Dinosaur DatatDig
Dinosaur DataDig

"...a single, readily accessible source of comprehensive information about the many different dinosaur species...with more than enough information to keep you satisfied."

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Mineo's guide to drawing dinosaurs
Mineo's guide to drawing dinosaurs
Want to create your own dinosaur masterpiece? Here's a free online lesson courtesy of Mineo Shiraishi.
Lost Worlds of Dinosauria

A visual survey

 
Back to 1950 - 1959

1960 - 1979

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DINOSAUR ISLAND

Later known as Mystery Island and Monster Island
 
Dinosaur Island

First appearance: Star-Spangled War Stories #90
Author/Creator: Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito
Media: Comic
Year: 1960
Located: South Pacific Island
War That Time ForgotPlot/Premise: Dinosaur Island is a mysterious uncharted island located somewhere in the South Pacific. As its name suggests, the island is known for supporting animal life that would otherwise be extinct in the normal world - most notably, its high population of dinosaurs. It is believed that Dinosaur Island is in someway connected, either physically or mystically, to the Inner-Earth realm known as Skartaris. It is on this island that members of the U.S. Armed Forces found themselves -- armed only with standard issue weapons against the deadliest predators ever to roam the Earth.

In the Star Spangled War Stories #90: The War that Time Forgot when a reconnaissance patrol fails to return from Mystery Island (as it is then known), the Question Mark Patrol is parachuted in and discover that an earthquake has released dinosaurs from suspended animation. It is kept top secret and over the years many patrols stumble upon the island and its secret.

The War that Time ForgotSequels/Other appearances: Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Revenge of the Reach! (Comic); Batman: The Brave and the Bold: Revenge of the Reach! and Terror on Dinosaur Island! (Comics); DC: The New Frontier Vol 1 3 (Comic); Guns of the Dragon Vol 1 1-4 (Comic); Superman/Batman Vol 1 46 (Comic); War That Time Forgot Vol 1 1-12 (Comic); Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "Terror on Dinosaur Island" (TV); Challengers of the Unknown: "Revenge of the Reach" (TV); Justice League: The New Frontier (Direct to video film)

Star Spangled War Stories
Star Spangled War Stories
Star Spangled War Stories


The War That Time Forgot
The War That Time Forgot
The War That Time Forgot
 
Fauna

Dinosaur Island fauna
Dinosaur Island fauna
Dinosaur Island fauna

Dinosaur Island fauna
Dinosaur Island fauna
Dinosaur Island fauna

Dinosaur Island fauna
Dinosaur Island fauna
Dinosaur Island fauna
 
Explore

Comic Vine: Dinosaur Island

DC Database: Dinosaur Island

Don Markstein's Toonpedia: The War That Time Forgot

Scott Shaw's Oddball Comics: Star Spangled War Stories

Wikipedia: Dinosaur Island and The War that Time Forgot

Dinosaur Tracking: From the Comic Books: The Secret Dinosaur War

Atomic Surgery Blog: The War That Time Forgot: Medal For A Dinosaur!

Vonshollywood: Tales from the PTO (Prehistoric Theatre of Operations)

 
Dinosaur Island
 
 

PLANET OF STORMS

 
Planeta Bur poster
 
First appearance: Planeta Bur (Planet of Storms)
Author/Creator: Aleksandr Kazantsev, Pavel Klushantsev
Media: Film
Year: 1962
Located: Venus
Plot/Premise: Three spacecraft set out for Venus, two arrive, one remains in orbit while the third lands. Exploring with their robot John and a hovercar they find a steamy, tropical world populated by dinosaurs, carnivorous plants and the remnants of an ancient civilization.
Adaptations: Women of the Prehistoric Planet (Film, 1966); Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (Film, 1968)

Planeta Bur poster 2
Planeta Bur poster 2
Planeta Bur poster 3
 
Fauna
 
Planeta Bur: The cosmonauts and John the robot fight off small, bipedal exosaurs
Planeta Bur: The cosmonauts and John the robot fight off small, bipedal exosaurs
The cosmonauts and John the robot fight off small, bipedal exosaurs
   
Planeta Bur: Small bounding dinosaurs
Planeta Bur: "Brontosaurus"
Small bounding dinosaurs
"Brontosaurus"
   
