Here we have a new figure for 2012 from the company that so many love to hate, German manufacturer Schleich. This new Tyrannosaurus rex is part of Schleich’s new “World of History” line, which contains some familiar looking dinosaur sculpts, but also some brand new ones. Since Papo arrived on the dinosaur toy scene a few years ago, their popularity and success seemed to spur other companies, such as Bullyland and Schleich, to strive for greater detail and quality in their figures. Schleich appear to have heavily been influenced by Papo’s Tyrannosaurus rexes here, which in turn were heavily influenced by Jurassic Park.

Let’s start off with the positives. Although it’s on the short side, the tail is held off the ground, unlike nearly all of Schleich’s past Tyrannosaurus figures. The articulated jaw (another popular trend initiated by Papo and later copied by Bullyland, and now Schleich, is nicely implemented. The figure is a bright emerald green, with yellow-ish brown highlights on the feet, forearms and belly.
The pose is static and unimaginative, but I suppose this makes the toy easy to animate for a young child’s imagination.

The head is well detailed, although the teeth are too uniform in length. The Papo influence here is painfully obvious. Like most Jurassic Park influenced replicas, the crests above the eyes are absurdly large. I like the wrinkling of skin around the neck and shoulder area though. The back of the neck and the front of the knees are covered with small yellow pimples. This could be an attempt at sculpting scutes, but in the end, they just make the Tyrannosaurus look like it’s suffering from a nasty bout of acne. The surface of the skin is covered with small round scales, very much like the detailing on Safari Ltd’s Acrocanthosaurus and Ceratosaurus toys.

The forearms are pronated and rather too long (probably another influence from Papo’s running Tyrannosaurus, which was also sculpted with overly long arms)
The musculature is sculpted well and bulges in the thighs and legs. Much like the Schleich Allosaurus, this figure has oversized feet to ensure it stands on its own. The claws are actually sculpted well, are uniform in length, and show very little sloppiness of paintwork. The ankles and lower legs are probably sculpted too thinly, but at least the sculptors made an attempt to make the feet bird-like.

Is this figure worth considering? It is a step in the right direction for Schleich at least, even if it is a Jurassic Park rip-off. The overall sculpt detail is good, although nowhere near Papo’s level. Unfortunately, at the end of the day the new Schleich Tyrannosaurus rex feels very much like a poor man’s Papo. This figure should be available at most toy retailers within a few months.

"Oh - Nice to see a familiar face!"

Tyrannosaurus rex (World of History by Schleich) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Velociraptor is a true staple when it comes to dinosaurs. It has appeared in countless books and visual media, which has caused almost every toy company to produce one at some point in their lifetime. Unfortunately, almost every company churned out another scaly and outdated lizard-like creature. A good example would be CollectA’s earliest reconstruction of the Velociraptor.

CollectA was started by Procon back in the 2006 under the name of ‘Nature’s Wonders’. The Natures Wonders collection had up to 40 different animal figures and six of them were CollectA’s first ever dinosaurs: Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, T. rex, Velociraptor, Triceratops, and Pteranodon. They were a mixed bag in terms of quality. Of CollectA’s first six, only the Stegosaurus and Pteranodon were fairly decent in my opinion. The Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops and Brachiosaurus were flawed abominations that appear to have popped out of some child’s cartoon, and the Velociraptor is an obviously copy of the Jurassic Park characters, only with a duller color scheme and a more cutesy caricature.

Right off the bat, you can clearly see the parts where Jurassic Park was an influence, from the Deinonychus-like head, down to its ver sized ‘bunny hands’ and bare-naked body. Anatomically it is awfully close to the Papo reconstruction – the only difference would be that the CollectA version three times smaller and not as well detailed. The first claw of the foot, which is incorrectly placed right above the ankles (and makes it look like a little bony protrusion coming out of the back of the leg). The tail, which is in a mild upward curve that could break the animals vertebra if it were alive today. The pose is nothing really exciting but I find it very cute. It is crouched down with the end of its tail touching the ground, and its mouth wide open as if letting out a not so “terrifying growl”. Because of its small size I think of it as a cute little baby raptor crying out to its mommy. Come to think of it, CollectA’s Deluxe Velociraptor could work as its mother, and the lack of feathers could mark it as a newborn hatchling.

