TNG Prehistoric Figures (Unending Tedium)

[SidB]

Yeah this topic came up before, but was deleted I think? Definitely bootlegs in many cases. I know their Cryolophosaurus for example, is a modified version of the PNSO Yutyrannus.

Yes, I made a thread that has since been deleted.

Yes, I for one remember it quite vividly. I really did not think that we'd heard the last of this topic. The ongoing advertising and the apparent quality production values made its re-emergence inevitable.

[Kapitaenosavrvs]

I saw this Brand on Ali Express and the first thing that came to my mind was "wow, creative Knock-offs of PNSO alot. Even the Boxes, what the Hell."

I see the Differences, but it is still really weird to me and even if i would want one of them to have a look, i think i will not. I made this Mistake once with the Irritator from Ali Express that was stolen and a lot of us fell for it because the offer was just too good.

Of course this was something else and what happens in China and their laws in this case are nothing i am very educated in tbh. So i can't say anything in this direction without guessing or a fast googlesearch.

But until i know the Artists are okay with it, it won't happen on my side.

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

So I've been doing some digging on these TNG models because I've recently been shown images of the Musee models and the fact that they are straight up replicated here with the TNG models. So far I've been able to find out that one of the sculptors working for TNG is actually the original sculptor of the elasmotherium and brontotherium from Musee. That could also explain the Quetzalcoatlus. I'm still trying to find any info I can on the Stegodon and if it's also being released by the original sculptor.

I was very excited to find this brand on Ali Express recently, especially since there was no DTF thread on them at the time, and I thought I might get the chance to break the news to the community. (Looks like I got scooped! lol, oh well. I guess I waited too long.) My excitement has since been tempered by the fact that they are so similar to higher end models, but I'm hoping the report of artist rehiring pans out, because it would be a shame to lose access to these more budget recreations of expensive statues (especially since a lot of them are right in my scale preference as a 1:40 nerd). It would also be a shame if they were stealing from other artists, too, though, so let's hope for equitable news all around.

Just as a technical distinction, since from a moral perspective I'm not sure that it's any better, but if indeed these were copied from prexisting models, I would be inclined to refer to these as "plagiarisms" rather than "bootlegs". Bootleg implies a literal copy of the mold, while plagiarism is technically a new sculpt even if it's nearly a 1:1 copy of the original.

Anyway, I did buy a few before I found out about the questions surrounding them, and for what it's worth, they DO look fantastic, especially next to models from other companies.


Probiscideans!


Perissodactyls!

[SidB]

You're right, they do fit in, quality-wise, very nicely with your collection. That Elasmotherium looks to me to be more 1/30-1/35 ish, though that's only my guesstimate. The Stegodon looks great besides the African elephant.

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

You're right, they do fit in, quality-wise, very nicely with your collection. That Elasmotherium looks to me to be more 1/30-1/35 ish, though that's only my guesstimate. The Stegodon looks great besides the African elephant.

Yeah, the Elasmotherium is technically in that range, but rhinos in general seem to be non-existent in any other size, so I make an exception for that one group. At least they don't "feel" too out of scale when I display them with other animals like this.

[SidB]

You're right, they do fit in, quality-wise, very nicely with your collection. That Elasmotherium looks to me to be more 1/30-1/35 ish, though that's only my guesstimate. The Stegodon looks great besides the African elephant.

Yeah, the Elasmotherium is technically in that range, but rhinos in general seem to be non-existent in any other size, so I make an exception for that one group. At least they don't "feel" too out of scale when I display them with other animals like this.

Yes, especially for such a colossus of a rhino like the Elasmo. It makes the otherwise imposing Brontotherium/ Megacerops look almost a bit modest in comparison, but then it was an unusual genus - one could use this as the atypically large exemplar that periodically manifests in a given population.

[RobinGoodfellow]

I'd like to know the name of M-See Studio' sculptor involved with TNG or some official statement about that.

[Sim]

Seeing as some of the TNG figures are only available as pre-orders currently, it makes me think that perhaps the ones seen in the first post of this thread which don't seem to be online might be newer figures that are yet to be made available.

[SidB]

That seems likely, @Sim.

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

I wrote a little bit more about the models I bought on my blog, and collected some of the limited info we gathered in this thread about TNG as well. Feel free to comment on my blog as well as in this thread if you find out any more info about this company!

https://dinodadreviews.com/2023/02/02/prehistoric-mammals-by-tng/



Safari Ltd. Coelodonta vs TNG Elasmotherium

[Sim]

...  I don't agree that the Spinosaurus is a bootleg of PNSO, it looks completely different to PNSO's Spinosaurus figures...

First thing I thought was that it looked like the GR toys Spinosaurus with a PNSO head.

There are similarities, but more differences.  When one compares them, the sculpt of the TNG Spinosaurus is clearly different.

The TNG Stegodon too is different from the other figures of that species shown in this thread.  I think there might be inspiration for most of the TNG sculpts, but none is a copy of existing models with the exception of the Megacerops and Elasmotherium which were made with the original sculptor's permission.

[SidB]

...  I don't agree that the Spinosaurus is a bootleg of PNSO, it looks completely different to PNSO's Spinosaurus figures...

First thing I thought was that it looked like the GR toys Spinosaurus with a PNSO head.

There are similarities, but more differences.  When one compares them, the sculpt of the TNG Spinosaurus is clearly different.

The TNG Stegodon too is different from the other figures of that species shown in this thread.  I think there might be inspiration for most of the TNG sculpts, but none is a copy of existing models with the exception of the Megacerops and Elasmotherium which were made with the original sculptor's permission.