Planeta Bur: Carnivorous plant
Planeta Bur: Pterosaur-like creature
Carnivorous plant
Bizarre pterosaur-like creature

Explore

Wikipedia: Pavel Klushantsev

Black Hole: Planeta Bur - Russian retro space adventure

Veoh video: Planet of Storms or YouTube: The Planet of Storms

1000 Misspent Hours: Planet of Storms / Cosmonauts on Venus / Planeta Burg / Planeta Bur

 
 

SAVAGE LAND

 
Savage Land map
 
Savage Land raptorsFirst appearance: X-Men #10
Author/Creator: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Media: Comic
Year: 1965
Located: Antarctica
Plot/Premise: The Savage Land is a tropical region surrounded by volcanoes deep in Antarctica, created over 200 million years ago by the alien Nuwali as one of several planetary "game preserves" for the mysterious godlike Beyonders. The Nuwali stocked the Land with Earthly life of the era, most notably dinosaurs; as Earth's flora and fauna changed over succeeding millions of years, they supplemented their preserve with prehistoric mammals and early hominids, or "Man-Apes."
 

Savage Land

 
Sequels/Other appearances: "The Hunter and the Hunted" (Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends Spider-Man TV Show, 1981); X-Men (TV series, 1992); "Stranger From a Savage Land" (The Super Hero Squad Show TV show, 1981); Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (Video film, 2008); X-Men: Children of the Atom (Video game, 1994); Genesis X-Men (Video game, 1993) X-Men 2: Clone Wars (Video game, 1995); X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (Video game, 2005); Marvel Super Hero Squad (Video game, 2009)
 
Fauna
 
Savage Land sabre-tooths
Savage Land amazons
Savage Land tyrannosaur
     
Savage Land Ka-Zar
Savage Land Ka-zar
Savage Land Spiderman
 
Explore

Wikipedia: Savage Land

Comic Vine: Savage Land

Transformers Wiki: Savage Land

Marvel Universe Wiki: Savage Land

Marvel Directory: Savage Land and Savage Land Races

 
Savage Land trio
 
 

FORBIDDEN VALLEY

 
 

GwangiFirst appearance: The Valley of Gwangi
Author/Creator: Willis H. O'Brien, Ray Harryhausen, James O'Connolly, William E. Bast and Julian More
Media: Film
Year: 1969
Located: Deep in the Mexican desert
Plot/Premise: The Forbidden Valley is an almost impenetrable valley deep in the Mexican desert where dinosaurs (through very few plants) still flourish. Chief among its inhabitants is the huge carnivorous dinosaur dubbed "Gwangi" which escapes and wreaks havoc when it is captured in a travelling Wild West show.
Sequels/Other appearances: "Gwango's Lonesome Trail" (Children's book, 2006)
Adaptation: Dell Comic, 1969

 
The Forbidden Valley
 
Gwangi comic
Gwangi comic
 
Fauna
 
Pteranodon
Ornithomimus
   
Styracosaurus
Gwangi ("Allotyrannus")
 

GwangiExplore

YouTube: The Valley of Gwangi

Wikipedia: The Valley of Gwangi

Eccentric Cinema: The Valley of Gwangi

The Seventh Voyage: Valley of Gwangi

Bad Movie Planet: The Valley of Gwangi

B Movie Film Vault: The Valley of Gwangi

The Realm of Ryan - Movie review: The Valley of Gwangi

The Fantastic Films of Ray Harryhausen: The Valley of the Gwangi

 
 

SOMEWHERE IN AFRICA

 
Mighty Gorga
 

First appearance: The Mighty Gorga
Author/Creator: David L. Hewitt, Jean Hewitt
Media: Film
Year: 1969
Located: Remote African plateau
Plot/Premise: A circus manager leads an expedition to a remote African plateau inhabited by dinosaurs and a giant ape. The explorers are captured and slated to become human sacrifices when the towering title primate shows up and destroys everything. The explorers escape and find safety in an enormous cave that proves to be filled with priceless jewels.