The colors are disappointing with this figure. The base color is a basic light grey and is crudely highlighted with several little white lines. The claws are the usual black that you see in dinosaur figures, the eyes are yellow, and the teeth are as clean as a blank sheet of paper – no discoloured trace of its last meal – a common mistake.

All in all, this is just another average Jurassic Park inspired Velociraptor. The only difference is that it is very small. It is widely available online on both Amazon and eBay, and can go under the name of Nature’s Wonders at a cheaper price. The figure is identical under both names so it makes no difference if you buy it under either brand.

Velociraptor (Procon/CollectA) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Every collector wants a unique piece that stands out from the rest. A Rembrandt. A Van Gogh. I would argue that all of Shane Foulkes’ work deserves a special place in every dinosaur hobbyist’s shelf, but Shane has truly delivered a masterpiece with his 1/20th scale Torvosaurus. Initially sold by Darren McDonald under Mesozoic Era Models, all rights for this kit have returned to the hands of its maker, Shane Foulkes, who even generously lowered the price.

As with all of Shane Foulkes’ models, the kit arrived carefully packaged in bubble wrap and foam peanuts. Like a 5-year-old child, I giddily unearthed the Jurassic apex predator from its tomb composed of foam and plastic. 7 resin parts (tail, right leg, left leg, right arm, left arm, head + body, base), cast very nicely with little flash or seam lines. One small issue, however, was that a few of the spikes jutting from the back of the Torvo’s neck were broken. Darren was kind enough to include spare spikes in a separate bag. The break must have occurred pre-shipment. Another thing I noticed was that the base of the tail was slightly larger in diameter (an excess of approximately 5 mm) than the area on the body where it was meant to be attached. Whether these issues are present on every kit, I do not know. Regardless, minimal sanding and putty work quickly remedied the situation. All other parts fit nicely, like a glove. With such few flaws in casting, this figure was truly a pleasure to piece together. This model kit is rather heavy and so I strongly recommend pinning the legs and tail to the body. Once built, it is front-heavy and cannot stand on its own; pinning the foot to the base (provided) will also be necessary.

This Torvosaurus is immortalized mid-gait with its head slightly looking upwards and to the right, possibly fixating a hapless young sauropod, instants before its certain demise. The figure is expertly sculpted, with a plethora of skin folds, spikes, scales and scutes. Ridges run down from the eyebrow to the nostril on each side. Three rows of spikes adorn the back of the neck transitioning into large scutes that run along the dinosaur’s back all the way to about 2/3 of the tail. Individually sculpted scutes also line the fingers and toes. The muscles are carefully and accurately defined. Of particular note is the well-developed caudofemoralis muscle, evidence that this predator was no slow-moving beast.

Photo courtesy of Spike Ekins

And then there are the teeth. Oh the teeth! Shane Foulkes’ depiction of this theropod needs no gaping mouth to show just how deadly this behemoth must have been. 27 pearly whites jut out of a lipped upper jaw. Deceivingly enough, the Torvosaur’s facial expression almost inspires sympathy…yet one look at those enormous teeth and you know you’re about to face a violent and bloody death were you actually to meet in real life.

The kit comes with a base, which, as mentioned above, is essential for the Torvosaurus to stand properly. As we have come to expect from Shane, a lot of texture has also been put into this little piece of resin. There are little pebbles and cracks here and there. Perhaps our protagonist finds himself in the middle of a dried lake bed.

