Author: Dan

Dan Liebman runs the store Dan's Dinosaurs.

All reviews by this author

Review: Carnotaurus (2011 Version)(Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd.)

4.4 (28 votes)

The year was 1985. When the world was first introduced to Carnotaurus sastrei, the stock market went wild, the streets were flooded with panicked mobs, and the skies became saturated with an eerie purple tinge.

Alright, maybe that isn’t entirely true. The first big break for our brow-horned friend probably came in Crichton’s bestselling sequel to Jurassic Park, The Lost World, where Carnotaurus prowled the darkness with chameleonic camouflage (speculative, naturally).

Review: Spinosaurus Hunting (Desktop Model by Dinostoreus)

4.7 (3 votes)

In addition to their primary line of single-character maquettes, Dinostoreus produces a number of diorama-style pieces which portray prehistoric animals in their natural environment. One that undoubtedly draws attention is this model, featuring the beloved Spinosaurus snatching a snack from churning Cretaceous waters.

At 13 inches in length, this is a pretty generously sized model, falling roughly within the 1:40 range to make it compatible with the Carnegie Spinosaurus, or Papo if you’re not a stickler for accuracy.

Review: Acrocanthosaurus (Antediluvia Collection)(David Krentz)

3.5 (11 votes)

As more species slip into mainstream consciousness, the ever-popular theropoda sees its previously obscure members slowly becoming household names. Nowhere is this more evident than Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, which has quickly soared to the popularity levels of Dilophosaurus and Spinosaurus. Alright, maybe ol’ Acro isn’t quite that popular – those two examples did have the dubious backing of Hollywood, after all.

Review: Tale of Two Stegosaurs: Carnegie Miragaia and CollectA Dacentrurus

4.3 (10 votes)

This featured article comes from longtime forum member Boki, who shares his thoughts on the two major stegosaur releases of 2011. Thanks, Boki! (-Dan)

In this year’s dinosaur lineup, we are offered two unusual late Jurassic stegosaurs.
In the past, most companies have opted for the familiar stegosaur when choosing a species to add to their line of prehistoric figures.

Review: Miragaia (Carnegie Collection by Safari Ltd.)

5 (13 votes)

While most of the year’s new prehistoric collectibles have been released by summer, the heavy hitters always seem to arrive fashionably late. This sounds better than any figure being “delayed,” and besides, the wait only serves to heighten our anticipation. The first Carnegie of 2011 struck at the end of May, with the release of the exotic stegosaurid Miragaia longicollum.

Review: Hatzegopteryx (CollectA)

4.1 (14 votes)

Review by Dan, photos by Boki
The CollecA lineup continues its tradition of introducing exotic species to the mass-produced figure market, admirably calling attention to animals that many have never before seen. The 2011 Hatzegopteryx may sound odd, but the appearance of this animal is quite familiar.

Review: Tupuxuara (Sideshow Dinosauria)

5 (3 votes)

Review by Dan, Photos by Jeremy
After a slight delay, Sideshow has finally released their first Dinosauria statue of 2011. They have elected to market the statue under the name “Tupuxuara – Pterodactyl,” likely to foster recognition among mainstream demographics. Fortunately, the Tupuxuara is indeed a pterodactyloid, a term that would furrow fewer brows than a separate suborder such as “rhamphorhynchoidea.” Tupuxuara is also considered a member of the popular Tapejarid family, strongly associated with elaborate cranial crests.

Review: Parasaurolophus (Furuta)

4.7 (7 votes)

For many western paleo-enthusiasts, the world of Japanese miniatures is chock-full of wonders both common and rare. The fact that Japan produces so many outstanding prehistoric replicas is made even more jarring by their tendency to be packaged with manufactured candy, a marketing move that would make both products seem casual or cheapened to an American consumer of disposable goods.

Review: Irritator (CollectA)

3.3 (12 votes)

Nope, that’s not a spelling error or practical joke. There really is a dinosaur named “Irritator”. The Irritator was named as such because, as it passed through the unscrupulous hands of commercial fossil markets, many modifications were made to the original fossil in order to make it appear more desirable.

Review: Ampelosaurus (CollectA)

4.3 (26 votes)

Among prehistoric collectible enthusiasts, the company currently known as CollectA has a considerable reputation to cope with. Their figures, although competitively priced, have ranged anywhere from decent to embarrassing over the past few years. Fortunately, their lineup for 2011 kicks off with a batch of fresh faces that have clearly been more carefully constructed than their predecessors.

Review: Edmontosaurus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)

4.5 (25 votes)

It has been said that if one simply dropped into the middle of late Cretaceous North America, the massive herds of hadrosaurs are likely one of the first sights to see. Despite their prevalence, the so-called “duckbill” dinosaurs are extremely underrepresented in the dinosaur toy market. The most common reconstructions are focused on the ornately decorated headgear of lambeosaurines – namely Parasaurolophus – drawing even less attention to the relatively “plain” hadrosaurines.

Review: Saichania (Antediluvia Collection)(David Krentz)

4.4 (7 votes)

“Saichania” is Mongolian for “beautiful one.” Admittedly, this is not the sort of title one expects to find among ankylosaurs. After all, they don’t quite have the sleek and decorative appearance of other thyreophorans like Kentrosaurus, nor the poise and majesty of the classic Stegosaurus. And yet, armored dinosaurs possess a vast array of impressive adornments, more than just functional protection against predators.

Review: T.rex Fight Over Carcass Diorama (Dinostoreus)

5 (8 votes)

Despite a superficially similar product line, Dinostoreus of the United States manages to distinguish itself from its former sister company, Favorite of Japan, with a few exclusive pieces. This diorama is one such piece. Constructed in fragile polyresin and just shy of five inches at its highest peak, this scene offers a glimpse of every dino-nut’s fantasy.

Review: Elasmosaurus (Horizon)

4 (2 votes)

Photos and Review by Boki
What I have here is the resin version of the Horizon Elasmosaurus model kit. The resin versions were produced to be used by vendors as display samples of the vinyl kit and not mass produced. Its limited production and sales should make it one of the rarer and highly sought Horizon models around.

Review: Cetiosaurus (Invicta)

4.9 (15 votes)

Review by Dan, Photos by Boki
Ask someone to name a sauropod, and “Apatosaurus” will often be the first species to come to mind. Consequently, this prototypical animal will often be the answer if you ask “What was the first sauropod ever discovered?” In fact, that title belongs to a relatively obscure creature known as Cetiosaurus.

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