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.
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.