One thing I would like to add is that Shane Foulkes’ models are replete with realistic bumps and folds, lending themselves very nicely to painting techniques such as dry-brushing, washes and glazing. Again, working on this kit was an absolute pleasure. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my limited yet non-negligible experience in model kit painting, it’s that no matter how nice the overall appearance of a figure is, without good skin texturing, it will never look realistic. With no hesitation whatsoever, I give this kit two thumbs and two big toes up. This is definitely a must-have for dinosaur model collectors.

Torvosaurus (by Shane Foulkes) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Kaiyodo is without equal when it comes to these miniature dinosaurs. I was personally hesitant to invest money in something so small but since buying my first I’ve become hooked. This small theropod was my latest acquisition and I am simply stunned by the level of detail and accuracy. This is a dynamic and elegant little model that does a great job showing just how bird-like some of the dinosaurs were. The figure stands on a small black base with its left foot lifted up off the ground, looking surprisingly like one of the fossils discovered of Sinosauropteryx. The feet themselves are orange and again I must state, very bird-like. The long thin tail is held high with a small fan of feathers at the tip. I don’t think such a fan has been discovered on this species but it is a beautiful addition regardless. No detail has gone amiss and I can think of no glaring inaccuracy that could turn one away from this gracile little beauty.

There is, however, one inaccuracy worth mentioning and this may be the first review to do this…the color. Not only was Sinosauropteryx the first feathered dinosaur described but it was also the first dinosaur for which we know what color it was. By looking at preserved melanosomes paleontologists were able to determine this animal was a rusty red in color with light bands around the tail. The Kaiyodo figure gets the banding right but not much else. It is white in color with pink bands around the tail and flecks along the side, the bottom of the model is also pink. There is also a blue crest on the head in addition to the blue tail fan. Like other Kaiyodo figures there is another version of this animal with a different color. The other model is brown much like the real animal was but lacks the bands around the tail. In addition, it has a black patch of feathers on the back with a white border and white underside. The crest on its head is black as is the tail fan with blue flecks on it. Color aside my only real complaint would have to be the spots where the limbs connect to the body. All the Dinotales figures require assembly but the spots that snap together on this one are glaringly obvious as you can see in the pictures. Perhaps white was not the best color choice, something darker could have better concealed these spots.

It is amazing that we can call out inaccurate colors on any dinosaur figure but I’m certain when Kaiyodo made the thing they had no idea we would eventually know this little dinosaurs true colors. Hopefully someday a company will produce a fully accurate version of the creature where even the colors are correct. Until then the Kaiyodo model is a beautiful little figure that stands out in any collection. It can be found on eBay on occasion for less than ten U.S. dollars. The white version seems to be less rare than the brown.

Sinosauropteryx (Dinotales Series 1 by Kaiyodo) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Continuing  with our reviews of the Oldies model series, here we have the 1950s tail-dragging Brachiosaurus sculpted by Kazunari Araki (as is the entire Oldies line). The most well-known species of Brachiosaurus now goes by the name of Giraffatitan brancai (formerly Brachiosaurus brancai). Although Giraffatitan  also belongs to the Brachiosauridae, it is different enough from Brachiosaurus to warrant a genus of its own. However, as it is the best known of the two, most historical replicas of Brachiosaurus are actually based on material now referable to Giraffatitan brancai. Since the figure in question today is a retro-styled replica, I would guess that this model is also based on Giraffatitan, although it is not labelled as such.

This replica reminds me a little of the Bullyland Brachiosaurus, but it is much more inaccurate. For example, the Bullyland Brachiosaurus has its tail held off the ground. Unfortunately I have no idea which particular piece of artwork the Oldies statue is based on [suggestions are welcome in the comments - ed]. It comes with the usual wooden plinth that most Kinto/ Favorite Co. Ltd. statues are accompanied with, but I removed this in accordance with my own personal preference.

The skin is wrinkled and elephant-like, with loose folds of flesh collecting between the joints. The paintjob is even reminiscent of an elephant. The front legs are splayed out slightly, which levels out the back and makes it less inclined than in modern reconstructions. Instead of the correct columnal depiction, the feet are sculpted in a plantigrade arrangement. The feet end with triangular shaped claws on each toe. The thin tail is too long and drags on the ground, adding more to the retro-style of the sculpture.

