In the world of paleoart and paleomerch, it’s very common to see artists and toymakers draw inspiration from the imagery of other creators. Often this can be a good thing and a chance to reinforce contemporary understanding – consider how many vintage toys drew from Charles R Knight and Rudolph Zallinger – but sometimes it ends up becoming flagrant theft of another’s hard work.
Author: Fembrogon
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All reviews by this author
Review: Mosasaurus (Dino Escape by Mattel)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/MosasaurusDE_Mattel2021_03-700x525.jpg)
Mattel’s take on Jurassic World’s giant sea reptile is back as big and beautiful as ever, with a few new interesting quirks up its plastic sleeve.
When Mattel began announcing their upcoming releases in the wake of acquiring the Jurassic World license in 2018, one of the first and most exciting toys to catch my eye was the giant Mosasaurus, an impressive “real-feel” articulated toy that could eat Hasbro’s earlier attempts at the genus for lunch.
Review: Quetzalcoatlus (GR Toys by Haolonggood)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/GR_Quetzalcoatlus_08-700x525.jpg)
Overall this appears to be a fine representation of Quetzalcoatlus in many details, but when it comes to some of this animal’s most integral and challenging features the figurine actually falls short.
Having grown up familiar with the titanic pterosaur being featured in books and television programs, it’s sometimes surprising for me to remember that Quetzalcoatlus is a relatively recent discovery in the history of paleontology.
Review: Carcharodontosaurus (Jurassic World Dino Escape 2nd ver. by Mattel)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Carcharodontosaurusv2_Mattel2021_06-700x559.jpg)
What makes this particular release stand out is its coloration, which contrasts starkly with the plainer pattern of the figure’s first release.
The 1990s were a stirring time for big theropod news: the crocodile-snouted spinosaur Suchomimus from Niger was described in 1998, new fragments of the now-(in)famous Spinosaurus itself were discovered in 1996 and 1998, and the gigantic Giganotosaurus was officially named in 1995.
Review: Spinosaurus (Wild Safari by Safari ltd. – 2021 ver)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/rev_Spino_Safari2021_07-700x525.jpg)
Given how unstable our scientific understanding is regarding this giant theropod, perhaps it’s understandable Safari would want to offer another option to reflect the creature’s ever-changing image. How well, then, does this new model hold up as an up-to-date iteration?
2021 was an understandably odd year for many, following the tumultuous events of the year 2020, and merchandise companies were no exception.
Review: Velociraptor (male, JPIII – Amber Collection by Mattel)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/rev_Amber-Velociraptor-JP3_03-700x525.jpg)
Mattel’s Amber Collection has had a rocky release history, but before the line ground to a halt, Mattel decided to go out on a bang with the highly anticipated male Velociraptor design from Jurassic Park III. Fans were both excited and cautious: would this fan-favorite design be done the justice it deserved?
Review: Brontosaurus (Sinclair Dinoland)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/rev_Sinclair_Bront_06-700x525.jpg)
Sinclair’s Brontosaurus and its plastic compatriots are time capsules to a moment of zeitgeist in paleo pop-culture, and stand as charming testaments to the evolving nature of paleontology and memorabilia.
Brontosaurus is one of the quintessential icons of dinosaur pop-culture imagery. Described by the famous paleontologist Othniel Marsh, the “thunder lizard” became immortalized with the first skeletal mount at the American Museum of Natural history, and further entrenched by the likes of artists such as painter Charles R.
Review: Tyrannosaurus rex (Dinoland by Sinclair)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/sinclairtrex4-700x466.jpg)
Sinclair’s unique figurine was probably one of the finest renditions of the tyrant lizard king a child could ever hope to own in 1964, and remains a delightful piece of vintage memorabilia to this day.
In 1933, in conjunction with the Chicago World’s Fair, Sinclair Oil company commissioned an exhibit of life-sized dinosaur models for display.
Review: Pteranodon (Jurassic Park: Legacy Amber Collection by Mattel)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/legacypteranodon4-700x393.jpg)
The Amber Collection Pteranodon is actually quite a mixed bag, with great coloration and good sculpting, but noticeable flaws in articulation.
Say what you will about the film as a whole, but Jurassic Park III had arguably some of the best creature designs in the Jurassic franchise (scientific [in]accuracies notwithstanding).
Review: Tarbosaurus (Soft Model 2020 by Favorite Co. Ltd.)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/favoritetarbosaurus9-700x525.jpg)
Although the “Asian Tyrannosaurus” doesn’t enjoy the same fame as its close American relative, Tarbosaurus bataar has gained a little notoriety for itself in recent years; it’s one of few dinosaurs to receive the (dubious) honor of starring in at least one feature film of its own, and a few toy companies have also begun giving Tarbosaurus attention.
Review: Velociraptor “Delta” (Amber Legacy Collection by Mattel)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/legacyvelociraptor1-560x700.jpg)
There aren’t a lot of dinosaur toys on the market that specialize in articulation (David Silva’s Beasts of the Mesozoic line being the main shining exception right now), so the announcement of Mattel’s Amber Collection for their ongoing Jurassic World line was reason for excitement. Beginning in 2019, Mattel began select releases of dinosaurs, and later human characters, in the 6.5″ collector’s scale, with higher quality detail and poseability than the standard action figures they produce.
Review: Diplodocus (Soft Model by Favorite Co. Ltd.)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/favoritediplodocus7-700x393.jpg)
What is possibly the largest Dinosaur in the Soft Model line to date strides in with the 2020 Favorite lineup; how big and how accurate is it really?
Sauropods remain among the most iconic dinosaur groups; their sheer size, long necks, and often longer tails distinguish them from all other dinosaurs, as well as any extant animals.
Review: Dilophosaurus (2020)(Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/safaridilophosaurus3-700x393.jpg)
Sometimes there’s no avoiding bad timing. Since paleontology is an ever-shifting field of scientific understanding, any artistic or commercial renditions of prehistoric life risk becoming obsolete at the drop of a new find. Such was the case for Safari Ltd., who announced the release of a new Dilophosaurus model for 2020 to replace the previous Wild Safari version – only for a brand-new paper to drop later that same year, providing a new, thorough analysis of all known Dilophosaurus fossils and providing new insight into the Early Jurassic predator’s life appearance.
Review: Stegosaurus (Sinclair Dinoland)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sinclairstegosaurus1-700x393.jpg)
Although Sinclair’s figurines all resemble their giant sculpture counterparts to some degree, the Stegosaurus is perhaps the most strikingly close of them all, with more grace than typically seen in other artwork for the time.
Stegosaurus has been one of the most recognizable dinosaur genera since its discovery and description in 1877.
Review: Dimetrodon (Soft Model by Favorite)
![](https://dinotoyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/favoritedimetrodon6-700x525.jpg)
Favorite’s take on the classic pre-dinosaur land predator offers a more modern image of the synapsid than most, for its time.
Dimetrodon is one of the quintessential figures in prehistoric life iconography. The sail-backed, quadrupedal carnivore is often mistaken for a dinosaur, but is in fact considered more ancestral to mammals.