Spock's Pickled Brain

1. Jurassic Park (1993) Two paleontologists are recruited by their patron to consult on a zoological park off Costa Rica. It seems a strange request, but once they arrive on Isla Nublar their life-long dreams of seeing dinosaurs in the flesh are granted. But behind the advanced genetics and extensive precautions of this park lie a series of fatal flaws. With the threats of bad weather and industrial sabotage hanging over the park, life is about to find a way... In sheer effort and popularity, Jurassic Park is sure to be at the top of most dinosaur movie lists. Adapted from an excellent book by Michael Crichton, it delivers as a great stand-alone action and scifi adventure. As effects go this movie was way ahead of its time, and struck a great balance of using practical animatronics and CGI. It's part of the genius of this work in that it truly makes these dinosaur believable even to this day and reveals both the awe and the terror of inhabiting the same space with such spec...

Okay, so if you're not familiar with Dinotopia, the short and long of the "Skybax" creatures is that they function sort of as domesticated pterodactyls. A special Dinotopian corps bonds with these skybax and serves as the island's air force, scouts, and high order messengers. So I wanted to make one. And I tried, twice, with varied results. Neither of these actually look much like the skybax, but I'm pretty happy with the plushy demon birds I ended up with. On the left, we see Gurney's majestic original skybax! And on the right, kind of a ugly duckling. But it's still my baby, and it's still way better than my original attempt. Hint, hint: the key here is to make the design as simple as possible, and to make all the fiddly bits out of something you're better at. Phase One: The Two-Dimensional Approach (aka The Roadkill ) So this was my first attempt. It's pretty crude, I'm not going to lie, but it is basically recognizable a...

The Skybax Flying high among the clouds, some of the most daring humans of Dinotopia accomplish feats of endurance and skill thanks to their bond with their Skybax companions. In Canyon City one might imagine the cadets celebrating their successes with a cocktail like this. The citrus, bitters, and burn of the ingredients are complemented with the sweetness of the whipped cream. With such a dreamy concoction, the sky is no longer the limit. Ingredients: 1.5oz tequila 1oz blue curacao 0.25-0.5oz sambuca Whipped cream Longevus Elixir Dinotopians enjoy lengthened life due to their daily imbibement of the herb Arctium longevus . Although usually drunk as a tea, newly shipwrecked adventurers may find some comfort in combining some of their treasured rum stores with a few Dinotopian ingredients. Careful though, the elixir is quite strong for those without the constitution of a stegosaurus. Ingredients: 1.5oz spiced rum 1.5oz applejack 0.5oz goldschlaeger or similar cinn...

Ah Dinotopia, land of sentient dinosaurs, peaceful humans, and an eclectic sartorial tastes. I love Dinotopia as a fantasy world for several reasons, but most of it what makes it distinct and memorable is through the art of the original books. The world of Dinotopia is colorful and diverse, and the clothing throws together aesthetics from a wide variety of cultures and historical periods. And yet, at least in the original books, it also has a focus on 19th century European/Victorian era explorers. Which makes sense since that's where the point-of-view characters (namely Arthur and Will Denison) come from. With that in mind, here's my spin on a Victorian-esque explorer with a Dinotopian spin. To create this costume I pulled from depictions of the Denisons from the James Gurney books and wily Cyrus Crabb from the Dinotopia miniseries. Perhaps a little more from Cyrus Crabb, as he has a penchant for elaborate tapestry-style coats with some practicality. Inspirations ...