I really like the suggestion of bones underneath the skin, which make this Brachiosaurus look a little thin and frail compared to the more robust reconstructions we are used to. The skin seems to be almost hanging from its frame, and  the veins around the head and neck suggest a lack of surface body fat. The mouth is open, displaying rows of nicely sculpted peg-like teeth, and it seems to have an almost monstrous expression to its face (personally I find it to be a bit creepy looking). The nostrils are placed high up upon the face, in their traditional position. The neck travels upwards in a gentle curve and seems to be lacking muscle mass, perhaps hearkening back to a time when dinosaurs were depicted as lumbering, cold-blooded, under-muscled lizards. The head is probably too large in relation to the body but this was probably intentional. The paintwork is satisfactory, the overall colour is a dull greenish grey, and is there is no sloppiness of paintwork that I can see.

With the new Carnegie Collection Brachiosaurus being released shortly, I was prompted to purchase the Oldies model as a reminder of how far palaeontology has travelled. It is a large sculpture, slightly larger in scale than the upcoming Safari Ltd toy. I believe the scale of the Oldies Brachiosaurus is 1:50. Surprisingly, the model is actually lighter in weight than the Oldies Iguanodon.

Although I like this model, it may be more tempting for some to go for the Invicta Brachiosaurus instead, which, while being cheaper and easier to find, still has a retro appeal to it. Nonetheless, I recommend the Oldies model to sauropod fans or retro-lovers in general.

It can be found here http://www.bhigr.com/store/product.php?productid=297

Brachiosaurus (Oldies desktop model by Kinto/Favorite Co. Ltd.) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

No doubt: Invicta Brachiosaurus is a monument, an all-time classic, a monochrome statement, based on the first version of the mounted Brachiosaurus skeleton of the Natural History Museum of Berlin. No Giraffatitan discussion here.
Up for review, however, is Kleinwelka Brachiosaurus, a figure from the former German Democratic Republic. It is based upon the life size concrete figure in the Dinosaur Park of Kleinwelka. It is obvious that this figure is based on the skeleton from Berlin, too.
We all know that its posture is obsolete.

We see a tail – dragging behemoth with an erected neck and a rather sadly looking face with folds swinging under the muzzle. Trying to give the figure teeth, the sculptor made it look as if it had lost its false teeth.

Kleinwelka Brachiosaurus comes straight out of a period in which dinosaurs were seen as static, clumsy monsters, not in any interaction with the environment, strolling through the Mesozoic swamps.

Due to the production process and the choice of material that had to be as simple and cheap as possible in a communistic country, the sculpt of the figure looks rather blurred. We see that the sculptors were really trying, with folds and all, but in direct comparison to its British cousin, Kleinwelkas sculpt looks much clumsier.

The material is much lighter. While Invicta Brachiosaurus weighs 693 g, Kleinwelka´s version only weighs 443 g – that´s 250 g easier with exactly the same volume!
Admittedly, it´s exactly this feeble, imperfect charm I like very much.

Getting this grey Brachiosaurus (I know there is a light brown version and a smaller, blue version out there, too.) strongly reminded me at getting one of my very first serious dinosaur figures, Invicta Diplodocus. While other boys grew out of their dinosaur period, needing no transitional objects anymore, I did not get rid of this childhood’s disease. I thus decided to accept it and Invicta Diplodocus helped me with that decision for it looked much more serious than all the rubber stuff I owned.
Just when I doubted if collecting dinosaurs would still pay, that means, give me any satisfaction, I found Kleinwelka Brachiosaurus, again a grey, monochrome monster!
It is experiences like that which make a collector´s life worthwhile.
Just for completeness: The signature at the belly says:

Brachiosaurus M 150
Saurierpark Kleinwelka
Sachsen

I know it is quite hard to get one at a reasonable price. Some collectors are said to have paid three-digit sums for it.
Good luck!

