Author: Gwangi

My name is Arthur but I go by Gwangi on the blogs and forums, as homage to the old dinosaur and monster movies I love so much. In addition to writing about and collecting toy animals (extinct and extant) I also share my home with a variety of living animals, mostly reptiles but a little bit of everything. I have a lifelong interest in all things nature and natural history and most of my hobbies can be linked to those things in some way. I currently live in Maryland with my wife and daughters. In addition to writing on here I also write magazine articles, typically about local wildlife and aquarium fishes.

All reviews by this author

Review: Megatherium (Prehistoric Life Collection by Safari Ltd.)

4.8 (13 votes)

Back in the mid-2000’s Safari Ltd. released a series of mammals for what they dubbed the “Prehistoric Life Collection.” The series included popular animals like Smilodon and the woolly mammoth but also included some more obscure creatures like the Andrewsarchus, Arsinoitherium, Ambelodon, Doedicurus, and the giant sloth.

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Review: Masiakasaurus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)

Genus: Masiakasaurus Brand: Safari Ltd, Wild Safari Classification: Ceratosaur, Theropod Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

4.4 (17 votes)

Since its description in 2001, fans of the Madagascan abelisauroid known as Masiakasaurus have longed for an affordable yet accurate model of this obscure beast but no one would deliver, not even CollectA despite all their obscure critters. Now, 15 years later, we finally have one and who better to sculpt it than Paleo-artist Doug Watson for the Wild Safari collection.

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Review: Tupuxuara (Papo)

Genus: Tupuxuara Brand: Papo Classification: Pterosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

4.4 (12 votes)

Last year saw the release of CollectA’s Guidraco, a towering 1:4 scale model that stands nearly a foot tall. But CollectA was not the only company to release a pterosaur in 2015; Papo also released a pterosaur that was perhaps overshadowed by the Guidraco.

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Review: Copepteryx (Kaiyodo Dinotales Series 3)

Genus: Copepteryx Brand: Kaiyodo Classification: Bird, Theropod Age: Oligocene Type: Figurine

5 (6 votes)

The Japanese toy company Kaiyodo isn’t afraid to tackle the obscure and one of the best examples of this would have to be the Kaiyodo Copepteryx. While other companies make and re-make the same tired old prehistoric favorites here we have Kaiyodo making a very obscure extinct bird that you’ve probably never heard of and who’s name I can never remember (maybe writing this review will fix that).

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Review: Australopithecus (Paranthropus) boisei (Kaiyodo Dinotales Series 2)

Genus: Australopithecus, Paranthropus Brand: Kaiyodo Classification: Hominid, Mammal Age: Pleistocene, Pliocene Type: Figurine

3.9 (8 votes)

Toys and figurines representing early hominins and human evolution in general are rare in this hobby. The few that do exist by the likes of Safari, Bullyland, and CollectA are usually poorly sculpted and poorly researched, either looking like caveman stereotypes or generic upright monkeys.

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Review: Tyrannosaurus (Terra Series by Battat)

Genus: Tyrannosaurus Brand: Battat, Terra Classification: Theropod, Tyrannosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

4.9 (36 votes)

It is with a heavy heart that I write my next review because as most of you are probably aware a dear member of our community and master paleo-artist Dan Lorusso has passed away. Even though this model was sculpted by Greg Wenzel it is Dan Lorusso that we have to thank for many of the old Battat models as well as the resurrection of the Battat series and its new sculpts and new paint jobs.

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Review: Carnotaurus (Mini Dinosaur Collection by Schleich)

Genus: Carnotaurus Brand: Schleich Classification: Ceratosaur, Theropod Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

3.2 (16 votes)

Schleich is a company that many of us love to hate. Although all Schleich models are of pretty high quality, especially in the detail work, they’re usually too garish and inaccurate for most of our tastes. This makes Schleich a frustrating company to get behind because with a bit more attention to anatomical accuracy they could be a stellar company.

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Review: Carnotaurus (Terra Series by Battat)

Genus: Carnotaurus Brand: Battat, Terra Classification: Ceratosaur, Theropod Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

4.5 (19 votes)

One of the last models released by Battat for the Boston Museum of Science collection was the Carnotaurus back in 1998. Now, 17 years later it’s back and with a shiny new paint job too. Many Carnotaurus have come and gone since this one was originally released but this one still remains one of the best.

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Review: Acrocanthosaurus (Deluxe Prehistoric Collection by CollectA)

Genus: Acrocanthosaurus Brand: CollectA Classification: Allosaur, Theropod Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

3.6 (40 votes)

This has been a good year for fans of the early Cretaceous allosauroid, Acrocanthosaurus. Battat re-released their classic model, Rebor is getting in on the action with their own representation and CollectA has come out with their deluxe version of the theropod.

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Review: Tyrannosaurus (King Kong 1933 by X-Plus)

Genus: Tyrannosaurus Brand: X-plus Classification: Theropod, Tyrannosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine, Retro

4.8 (16 votes)

After roughly four years of blogging and collecting I’ve reached my 50th review for the DTB. For this special review I wanted to do something offbeat and distinct. In seeking out a unique subject I came across a figure that merges my love of cinema with my love of dinosaurs, and I knew this was the model I would have to review.

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Review: Pteranodon (Invicta)

Genus: Pteranodon Brand: Invicta Classification: Pterosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine, Monochrome

4.8 (13 votes)

Released in 1978 the Invicta Pteranodon has a very vintage look to it, almost like something out of a Ray Harryhausen picture. Unlike Harryhausen’s stop motion marvels this Pteranodon doesn’t have bat wings though, which is a relief. But much like bats, we know that pterosaurs adopted a similar posture when on all fours, with the wings folded and tucked back.

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Review: Acrocanthosaurus (Terra Series by Battat)

Genus: Acrocanthosaurus Brand: Battat, Terra Classification: Allosaur, Theropod Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

4.5 (25 votes)

The wait is finally over folks, and the triumphant return of Battat is underway. Late last summer we were both shocked and thrilled to learn that Battat was back with a new series of dinosaur figures sculpted by Dan LoRusso for the Terra line, exclusive to Target stores in the United States.

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