PNSO: New for 2022

[Maritimer]

Hm.  I'm curious, are there precedents for asymmetrical color patterns in nature?  Just noting looking at pictures of the Acro from above that the differences are sometimes jarring.

The majority of reptiles I've looked at from above aren't perfectly symmetrical in their markings (and certainly, my carpet pythons aren't!). This Acro's markings are based on Boa constrictor, and asymmetry is pretty normal among those guys, so asymmetry in the model's markings is just fine with me.

~B., whose Acrocanthosaurus is due in sometime ... today!!

[CARN0TAURUS]

Fergus is supposed to get delivered today.  Can't wait to see it up close.

[CARN0TAURUS]

@Medzo - Those are some fantastic pictures - thank you. (And you refer to your collection as 'humble', but I'm really, really blown away by it. More is not always better, and I think your display is gorgeous. What a fun place to live! 😁)

I agree, I used to collect a ton of stuff.  I started selling off and clearing out my two storage units about 5 years ago, now I just have a fraction of the stuff and got rid of the storage units. I actually enjoy fewer things more because I see it all regularly rather than have it stashed away in boxes in storage where I rarely ever saw it because it was so much work just to find it and get to it.

[SidB]

L @Leyster , thanks for pointing out the species identity for the two figures of Sinraptor, PNSO and Vitae. I find this type of information most useful, since, as in this instance, it will allow me to display both the PNSO and Vitae figures in my diorama as distinct species.

On a related note, are there sufficient markers present in the old Carnegie Safari Sinraptor to assign that figure to either species?

[Leyster]

S @SidB I think it miiight be dongi.

[SidB]

S @SidB I think it miiight be dongi.

Good enough, thank you.

[CARN0TAURUS]

I got my fergus yesterday and he is the closest to promo pictures at least 'paint wise' than any other PNSO I've purchased.  And that's a good thing, the application and scheme is fantastic!  It's also good because in person his proportions look better than the promo pics.  When the promo pictures released I stated that he looked like a production copy on those pictures and maybe PNSO finally decided they didn't want to hear the negativity regarding differences in promo photos and what comes in the box? 

I can't recommend this figure enough, just when I start to get complacent and feel that PNSO can't wow me anymore than they already have with previous offerings along comes fergus with his jaw dropping paint application and scheme.  They do listen, and many have spoken out about the over use of brown paint schemes plus the mold is fantastic.  It's typical of PNSO 2020-2022 in that you get a well thought out and meticulously executed dinosaur figure.  The end result is you hold something in your hand that looks plausible.  So much thought and logic is put into the realism of the skin folds, wrinkles, musculature, bone structure, veins, discoloration etc... the end result is something that feels like a living creature captured in a small sculpture rather than a dinosaur toy.  In hand, his head doesn't look oversized at all.  If you're on the fence with this one don't hesitate to purchase this, I'm really confident you'll be pleasantly surprised with it

I was surprised with how big fergus is, my copy stands perfectly fine without the rod.  I'm a huge fan of how their molding techniques are evolving, no more glued on arms, logan had molded in arms and then the Zhuchentyrannus was the first large theropod without glued i arms.  Their slide molding techniques are really becoming quite sophisticated with less mold lines present vertically too.  The jaw function on fergus is immaculate, the jaws meet perfectly when closed with no gaps.  The texture on this figure might also be a new milestone in the "skinvolution" or the evolution of how PNSO models their hides. The different areas of the animal have transitions from one type of scale or texture to another that blend seamesly and in a way that looks natural and realistic.  It's really interesting to see that PNSO is still growing, they are still perfecting the way they model these animals always striving to do better.  I'm hopeful that fergus representative of the next waive of large theropods from PNSO.  More creative color schemes, molded on arms, smaller and smaller seam lines, seamless transitions in the different skin patterns, and perfectly engineered jaws.

I've got zero issues with the pose, I've always said that a pose that replicates the profile images in scientific dinosaur books is preferrable than companies trying so hard to put these animals into dynamic poses that often times really miss the mark.

[ceratopsian]

Thanks for your in-depth review @Carnotaurus. Very helpful.

[Darko2300]

@CARN0TAURUS You put that into words much better than I could. I can't say I was overly excited about Acrocanthosaurus as a dinosaur, but this thing is gorgeous. I unboxed mine yesterday and almost broke into a pantomimed Snoopy dance. The brown tones have a richness to them that's been sorely lacking in the PNSO figures I've purchased of late, and the patterning really makes it stand out among it's (more conservatively painted) brethren.

[SidB]

Well, I almost got Fergus. Courier came to door of the condo, decided to drive off without making contact. Must have been in a rush. Package sent back to China.

[Faras]

Hmm sorry I should be clearer, no I didn't mean it should be "dynamic" like Papo's as I much prefer PNSO's natural dynamic poses (especially dynamic standing ones like Tsingtaosaurus etc), it's just the Acrocanthosaurus' striding pose seems slightly stiff (stiffness can be good, but IMO it's not the case here) next to some PNSOs. They could do better, or maybe I'm too strict and spoiled by their recent releases, eeeh. Anyways PNSO have improved joints of articulated jaws three or four times despite few talking about it on forums, so hopefully they'd improve other aspects too.