Brachiosaurus (Saurierpark Kleinwelka, Sachsen) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

CollectA’s lineup for 2011 featured a good handful of obscure dinosaurs for us collectors to be excited about. Being an Australian however, one creature on that list got me into a fan boy frenzy. That creature would be none other than good old Australovenator wintonensis.

Australovenator was a medium-sized allosauroid theropod from Early Cretaceous Australia. More specifically it was a member of the Neovenatoridae family and is considered most closely related to the likes of Megaraptor and Fukuiraptor as evidenced by the large (huge) claw on the first finger. It is currently the largest theropod to be discovered in Australia and is also the only one known from more than a few scattered bones. Anyway, onto the figure. To put it simply, there isn’t a whole lot I can fault with it – there are a few small things, but I’ll get into that later.

No complete skull is known for the genus, so most reconstructions feature a skull similar to its close relatives. What we get is a fairly typical allosaur skull. While the figure does get the basic skull shape right, some of the finer features don’t quite stand up. While it’s impossible that the creature looked like a deranged hell beast all the time, the eyes on this figure give off a kind of frightened and goofy look. Not something one would expect from a creature that is believed to have been the top predator in its domain. To me, at least, this is slightly off-putting.

Moving on to the body we start to see more problems. That’s right – the wrists are a slight issue. While the forearms are not pronated to the extent of some of CollectA’s older figures (and some other companies for that matter) they still aren’t quite there yet. Secondly the huge hand claw that is somewhat the distinguishing feature of the genus is blunted and frankly poorly sculpted, though it can be assumed that this is for safety reasons. As for the legs and feet, well, there isn’t really much that can be can wrong here, nor is there much to be faulted.

All in all, this is certainly not CollectA’s best effort from the 2011 line up, but given that currently it’s the only figure of this particular animal on the market it’s certainly a decent enough attempt. The colour scheme is pleasing and the sculpt is fairly accurate. I would recommend the figure to any collectors who can look past a few tiny shortcomings, not to mention that until another company makes a figure of good old ‘Banjo’ this one is all we’ve got.

Australovenator (CollectA) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Today’s review is going to focus on a prehistoric mammal model, one of my favorites among all mammal figures I have. The animal it represents is the Woolly Rhinoceros, actually defined on the tag by genus and species as Coelodonta antiquitatis. This model predates the start of my collection in at least six years, so I didn’t really witness its release for the first time nor could I buy one when it was largely available. I couldn’t find on the blog anything on the Safari Missing Links Alive set, so I think an introduction may be relevant.

Safari is big toy company today, responsible for the Wild Safari line and Carnegie Museum line of prehistoric critters and was this same company that back in 1997 released a new set of seven new prehistoric mammals called Missing Links Alive. The collection includes the all famous Saber tooth (Smilodon), Woolly Mammoth, one adult and a calf (Mammuthus primigenius) and a Family of Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis), represented by a Male Adult Neanderthal, a Female Adult Neanderthal and a Young Neanderthal Child. The thing is, despite the amazing quality of the models, the collection was discontinued by Safari, when they released a new Woolly Mammoth as part of Carnegie Collection in 2003. The set now is quite rare and much sought after by collectors, what makes them a bit expensive in some cases.

Back to the Woolly Rhino, I can say it is an awesome model; I dare say the best Coelodonta toy ever made. It’s big, has a dynamic pose, pretty well detailed, the fur texture is very nice and the horns give the animal a powerful aspect, as its mouth is open in a warning gesture. Maybe the animal is a bull defending its territory from a rival or he’s trying to make a predator go away; this model has a big mouth just like the real animal, as it used to browse on plants with low nutritive value in the cold grasslands of northern Europe and Asia during the Ice Age. The model also presents two hump-like structures, one over the shoulders and a smaller one over the head in between the ears. Probably the humps, like in other animals, were used as a way to store fat as a source of energy during the really cold winter when food was more difficult to find. Despite the well sculpted fur coat, you can see some muscle shapes of the animal especially on the head of the model. The ears are reduced in size as they should and the eyes are small round black spheres with tiny white dots as pupils.