Explore

Teleport City: Mighty Gorga

YouTube: Mighty Gorga Trailer

B-Movie Central: Mighty Gorga

Eccentric Cinema: Mighty Gorga

Internet Movie Database: Mighty Gorga

Jabootu, the Bad Movie Dimension: Mighty Gorga (1968)

 
 

COMET

 
Na Komete (On the Comet)
 
First appearance: Na Komete (On the Comet)
Author/Creator: Karel Zeman
Media: Film
Year: 1970
Located: Outer Space
Na Komete (On the Comet)Plot/Premise: In 1888, just as two men in French Algeria are about to duel, a comet collides with the earth, ripping off their corner of the planet and carrying it into space. Dinosaurs inhabit the comet (apparently picked up in an earlier collision) and the inhabitants must work together to survive. However another collision occurs restoring everything and everyone to its original state. Before long the people return too to their former bigoted and violent ways. Also filmed as Valley of the Dragons (1961) with "slurpasaurs" from One Million B.C. (1940).

Fauna
 
Na Komete (On the Comet) fauna
Na Komete (On the Comet) fauna
   
Na Komete (On the Comet) fauna
Na Komete (On the Comet) fauna
   
Na Komete (On the Comet) fauna
Na Komete (On the Comet) fauna

Explore

On the Comet Japanese poster Darkstrider.net

Karel Zeman Filmography

Karel Zeman: Genius (Czech)

Czechs in History: Karel Zeman (Czech)

Jules Verne Movies and Movie Collectibles

YouTube: The Special Effects of Karel Zeman

Wikipedia: Off on a Comet and Karel Zeman

Internet Movie Database: Na komete and Karel Zeman

The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia: Karel Zeman

Voyages Extraordinaires: The Special Effects of Karel Zeman

Film Festival Zlín: About the Famous Wandering Pterodactyl and ...

Czech-Slovak film Database: The Comet (particularly the gallery) and Karel Zeman

TCM's Classic Movie Blog: A Strange Introduction to Karel Zeman - The Czech Visionary

Andreas Fehrmann's Collection Jules Verne: Travel through the solar system - The Comet and Menu: Karel Zeman (German)

 
Na kometě
 
 

LAND OF THE LOST

 
Land of the Lost
 
Land of the LostFirst appearance: "Land of the Lost"
Author/Creator: Sid and Marty Krofft
Media: TV series
Year: 1974
Located: Pocket universe
 
Land of the Lost
 

Plot/Premise: The Land of the Lost is a very small, closed pocket universe that consists of a valley surrounded by mountains. A traveler attempting to pass over the mountains will find himself reentering the valley from the other side; at one point the Marshalls climb a mountain peak and using binoculars are able to see far enough across the valley to observe themselves from behind. There is one major river flowing through the Land, forming a similarly closed loop; it flows into a cave at one end of the valley and comes out as a waterfall at the other end.

 
Land of the Lost
 
Sequels/Other appearances: "Land of the Lost" (TV series, 1991), Land of the Lost (Film, 2009)
Adaptations: "Valley of the Dinosaurs" (a Hanna-Barbera cartoon with a virtually identical premise)
 
Fauna: 1974 TV series

Land of the Lost fauna
Land of the Lost fauna
   
Land of the Lost fauna
Land of the Lost fauna
   
Land of the Lost fauna
Land of the Lost fauna
   
Land of the Lost fauna
Land of the Lost fauna
   
Land of the Lost fauna
Land of the Lost fauna
   
Fauna: 2009 film
 
Land of the Lost fauna
Land of the Lost fauna
   
Land of the Lost fauna
Land of the Lost fauna
 

Land of the LostExplore

Land of the Lost Online

Pop Apostle: "Land of the Lost"

Internet Movie Database: "Land of the Lost"

Wikipedia: "Land of the Lost" (1974 TV series)

 
 

SKARTARIS

Also known as Agartta
 
Skartaris map
 
First appearance: The Warlord 1st Issue Special #8
Author/Creator: Mike Grell
Media: Comic
Year: 1975
Located: Earth's interior, later an extradimensional realm
 
