Well known Lambeosaurus from North America belongs to the classic set of cretaceous dinosaurs being reconstructed as figures.
The 1993 Invicta release is probably the best one currently available. It is the last and probably the best ambassador of the highly esteemed Invicta line. It is 19, 5 cm long and 7, 5 cm tall. This means it is a little smaller in scale than most other Invictas. Looking at the Lambeosaurus, one can hardly believe the original animal was 15 metres long. This figure rather resembles a browsing deer in its overall appearance. It is slender, delicate and of high detail. The chary brown colour accompanies with these details very well, every skin fold becomes well visible, and every muscle is at the right place.

At the head you see the crest and snout worked out caringly. Nostrils, ears and eyelids deserve a second look, too.
The Lambeosaurus is peacefully browsing, slowly walking forward. While other companies still produced bipedal, tail – dragging hadrosaurs, Invicta took the modern choice: Quadrupedal, with a bended spine and an erect tail. Unusual for a hadrosaur figure are the forelimbs:

They look like hooves or paws, representing latest research results.
This gem should get a place of honour in every serious collection. It shows up on ebay now and then.

Muttaburrasaurus was an iguanodontid Ornithopod from the lower cretaceous of Australia. It was 7 metres long and its hallmark was a domed snout. Scientists suggest that Muttaburrasaurus had enlarged nasal caves, some even think that it had inflatable sacs for courtship.

There are not many Muttaburrasaurus figures out there. To be honest, I only know of two: The great Invicta one and this one from Collecta. Both are neat little figures, similar in size, scale and posture.
While the Invicta Muttaburrasaurus looks puggy, the Collecta version is a little smaller and looks hungry. It has been captured in a dynamic pose, like pausing from quick pace, looking to the left. Its colouring is zebra – like with brown and tan stripes, which I think was a traceable choice. The skin pattern is very bubbly, with many skin folds.
As far as Collecta´s look is concerned, there is no in-between. Either their figures are absolutely cool or absolutely ridiculous. This makes Collecta interesting and exciting for the collector.
Muttaburrasaurus is one of their better figures, available at a reasonable price everywhere in the internet.

Safari Ltd have produced several tubes (‘Toobs’) which contain a diverse selection of mini-dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. These tubes are a great choice for the indecisive amongst us – why pick one single large dinosaur when you can get an entire tube of small dinos for the same price!? The American Museum of Natural History feathered dinos tube contains an array of twelve dinosaurs, half of which are feathered and including some recent discoveries. A tube dedicated to feathered dinosaurs is a reflection of recent discoveries that continue to provide evidence for a close relationship between dinosaurs and birds.

All of the feathered dinosaurs are theropods and are depicted with plumage to some degree. A four-winged Microraptor a posed mid-flight with its feathered arms, legs and tail outstretched. It is worth noting that these figures are also available individually in the form of keyrings – I should know as a small Microraptor has been following my around as a fashionable backpack accessory for some time! The cumbersome animal Beipiaosaurus is portrayed posed on two legs, supported by one hand, it has yellow and grey plumage. The Dilong has black plumage and is posed on two legs, its tail is expanded into a slight tail fan and also acts as a support. A ‘winged’ Velociraptor with a long raised tail looks posed for attack with its sickle-shaped claws clearly visible. It also has a plume of feathers on the back of the head and brown stripes on the arm feathers. A brown and white Sinornithosaurus is quite similar to the Velociraptor in overall pose. The final feathered critter of the bunch is Caudipteryx which is positioned raised up on two legs, showing of his red breast and stubby wings. The tip of the tail has a distincive fan of feathers.

Pictured: The full set of twelve dinosaurs from the Feathered Dinos Tube by Safari Ltd. Back row, left to right: Caudipteryx, Psittacosaurus, Velociraptor; next row, left to tight: Apatosaurus, Dilong, Pachycephalosaurus; next row, left to right: Beipiaosaurus, Chasmosaurus, Microraptor; front row, left to right: Tyrannosaurus, Protoceratops, Sinornithosaurus.

Six non-feathered species have been snuck in amongst the dinobirds. I can’t determine any rational for the choice of species, other than the fact that some are contemporaries of one of the feathered dinosaurs. They include some popular names such as T.rex and Apatosaurus, but also some more obscure beasties. There is a Psittacosaurus in an almost quadropedal pose and with yellow/green skin. The distinctive parrot-like beak from which it’s name is derived is very clear. There are two frilled ceratopians; a Prococeratops with a stiking blue frill and a deep tail and a deep blue-skinned Chasmosaurus. Finally there is a Pachycephalosaurus posed on two legs and supported by its tail. The bony head is covered in bumps and highlighted in blue.

