It’s been over ten years since fellow reviewer Gwangi covered a figurine of Sinosauropteryx, a small compsognathid theropod, produced by Kaiyodo under their renowned Dinotales series. Since that time, a grand total of… two, maybe three more figurines… have been produced of this seminal genus.
Author: Fembrogon
An aspiring artist, Fembrogon (who goes by Eric in real life) has been drawing dinosaurs and strange creatures since he was capable of walking and talking, and probably will be for a long time to come. Although energetic and admittedly absent-minded at times, prehistoric life is one of a few subjects which has never failed to engross him wholly. Dinosaurs – theropods in particular – are unsurprising favorites (special shout-outs to the remarkable Dilophosaurus, the massive Giganotosaurus, and the bizarre Deinocheirus); but he admires a wide range of prehistoric life from Cambrian invertebrates to pterosaurs. Fembrogon first discovered the Toy Blog (and Forum) around the year 2012, and found it an indispensable reference for the expanding world of dino collectibles. Since joining the review team, he’s enjoyed covering a varied assortment of figures, from classic to modern and mainstream to obscure. When he isn’t absorbed in prehistory, Fembrogon also enjoys modern wildlife (birds & reptiles are favorites), nature walks, special effects films, and traditional animation.All reviews by this author
Review: Dilophosaurus (Haolonggood)
4.9 (35 votes)
Although I grew up with dinosaur toys around me for as long as I can remember, there was one dinosaur missing from my collection as a small child. This dinosaur, which I desired more than almost any other, was the “two-crested reptile”, Dilophosaurus. With its elaborate head crests and fierce-looking notched jaws, Dilophosaurus was an early favorite of mine.
Review: Dryptosaurus (Beasts of the Mesozoic by Creative Beast Studio)
4.8 (36 votes)
Leapin’ lizards – that ain’t no ordinary lizard!!
If you had to choose just one of Charles R. Knight’s influential and iconic paleoart pieces as his very greatest work, which one would you pick? Out of all Knight’s incredible paintings, the one I personally find most captivating is the 1897 “Leaping Laelaps“, a vivid illustration of two large theropods pouncing upon each other in what could be either play-fighting or serious combat.
Review: Megalosaurus (painted version by Invicta)
4.4 (38 votes)
It is a gray winter day in Jurassic England as the great reptile patrols the forest’s edge. The hunter’s stride seems sluggish at a glance – indeed, the weather is unusually cold this year, and most normal reptiles would have succumbed to the dismal temperatures already. The great hunter is no normal reptile, however.
Review: Stegosaurus (Boley by Gosnell)
2.8 (30 votes)
Venturing the sea of unlicensed “3rd-party” dinosaur toys can bring interesting results. Sometimes one can find hidden gold; other times one finds something like this Stegosaurus figure, which is certainly among the more unusual takes I’ve seen of the famous roofed reptile (albeit probably not intentionally so).
Review: Kannemeyeria (3D Print by Mike Eischen)
3.8 (17 votes)
Dinosaurs weren’t the first giant plant-eaters to roam the Earth; that frontier was pioneered first among vertebrates by the dicynodonts, a group of tusked therapsids (the clade which includes modern mammals) which survived the Permian Mass Extinction and lasted to the end of the Triassic period. They ranged widely in size and distribution, from the diminutive Diictodon, to the pervasive Lystrosaurus, to giants like Lisowicia and Kannemeyeria.
Review: Protoceratops (Beasts of the Mesozoic: Ceratopsian Series 1/6 by Creative Beast Studio)
4.5 (41 votes)
A famous story, an ancient tragedy, a spectacular discovery. Two dinosaurs, locked in lethal combat, suddenly perished from external forces, their bodies preserved almost perfectly in their last moments of action. What was cause of the combat and demise? Paleontologists have speculated long and hard since the year 1971, when an expedition to the Gobi Desert led to the discovery of the fossil now renowned as “The Fighting Dinosaurs” – a Protoceratops with its sharp beak grasping the arm of a Velociraptor, whose sickle claw is embedded in the herbivore’s neck.
Review: Dilophosaurus & Dracovenator (Dinosaurs &Co. by De Agostini)
2.8 (22 votes)
Would you like a side of miniatures with your rubber monsters?
Not every dinosaur toy is equal. Not every absence of inaccuracy means inaccuracies are absent. Dilophosaurus is frequently plagued by imaginary features ingrained into pop culture due to a certain Universal/Spielberg blockbuster; but just because a toy of the two-crested reptile eschews the frills doesn’t mean the rest of the design gets a free pass.
Review: Meraxes (Prehistoric Animal Models by PNSO)
4.6 (49 votes)
A dragon of ashen white and gray scales emerges from the pitch-black forest to haunt the twilight hours…
2023 has been a busy year of theropods for PNSO, having released a dozen large predators back to back over the year’s course. Before some collectors started to feel inundated by steady flow of flesh-eaters, however, near the front of their lineup PNSO released Mungo the Meraxes, the first-ever appearance on the toy market of a remarkable new discovery among giant predatory dinosaurs.
Review: Kronosaurus (Papo)
4.4 (57 votes)
My great thanks to Happy Hen Toys for their generosity in providing this figure for review, which is now available for sale at their website happyhentoys.com.
Two whole years after rumors of its existence first began circulating among dino collectors, Papo’s figurine of the Australian apex predator, Kronosaurus queenslandicus, has finally emerged from the realm of myth and begun landing on the shores of retail shops worldwide.
Review: Velociraptor osmolskae “Alpha” (Beasts of the Mesozoic by Creative Beast Studio)
4.2 (53 votes)
When is a Velociraptor not a Velociraptor? I would imagine every dinosaur fan is familiar with the famous “swift thief”, and seasoned enthusiasts are probably aware there’s a history of confusion surrounding the dromaeosaur’s identification. V. mongoliensis, the type species of Velociraptor, is currently the primary species recognized under the genus; however it might not be the only one.
Review: Nasutoceratops (Haolonggood)
4.7 (35 votes)
Nasutoceratops marked the first new release of 2023 from Haolonggood, a company which has been quickly climbing the popularity brands among collectors here on the Dinosaur Toy Blog. You’d be forgiven if you’re not quite familiar with the brand yet, though; Haolonggood has been around for a little while, but their company history hasn’t always been clear.
Review: Quetzalcoatlus (Field Museum plush, Wild Republic)
4.4 (29 votes)
It’s rare for me to audibly gasp from surprise, but that was exactly how I reacted in 2019 when I rounded the corner to the Chicago Field Museum’s “Evolving Planet” exhibit, and came face-to-face with the colossus now standing guard outside the exhibit entrance. When preparation began for installing Maximo the Patagotitan in the Field’s main hall, while Sue the T.
Review: Triceratops (Subadult) (Beasts of the Mesozoic by Creative Beast Studio)
4.8 (60 votes)
For almost every Tyrannosaurus toy on the market, there’s a Triceratops toy to face off with – as it should be, considering the rich history of fossils and iconic paleo media depicting these legendary Cretaceous contemporaries. Triceratops was more than just a prime steak to fill a theropod’s belly, of course; this colossal herbivore would have been a spectacular animal in its own right, and a powerful presence roaming the forests and hills of Western North America.
Review: Dinosaur Colosseum (2019 release by Takara Tomy)
2.5 (48 votes)
Hello, who’s this?
Takara Tomy is a prolific toy manufacturer which has produced a number of dinosaur-related toys in the past. Most of these toys have been released under the ANIA (sometimes “Animal Adventure”) line, but some have received more unique lines of their own.