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.
This is an overall pleasing and recognizable figure of the famous dinosaur, but it does have some setbacks in design for a 2020 rendition.
Iguanodon isn’t as flashy of a dinosaur as Tyrannosaurus or Triceratops, but its place in the roots of dinosaur history keep the genus as a staple in dino iconography.
This is no mere great white copy; Patton the Megalodon is a grade-A movie monster, a hulking brute with commanding shelf presence.
Let’s face it: people love apex predators. We’re scared of them, sure, but we also admire them and get excited by them. Sharks are one group of predators we humans seem particularly drawn to, and their fossil record shows a long history which eclipses the age of dinosaurs by a mile.
Although these figures might fall short of Dinotales’ best, they are still delightful and unique representations of the famous Jurassic pliosaur.
Dinotales (in Chocolosaurs) were something of a hidden gem for me; despite an extensive production series, the Japanese capsule toys haven’t ever been marketed much at all overseas, at least that I know of.
The latest Allosaurus toy courtesy of Safari ltd has landed; is it the definitive Allosaur of the 2010s we’ve all been waiting for?
Ever since Charles R. Knight first depicted it in painting, and Marcel Delgado and Willis O’Brien brought it to life in cinema, Allosaurus has been a mainstay in dinosaur media – second only to Tyrannosaurus as the big predatory dinosaur for decades.
I was first introduced to CollectA (then labeled as the brand Procon) in 2007, when the summer issue of Prehistoric Times mentioned two new waves of dinosaur figures being released by the company. Most of these early figures, like their take on the iconic sail-backed Spinosaurus, bear their own sort of charm, but generally haven’t aged well in the years since.
Many of Bullyand’s figures have yet to be covered here on the Dinosaur Toy Blog as of this writing. The subject of this review, their 2000 Allosaurus, is actually my first piece from the company. Allosaurus remains a mainstay in dinosaur merchandise today, with a wide range of pieces in varying degrees of quality, but at the turn of the century, this Walking With Dinosaurs-inspired offering would have been one of the best among a much smaller pool of choices.
Despite surprising levels of controversy surrounding it upon release, this is an excellent model that reflects scientific understanding to the best detail currently possible.
Pteranodon is the default popular image of the pterosaurs (often misidentified broadly as “pterodactyls” – although Pteranodon IS nestled deep in suborder Pterodactyloidea).
Wuerhosaurus is one of those obscure names I often saw in books as a kid, but mostly just to complete an alphabet of dinosaur names. We don’t know exactly what this fragmentary stegosaur looked like, but Vitae’s model is well-detailed and adequately accurate for our current understanding.
Brachiosaurus marks the fourth prehistoric animal Takara Tomy produced for their Animal Adventure (ANIA) line, following Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus. The figure is a decent – if unremarkable – depiction of the long-necked giant, which I think it’s safe to say has eclipsed Apatosaurus/Brontosaurus as the default iconic sauropod.
An unfortunate case of science outpacing merchandise, this highly-detailed and articulated dino-bird still has many merits.
Balaur bondoc is a good example of how quickly scientific understanding can change, as well as how risky reconstructions from partial fossil remains can be. Discovered in 2009 on Hateg Island in Romania, the “stocky dragon” was initially described as a robust dromaeosaurid with double sickle claws.
