Favorite Co - New for 2022

[Faelrin]

Both the colors of the Therizinosaurus and Dilophosaurus appear to be done. Dilophosaurus looks too similar to CollectA's, and the Therizinosaurus is almost similar to Schleich's and that artwork they copied from. Think I might pass on both of these. The Therizinosaurus sculpt is okay, but that yellow and blue combination just isn't my thing.

[dinofelid]

that's not the back of the premaxilla. At most, the middle of it. And this is without considering the keratin covering, whose extension is unknown. I don't know if there are studies on the keratin crests of birds, but the keratin extends claws a good 10-30%.
Engh worked with the authors of the paper to build his restoration, so I'll tend to agree with his version of its size.

Earlier I referenced this sketch for the position of the premaxilla, maybe it's not accurate but it seems to show the top of the premaxilla begins just a tiny bit behind the front of the nares, and the image you posted seems to show the crest beginning just slightly in front of the nares, so based on these illustrations would guess the crest is at least on say the back third of the premaxilla. @Faelrin just posted a better image of the model, it still doesn't seem visually obvious to me that the size of the "snout" that's in front of the crest is proportionally much larger in the model than in Engh's illustration that you posted, though I haven't tried measuring the proportions in a graphics program or anything.

Also key is that the crests are an extension of the antorbital fenestrae, not simply resting atop the lacrimal ridges as so often depicted before. Look at Brian Engh's art and you'll see the crests grow out of the sides of the skull and continue upward.
The Favorite model, in contrast, shows exposed fenestrae with no contact to the crests.

Ah, thanks, this does look like a much more clear inaccuracy of the model.

[Leyster]

D @dinofelid I don't know who draw that skull you posted, but you can see from these skeletals (from Hartman and I think Headden) that before the 2020 paper Dilophosaurus crests were restored not to include the premaxilla. Now they are. Also there is what @Falerin said, since they're not "just" bony ridges anymore.

[dinofelid]

D @dinofelid I don't know who draw that skull you posted, but you can see from these skeletals (from Hartman and I think Headden) that before the 2020 paper Dilophosaurus crests were restored not to include the premaxilla. Now they are. Also there is what @Falerin said, since they're not "just" bony ridges anymore.

I was just referencing that skull drawing for the point that the premaxilla begins very close to the front of the nares, I wasn't referencing it for the position of the crests. Like I said, in the image you posted it looks like the newly restored crests begin just a tiny bit in front of the nares, which is why I said it looked like they began on the back third of the premaxilla in this restoration. It may be that the size of the snout (everything in front of the crests including soft tissue) is still proportionally much larger in the Favorite model than in the Engh image, but it just didn't seem obvious to me from eyeballing it. (do you think it's obviously larger?) I do notice now that the external nostrils are in front of the crests in the model, but comparing with the Engh image, the nostrils themselves might be too far forward on the model even if you ignore the crests.

[Loon]

I wish these inspired any sort of emotion in me. I like them well enough, but neither makes me excited to buy them. Those colors are what really turned me off. Favorite has done simplistic stuff well before, but these past couple of years have come across as very "Dinosaur King" in terms of paint. I'll probably still get them, because the sculpts are nice. I especially like how bulky the Dilophosaurus is compared to the CollectA it rips off and the Therizinosaurus is seemingly the most accurate available.

[Halichoeres]

Photos added to OP. It really is an odd color scheme on the Therizinosaurus, but as Loon said, all the existing figures have worse (or at least, less accurate) underlying sculpts, save for Kaiyodo. I think I'll still go for it. The Dilo I can do without.

[stargatedalek]

I still think CollectA's large Therizinosaurus looks better than this strange dachshund look Favorite have gone with. It's like they put it in a weird full sprint posture to try and make it stand horizontally.

[Loon]

@stargatedalek I didn't even notice the posture until you mentioned it. Odd, considering that it's one of the most famous characteristics of Therizinosaurus. Not that I am saying the real animal couldn't stand like that; but yeah, it looks a bit forced. You'd think an upright figure would be easier to stand and simply look more impressive.

[Bokisaurus]

To be honest, not excited about either of them new models.

[Lynx]

Andddd another theri figure pass. Really hoping Safari LTD or CollectA tries their hand at the species again.

[SidB]

Andddd another theri figure pass. Really hoping Safari LTD or CollectA tries their hand at the species again.

I'll hold onto the Papo Theri for the present - maybe 2023 will bring some good news in that department.

[Fembrogon]

That theri color scheme is kind of gross. I like blue dinos, but the blue skin and the yellow feathers clash very badly.
Dilo's paint looks prety good, but I agree it's very similar to the Collecta. I'm not feeling very enthused about either figure.

[Flaffy]

Easy pass, as with most Favorite Co. mainline figures.

[Lynx]

It is a real shame because the sculpts look beautiful, but the execution of the colors was bad enough to ruin it for me

[Halichoeres]

I wonder if the vinyl model will have a more attractive paint scheme. I think it's a sure bet it will have a more upright posture.

[terrorchicken]

yep I knew it. Another nice sculpt ruined by ugly colors. Maybe if the feathers had been the same color as the darker blue splotches it would've looked a little better. It wouldn't look like its wearing a badly cut yellow shag carpet.

[SidB]

yep I knew it. Another nice sculpt ruined by ugly colors. Maybe if the feathers had been the same color as the darker blue splotches it would've looked a little better. It wouldn't look like its wearing a badly cut yellow shag carpet.

Yup, "shag carpet" was my impression too. I had a small one years ago and I don't feel the need for another.

[Halichoeres]

Easy pass, as with most Favorite Co. mainline figures.

Been a few years since we had either new Prehistoric Life figures or museum exclusives, the lines that contain their best work.

[Faelrin]

That Cambrian Burgess Shale set was my favorite thing from them, and my favorite Cambrian set so far, with Safari's second to that. I wish they did another set like that, focusing on a particular formation's fauna, preferably Paleozoic.

[Halichoeres]

Same here, the Cambrian set was really excellent. Unless I'm mistaken, they haven't released anything sculpted by Tokugawa since the mini dinosaur skulls in 2018, so I wonder if that collaboration is just over. Would be a pity if so.