HOT TAKE:
The new scary T-Rex is the chicken-faced fluff monster who emits a low rumble instead of a roar.
Recently I've been on a huge dinosaur kick. This is due to the fact that I'm writing a book about a dinosaur brain resurrected into a human body. I'll level with you all: the story is completely impulse-driven and lacks a coherent plotline, as well as suffers from a consistent tone. For inspiration, I've been revisiting some lesser-known pieces of Dinosaur-centric art.
Everyone loves the nostalgic classics like Jurassic Park and Land Before Time, but what else is there in the world of dinosaur fiction and storytelling? Here's a list of different pieces of media that are very Dinosaur-focused that you may or may not have heard about!
Raptor Red - 1995 Novel by Robert T. Bakker
Here's a fun story. On a trip to Colorado to visit some extended family of mine, we visited Dinosaur Ridge. It's a hybrid indoor/outdoor museum that takes you through reconstructed bone fossils and even fossilized footprints on nearby rock walls. At the gift shop, I picked up a cool-looking book called Raptor Red. The shopkeeper informed me that the author, archeologist Robert T. Bakker, just so happened to be there at the museum. I introduced myself as a young writer and got Bakker to sign my copy. I remember the scene perfectly...he was in a rocking chair, gazing at the dry Colorado landscape like a cool old dude should be. I've actually read through his findings a lot as part of my research for my own book, and I hope to meet Bakker again someday and express my regards.
My signed copy is one of my most precious possessions.
Raptor Red is a fictionalized account of what the life of Utahraptors might have been like. It follows the eponymous Raptor Red as she struggles to find a mate and a safe place to settle down. There's no dialogue or anthropomorphization involved, making it as scientific as possible. The point of view also wanders around to different creatures of the Cretaceous period, like early crocodilians and frogs, giving you a full scope of what the land might have been like. The narrative tone itself might come off as dry, since it reads like a fictional documentary. If you have an interest in dinosaurs and a keen imagination, Raptor Red will hopefully entertain and educate you. There's no other book quite like it.
Darbi - ongoing comic by Sherard Jackson
If you're the type of person who prefers a striking visual component when it comes to imagining Dinosaurs, this comic may be thing for you. Even if you're not a huge fan of Dinosaurs, and enjoy narratives about war and family, Darbi might be worth checking out.
FAIR WARNING THOUGH: There is a lot of gore.
I love this little motherfucker.
I discovered Darbi through the Webtoon app, which provides thousands of free-to-read comics from a diverse number of creators. Darbi tells the story of a young T-Rex as he makes his way through the tragedies and hardships that come with living in the Dinosaur world. It's a dark story, but when it attempts to foster heartfelt moments, they are completely earned.
Aside from the plot, which makes your heart ache and rewards you in equal measures, the artwork is absolutely phenomenal. The creator, Sherard Jackson, adds so much motion in his linework. Yet, the colors feel soft, capturing the duality of the story itself. Not to mention Jackson's imagination in giving worldbuilding to the Dinosaurs, while still keeping their designs modern. Big feathery T-Rex with a mohawk? Hell yes.
The only drawback, aside from the previously mentioned gore (and there is a lot), the dialogue of the characters might through you off, because the way they speak is very human-like. But if you're a fan of Tarantino-esc action, Boondox-style irreverent humor, and badass motherfucking Dinosaurs, I cannot recommend Darbi enough. Darbi doesn't fit the mold for the popular Webtoon model of sensitive love stories (Lore Olympus, Castle Swimmer, Suitor Armor, etc.), but I think this comic deserves so much love. Not to mention, it's totally free to read.
The Rite of Spring - sequence from Disney's 1940 film Fantasia
Historically speaking, Fantasia is an important film. It set the president for music videos and gave 2D animators the opportunity to experiment with their craft like never before. Fantasia is composed of seven different animated segments set to different pieces of classical music. The most iconic being The Sorcerer's Apprentice, staring Mickey Mouse in the classic blue wizard hat.
Granted, Fantasia is not a perfect film, as some animated segments aren't as visually interesting as the others. It's also difficult watching through the entire thing in one sitting.
My favorite segment, the one that I return to watch again and again, is The Rite of Spring. This animated segment portrays Earth in prehistoric times, following the evolution of life on Earth and ending with the death of the Dinosaurs. There is no dialogue or typical narrative structure, allowing the splendid visuals alone to carry you through. Through subtle artistry, it captures the quiet mystery of prehistoric times.
Fantasia is not without its controversies, and this segment in particular was criticized for displaying a scientific view on how life began on Earth. I live in a Western society where a lot of cultural input on beauty and majesty has been greatly influenced by religious imagery. The Rite of Spring shows us that there is beauty and majesty in the world of scientific imagination.
The Rite of Spring does not attempt to draw any great moral message, or even a greater purpose. It simply allows Disney artists to portray prehistoric lifeforms. It is a work of art that simply exists beyond "good" and "evil," portraying nature in its most pure state. Dinosaurs were just something that happened. How it makes you feel is completely up to you.
