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Post by burrunjor on Sept 10, 2021 11:19:04 GMT
To Dinosaur and giant movie monster fans. This isn't about accuracy. Whilst there have been many different designs for Tyrannosaurus over the years, most I'd say tend to stick to the template of the following designs.  The Jurassic Park, bird like Tyrannosaurus that stands in the more horizontal position and has a more box like head. This is the most popular and recognizable one in modern popular culture.  The classic Ray Harryhausen/Willis O'Brien/Charles R Knight Tyrannosaurus/Allosaurus/large meat eater that we see in older Dinosaur films like One Million Years BC, King Kong, Gwangi etc that is more overtly reptillian and stands upright like a Kangeroo.  The feathered Tyrannosaurus, that hasn't really caught on in popular culture (yet) but has become very popular in paleo art, such as the above drawing. I'm going to say that growing up I always liked the Jurassic Park model, but in recent years I've developed a real fondness for the classic, upright Tyrannosaur too. The feathered one meanwhile I think is undervalued in that if done right it could be really creepy. Like a giant bird of prey swooping in on humans. Kind of like this scene from A Bugs Life. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2021 20:05:43 GMT
Well it might get some attention thanks to Jurassic World Dominion. That said the feathered look itself is actually a bit outdated. A study done a few years ago, which compared preserved skin impressions from T. rex and it's close relatives seems to indicate that Late Tyrannosaurs had lost the filament covering that their Proceratasaur ancestors had. As a result they are likely completely scale, though sum have suggest a sparse covering like those of Asian elephants. My current, faviort "accurate" design is this.  There is a hot debate amongst people about wither they had exposed teeth or full lizard lips, like monitor lizards, but given that there is currently no physical evidence either way I dont get involved. I grew up on old dinosaur movies and I to love the old retro rex's. My faviort of the bunch has to be the one from Planet of the Dinosaurs.  It's pebbled skin is very much akin to the theropods in O'Brian's Lost World, but with far better proportions. It also helps that he's a slasher villain in rex form, killing pretty much anything that crosses his path. Of the 90's Rex style my faviort comes from a video game. Dino Crisis.  While pretty much a straight copy of the JP rex, I like the yellow/golden colour. Gives it a an almost regal look. Another one I like is the Carnosaur Rex.  It's an middle ground between the retro and 90's looks, which make it look weird but the animatronic is well made, it's colouring is nice and it has lovely blue eyes. As a final point I just want to say that yes, feathered Dinosaurs can be just as scary as their scaly counterparts.  |
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Post by Monster X on Sept 11, 2021 8:37:29 GMT
My fave is Satanus - the black tyrannosaur from 2000AD:  |
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Post by Monster X on Sept 11, 2021 8:51:14 GMT
I also love the way Ray Bradbury describes the Tyrannosaurus in A Sound Of Thunder: "It came on great oiled, resilient, striding legs. It towered thirty feet above half of the trees, a great evil god, folding its delicate watchmaker’s claws close to its oily reptilian chest. Each lower leg was a piston, a thousand pounds of white bone, sunk in thick ropes of muscle, sheathed over in a gleam of pebbled skin like the mail of a terrible warrior. Each thigh was a ton of meat, ivory, and steel mesh. And from the great breathing cage of the upper body, those two delicate arms dangled out front, arms with hands which might pick up and examine men like toys, while the snake neck coiled. And the head itself, a ton of sculptured stone, lifted easily upon the sky. Its mouth gaped, exposing a fence of teeth like daggers. Its eyes rolled, ostrich eggs, empty of all expression save hunger. It closed its mouth in a death grin. It ran, its pelvic bones crushing aside trees and bushes, its taloned feet clawing damp earth, leaving prints six inches deep wherever it settled its weight. It ran with a gliding ballet step, far too poised and balanced for its ten tons. It moved into a sunlit arena warily, its beautifully reptilian hands feeling the air".