The number of hooves seems right, 3 per foot. The model also has a long tail sculpted but it’s attached to the body going all the way down almost between the hind legs. On the belly it’s stamped with the following text: “Wooly Rhinoceros © 1997 UNITED EXHIBITS SAFARI LTD. MIAMI.FL MADE IN CHINA 8406-61.” The model measures 17 centimeters long and 12 centimeters at the higher point (tip of the horn). It is painted with a beautiful brown mahogany color, there are some darker blackish faint stripes going down from the top of the back to the legs and if you look very closely you’ll notice a very subtle golden/yellowish dry brush on the fur. The hooves and horns are painted in a light tan/brownish color and the teeth are white, in a maroon painted mouth with a light pink tongue.

All in all, this model is an excellent depiction of the animal, very vivid in a powerful threatening display; the left front leg is a little bent as if it was going to start a gallop toward an enemy. I recommend to everyone that likes prehistoric mammals and can afford one, because it has become quite rare and mostly fetch high prices on online auctions. The original price was 17.50 USD, but if you want one now, probably your best shot is to watch EBay and prepare your wallet.

Woolly Rhino (Safari Missing Links) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

For my first Dinosaur Toy Blog review I am going to look at the 1850s-style Iguanodon in the Oldies desktop model series by Kinto/Favorite co. The Oldies series of replicas is intended to be a nostalgic take on outdated interpretations of dinosaurs from yesteryear. Each replica comes with a wooden plinth, which I have removed for the purpose of this review. This particular replica was sculpted by Japanese paleo-artist Kazunari Araki, and is obviously based upon the artwork and sculpture of Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, who designed the Crystal Palace dinosaurs that can still be seen today, and which provide an interesting (and somewhat amusing) insight into the scientific thinking of the time.

Iguanodon was an herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur that lived around the early Cretaceous era. It was one of the first dinosaurs to be discovered and named, along with Megalosaurus. Iguanodon’s most notable feature is its thumb spike, which, when originally discovered in 1825, was thought to be a horn. Early reconstructions portray the dinosaur as a stumpy legged quadruped, as we see here.

Firstly, I must state that I do not intend to focus the anatomical accuracy of this replica – I’d be here all day – and the statue was depicted this way intentionally.

This model is fairly large, around 33cm from tail to nose. Just like the original Crystal Palace model, this statue is depicted with overlapping, large, snake-like scales. The mouth is open and the teeth (which were thought to resemble an Iguana, hence the animal’s name) are visible. The tongue and inside of the mouth are lavender coloured. The painting on the teeth is a little messy but is only really noticeable if you look very closely. The model has a wattle/dewlap, a very common trend in old paleo-art. It even has the same expression on its face as the Crystal Palace depiction, with mouth slightly agape, and an orange eye with a small black pupil.

The model is a vivid, emerald green, unlike the original statues, which are pale green, most likely due to fading and deterioration over time. The yellow colouration of the dorsal ridge, wattle and lips are a nice touch, and highlight aspects of the model well. They add a little more interest than just a pure green paint job. The model is thick set and flat footed. There are hints of the underlying musculature here and there, for example, on the legs. The flat, lizard like feet are well detailed, and the claws are sculpted well enough, although the paintwork on the claws is a little sloppy in places. There is wrinkling around both the eyes and wattle.

I consider this to be a near perfect replica of the Crystal Palace Iguanodon and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the history of palaeo-art, palaeontology, or retro depictions of dinosaurs in general. This model is unique in that no company (at least to my knowledge) has ever done anything like it. I endeavour to review the whole Oldies series line, so look out for new reviews on The Dinosaur Toy Blog in the future.