In my mind, The Rite of Spring segment of Fantasia is one of the highest pieces of art Disney has produced. It expresses one of the most mysterious episode of Earth's history in sublime detail and with great imagination. No talking animals or a celebrity voice cast is necessary.
Fossil Fighters - 2008 video game for the Nintendo DS
WARNING: Rant ahead of me talking about this obscure cornerstone of my childhood.
When I was nine years old, I saw a trailer for this video game. I thought about it for weeks afterwards, imagining a Pokémon-like game of capturing and battling creatures - except those creatures were Dinosaurs. Dinosaurs I had to bring back from the dead, using their fossils that I dug up myself. To a nine-year-old me, that was the ultimate power fantasy. On my tenth birthday, my uncle asked me if there was any gift I wanted that I didn't get. I told him I wanted Fossil Fighters on the DS. He drove me to a GameStop and bought it for me, no questions asked. I had to admit, I felt a little embarrassed asking for a game that was clearly marketed for boys (more on that later), but I felt so happy as soon as it was in my hands that it didn't even matter anymore. Throughout the years, while I sold many of my old video games, I always held onto Fossil Fighters. I still have the original case and cartridge to this day.
So, what is this game about, other than making scientific abominations and giving them to children with barely any regulations?
The story of Fossil Fighters starts out pretty generic. You're the new kid on an island full of people who battle using resurrected Dinosaurs, dubbed "Vivosaurs." Every chapter of the game, you go on a new quest and learn more about the world and the characters around you. And of course, every new location you unlock gives you access to all kinds of Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs I would've never learned about otherwise. While the designs aren't scientifically accurate, they are unique, dynamic, and full of personality.
Ourano, a.k.a. the Ouranosaurus. The first Vivosaur I ever got to a gold ranking.
What if I told you he's a great dancer?
The combat distinguishes itself from Pokémon in many ways. The first thing that's different is that you control three monsters for each turn. The position of the Vivosaurs on the battlefield is crucial. Each species has different buffs that they attribute to the team's "leader," so if you go into a battle unprepared, you will definitely be at a disadvantage. The NPCs in Fossil Fighters aren't feeding you bullshit about how your bond with your creatures will make them stronger, like they do in literally every piece of Pokémon media, so you won't feel guilty about optimizing your team. When you play Fossil Fighters, it really makes you think critically about your decisions. This is an improvement from Pokémon, in which all you really need to do to win is memorize type matchups and know when to change characters.
One of the most fun (and stressful) parts about Fossil Fighters is the mini game in which you have to clean your fossils of rock and debris. This is completely reliant on the Nintendo DS's touch screen, so don't expect a remake of this game anytime soon. *sigh*
The plot starts off pretty predictable, giving you a fake-out ending where you have to take down the leader of a band of bad guys. Very Pokémon-esc indeed. In fact, there's a trio of higher-ranking bad guys that disturbingly mimic the iconic Team Rocket Trio from the Pokémon anime.
The story takes a crazy turn when we get into some shenanigans with aliens and time travel. There's also a surprising existential twist that makes you question the origins of humanity. Are we truly natives of Earth, or is life on Earth the result of other astral bodies and higher beings? That kind of stuff blew my mind as a ten-year-old.
The best part about the narrative is the characters. Holy moly, these characters are funny! I recently replayed the game as a 21-year-old, and I found myself snickering the whole way through. Some of my favorites are the helpful but absent-minded Dr. Diggins, the absolute madman Nick Nack, and the jolly ghost pirate Captain Woolbeard. The 3-D models allow the characters to have more dynamic movement than sprites, which allows for more comedic opportunities.
Did you also know this game about resurrecting dinosaurs has love interests? The game forces you into a male protagonist role, which was something I wasn't thrilled about as a ten-year-old. I appreciated how Pokémon let you choose between male or female avatars, though I almost always picked the male ones. I just liked having the option. It soon became evident to me that they forced you to play as the male character because you have two love interests. There's Rosie Richmond, your bratty but well-meaning best friend who's with you from the start. Then there's Duna, the mysterious and distant stranger who is part of the great mystery in the finale. The end of the game gives you the option to choose who you like better. According to the fans, Duna is the "right" choice, but to me, I was a Rosie loyalist. No, seriously, that's the moment I should have known I wasn't hetero. Rosie Richmond was my first fictional crush, and ten-year-old me was madly in love.
Fossil Fighters taught me about dinosaurs and how to be gay.
As a kid, Fossil Fighters gave me an incredible chance to escape into the dinosaur world. It was the perfect balance of a unique story, lovable characters, and challenging gameplay. There were even educational opportunities, as each Vivosaur you found added to a bonus library of fun facts about their real-world Dinosaur counterparts. Unfortunately, I didn't find enjoyment in the sequels, and it seems the franchise has become extinct. But I still have the fossils. I never realized how big of an impact this game had on my life until just recently, so I'm glad I got to share my appreciation for this obscure title.
If you want to know more about this quirky little game, here's a few funny videos that describe them better than I can.
How do you feel about the 2000 Disney movie Dinosaur? Have you seen it? I feel like I saw it a bunch as a child and have not thought about it since.
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