Skartaris
 

Skartaris predatorPlot/Premise: Skartaris is essentially a translation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar into the graphic medium, with elements of Jules Verne and half a dozen other fictional Hollow Earth settings, and the admixture of magic and the Atlantis myth. In Grell's concept, as in Burroughs', the Earth is a hollow shell with Skartaris as the internal surface of that shell. Skartaris is accessible to the surface world via a polar opening allowing passage between the inner and outer worlds. There are also various tunnels connecting the interior world with the surface. Skartaris is lit by a miniature sun suspended at the center of the hollow sphere, so it is perpetually overhead wherever one is in Skartaris. Skartaris is overrun by a variety of prehistoric creatures from all geological eras, notably dinosaurs. Skartaris is named after the volcano through which Jules Verne's adventurers made their Journey to the Center of the Earth. Skartaris was retconned into being Another Dimension. It cannot actually exist within the DC Universe's Earth, which isn't hollow.
Sequels/Other appearances: Suicide Squad: Raise the Flag (2007); "The Land of Summer's Twilight" (The Books of Magic issue #3)
Adaptations: "Battle at the Earth's Core" (Super Friends, TV animation, 1973); "Chaos at the Earth's Core" (Justice League Unlimited, TV animation, 2004)

 
Skartaris
 
Fauna
 
Skartaris fauna
Skartaris fauna
Skartaris fauna
     
Skartaris fauna
Skartaris fauna
Skartaris fauna

WarlordExplore

Wikipedia: Skartaris

DC Nation: Skartaris

DC Database: Skartaris

Toonpedia: The Warlord

Fanzing: Welcome to the Lost World

ComicBook Bin: Return to the Lost World of The Warlord

 
Skartaris: Warlord
 
 

THROUGH THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE PORTAL

 
The Bermuda Triangle
 
First appearance: Skull the Slayer #1
Author/Creator: Marv Wolfman and Steve Gan
Media: Comic
Year: 1975
Located: Alternate Earth
 
Across two worlds
 

Bermuda VortexPlot/Premise: This unnamed lost world is accessed via a powerful transdimensional vortex found surrounding the Bermuda Islands and which has become known as the Bermunda Triangle. The portal and the world to which it links was built by the 'Scorpians' a race of extraterrestrials. They created it as an experiment and populated it with dinosaurs and other life indigeneous to Mesozoic Earth. The Scorpians also built The Tower of Time, a massive spiral tower in which each level simulated different periods from Earth's history.

 
Tower of Time
 
Fauna
 
T-rex
Stegosaurus
T-rex Stegosaurus
Plesiosaur
Pterosaurs
Plesiosaur
Pterosaurs
     
Bucking Whatsit
T-rex defeated
Thrashing Plesiosaur
 
Explore

Arrow Wikipedia: Skull the Slayer

Arrow Comic Vine: Skull the Slayer

Arrow The Philippine Comics Art Museum: Steve Gan

Arrow Diversions of the Groovy Kind: If You Blinked You Missed: Skull the Slayer

Arrow The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Bermuda Triangle and Jim Scully

 
Skull the Slayer #1
Skull the Slayer #2
   
Skull the Slayer #8
Skull the Slayer #6
 
 

BENEATH THE POLE

 
The Last Dinosaur
 
First appearance: The Last Dinosaur
Author/Creator: William Overgard, Alexander Grasshoff, Shusei Kotani
Media: Film
Year: 1977
The Last Dinosaur: Thrust BorerLocated: Inside a dormant volcano near the North Pole
Plot/Premise: Masten Thrust, a billionaire oil tycoon and big-game hunter, has announced the discovery of a lost world hidden inside the warm pocket of a dormant volcano at the North Pole. Traveling via his "Polar Borer", Thrust and his team find that the hidden world is populated with both dinosaurs and prehistoric humans.
 
Fauna
 
 
Last Dinosaur
Artwork from British poster

Explore

Kev's Cupboard: The Last Dinosaur

Bad Movie Review: The Last Dinosaur

Internet Movie Database: The Last Dinosaur

Jabootu Bad Movie Dimension: The Last Dinosaur

John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Film/TV: The Last Dinosaur

 
 

IRETA

 
Dinosaur Planet
 
First appearance: Dinosaur Planet
Author/Creator: Anne McCaffrey
Media: Novel
Year: 1978
Located: Deep space
Dinosaur PlanetPlot/Premise: The crew of shipbred technicians sent to the planet Ireta was prepared for a routine mission to catalog flora and fauna and search for new energy sources. Kai and his beautiful co-leader Varian, the best xenob-vet in the business, followed all the standard procedures, but the result of their investigations was totally unexpected. When their rescue ship mysteriously disappears, they suddenly find themselves surrounded by giant swamp creatures, deadly predators, and terrifying dinosaurs. And a curious change begins to come over many of the crew members—a mutinous change that will lead all of them, in one way or another, into the primitive darkness of a future world that holds many mysteries yet to be revealed. . . .
Sequels/Other appearances: Dinosaur Planet and Dinosaur Planet Survivors; Sassinak (1990, Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon); The Death of Sleep (1990, Anne McCaffrey and Jody Lynn Nye); Generation Warriors (1991, Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon)
 
