Allosaurus (Antediluvia Collection)(David Krentz)

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Photos by Dan and Jeremy

Although David’s 1:72 scale Antediluvian series has been graced with a few exotic species, he’s giving plenty of love to the classics as well. His considerable talents often present the animal in a new and exciting light, such as the rare uplifted Stegosaurus or surprisingly common closed-jawed theropods.

The beloved Allosaurus fragilis receives a special treatment in his line, as well. Rearing in alarm, with his tail in a flourish, one might be reminded of the tyrannosaur “mating dance” suggested in his instructional DVD. While this carnivore could certainly be attacking another animal, this unusual posture seems decidedly more boastful in nature. It is not hard to imagine a lingering group of females, contemplating the Allo’s fitness while his robust voice echoes through the Jurassic forest.

Granted, the narrative details are left largely to the individual, but to convey such drama from a single tiny sculpt is surely a testament to the ability of the artist. As with most resin models, a small amount of cleanup might be required to remove excess bits of resin. In the photo above, one may notice a small “twig” of resin between the Allo’s claws, which can be easily extricated using a decent utility knife.

The base is fairly important for the dancing Allo, as he teeters on a single foot and would find even more difficulty standing unassisted than his fellow theropods. It features footprints for the performer’s feet to find purchase, though a model builder should be able to position the star just about anywhere he likes. In the buildup photo below, it has been mounted on a custom built base by Martin Garratt.

This buildup was constructed as a diorama, and also features the Antediluvian Apatosaurus. This extends the scene quite a bit, but if you want to display the Allosaurus by itself, it won’t even consume four inches of space on your crammed shelves. Given the quality of the piece though, it probably deserves its own pedestal of sorts.

One obvious question might be, “Can I get this to look like the Allo from Dinosaur Revolution?” Given the stunning level of detailed paint application that Martin has managed to work into this model, I can honestly say that it sounds feasible. Observant viewers may even notice the rows of bumps along the back of his neck, which the series’ European Allo does share. The trickiest part will probably be the mandibular modification, but I expect a skilled builder could still pull this off. At the time this review was written, no known efforts have been made in this respect.

Of course, given the prevalence of other Jurassic denizens in David’s line, one could pair this figure with any number of other critters. While the Kaiyodo Dinotales figures aren’t crafted to a single scale, it would also be possible to use a few of them as companions for this Allo; as I recall, at least one Kaiyodo Allo was about the same size.

While I openly admit to finding excessive favor with Allosaurus, I must say this is one of my favorite pieces in the Antediluvian line. It perfectly demonstrates David’s ability to refresh our image of a classic creature, offering not just another dinosaur, but a unique character with a life of its own.