Woo-hoo! Just finished the first rough images for our (mine and Jay's) new dinosaur comic book, currently called Redtooth. Working with dinosaurs as subject matter is a walk down memory lane for me; I used to be absolutely obsessed with the beasts, before adolescence came along and said "grow up". Well, now I'm back at it, and it's nice to know the skills haven't gone away.
I'm reluctant to show the comic book roughs here; firstly, they're messy (all my roughs are - half the time I'm the only one who can figure them out). Secondly, I'd like Jay to decide whether or not he wants them posted yet; maybe he wants to keep it under wraps. I dunno. I'll ask him.
At any rate, this is less of a "show me" blog and more of a "let's talk about it till our brains explode" blog. And that's exactly what we'll do. We'll talk about dinosaurs.
Firstly, let me clear up something that's been a perpetual headache for a long time: yes, the Velociraptors in Jurassic Park are too big - but there is a valid explanation for this.
Let's go over the basics: the original Velociraptor (Velociraptor mongoliensis, formally speaking) is a small, narrow-jawed predator about the size of a turkey, known for the nasty sickle-shaped claw on its first toe. Velociraptor itself means, "Quick thief", although personally I think "Raptor" has more to do with predatory birds (called "raptors" for their habit of stealing meat from other birds). Velociraptor hailed from central Asia, and one of the most famous fossils from Mongolia features a Velociraptor locked in mortal combat with a Protoceratops; the 'raptor has its claw lodged in the proto's sternum, and the proto has the raptor's arm clenched firmly in its massive beak.
Raptor versus Protoceratops (replica)
Raptor's arm clutched in Protoceratops' beak
I'm reluctant to show the comic book roughs here; firstly, they're messy (all my roughs are - half the time I'm the only one who can figure them out). Secondly, I'd like Jay to decide whether or not he wants them posted yet; maybe he wants to keep it under wraps. I dunno. I'll ask him.
At any rate, this is less of a "show me" blog and more of a "let's talk about it till our brains explode" blog. And that's exactly what we'll do. We'll talk about dinosaurs.
Firstly, let me clear up something that's been a perpetual headache for a long time: yes, the Velociraptors in Jurassic Park are too big - but there is a valid explanation for this.
Let's go over the basics: the original Velociraptor (Velociraptor mongoliensis, formally speaking) is a small, narrow-jawed predator about the size of a turkey, known for the nasty sickle-shaped claw on its first toe. Velociraptor itself means, "Quick thief", although personally I think "Raptor" has more to do with predatory birds (called "raptors" for their habit of stealing meat from other birds). Velociraptor hailed from central Asia, and one of the most famous fossils from Mongolia features a Velociraptor locked in mortal combat with a Protoceratops; the 'raptor has its claw lodged in the proto's sternum, and the proto has the raptor's arm clenched firmly in its massive beak.
Raptor versus Protoceratops (replica)
Raptor's arm clutched in Protoceratops' beakSo much for the rather small Velociraptor.
Now Velociraptor had a much larger cousin called Deinonychus antirrhopus. Deinonychus means, "Terrible Claw", and it was indeed as well-endowed in this sense as Velociraptor - more so, in fact; the claw in question was six inches long, and would have been longer in life (due to the keratin sheath - like on a buffalo horn). Deinonychus was about the size of a tiger, and came up to a man's shoulder when standing.
Now, here comes the tricky part.
When Michael Crichton wrote Jurassic Park, he was relying upon the most current dinosaur data, circa 1989. At that time, there was a movement in certain circles to call Deinonychus and Velociraptor by the same name, since the two species were so similar. Thus, Velociraptor mongoliensis (the small one) remained the same, while Deinonychus antirrhopus (the big one) became "Velociraptor antirrhopus".
Confused yet? It gets a little worse. See, in the original book, the two Velociraptors occur at the same time, although the big ones get the most print; in the movie, understandably, the little guys were left out, making the larger predators the sole Velociraptors in the movie. Problem was, by the time the movie came out (at least from what I've seen), "Deinonychus" had again become the sole name of the little Velociraptor's large cousin; thus, as soon as the movie came out, amateur paleontologists, having never read the book version of Jurassic Park and hoping to seem smarter than they were, jumped on the so-called "scientific inaccuracy" with relish. Thus the situation we have today.
Personally, I like Velociraptor antirrhopus better than Deinonychus antirrhopus. "Velociraptor" just has such a...ring to it, you know?