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2021 13:29:46 GMT
How could I have left out good, ol Satanus. If there was ever a rex who was genuinely evil is was him. The only sad point about him was Pat Mills, his creator, flipping his shit over another writer using him for a story. Satanus Unchained. It's a very good story and is respectful to what Mills had done. It took place between his appearances in Dredd and Warlock, so it could not have upset any plot or ideas Mills may have had, but Mills apparently went apeshit that his character was used by someone else and decided to totally ruin and destroy the character Blood of Satanus II is an ok but very mediocre story which involves Satanus being revived by a cult via Dark Matter and Blood of Satanus III is a chaotic mess which ha Satanus be the centre of a demonic invastion. In both cases Satanus is completely sidelined untill the final chapter and doesn't even get a good fight with Dredd in either. It's a bitter shame that Mills did that, as he has a real talent for making you care about his animal characters Hookjaw and Shako, and Satanus was no exception, despite being far more evil in nature. Satanus is also not alone in 2000AD. His mother, Old One Eye is the star of the original Flesh series and his son, Golgotha, terrorised Mars for a time befor he was beaten by the ABC warriors. In the newest run of Flesh created a spiritual successor to the Satanus family line. Gorehead, the ghost tyrannosaurus. |
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Post by Monster X on Sept 12, 2021 14:18:23 GMT
Satanus is also not alone in 2000AD. His mother, Old One Eye is the star of the original Flesh series and his son, Golgotha, terrorised Mars for a time befor he was beaten by the ABC warriors. In the newest run of Flesh created a spiritual successor to the Satanus family line. Gorehead, the ghost tyrannosaurus. Yes, I considered including those other family members in my post, but in the end, I didn't bother.  I think the Old One Eye/Satanus/Golgotha/Dredd/Nemesis The Warlock /ABC Warriors connection is one of the earliest examples of some sort of shared 2000AD universe. All good stuff. BTW, I also loved 'Big Hungry' the ferocious Nothosaur of 'Flesh Book 2' (but we can't include him here, because he's not a Tyrannosaur!). Don't forget Marvel's 'Devil Dinosaur' (described as being a Tyrannosaurus-like theropod, but with hands and fingers significantly different to those of the usual T Rex). Fun stories, great artwork but not nearly as enjoyable as the exploits of Old One Eye or Satanus. Then there's this old cartoon by … me. So sorry.   |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2021 19:02:06 GMT
Satanus is also not alone in 2000AD. His mother, Old One Eye is the star of the original Flesh series and his son, Golgotha, terrorised Mars for a time befor he was beaten by the ABC warriors. In the newest run of Flesh created a spiritual successor to the Satanus family line. Gorehead, the ghost tyrannosaurus. Yes Asian Elephants doesn't scale up well next to the mighty T. Rex...  Palaeolxodon antiquus (Streight-Tusked Elephant) fairs a little better. Male P. antiquus grew up to 4 meters tall and could weigh in at 14 to 15 tones, thats heaver then some sauropods let alone an 8 tone T. rex. |
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Post by burrunjor on Oct 1, 2021 13:29:58 GMT
Well it might get some attention thanks to Jurassic World Dominion. That said the feathered look itself is actually a bit outdated. A study done a few years ago, which compared preserved skin impressions from T. rex and it's close relatives seems to indicate that Late Tyrannosaurs had lost the filament covering that their Proceratasaur ancestors had. As a result they are likely completely scale, though sum have suggest a sparse covering like those of Asian elephants. My current, faviort "accurate" design is this. There is a hot debate amongst people about wither they had exposed teeth or full lizard lips, like monitor lizards, but given that there is currently no physical evidence either way I dont get involved. I grew up on old dinosaur movies and I to love the old retro rex's. My faviort of the bunch has to be the one from Planet of the Dinosaurs. It's pebbled skin is very much akin to the theropods in O'Brian's Lost World, but with far better proportions. It also helps that he's a slasher villain in rex form, killing pretty much anything that crosses his path. Of the 90's Rex style my faviort comes from a video game. Dino Crisis. While pretty much a straight copy of the JP rex, I like the yellow/golden colour. Gives it a an almost regal look. Another one I like is the Carnosaur Rex. It's an middle ground between the retro and 90's looks, which make it look weird but the animatronic is well made, it's colouring is nice and it has lovely blue eyes. As a final point I just want to say that yes, feathered Dinosaurs can be just as scary as their scaly counterparts. I loved Dino Crisis. I think it may have been an influence on Primeval to be honest. Both about time portals that open up and let Dinosaurs through, both have people abusing them in search of new energy, both start out about creatures from the past coming through, but then move on to exploring the future. Both even have similar monsters. For instance Dino Crisis 2 was the first place I ever saw the Gorgonopsids who thanks to Primeval are now my favourite NON Dinosaur prehistoric creatures. |
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