Looking at the Dinone Stegodon with its 550 USD price tag, superficially, it certainly appears to have been directly copied by TNG's figure. That was my impression. However, since @Sim has been so insistent that it is not a direct copy, I decided to closely examine the details myself, top to bottom, back to front. Carefully looking at the wrinkling and the patterns of these wrinkles, it most definitely IS NOT THE SAME. There's hardly a spot, if any, where the precise skin details have been duplicated. Although the overall form of the sculpt is similar, the details are NOT.

More and more differences emerge upon inspection. The ears' details of sculpt, the position of the legs and the degree of the inclination of the head to the figure's right are markedly NOT the same, for instance.

I'm going to go back to the description that @Flaffy used on the original @Lynx thread that was deleted, as I remember it - the figure is INSPIRED by Dinone's resin work, it is not a bootleg or flagrant knockoff. True, it is inspired, quite heavily with respect to the overall feel of the sculpt in fact, but the wealth of difference detail-wise does not allow the label of bootleg or knockoff. I find myself agreeing 100% with @Sim as regards to this quality piece. I don't remember Papo being excoriated for its inspiration from the Sideshow Carnotaurus, quite the opposite in fact (the criticism was quite mild, actually). This figure fits into the same category, IMO. I don't see why anyone need to feel embarrassed to purchase it , especially as it is a twenty some-odd dollar PCV toy (albeit of fine quality) versus the 500 plus dollar resin which very few people could even dream of purchasing.

I'm addressing my remarks to the Stegodon only. I'm not evaluating or passing judgement otherwise.

 

[RobinGoodfellow]

(...) with the exception of the Megacerops and Elasmotherium which were made with the original sculptor's permission.

Sorry but there are no clear evidences about that nor an official statement, just speculations..

StarAce/X-Plus is using Sean Cooper' new and old molds for Wonders of the Wild line but original sculptor' name is clearly written on the box..

Gr-Toys did an official statement about M-See' collaboration for Quetzalcoatlus.

Without proofs, I won't support the company. It's just my point of view.

Aliexpress is full of bad knock-off from Collecta, Rebor, Schleich ...
What if Aliexpress will be full of very good "inspired" figures ( = 3d scanned, digitally re-tooled and re-casted with modification to avoid copyright) from Safari with half the price of originals ?
I really don't think that artists (like @Doug Watson  ) could be so happy about that.

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[bmathison1972]

Just getting caught up on this thread after ordering (maybe pre-ordering I guess?) the TNG Stegodon via eBay. That the artist's name is credited also leads me to believe there was permission in producing it. Not normally a fan of knock-offs, it's good enough for me. I might get the Elasmotherium, too, if and when I ever see it on eBay.

[SidB]

Just getting caught up on this thread after ordering (maybe pre-ordering I guess?) the TNG Stegodon via eBay. That the artist's name is credited also leads me to believe there was permission in producing it. Not normally a fan of knock-offs, it's good enough for me. I might get the Elasmotherium, too, if and when I ever see it on eBay.

It was/is on eBay, along with the Smilodon, at Lanatime Shop, B @bmathison1972 .

[Prehistory Resurrection]

The sculptor for Musee's Embolotherium and Elasmotherium is the same one sculpting again those two figures for this line as far as I've learnt from this Andy's Dinosaur Reviews' review of this line's Spinosaurus; hence explaining the similar sculpt. Although the Cryolophosaurus is in a similar pose to PNSO's Yutyrannus and even has feathers, their Spinosaurus almost looking like PNSO's "Essien" the Spinosaurus (though the legs are in a different pose) and the Carnotaurus almost looking like PNSO's, as well as the Quetzalcoatlus looking like GR Toys' one, still I think it's fair to say that they may be "inspired" by these figures and not direct copies. Their T-Rex, Parasaurolophus and Smilodon appear to be original sculpts to me and are my favourites from their line. A quite decent line at least to me. Cannot wait to see what they have in store for us in the future.

[Samrukia]

to me these are not "inspired", but plagiarised 
even if for some figures they got scultor's permission, for the rest of the figures it is obvious plagiarism

[SidB]

to me these are not "inspired", but plagiarised 
even if for some figures they got scultor's permission, for the rest of the figures it is obvious plagiarism

I took the time to actually listen to the review and to observe the overall anatomy and the flow of details - it clearly is NOT a plagarism and IS inspired. There is relatively little in common with the PNSO figure, although the superficial overall impression is that, until you look closely. That initial sense of commonality is sufficient enough, IMO, to make this figure a good one to pair with the new PNSO Spinosaurus. I have the PNSO one and can attest that Andy is correct in his assessment.

[Renecito]

All I see are some knockoffs of the Musee statues. Nothing original about them. And I don't know where A @Andysdinosaurreviews got that information from but it would be nice if he could prove that it comes from a reliable source otherwise it sounds more like mere speculation to me, sorry but in a facebook group I read someone using that same justification on the basis that Haolonggood released the Quetzalcoatlus with authorization from Musee Studios because they worked together on the sculpt but actually the opposite happened Musee Studios and Haolonggood had some serious drama over that release referring to it as theft, illegal copy and disloyalty.

[bmathison1972]

Just getting caught up on this thread after ordering (maybe pre-ordering I guess?) the TNG Stegodon via eBay. That the artist's name is credited also leads me to believe there was permission in producing it. Not normally a fan of knock-offs, it's good enough for me. I might get the Elasmotherium, too, if and when I ever see it on eBay.

It was/is on eBay, along with the Smilodon, at Lanatime Shop, B @bmathison1972 .

Ah, they must be sold out, as that's who I ordered the Stegodon from!