There were, by the way, many kinds of 'Raptors (or Dromaeosaurs, as they are more technically known). Here's a quick rundown, with short description:
Velociraptor mongoliensis - (see above)
Deinonychus (Velociraptor) antirrhopus - (also see above)
Dromaeosaurus sp. ("Running reptile") - The generic "raptor", if you will; about wolf-size, with a smallish head.
Utahraptor ("Utah's raptor") - a very big 'raptor; about the size of a horse. Largest of the Dromaeosaurids.
Achillobator ("Achilles' warrior") - another Mongolian export. Between Utahraptor and Deinonychus in size.
Adasaurus ("Ada [Mongolian evil spirit]'s reptile") - may or may not have been a raptor at all; had a smaller sickle claw and slender hands.
Buitreraptor gonzalezorum ("Vulture raider found by Gonzalez") - a rooster-sized, bizarre-looking 'raptor from Argentina, of all places. Had a long, skinny snout, and long arms with short fingers.
Rahonavis ostromi - no one's sure if it's a bird or a 'raptor; those who are sure, at least, tend to get rather heated in their insistences. Its back legs and hips lean toward Dromaeosaurian, but its arms show "quill nobs" (where large feathers would attach), as in birds. Go figure.
Neuquenraptor argentinus ("Thief of Neuquen, Argentina") - the first 'raptor found in South America. Looks a little like Buitreraptor, and a little like regular Dromaeosaurs; about four feet tall.
Unenlagia ("Half-bird"; Latinized Mapuche) - another weird birdie-'raptor from South America; about six feet long.
Before I go, I have a little something to say about all these bird-dinosaurs flying around these days.
Time was, I had no patience with feathered dinosaurs - the closest thing anyone had found to a "feathered dinosaur" was Archaeopteryx and its relatives, and those were - for all intents and purposes - just weird birds. Now that they've found many real, actual feathered dinosaurs (that is to say, dinosaur fossils with obvious feather imprints), I've come to accept it. So far around thirty species or so have been found, and the list keeps growing; they're coming out of China, Mongolia, and South America in numbers that seem to rule out fakery, unless there is some kind of widespread conspiracy - which I doubt (although here's an interesting anecdote involving a fake fossil and the National Geographic).
Poster, showing 25 species of feathered dinosaur (2007)
That being said, I take issue with the practice of covering every dinosaur with feathers - even those for whom there is no fossil evidence of the fact. Thus far, I have seen compsognathids, dromaeosaurs of all kinds, tyrannosaurs(!), iguanadontids(!), and even prosauropods(!) decked out in gaudy plumage. Only a few select dinosaurs have shown actual fossil feather imprints; the rest of them simply don't seem to have feathers. Maybe it's just a matter of taste, but personally, I don't like my favorite theropods tarted up and paraded around like show-pigeons if their fossils never showed a single bit of fluff. I find it irritating in the extreme. Mostly these artists are (a) ignorant of scientific detail and (b) going for some kind of "cool" effect that will make kids pick up their book (also filled with inaccuracies). I work at a library, so I see the kinds of dinosaur dreck they come out with. I think dinosaurs deserve a little more respect - you couldn't get away with doing the same thing with, say, lions and tigers.
But hey, they're dead! We can make 'em look like whatever we want.
One of the worst Deinonychus interpretations I've ever seen.
That's my major beef with current dinosaur trends.
Of course some renderings are better than others - I'd just like to mention Gregory S. Paul as being one of the best dinosaur artists I've seen; his Predatory Dinosaurs of the World (1988 Simon and Schuster, New York; out of print) is simply awesome. I use it as a reference whenever possible.
To wrap up this wandering, bloated epic of a post, here's some size comparisons of the biggest predatory dinosaurs you probably didn't know about:
Size comparison of the largest theropods.
Now Velociraptor had a much larger cousin called Deinonychus antirrhopus. Deinonychus means, "Terrible Claw", and it was indeed as well-endowed in this sense as Velociraptor - more so, in fact; the claw in question was six inches long, and would have been longer in life (due to the keratin sheath - like on a buffalo horn). Deinonychus was about the size of a tiger, and came up to a man's shoulder when standing.
Now, here comes the tricky part.
When Michael Crichton wrote Jurassic Park, he was relying upon the most current dinosaur data, circa 1989. At that time, there was a movement in certain circles to call Deinonychus and Velociraptor by the same name, since the two species were so similar. Thus, Velociraptor mongoliensis (the small one) remained the same, while Deinonychus antirrhopus (the big one) became "Velociraptor antirrhopus".