Fauna
 
Ireta fauna
Dinosaur Planet (Mark Salwowski)
Ireta fauna
Dinosaur Planet II - The Survivors (Mark Salwowski)
 
Ireta fauna
Dinosaur Planet (Mark Salwowski)
 
Ireta fauna
Dinosaur Planet II - The Survivors (Mark Salwowski)
 
Explore

The Worlds of Anne McCaffrey

Wikipedia: Dinosaur Planet (novel) and Anne McCaffrey

A Meeting of Minds - An Anne McCaffrey Discussion Forum

The Many Works of Anne McCaffrey: Dinosaur Planet / Planet Pirates
Detailed Bibliographic Information

Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame: Anne McCaffrey

 
 

PLANET OF DINOSAURS

 
Planet of Dinosaurs
 
First appearance: Planet of Dinosaurs
Author/Creator: James Shea, Jim Aupperle, Ralph Lucas
Media: Film
Year: 1978
Located: Deep space
 
Planet of Dinosaurs: Tyrannosaurus
 

Planet of Dinosaurs video coverPlot/Premise: In an unspecified future, a passenger spaceship crash lands on an earth-like world populated with savage dinosaurs. They encounter a variety of species and several of their number are killed. The survivors decide that their best chance lay in setting up a defensive perimeter on a plateau until rescuers arrive. However this area is menaced by a deadly Tyrannosaurus which must be defeated if they are to have any chance of survival.
Sequels/Other appearances: Galactic Raiders (Film, in production) has a similar premise.
Adaptation: Planet of Dinosaurs (Reimagining, comic, 2008)

 
Planet of Dinosaurs comic
Planet of Dinosaurs comic
 
Fauna
 
Planet of Dinosaurs: Brontosaurus
Planet of Dinosaurs: Tyrannosaurus
Brontosaurus
A victim of Tyrannosaurus
   
Planet of Dinosaurs: Stegosaurs
Planet of Dinosaurs: Tyrannosaurus and Rhedosaurus
A group of Stegosaurus
Tyrannosaurus and "Rhedosaurus" face off
   
Planet of Dinosaurs: Stegosaurus
Planet of Dinosaurs: T-rex
A lumbering Stegosaurus
T-rex emerges from its lair
   
Planet of Dinosaurs: Tyrannosaurus and Stegosaurus battle
Planet of Dinosaurs: Warding off Allosaurus
Tyrannosaurus and Stegosaurus battle
Warding off Allosaurus
 
Planet of Dinosaurs: Ceratopsian
Planet of Dinosaurs: Struthiomimus
Ceratopsian
Struthiomimus
 
Explore

Wikipedia: Planet of Dinosaurs

Internet Movie Database: Planet of Dinosaurs

Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television: Planet of Dinosaurs

 
 

ZANTHODON

 
 
First appearance: Journey to the Underground World
Author/Creator: Lin Carter
Media: Novel
Year: 1979
Located: Earth's interior
Plot/Premise: Under the trackless sands of the Sahara lay Zanthodon. That vast subterranean realm is the final homeland of the one-time masters of the world's surface — great dinosaurs, mighty jungles and living bands of primitive peoples from Neanderthals to Ancient Minoans and even Barbary pirates. Zanthodon is heavily modelled on Edgar Rice Burrough's creation, Pellucidar.
Sequels/Other appearances: Zanthodon (1980), Hurok of the Stone Age (1981), Darya of the Bronze Age (1981), Eric of Zanthodon (1982)
 
Journey to the Underground World
Zanthodon
     
Darya of the Bronze Age
Hurok of the Stone Age
Eric of Zanthodon

Explore

Wikipedia: Lin Carter

RBzine: "Zanthodon" Overview, Literary Zanthodon, Literal Zanthodon and Linguistic Zanthodon, Pellucidar, Mangani, Pal-ul-don

von Horst's Pellucidar: Pellucidar Pastiches

 
Back to 1950 - 1959

1960 - 1979

Return to Introduction