Review of Prehistoric Times (Issue 96)

Our copy of Prehistoric Times arrived yesterday, a chance for us to catch up on all things related to prehistoric animal models and palaeontology, plus it reminded us to forward on to the editor some new pictures of the Papo “Dinosaures” releases for 2011.

Prehistoric Times

The front cover of the latest edition of Prehistoric Times features the bizarre, gigantic South American extinct rodent Josephoartigasia as painted by James Gurney.   Described as a cross between a “pig and a rhinoceros”, the author and illustrator of the Dinotopia series comments in a brief article, how he went about creating this artwork.  In another section, James outlines how he went about creating a prehistoric scene showing Titanoboa (the largest snake known to science) constricting a large crocodile.

The Front Cover of Prehistoric Times (Winter 2011)

Picture credit: Mike Fredericks

There is a special feature on those cursorial ornithomimosaurs with lots of artwork and illustrations submitted by readers and it is great to see an extensive and highly informative article on that often over looked group of animals the prehistoric giraffes (no pun intended, as if you could literally overlook a giraffe).

A very handy, double page spread written by the excellent Steve Brusatte of the American Museum of Natural History/Columbia University which highlights some of the most important palaeontological news stories of the last year, plus an informative report on the exhibits to be found at the Field Museum (Chicago) can be found in this edition.

Wonderful to read the article about dinosaur colouring books and how they have changed over the last twenty-five years and we were excited to see that there is going to be a re-issue of that amazing Tyrannosaurus rex 1:13 scale model produced originally by Aurora models back in the 1970s.  One of our team members has this kit somewhere, perhaps we should rebuild it, complete with its glow in the dark teeth and set it up in our boardroom.

Once again, a jam-packed edition and a credit to all the writers and illustrators concerned.

To visit Prehistoric Times website: Prehistoric Times.

Review of Prehistoric Times (Issue 95)

Our copy of Prehistoric Times has just arrived and I have managed to get a quick look before it gets hogged by all the other team members.  Another bumper edition with lots and lots of dinosaur and model making information from the number one magazine for the dinosaur fan and dinosaur model collector.

The first thing to stay about issue 95, the autumn edition, or as our across the Atlantic friends like to say, the fall edition, is the superb artwork on the front cover.

Front Cover Artwork on Prehistoric Times (Issue 95)

Artwork credit: Daren Horley

The front cover features a magnificent picture of that Late Cretaceous bone-headed dinosaur – Dracorex.  It was drawn by Daren Horley, the artist behind the artwork on the “Walking with Dinosaurs” television series and “Primeval”.

Dracorex

A Dracorex featured in series two of Primeval (Impossible Pictures).  In this particular episode time anomolies collide and a English knight from the Middle Ages mistakes a Dracorex for a dragon and evolutionary zoologist Nick Cutter and his team have to break up the ensuing fight and return both parties to their respective time periods.  This issue of Prehistoric Times includes an interview with Daren and displays some of his amazing digital artwork, including some of the animals seen on the television programmes.

There is a special article on Iguanodon and it is great to see one of our many artist chums Richard Bizley, having his artwork displayed (look for it on page 14).  There is lots and lots of artwork to view and as always a summary of the latest dinosaur finds and discoveries.

Best of all, Phil Hore has written a highly informative and entertaining feature on the trilobites, those wonderous arthropods that sadly became extinct at the end of the Permian period.  Lots of really great pictures and information on these amazing creatures from the fossil record.  I look forward to being able to read this article tonight when I finish work.

Another great edition of Prehistoric Times, the magazine for dinosaur fans and model collectors.

Visit Prehistoric Times website: Prehistoric Times.

Review of Prehistoric Times Magazine (Summer edition)

The eagerly awaited next edition of the quarterly magazine Prehistoric Times arrived late last week, sent over from the United States as promptly as ever.  Prehistoric Times is the magazine for dinosaur enthusiasts and model collectors.  Once again this Summer edition does not disappoint, we loved the front cover artwork depicting two time travellers coming face to face with a tyrannosaur in some ancient, primeval jungle.  The artist Mark Rehkopf produced this illustration especially for the magazine and there is an interview with Mark and a showcase of some of his work on the inside pages.

The Specially Commissioned Artwork for Prehistoric Times

Summer edition.

Picture credit: Mark Rehkopf/Mike Fredericks

The featured prehistoric animals this quarter are therizinosaurs (a special on Scythe Lizards) plus an article on amazing pterosaurs and an update on Megalodon facts and fallacies.  Once again there are lots of examples of reader’s artwork featured and a really fascinating article written by the excellent Tracy Lee Ford on swimming psittacosaurs.  Great to see a review and some super pictures of the Museum of Ancient Life in Utah (we really must send in some pics and information on the museums we work with).  Also, in the book review section there is an unbiased and informative review on the new Horned Dinosaurs book – “New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium”, a definitive study of horned dinosaurs (not withstanding the current controversy over T.  latus and T. horridus.

All in all a super magazine and well worth the subscription.

To visit the Prehistoric Times website: Prehistoric Times.