Customer Reviews

Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards: A Tale of Edward Drinker Cope, Othniel Charles Marsh, and the Gilded Age of Paleontology

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this is longer than i expected(~165 pgs), but in a good way: perfect for a preteen to get into but not finish in 1 sitting. i love the sepia graphics but just wish there was a fling of color once in a while (its all sepia toned between the colorful covers). overall, very nice.

This is a mostly made up version of the famous "Bone Wars" between Marsh and Cope and would have been more interesting if they had stuck to the facts (see "The Gilded Dinosaur" by Mark Jaffe). More art work of the dinosaurs would have been a bonus. One of the few dinosaur books I've given away rather than kept.

Ottaviani has good ideas and an interesting narrative sense, and his attempts to bring to popular notice via graphic novels some of the less well-known people in the recent history of science are certainly laudable, but his execution never seems to be up to his intentions. Here he recounts the history of the infamous "Bone Wars" of the late 19th century between rival American paleontologists Othniel Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, which greatly entertained and greatly annoyed their colleagues (and sold lots of papers for James Gordon Bennett). The competition was virulent, with vituperative personal attacks, "salting" of scientific digs, bribery of workers, spying, and violations of Indian lands. Marsh, the first American professor of paleontology (at Yale), could be brilliant, but also was capable of dynamiting sites to keep other researchers from exploring them. Cope, probably the better scientist of the two, was also brash, melodramatic, and a bit paranoid. Together, the two men gave American paleontology a bad reputation elsewhere in the world that took several generations to undo. Ottaviani's story isn't nearly that clear, however. The book would have benefitted from a "dramatis personae" at the front, to give the reader a sporting chance at following things.

In the graphic novel Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards, Jim Ottaviani and the folks at G.T. Labs take on E.D. Cope and O.C. Marsh and the Bone War. In the last third of the 1800's, geologists were exploring the West, and two of those geologists, Cope and Marsh, were looking for dinosaur bones. These rivals discovered and named many of the most famous dinosaurs while carrying on the most famous [sometimes violent] feud in geology. Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunder Lizards is a fine book, but didn't impress me to the level that the earlier graphic novels Fallout and Suspended In Language did. I still highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history, the old West, dinosaurs, and is willing to give the graphic novel format a try.

This is a fantastic little book, or graphic novel. The basic story is well known to bone hunters and collectors but not to the general public. The author may have taken some artistic liberties with the actual story but it is an exciting read that illuminates late 19th century American thinking. The art is fantastic. For those of us who never outgrew our fascination with dinsosaurs and comic books, this is a must read.

The title sold me! Bone Sharps, Cowboys, and Thunderlizerds is a fun and informative read about Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Marsh who sabotage each others digs and reputations. I only knew a little about these two Paleontologists (more about Marsh) before reading, like the huge collection of bones they obtained.There are also some cameos from other well known historical figures like Buffalo Bill Cody, P.T. Barnum, famous artist Charles R. Knight (The Lost World Painting ) and many more. This graphic novel was entertaining and I felt sorry for Drinker Cope at the end. I went on to read more about them and early Paleontology, so I would give this book thumbs up for re-sparking my interests even though it's fictionalized a bit. I picked it up at the 2008 MOCCA convention in New York and Jim Ottaviani was fun to talk with. Kevin Cannon was a nice fellow as well. I liked the Sepia colored art work and layout. An enjoyable read! Thanks for the story Jim!