Prog 1425: Earth Warrior

The Amstor Computer · 10 February, 2005, 01:27:32 AM

Well... I haven't been closely following the current discussions about what may have caused the mass extinctions at the end of the Cretaceous (feathered dinos are more my thing...), but I don't think the hypothesis that it was an asteroid impact has been totally discounted.

BTW - how shit are John Burns' dinosaurs? Maybe next time he'd like to consider reference material from some time in the past decade - using British Homestore "Lost Age of the Dinosaurs" books from the '70s just doesn't cut it, I'm afraid.

Bico · 10 February, 2005, 01:32:28 AM

Oh, I dunno, they look alright to me, if a bit 'fuzzy' on detail. I'd put that down to Burns painting over his lines more these days.

I'm not saying that the asteroid theory has been discounted, just that the asteroid that caused the Chicxulub crater was ruled out fairly recently as being the culprit.

paulvonscott · 10 February, 2005, 01:32:43 AM

"BTW - how shit are John Burns' dinosaurs?"

The geology of the script was a bit iffy ;) But that's nitpicking I guess.

Bico · 10 February, 2005, 01:33:34 AM

'Feathered dinos'?

Is there any solid proof for believing they existed yet?

The Amstor Computer · 10 February, 2005, 01:50:19 AM

"Is there any solid proof for believing they existed yet?"

How much do you want? The fossils coming out of Liaoning, China are fairly compelling, IMHO - somewhere in the order of 1000 specimens, with everything from fluff to feathers. Google Sinosauropteryx, Caudipteryx and Protarchaeopteryx to see some of the creatures emerging from there. The interesting question now is whether feathers were limited to a group of small theropods - I have read some palaeontologists who suggest it's possible that juvenile Tyrannosaurus may have sported a feathery covering. Very exciting stuff.

The Amstor Computer · 10 February, 2005, 02:01:27 AM

"Oh, I dunno, they look alright to me, if a bit 'fuzzy' on detail. I'd put that down to Burns painting over his lines more these days."

Nah, the creatures just look totally wrong given the current state of palaeontological research. A tyrannosaur-type beastie walking upright like that? Completely wrong, and if he'd bothered to check he would have seen that that model for theropod posture was abandoned quite some time ago. Even the appearance of the Diplodocus -style creatures is dated, harking back to an era when they were represented as great, flabby tail-dragging beasts.

I know it's possibly really nitpicky, but these creatures existed and there are legitimate and current models for how they looked and moved. These have permeated right through modern popular culture to an extent where he could have picked up a kids book from the library and found more accurate representations than the cliched, inaccurate "dinosaurs" that appear here.

Lord Running Clam · 10 February, 2005, 03:24:50 AM

I'll post a full review tomorrow,just thought I'd say how great I tought this weeks prog was.I was worried that with Cabs ending that there might be a drop in qualty,but its still great.
The high lights had to be Dredd and Low life.I think that was D'israeli in the missing posters too.Do you think thats what his parents look like then.

Dan Kelly · 10 February, 2005, 03:34:06 PM

Hey!

You've just nicked the precis of my final year thesis at uni... ;)

Mind you, as it was 8 years ago I'll forgive you.

Fluffy dinosaurs are great tho' ain't they.

Dan

Max Kon · 10 February, 2005, 09:06:32 PM

'Don't know if anyone else noticed, but the picture of the missing son in Judge Dredd appears to be the D'emon D'raughtsman himself, D'Ireali.'

Yes and I said so in the chat room

Will I. Cooling · 10 February, 2005, 09:22:06 PM

Four virgins, a horse and a reluctant porn star.

Put like that, it sounds quite fun..."

Shit...you're right.

And its three virgins...tells you have much I'm reading it.

Will

test 4 echo · 11 February, 2005, 01:45:53 AM

7/10 prog
no, make it an 8 seeing Geddy Lee tops a 30 year career by getting name checked in 2k. nice one Rob Williams.

Tordelbach · 11 February, 2005, 05:29:32 PM

Great cover (bound to bring in a few stragglers).

Loved Dredd (ooh D'Israeli, you're so dreamy....Never liked the Ron Smith Nosferatu, but this could be good).

Liked 2nd City Blues (Light, funny, art improving, would they ever get anywhere without those handy Walkovers?).

Liked Slaine (This was good stuff - I do think people missed the point of the 'Looking Glass' episodes here, which is of course ultimately the fault of Mills and Langley, but still, I think the Books of Invasion are going down well. I just wish Langley had a clearer vision of what Tara looks like).

Liked Low Life (Bring back Flint, but this was fine - glad to see the strip broadening its focus - Dirty Frank really is a great character).

Didn't care for Dante, for once (share concerns about old X-Files plots and 1970's Dinosaurs - bring back Bellardinelli! Oooh! Imagine that! Bellardinelli on Dante! Rapture!)

All in all, a good read, and the GN advert at the back was surprisingly heartening.

Max Kon · 11 February, 2005, 05:33:53 PM

I like the line 'Good new! The ref is in intesive care' in 2ndCB. Made me lol.

shazhughes · 11 February, 2005, 05:40:53 PM

>BTW - how shit are John Burns' dinosaurs?

They look no worse to me than the Dinosaur on the cover of the latest Extreme Edition.

Carlsborg Expert. · 11 February, 2005, 06:00:09 PM

Im glad Im on the thread where the dinosaur issue has broke again.

It is the new millenium and if comic art is going to depict dinos Id prefer them to be set too true geek standard.Fully researched(as was the case with flesh dinos_at that time_).

This is going to be tricky,because not all the public has been updated on new assessments,surrounding mid-paeleolithic and cretatious periods. So I dont think anyone is quite sure how to portray these beasts/eras and rely on strong 70s backlogs.
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