The detailing is nice and although not on a par with similar-sized offerings from Kaiyodo, for example, they are well worth the price tag – presently just $10 on Amazon.com (here). These tubes also offer a great opportunity for play and would make a great gift. I like the diversity in plumage colour on the feathered dinosaurs, similar to modern birds, and the intriguing set of species is a bonus for collectors. Also, the tube itself contains a small rotatable globe set into the lid.

All of the figures are about 7cm long and not to scale – after all, only the most active imagination could perceive a swooping Microraptor snatching up an adult Apatosaurus and whisking it up to its nest for dinner.

Available from Safari.com (here) and Amazon.com (here)

The Brachiosaurus is one of the few original Carnegie Collection sculpts, as far as I can tell, that has remained unchanged (with the exception of a new paint job) since it was released in 1987.  As explained by Randy Knol on the Dinosaur Collector Site,  the majority of figures from the original line have been tweaked or retired. The figure I’m reviewing is stamped 1988 so it’s important to bear this in mind when assessing the figure for scientific accuracy. The ‘Brachio’ part of the name on my figure is intriguingly raised relative to the rest of the text on the stamp, seemingly indicating that the figure was previously stamped as something-else-osaurus. Maybe one of our Safari Ltd collecting readers could check an original figure to clarify if this is the case?

This is one gargantuan figure and quite a significant hulk of plastic, ‘hulk’ being the operative word given the incredible green hue to the skin. The head towers above the rest of the figures in the Carnegie Collection – this Brachiosaurus stands 35cm tall. It is a heavy beast too, I don’t have any scales on me but I’d estimate it at a little less than a kilogram, worth keeping in mind for effects on shipping costs.

The anatomical proportions are good although the animal is a little overweight perhaps, and the posture of the legs is a little uncomfortable looking. The tail is raised (although the very tip touches the floor), the neck is almost vertical and the back slopes towards the hips. A ridge runs along the neck indicating the underlying muscle mass.

The skin is covered with large scales and is wrinkled, especially on the flanks between the ‘arms’ and legs, and at the base of the neck. The ‘hands’ possess five claws including an enlarged thumb claw. Brachiosaurus is now known to have only the large thumb claw so the figure is outdated in this regard. The cheery-looking small head has the distinctive macronarian ‘crest’. The jaws are open revealing a rather gummy looking mouth. The peg-like teeth are quite poorly defined, the sculpt is a bit poorly defined in several places but I think this is probably a result or the old age of the moulds?

The current colour scheme for this figure is green, with slightly darker green on the top and a grey wash, which highlights the surface details. The claws are black, the teeth are white, the mouth is pink and the eyes are yellow with neat black pupils.

Available from Safari.com (here) and Amazon.com (here)

Review and photos by Marc Vincent aka Horridus

One of the more recent of Invicta’s dinosaurs, this Muttaburrasaurus dates from 1989. This model is often overlooked when compared with others in the range, especially the younger Lambeosaurus, but it demonstrates perfectly how far Invicta’s dinosaur designs had progressed, making their untimely demise all the more unfortunate.

This Muttaburrasaurus is worlds apart from Invicta’s earlier rendition of its more famous relative Iguanodon. Whereas Iguanodon was shown in the long-outdated ‘kangaroo’ posture popularised by Louis Dollo (complete with a dragged tail that would had to have been broken in the real animal), Muttaburrasaurus is portrayed as a quadruped with an extremely straight tail, bending only very slightly and subtly to the right towards the tip.

The creature is posed with its left forelimb raised, perhaps to indicate how it could have transferred to a bipedal, but still horizontal, posture. It is also looking to the left and slightly upwards, as if startled by a predator or a rival. The head appears to feature the speculative ‘resonating chamber’, a popular feature on restorations of this animal as its skull appears to support it (the Walking With Dinosaurs version also had it).

Unlike many of the other animals in the series, including Lambeosaurus, Muttaburrasaurus sports non-overlapping scales all over its body. Although skin impressions for this dinosaur have not been found, this certainly makes good sense, as impressions from other large ornithopods show such scales. As is typical of Invictas, especially later ones, detail in terms of muscle definition etc. is superb, while maintaining a bulky herbivorous look.