Confused yet? It gets a little worse. See, in the original book, the two Velociraptors occur at the same time, although the big ones get the most print; in the movie, understandably, the little guys were left out, making the larger predators the sole Velociraptors in the movie. Problem was, by the time the movie came out (at least from what I've seen), "Deinonychus" had again become the sole name of the little Velociraptor's large cousin; thus, as soon as the movie came out, amateur paleontologists, having never read the book version of Jurassic Park and hoping to seem smarter than they were, jumped on the so-called "scientific inaccuracy" with relish. Thus the situation we have today.
Personally, I like Velociraptor antirrhopus better than Deinonychus antirrhopus. "Velociraptor" just has such a...ring to it, you know?
There were, by the way, many kinds of 'Raptors (or Dromaeosaurs, as they are more technically known). Here's a quick rundown, with short description:
Velociraptor mongoliensis - (see above)
Deinonychus (Velociraptor) antirrhopus - (also see above)
Dromaeosaurus sp. ("Running reptile") - The generic "raptor", if you will; about wolf-size, with a smallish head.
Utahraptor ("Utah's raptor") - a very big 'raptor; about the size of a horse. Largest of the Dromaeosaurids.
Achillobator ("Achilles' warrior") - another Mongolian export. Between Utahraptor and Deinonychus in size.
Adasaurus ("Ada [Mongolian evil spirit]'s reptile") - may or may not have been a raptor at all; had a smaller sickle claw and slender hands.
Buitreraptor gonzalezorum ("Vulture raider found by Gonzalez") - a rooster-sized, bizarre-looking 'raptor from Argentina, of all places. Had a long, skinny snout, and long arms with short fingers.
Rahonavis ostromi - no one's sure if it's a bird or a 'raptor; those who are sure, at least, tend to get rather heated in their insistences. Its back legs and hips lean toward Dromaeosaurian, but its arms show "quill nobs" (where large feathers would attach), as in birds. Go figure.
Neuquenraptor argentinus ("Thief of Neuquen, Argentina") - the first 'raptor found in South America. Looks a little like Buitreraptor, and a little like regular Dromaeosaurs; about four feet tall.
Unenlagia ("Half-bird"; Latinized Mapuche) - another weird birdie-'raptor from South America; about six feet long.
Before I go, I have a little something to say about all these bird-dinosaurs flying around these days.
Time was, I had no patience with feathered dinosaurs - the closest thing anyone had found to a "feathered dinosaur" was Archaeopteryx and its relatives, and those were - for all intents and purposes - just weird birds. Now that they've found many real, actual feathered dinosaurs (that is to say, dinosaur fossils with obvious feather imprints), I've come to accept it. So far around thirty species or so have been found, and the list keeps growing; they're coming out of China, Mongolia, and South America in numbers that seem to rule out fakery, unless there is some kind of widespread conspiracy - which I doubt (although here's an interesting anecdote involving a fake fossil and the National Geographic).
Poster, showing 25 species of feathered dinosaur (2007)That being said, I take issue with the practice of covering every dinosaur with feathers - even those for whom there is no fossil evidence of the fact. Thus far, I have seen compsognathids, dromaeosaurs of all kinds, tyrannosaurs(!), iguanadontids(!), and even prosauropods(!) decked out in gaudy plumage. Only a few select dinosaurs have shown actual fossil feather imprints; the rest of them simply don't seem to have feathers. Maybe it's just a matter of taste, but personally, I don't like my favorite theropods tarted up and paraded around like show-pigeons if their fossils never showed a single bit of fluff. I find it irritating in the extreme. Mostly these artists are (a) ignorant of scientific detail and (b) going for some kind of "cool" effect that will make kids pick up their book (also filled with inaccuracies). I work at a library, so I see the kinds of dinosaur dreck they come out with. I think dinosaurs deserve a little more respect - you couldn't get away with doing the same thing with, say, lions and tigers.
But hey, they're dead! We can make 'em look like whatever we want.
One of the worst Deinonychus interpretations I've ever seen.That's my major beef with current dinosaur trends.
Of course some renderings are better than others - I'd just like to mention Gregory S. Paul as being one of the best dinosaur artists I've seen; his Predatory Dinosaurs of the World (1988 Simon and Schuster, New York; out of print) is simply awesome. I use it as a reference whenever possible.
To wrap up this wandering, bloated epic of a post, here's some size comparisons of the biggest predatory dinosaurs you probably didn't know about:
Size comparison of the largest theropods.
Yeah, see that guy in the blue? That's T. rex. Go figure.
Rick Out.
Rick Out.
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