[dragon53]

Andy's Dinosaur Reviews of PNSO Acrocanthosaurus.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7Y6cslSV0g

[CARN0TAURUS]

Look Ma!  No rod!

My latest PNSO additions:

If PNSO continues this I'm going to have to build a special shelf in the garage just so I can store the ones I'm not displaying in the house. My PNSO herd is beginning to rival my herd of dinos from all other companies combined

[Shadowknight1]

I got my Fergus today, and I love it!  It's such a great figure!

[Darko2300]

@CARN0TAURUS The garage?! Dude! Never in the garage! (There's always neat stackable plastic Sterilite containers at Target that can go in a closet... 😉)

[TaranUlas]

Fergus looks great and the proportions. He is longer than most of my other PNSO figures with Winter Wilson and Requena being the closest to his length (Wilson is still longer.)

[CARN0TAURUS]

@CARN0TAURUS The garage?! Dude! Never in the garage! (There's always neat stackable plastic Sterilite containers at Target that can go in a closet... 😉)

LOL, the space in the closets is already gone.  Between the extensive 1/50 scale diecast collection, my large extant animal figure collection, and my prehistoric mammal and dinosaur collection, all the available closet space not already used for shoes and clothing is tapped out.  The PNSO box system chews up space like crazy.  I dare not discard the boxes because the packaging keeps the figures in immaculate condition.  Right now, I'm using the spare room/office to store the empty PNSO boxes and the PNSO figures not currently on display but my wife wants me to clear the space for when family comes visit in the summer as they often do.  Her folks from back east like to go to Disneyland and the beaches every few years.  I had the garage insulated so I could store half of my diecast collection but that side of the garage is already full of stuff.  So now I'll need to put up some shelves on the other side.  We never park both cars in there anyways so not a big deal.  I've already sold or given away 75% of the things I used to collect and got rid of two storage units within the last five years.  If PNSO continues with this output I'm going to have to consider eliminating the boxes because I refuse to rent storage anymore.  I'd still like to pick up pieces I'll just have to limit the number due to space.  Just last year I only had a handful of PNSO pieces and now I 25 of them and it could be much worse but I've not wanted to dive into the premium line in the past, but now I own three of them too.  I'm not going back to the storage system, it was awful, you never see your stuff anyways and if you factor in storage costs you end up paying huge sums for items you rarely display or can go grab whenever you like. The stuff that I kept I absolutely did not want to part with so I'll just have to stop buying new stuff.  There really is no other way around it.

I have the sinraptor coming tomorrow, LOL

[Darko2300]

@CARN0TAURUS Oh wow. 😅 (And yet I totally understand. I've really been culling my collection of stuff as well. Things in storage are never really appreciated, so I'm trying to not use 'storage' as an excuse to purchase more figures. I just need to be pickier. It's funny, I know so many people who can see really cool things and be content with not actually owning them, but that's something I've always struggled with. I guess I just need that 'tangibility' that pictures just can't provide.)

* And don't tempt me with that Sinraptor. I already broke and got the Acro... 😂

[CARN0TAURUS]

Sinraptor is a really interesting figure.  I've read here that the head is patterned after a fossil with some compression deformity.  Right off to me the tail seems way to thin and kind of disproportionate to the size of the body, arms, legs, and head. 

Since all of that has already been discussed I want to focus on what this figure has to offer.  The pose is really nice, it's almost as if he's turning to circle around something and the arms swung over the center of his mass with the tail curving to maintain balance.  The pose is off the charts realistic.  The arms are slung almost as if in position to lunge at something.  There is something very menacing and threatening about the pose.  The positioning of the feet is masterful, PNSO has turned this aspect of their theropods into an art form.  Somehow they find ways to naturally balance the figures with very small contact areas.

It's ironic that when I first saw the promo pictures for this figure the color scheme seemed boring and grey.  Once I held it in my hand I realized how incredibly complex the coloration is, it might be one of their most complex paint jobs yet.  I'm not exaggerating, there are so many colors blended and faded in.  My copy has greens and browns, some reddish tones and fleshy pinkish areas.  The dry brushing on this model is stunning.  Several different colors were dry brushed depending on what they were going over, from the snout to the feet it was meticulously dry brushed in such a subtle way to bring out all the rich details.  You really have to see this one in person to appreciate the subtlety of the paint work.  And of course the tiny scales, skin folds, wrinkles, and veins, it's uncanny how refined PNSO sculpts have become, the mold seam lines are very difficult to find.

I can understand some folks will be turned away by some of the proportional issues, the funky snout, teeth, and tail.  But that being said, the rest of it, paint, sculpt, and pose, is executed in such a masterful way that Sinraptor might be the new benchmark for paint complexity and execution in a PNSO dinosaur.  I'm completely floored by the paint on this one.

[Concavenator]

I'm researching on the tail thing. Stay turned.

Regarding the tail, PNSO say this on their official page:

The tail of Sinraptor was very different from that of many carnivorous dinosaurs. Its tail did not become thinner gradually but became suddenly thinner at one point. The part past that point was as thin as a whip.

I don't know what the source for that is, but at least it looks like they didn't give it such a thin tail for no reason.