different front covers, a boon for collectors, and in keeping with this very special publication, the 100th issue has also been produced with two front cover versions.  Spanish artist Raul Martin has provided the artwork for one of the covers.  His picture depicts an encounter between Deinosuchus and the Tyrannosaur; Albertosaurus.  However, we received at Everything Dinosaur’s office the second front cover version.  A beautiful illustration done by our chum Fabio Pastori entitled “The Airbender”.  Fabio’s front cover picture features Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus and a prehistoric bird known as Enantiornithes.   Super artwork – both pictures are worthy of gracing issue 100 of PT

 The Two Front Covers of Prehistoric Times

Celebrating 100th Issue with Two Front Cover Versions

Picture Credit: Raul Martin/Fabio Pastori

Inside this issue, palaeontologist Steve Brusatte provides a review of the last twelve months from a palaeontology perspective, there is a fascinating interview with the highly talented and entirely self-taught Australian artist Peter Schouten – some amazing prehistoric artwork indeed.

Another highlight is a thought provoking article by Tracy Lee Ford – asking the question “Could some Dinosaurs Perch?”.  For the answer, as to whether the likes of Dromaeosaurs were arboreal – well, you will have to buy a copy and see for yourself what conclusions can be drawn.  Talking of drawings, lots of wonderful readers artwork in the features covering one of the front cover stars – Albertosaurus.  There is also a well-written article on our favourite Pelycosaur – Dimetrodon, produced by Phil Hore.

Look out for the feature on the Royal Belgian Museum (Iguanodontids a plenty) and an update on the Dinosaur discoveries of Portugal plus lots more (thanks for the Origin of the Series article to Anthony Beeson), and the Coelodonta replica masterclass by Steven B. DeMarco.

All in all, a super edition of PT, ten out of ten (or should that be 100 out of 100)?

Prehistoric Times Autumn 2011 – Reviewed

And so the penultimate edition of the dinosaur fan’s magazine before that all important centenary issue arrives and what a treat it proves to be.

In a novel twist, this issue of Prehistoric Times is available with two different front covers.  One copy has the armoured dinosaur Gastonia on the front cover, an illustration done especially for the magazine by William Stout.  The second version has a picture of a Styracosaurus model created by that highly talented sculptor and model maker Steve DeMarco.  We think (well actually we know because the editor told us), that there are plans to do something similar with the 100th edition.  For the record we were sent the Styracosaurus cover version and it was great to read the story of how Steve made this model in a feature entitled “One Horned Army”.

Our Prehistoric Times Featuring Styracosaurus

"One Horned Army"

Picture Credit: Mike Fredericks

Amongst all the dinosaur and prehistoric fossil news, there is a super feature written by Tracy Lee Ford on how to draw Terror Birds, all part of his acclaimed “How to draw Dinosaurs” series, we won’t split hairs between avian and non-avian members of the Dinosauria but this article points out some potentially fundamental differences in bird versus dinosaur locomotion.  This suggests that birds may not be a good study model when considering how dinosaurs moved about.

James Field, that fantastic British prehistoric animal artist is interviewed and this edition features several of his beautiful illustrations.  Keeping up the British theme to this edition of Prehistoric Times there is a wonderful article by our dear chum Anthony Beeson on the development of the prehistoric animal model figures produced by the London Natural History Museum in conjunction with Invicta Plastics (Leicester).  The black Scelidosaurus (cost me 27 pence) is still amongst my favourite possessions and it was fascinating to read the first part of this article.  Part two will feature in the next edition.

As if all this and the “Mesozoic Mail” and letters page was not enough, there is even an article celebrating the 150th anniversary of Archaeopteryx and a pictorial tour of the new dinosaur halls at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles.

With a feature on how to build your own model T. rex, an article on Gastonia, product reviews and the chance to enter the annual Prehistoric Times awards there really is some much in this edition, it is going to be hard for the team behind this magazine to top it for that special 100th issue.

To visit the Prehistoric Times website: Prehistoric Times