Issue 157 of “Prehistoric Times” magazine arrived a couple of weeks ago.  It is an engrossing read and as always packed full of interesting articles. This edition celebrates prehistoric life with expert writing, detailed articles and inspiring artwork. Without any further ado let’s get “Prehistoric Times” magazine reviewed.

Talented artist Chuck Egnaczak provides the front cover artwork.  It features the giant Rhizodus of the Early Carboniferous.  Two species are known and it is thought that it was an apex predator in freshwater environments.  The front cover art features this fanged monster with the remains of some of its victims. Chuck Egnaczak is a regular contributor of cover artwork for the magazine. For example, he produced the Gryposaurus artwork for issue 153.

The front cover of “Prehistoric Times” magazine. The artwork is by regular contributor Chuck Egnaczak. Picture credit: Mike Fredericks.

Picture credit: Mike Fredericks

“Prehistoric Times” Magazine Reviewed

Phil Hore discusses the evolutionary history of Rhizodus and explains how fossils were discovered. The article includes lots of amazing Rhizodus artwork including contributions from Yaroslav Koryakov, Wade Carmen, George Feldman and Sam Pickens. We also note the illustration of Rhizodus attacking a canoe by Lloyd Wilkiel and the two, wonderful contributions from M. Elliot Massion.  Many of the illustrations feature early tetrapods meeting their demise.

Fans of the diminutive, bucktoothed Incisivosaurus will not be disappointed with Phil Hore’s second article.  It provides an overview of this bizarre, Early Cretaceous theropod. We note that many of the artists who provided illustrations for the Rhizodus piece also submitted artwork featuring Incisivosaurus. Indeed, front cover artist Chuck Egnaczak submitted a pair of illustrations and artwork from Aaron March, Tim Bollinger from Total Dino and Charles Ferguson is also featured.  In addition, we noted the skull illustrations by editor Mike Fredericks and Paul Passano. Jaime Martinez prefers sculptures to illustrations.  Top marks for his duelling pair of Incisivosaurus and also for his Rhizodus maquette.

Illustrating Hadrosaurs

Tracy L. Ford updates his series looking at how to illustrate hadrosaurs.  For example, he considers the presence of soft tissue structures on the head, the size of the eye and whether duck-billed dinosaurs had cheeks. The palaeoart theme is continued by Allen A. Debus as he describes how prehistoric animal artwork has changed over the decades.  Furthermore, he documents a recent trip to some prehistoric animal themed attractions in the USA.

Randy Knol updates collectors with news about some of the latest prehistoric animal model introductions.  Figures from CollectA and Safari Ltd are discussed along with our own Everything Dinosaur Evolution T. rex. 

Randy concludes:

“I am excited and enthusiastic with the direction being taken by Everything Dinosaur because it matches my own hopes for the direction of the hobby.”

Editor Mike Fredericks examines new PNSO figures and also praises the Everything Dinosaur Evolution T. rex model.

The print advert for the Everything Dinosaur Evolution T. rex which is in issue 157 of the magazine. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The first four models in the “Evolution” series feature dinosaurs from the Hell Creek Formation.  Sam Allred penned a short story featuring dinosaurs from this geological formation writing about a Tyrannosaurus rex seeking a meal.  Palaeontologist Kenneth Carpenter continues analysing dinosaur footprints and John “Jack” Horner reflects on how our knowledge of the Dinosauria has changed over his long career.

Mike Fredericks reviews the latest book releases.  This section includes a review of the three separate volumes of the “Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs”.  Written by Bryce Jones these books catalogue every known species of sauropod, ornithischian and theropod dinosaur.  The third book in a series documenting the remarkable contribution of Czech artist Zdeněk Burian is also included.  Entitled “The Prehistoric World of Zdeněk Burian: The Path to Humans”, it focuses on the evolution of hominins and includes many examples of Burian’s sumptuous artwork.

On the subject of Burian, John Lavas continues his exploration of the Czech artist. Issue 157 covers Burian’s work on prehistoric rhinos and tapirs. There are some wonderful illustrations of Coelodonta.

The photograph of some early Aurora “Prehistoric Scenes” was a joy to behold in the Collector’s Corner section and rare Marx dinosaur figures are highlighted by Pat Schaefer.  Robert Telleria writes about Miller pewter models, and the back cover features some fantastic palaeoart by J. A. Chirinos.

Monster from the Deep

Talented model maker Sean Kotz guides readers through a marine reptile build.  An Elasmosaurus in 1:35 scale model designed by Dino and Dog Miniatures is skilfully constructed and painted.  The master model maker provides an informative and highly practical guide to constructing an Elasmosaurus figure, offering readers valuable insight into the techniques behind a professional-quality finish. The article carefully documents each stage of the build, from initial assembly through to the meticulous filling and smoothing of seams to ensure a clean, realistic form.

Talented model maker Sean Kotz provides details of an Elasmosaurus model build.

The application of primer is clearly explained, highlighting its importance in preparing the surface for paint. The feature concludes with a detailed overview of the painting process, with Kotz sharing tips on layering, colour selection, and subtle detailing to bring this iconic marine reptile convincingly to life.

In summary, issue 157 of Prehistoric Times proves to be another strong addition to this long-running and much-respected title. With its balanced mix of well-researched articles, expert contributions, and inspiring artwork, the magazine continues to appeal to a wide audience, from dedicated collectors to those with a broader interest in prehistoric life.

To subscribe to “Prehistoric Times” magazine: Subscribe to the Magazine.