Vintage Dinosaur Art: Allosaurus by Doreen Edwards

Today, we check off yet another fine publication from Rourke, who did a series of books in the eighties dedicated to dinosaurs and assorted other prehistoric animals, from the obscure to the iconic. We'll be on the iconic end of the spectrum this time out, with the title Allosaurus, written by Ron Wilson with illustrations from series regular Doreen Edwards, who also illustrated the recently-featured Pteranodon.



As these titles were mostly done before the dinosaur renaissance really took hold, you see plenty of "man in suit" style theropods, standing with their backs at high angles, with tails dragging on the ground. And they're decidedly reptilian in aspect, almost devoid of the avian character most theropods are given today. I like Edwards' illustrations, which outclass most of the other artwork in the series, and I'd like to see what she would do with dinosaurs from a more modern perspective.



Here, Allosaurus is skulking in the underbrush while two Archaeopteryx proudly display their colors above.


The story, set in a convincingly-staged Jurassic period (save for the fact that Archaeopteryx is not from the same area as the other dinosaurs in the book) is a complete downer. The titular dinosaur, a female, is old and unable to hunt like she once could. So she wanders around a bit, trying to find some grub. She watches as a young male takes down a Diplodocus. No cunning required: he just jumps it and bites its neck. Of course, the Diplodocus watches on in horror, defenseless.



She's chased off of the fallen Diplodocus by the male when she tries to join him. A pair of small Ornitholestes get their share, but our poor Allosaurus is forced to flee. I must say: that young male made quick work of that sauropod.



Stealing a page from the Ornitholestes' playbook, she tries taking down an Archaeopteryx. No dice.



And then she dies. The book ends with an act of cannibalism, which too few children's titles have the nuts to try. It's damned depressing, and I imagine a fair portion of children who read this book needed a good hug afterwards.



Frustratingly, I can't find any solid information on Doreen Edwards. There's a musician and an engineer by the name, but I haven't found any reference to an illustrator except in book listings. Doreen, if you're out there, give us a holler!

Vintage Dinosaur Art: Pteranodon by Doreen Edwards

Swooping into the Vintage Dinosaur Art spotlight this week is Pteranodon, another book in the Rourke dinosaur series. It’s a sneaky move, since pterosaurs aren’t dinosaurs of course, but they were their neighbors and an important part of Mesozoic menagerie. So we’ll allow it. Written by Ron Wilson, the title’s illustrations were provided by Doreen Edwards, who drew many of the books in the series.


One thing I like about Rourke’s dinosaur library is that it depicts prehistoric animals as animals, not monsters. Edwards does quite a nice job at accurately depicting our old ornithocheirid friend. As shown below, she makes sure to adorn them with plenty of fuzz, and stays away from the fallacious “bat wing” configuration that sometimes pops up in old books. The only bony support Pteranodon’s wing has here is its incredibly long fourth finger.


Nor does she make the common mistake of outfitting Pteranodon with teeth.


It’s almost purely Pteranodon action in this title, though a trio of Triceratops pop up momentarily.


I do have one little bone to pick, and it concerns the following page. Looking at the drawing, it looks like a big Pteranodon scolding a smaller one.


Based on the text, it’s actually a depiction of one Pteranodon sneaking about while his comrades are sleeping. The second Pteranodon isn’t smaller, it’s on a lower level of the cliff. The image is the first thing I took in when I turned to the page, and it threw me for a loop. It’s probably just me.

Finally, here’s a jolly drawing of our hero soaring through the night sky.


More from this book, and many others, at the Vintage Dinosaur Art flickr pool. If this post whetted your appetite for pterosaurs, be a peach and visit Pterosaur.net.