Time has eventually come, for one of the most impressive CollectA figures of 2020 to hit the European continent. And fittingly, it represents a European species.
In 2006 paleontologists Jerzy Dzik, Tomasz Sulej and Grzegorz Niedźwiedzki discovered large bones in a clay pit in Poland. What was initially considered to be sauropodomorph dinosaur, was later recognized to be a massive dicynodont synapsid. The clade of Dicynodontia was diverse and successful throughout the Permian period and survived into the Triassic. Probably the most popular species of the family may be Placerias, not least for its appearance in WWD as the poor prey of evil Postosuchus. While Placerias was of considerable size, Lisowicia dwarfed it by quite a margin.
Named after its location of discovery in Lisowice, Poland, our giant herbivore lived in a tropical wetland next to a rich fauna of temnospondyls, pterosaurs, crocodylomorphs, freshwater sharks and a lot others. Lisowicia may have lived similar to a modern hippopotamus, but instead of grass (naturally) browsing on cycads and cornifers. With the bulk similar to a recent Asian elephant adults probably had no predators to fear. Juveniles however fell prey to Smok (Polish for dragon), a large archosaur carnivor (next year, maybe, CollectA?!).
Dicynodont models are rare in the toy world and it is with great appreciation that I welcome CollectA`s new release to my collection. The Deluxe Lisowicia stands almost 10.5 cm tall and is 19.5 cm long in direct line. So the 1:20 scale of the figure represents an animal standing 2 metres tall at the back and measuring almost 4 metres in length. This scale makes the size of figure somewhat diffult to appreciate, as it cannot properly be displayed next to, let`s say Eofauna`s elephants or most sauropod figures. However, it scales nicely to several toy models of faunistic contemporaries that did not share its locality, though the type of habitat, as Safari`s Postosuchus or Shringasaurus, or Bullyland`s Mastodonsaurus.
CollectA`s Lisowicia is a big hunk of plastic, heavy and properly bulky. The massive limbs are placed on the ground, the feet are big and the toes sprawled to distribute the weight on the swampy soil. The lower jaw is articulated, a feature not every collector may like, but CollectA did nicely integrate the joint and the jaw fits perfectly. As we are accustomed to CollectA models of the last years, this one is sculpted carefully and stands true to latest researchs. The skin is reconstructed as a leathery hide with wrinkles and folds. That may not be the most interesting choice, but it is reasonable and well done, as is the paint job. The base color is a pale olive grey, with a mud wash on the belly and lower legs, while the flanks and back are decked in small irregular dots of brown and dark olive, overlain by a faint brush of blotchy white. The inner of the mouth is light pink in the upper jaw and darker in the lower jaw and tongue. All necessary body cavaties are present, I am however in doubt, if the placement of the ear openings is right. These are not placed behind the skull as we are accustomed to in true dinosaurs, but within the skull which may be right for this synapsid, after all, we are synapsids to and our ears are within the skull, rather than placed at our necks.
Overall this is an authentic and believable reconstruction of an impressive but yet quite unbeknown species. A definte recommendation for anyone interested in the rich Triassic fauna and manyfold contemporaries of our beloved dinosaurs… and if you do not only look for a new model, but also for a solid toy for your kid, I can only imagine how much fun I would have had 35 years ago digging through the muddy soil in my sand box with this hulk and its munching jaws.
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I love your photo gallery!
Thanks to you all for your kind comments.
Nice! Mine is en route to me as I write this 🙂
It’s really an amazing figure and definitely much more impressive in person. Great review and photos.
This figure is a contender for best non-Dino figure for 2020.
I really hope CollectA would continue producing more in the future.
A terrific figure. The only thing I don’t like about it is the white/silvery specks all over the back…to me it looks like it was manufactured on a windy day and spray from the auto factory next door drifted over. However, nobody else seems to mind the silvery white specks on the back, so i’ll get over it…
As big as it is I don’t think it is really 1/20 scale. Like so many Collecta ‘1/20’ scale deluxe figures it’s not correctly scaled…I would say it’s closer to 1/24. However, it could easily be a sub adult in 1/20 scale.
I love your swamp scene……you’re a brave man to put your Bullyland Mastodonsaurus in the water like that……they sell for well over $100 now. 🙂
Hehe, thanks, but honestly, I think I would not treat the figure differently if I knw it sold for a thousand. I want to keep it and even if I do not “play” with it, I like to use all my figures regardless of condition and potential value for outdoor shots. Also, my son borrows those figures for actual playing, but he knows he`s to treat them carefully. Still, there`s always the risk of scuffs or scratches,… but that`s life. What`s the saying…. “wrinkles mean you laughed, grey hair means you cared and scars mean you lived” 😀
I loved it from the very first time I saw it. Since it´s a European species and a rare amd uncommon Triassic one as well and I am more than just a little bored by the 1.000.000th T.rex or Triceratops, I went for it immediately after its release here in Germany. It´s perfect and is a toy as well as a serious model. The charming eyes, the skin pattern and much more, all is perfect. Don´t want to be a koll-joy, but the only drop of bitterness is that it is being produced in Far East most likely under doubtful conditions. How about human rights, health protection for the workers, child labour? Did anyone do any research?
I can say I did not, but you bring up a potential valid point. I know from several people who visited Chinese factories that produce toy bricks and there seems to be a fairly high standard in protection towards workers. However, you may never know if you see “the whole truth” and toy model making with the required hand painting may vary greatly from the largely automatized toy brick production.
After seeing this next to the Postosuchus (the only figure of these I have currently), it really puts into perspective for me how much of a behemoth this figure is. I can’t wait to get it.
The rarity of any Dicynodont figures makes one appreciate this all the more. Many thanks indeed to CollectA for the debut of this amazing and newly discovered species. This figure will have a prominent place in my collection.
Great review and images, I particularly liked the swamp scene. This one is on my wants list, along with wanting the money to buy it!
Collecta’s lisowicia bojani is a magnificent figure, I can only say that, there are no words for such a figure and a very good opinion of Lanthanotus, whom I congratulate for his great article. Hopefully next year Collecta will make a Smok or a prehistoric Triassic (Mesozoic) or Paleozoic animal as brilliant in sculpture and painting as this great figure representing a dycinodon.
A truly massive and magnificent monster. Love it!
Great photos. I think you’re right about the ear opening; based on other stahleckeriids, the one shown on the toy would be inside a concavity formed by the squamosal. If the reconstruction of Sangusaurus in Angielczyk et al. 2017 is correct, that concavity was actually full of jaw muscles (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2017.1395885, paywall).
Good work, nice