There are of course a few aspects that could do with a tweak (as there always are on models this old) such as the ‘fingers’, and it could probably do with a more obvious beak. However, this figure is great overall and well ahead of its time. This plain-coloured model might not immediately command your attention but it definitely rewards a closer look.

Occasionally available from eBay UK and eBay US at perfectly decent prices.

Review and photos by Marc Vincent aka Horridus

For many collectors of plastic dinosaur merchandise Invicta’s green behemoth has long been a firm favourite, often taking pride of place among their sauropod assemblages. It remains an impressive and imposing figure well worth seeking out, as much as time has detracted from its scientific accuracy. (It should probably be also referred to as Giraffatitan, but we’ll let that slide for this review…)

Dating from 1984, this Brachiosaurus is less archaic in appearance than Invicta’s older models of Diplodocus and Apatosaurus with their dragging tails, and has managed to stand the test of time better than their 1988 Mamenchisaurus, with its implausibly erect neck. Nevertheless, it has its flaws by modern standards. The feet are unquestionably incorrect and the neck might just be a little too graceful and upright, although it is still far superior to the later Carnegie Collection Brachiosaurus in this respect. Also, on most modern restorations the nostrils are not placed as high on the skull, and the short mouth seems to indicate that this Brachiosaurus has been given cheeks!

Of course, for a figure this old, and one that has weathered so well, this is nitpicking. In its time it was the best Brachiosaurus by a country mile, and even now only the new Wild Safari model seems to have any chance of surpassing it. It is posed very convincingly – not rearing up but striding calmly and purposefully, its neck curved so that its excellently rendered eyes are imperiously surveying the landscape below it. Another positive aspect is the tail, which as with many of the more recent Invictas is held out rigidly straight behind the animal, and is of course clear of the ground. The detailed skin, muscle tone and even veins help convey a massive, powerful creature. This Brachiosaurus may be 1:45 scale (approximately), but it succeeds impressively in portraying an animal that was unimaginably huge.

In spite of its aforementioned inaccuracies, I also love the head of this figure. Its drooping eyelids and down-turned, frowning mouth give it the superior air of an old English gent, with its nasal crest standing in for the bowler hat. It gives the figure real charm.

This model, although sadly long since discontinued, is still frequently available on eBay UK and eBay US at very reasonable prices, and is a must for any collection.

I am quite pleased to be able to finally share pics of this monster sculpture done by my good friend Malcolm Mlodoch. Those addicted to the prehistoric mammals will get a huge (in every sense) fix with this guy. When it comes to Cenozoic fauna, I am even more selective than with dinos, so you may trust me when I tell you that this is a high quality product. I was blown away when I first saw the pics of the finished product, but I couldn’t believe my eyes when I held it in my hands for the first time, as it exceeded my expectations completely.

I am surprised that there are not many figures of this animal, it’s very distinctive (nothing else than the biggest terrestrial mammal: some specimens are 5.5 mts tall and 8 mts long). These creatures were actually related to rhinos (that explains Malcolm’s choice of colour) although they had no head ornamentation. They lived from the Eocene to the Oligocene in a span of almost 15 million years, grazing peacefully without many natural foes.  Their weight is still a matter of speculation, but it does appear that previous numbers were exaggerations: while they may not have weighed 30 tons, they could have reached the 15 tons mark. In any case, it appears that these critters were more agile than we once thought, I read that some of their bones were actually hollow. They are fairly popular and had had their share of TV guest appearances. The Indricotherium / Baluchitherium is a classic animal that experienced a surge of attention back in the 60’s.

The most remarkable figures I can think of right now are the very cool Nabisco miniature version and the execrable Procon ‘Indricotherium’, a slightly smaller version that  looks like a cross between a moose and a cartoonish camel. There’s also a Starlux version (it’s not half bad if you don’t mind the primitive look of that company) and the Paleocraft resin kit. Of all the versions I have mentioned, in my opinion only the Paleocraft would be a worthy contester, but even then I would have to say that the Fauna Casts Indri wins because it’s so much more affordable.

This triumphant version, reminiscent of  Charles R. Knight’s drawing, is not static at all. A subtly curved torse and the raised paw provide it with a sense of fluidity. The paintjob is also one of my favorites: the grey drybrushing blends nicely with the brownish wash(es).  I also liked the way the muzzle was done: the effect of a simple wash makes it look almost wet. As for the structure itself, Malcolm sculpted a very fine set of large muscles,  including a set of thick extremities, quite appropiate for this huge animal. Although it’s very large (around 25 cm long, I suspect only slightly bigger than the 1:40 premise), it’s rather light.

I had seen other members express their joy upon receiving this piece and now I know why is that. I look forward to seeing more big mammals made by dinonikes.

You can visit Malcolm’s subforum here.

Review by megaraptor1000, photos by dinotoyforum

Papo has produced some stunning, if inaccurate, toys in their short time in the model dinosaur industry. Today I will be reviewing one of their larger pieces, the Tyrannosaurus rex. I apologize in advance to Jurassic Park worshipers for bashing their little Rex, I don’t hate him, I am just a bit critical.

No information is needed on the dinosaur itself. It’s Tyrannosaurus rex! The villain from the first two Jurassic Park movies, and there lies the inspiration for this toy. As most dinosaur affiliates would recognize, it is clearly based on the Jurassic Park 3 Rex which was unceremoniously killed off in one of the early scenes of the movie. The Papo T. rex is an almost exact replica of the Jurassic Park dinosaur, even down to the overlarge feet, which aren’t necessary anyway because the figure is in the dreaded ‘tripod’ pose. Like all Papos, it has “Papo”, the manufacturing date (2005), Made In China, and CE stampted on it somewhere (in this one on the inside of the right thigh). The Papo ‘Rex’ fits in with most of the other Papos in that it is not to scale.

A close-up of the creature’s head show the bulbous bases of the lower jaw and the pyramidal ‘crests’ above the eyes, now considered by some experts to have actually existed. In my opinion, and I am no expert on this sort of thing, the head seems just a bit short to me. Another inaccuracy is the arms. They are too long and the palms face the chest. In a real Tyrannosaurus, it would have had to break it’s arms in at least three different places to get them like that.

Now we move onto the tail. There is no physical way a tyrannosaur could even contemplate bending it’s tail that far around. The tail is also too short, but not so short to be really annoying. My pet hate on this figure is the overlarge feet. They would be OK if they were supporting the body and it was horizontal, but that would be a heresy in an all-JP figure. And even though the movie version had them, they weren’t to this extent.

Now for the positives (is that a ‘hallelujah’ I can hear in the background from Jurassic Park toy aficionados?). The skin is wonderfully textured; there are nice wrinkles around the neck. The hind limbs and pelvic region exude power, the teeth are individually sculpted, and it even has the trace of an ear-hole. But, best of all, it is in the ever-famous ‘victory roar’ pose from the first Jurassic Park movie (even though it is the JP3 Tyrannosaur). All in all, and inaccuracies aside, this is a great and affordable ((currently $18.95 US at Amazon.com) replica that is recommended to anyone who loves Jurassic Park, Tyrannosaurus, or just dinosaurs in general.

Thanks to fellow dinosaur toy forum members kevin, horridus, sid and meso-cenozoic for helping me with some of the information.

Available from Amazon.com (here)

For all the readers that haven’t entered the forum, I am very proud to announce on this blog the official line of the Dinosaur Toy Forum: the Fauna Casts prehistoric creatures done by the exceptional artist Malcolm Mlodoch (AKA dinonikes). For decades, Malcolm has worked for lots of museums. He has provided beautiful renderings of creatures from practically all the ages: from primitive invertebrates to the more recent mammals (not to mention that he also has sculpted modern fauna). His museum pieces are stunning (which by the way are still available and very affordable). It was already a great honour for us to have him in our midst but that wasn’t the end of it. Our obscene needs for dinosaurs made him realize that he could deploy his artistic skills by producing a line of 1:40 figures. This is Malcolm’s own description of the creative process:

“This line of prehistoric animal figures, has been, and is currently being, developed in a collaboration between myself and the members of the Dinosaur Toy Forum in an ongoing process. The goal with this line of figures is to offer collectors a unique opportunity to participate in the creation of a line of figures. This line will feature unusual naturalistic poses, multiple poses of the same species, and unusual species not usually produced by the major toy companies-in addition to new ways of representing the iconic species more familiar to the collector. Forum members were originally asked which species of prehistoric animals they would like to see developed as figures. A general consensus was reached ragarding sizes, figures should be in 1:40 scale whenever possible. A process developed between myself and the members to create these figures. This collaborative process is simple. I sculpt the figure, using all of the latest references I can find, or am provided by forum members. I post photos of the ‘finished’ clay pattern sculpture for critiquing by members- who then give their feedback, sharing their knowledge and opinions regarding the sculpture’s accuracy, pose and other details. After the critiquing stage, some sculpting revisions, and after a general consensus of final approval has been reached, the figures are ready to mold, cast, and offer up to collectors. I am very pleased with the results thus far- and look forward to future collaboration with everyone that takes the initiative to participate in this interesting process”

The result is an exquisite array of figures that are not exactly toys; they are not resin kits either, the consensus is that they are something in-between. The sculptures are not as cheap as a museum toy, the price is a little higher, but I can assure you that it’s completely worth it. This isn’t a mass marketed product, it’s a hand-painted piece of art straight from the artist. Most of the times a base is included, which makes toppling over virtually impossible.

I was very eager to finally meet his creations face to face, and after getting acquainted with this line, I can safely say not only that the creative process is unique, but also that his work can match (and in some cases easily surpass) any other 1:40 figure out there (in case there are equivalents, his Muraenosaurus for instance is the only one made so far).

This is the list of prehistoric creatures that Malcolm has made so far:

-Dilophosaurus
-Muraenosaurus
-Tyrannosaurus rex
-Ophthalmosaurus
-Acrocanthosaurus
-Parasaurolophus

I have heard that the Tylosaurus will be available very soon.

So don’t be shy, please visit Dinonikes’ subforum to participate in this exciting project!

These are some pics of the amazing sculptures, including the recently released Acrocanthosaurus:

Parasaurolophus is a well known lambeosaurine dinosaur from Late Cretaceous North America, where it lived near the Western Interior Seaway. It sported a large crest on its skull which may have been used for making vocalizations and has caused this genus to be easily recognizable to the public. The name means “near-crested reptile”. Parasaurolophus was a large animal at over 30 feet in length, but was herbivorous. The first fossil remains were discovered in 1920 in Alberta, Canada by an expedition from the University of Toronto. The area is now known as the Dinosaur Park Formation.

Parasaurolophus is one of the most ubiquitous dinosaur figures out there because it seems to be as much of a requirement for a toy line as T.rex or Triceratops. However, very few sculpts do justice to the animal. This figure, which was released in 2007, does. Schleich previously released a green Parasaurolophus in a tripod pose for this line, which is a good figure, but this one’s better. Schleich’s 2007 Para is 9 inches long (1/40 scale) and hefty! You’ll notice it’s very solidly built when handled. The figure is incredibly detailed and covered in realistic scales, giving it a rough texture. The colors are very earthy, if a bit drab, but that’s Schleich. The predominant color is a caramel brown, with darker brown spots that almost give it a cow-like pattern. There is a row of these markings along the spine. The figure’s underside is gray and the crest is an interesting lime green, which contrasts with the brown. Its hooves are painted dark brown and its eyes are yellow with black pupils. The animal is in a quadrupedal striding pose.

This Parasaurolophus is awesome. It is quite possibly the best figure Schleich has released to date. This one shows that the people at Schleich did a little research. The sculpt is very well proportioned and does not have the “awkward” vibe of a lot of other Schleich sculpts (cough*Ceratosaurus*cough). The scalation all over the body and the wrinkles on its tail make this figure very realistic. There are even very small scales on its head. The limbs show some muscle definition, the 1^st and 5^th digits of the forelimbs are reduced, and the animal is also posed on all fours, which is an idea widely viewed by paleontologists to be its usual posture, although Parasaurolophus could run on two legs. The neck also curves up in a nice S-shape, and there is no purely speculative fleshy sail connecting the crest to the neck. Lastly, there is a notch in the figure’s spine above the shoulders. This was recently thought to perhaps accommodate the animal’s large crest, but it has since been determined that the fossil specimen the anomaly was found in was broken. Still, I like its inclusion because it shows that Schleich was at least paying attention to research, which is something I’m not so sure they always do…

Parasaurolophus is my favorite dinosaur, and this figure is one of my favorite ever renditions of it. Pictures make it look good, but it’s a figure you really have to see for yourself. I don’t foresee this guy being retired anytime soon and it is widely available. This figure gets top marks from me.