The only fault I found with this statue is its lack availability! It can currently be found here: http://www.bhigr.com/store/product.php?productid=333&cat=70&page=1

Iguanodon (Oldies desktop model by Kinto/Favorite Co. Ltd.) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

I’ll admit, I’m a picky collector. I lack the completionist drive to amass a proper collection, and only pick out pieces that really stand out to me as exceptional (and, for my wallet’s sake, affordable). Fortunately for me (and really, for everyone,) there’s Malcolm Mlodoch’s Fauna Casts collection – a collaboration between an experienced paleo-sculptor of nearly thirty years and the community of The Dinosaur Toy Forum.

In the past, the Fauna Casts figures have been a difficult bunch to categorize – hovering somewhere between “serious” collectables and toy figures. However, as one can see by looking at this new Tyrannosaurus, they’ve recently undergone a major boost in detail; in my opinion launching decisively into the realm of desktop models and resin kits.

Standing atop a shallow, mossy base, this model’s pose is a unique one – leaning forward, keeping its body low to the ground, as if patrolling or stalking. The mouth is tightly closed, an unusual feature for predatory theropod restorations that I find enhances the believability of the pose. Despite the increase in detail, the animal is very much in the same style as other Fauna Casts figures – that is, a distinctive blend of old-fashioned aesthetics with modern ideas. This rex deftly averts a problem common in modern reconstructions. Muscles and other soft-tissues are used liberally – the bones and fenestrae aren’t overly visible, and the animal looks like it might indeed weigh its estimated seven tons. This might make it seem a little too hefty next to leaner, meaner rex models, but it’s an altogether more likely shape for T. rex. The skin of the model is rough and scaly, with larger scales or scutes lining the back. It’s worth noting that the case for feathers on T. rex has gotten stronger since the discovery of Yutyrannus, the big, fuzzy tyrannosauroid of China – but this model was sculpted before that, so scales seem entirely appropriate.

After some discussion on the Dinosaur Toy Forum, Malcolm decided not to sculpt “lips” on the new rex; a feature that’s in debate. Consequently, the characteristically banana-shaped teeth are exposed – arguably a bit too far out of their sockets. Under the mandible, there’s a bit of detailed, wrinkled skin, similar to the “pouch” seen in crocodilian jaws. The neck is accurately bulky, and the chest area is sufficiently “barrel shaped”, and joined to correctly-positioned and miniscule forelimbs.

One particularly notable aspect of this model is its thoroughly detailed feet. Many figures, even expensive statues like Sideshow’s, skimp on details in the postcranial anatomy. This is particularly noticeable in the feet, as they aren’t really a focal point. However, the Fauna Casts Tyrannosaurus’ feet feature bird-like scales, thick, weight-absorbing pads, and narrow webs of skin between the toes. Additionally, its tail bulges noticeably at the base, accommodating the massive M. caudofemoralis muscle.

The paint scheme is an unusual one – inspired by monitor lizards. It’s flashy, but, to my sensibilities, believable. The base color is a greenish-yellow, with a dark green-black along the dorsal surface and the front of the legs fading to a series of cheetah-like spots, with red spots along the neck. The ridge at the top of the skull is also painted red, along with the eyes, which have a glossy finish and circular black pupils. The whole model has been given a dusty, dark wash that brings out the details and makes for a naturalistic, grimy look.

In all, I think this Tyrannosaurus compares quite favorably with others in its category, such as the Kinto/Favorite and Trcic desktop models in terms of looks, although the Fauna Casts models are cast in a comparatively lightweight urethane material. It’s an inexpensive ($60.00 USD) and attractive rendition of everyone’s favorite Cretaceous king.

Their affordable price tags, the fact that busy dinosaur fans don’t always have the time (or skill, in my case) to assemble and paint kits, and, perhaps most valuably, the open and collaborative way in which they are designed, make the Fauna Casts line one to watch. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing what Malcolm comes up with next!

Tyrannosaurus rex (Version 2 by Fauna Casts) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog