Safari Ltd: New for 2023

[Flaffy]

Also @Doug Watson , can you confirm if your Estemmenosuchus has 6 or 8 incisors? It's hard to tell with the paint being rather thick in the area. And were the skin impressions taken into account when sculpting the model?

Okay I had to go rummage through my reference because I did this guy a while ago.

Teeth: I didn't have the reference you show by Ivakhnenko at the time, what is that paper by the way? All of the papers and books I had only showed the cranium there were no pictures of the lower jaw or details about the teeth. What I did have was the catalogue I bought for the travelling exhibit "The Great Russian Dinosaurs" which I saw in person twice. In that catalogue on page 31 is a photo of the skull with lower jaw of E. mirabilis that shows only 6 insisors. The jaw doesn't look heavily restored so it looks like that individual didn't have those extra teeth. My wife has control of the computer now so I will have to post the image later. I do agree with Shane however that even if the teeth were there they would probably been covered by the tongue.

Skin: I had the same paper by Chudinov that your pictures of the integument came from and I based my skin on those plus his description of glandular skin. I might point out that the images are 7.5cm in width and the text states they are magnified 15x so none of those details would show on this scale of a 10 foot animal. I did try to give it a bumpy somewhat wrinkled look.

Asymmetry: Shane doesn't have the original so it is unfair to ask him that question. I have looked my original straight on in the eyes and it looks fine to me what I will say is the photo you posted is taken slightly to the right of dead centre. Which makes it look a little off if you think you are centred. I don't claim that I am perfect sometimes at this size I may have an eye 1mm to high or to far forward but I do my best.

I have to say I don't notice other brands being picked apart on this degree of minutia but that's just me.

Teeth:
Unfortunately I am unable to locate the source of the diagram. But what I was able to find though were these casts that display the 8 incisors. Royal Tyrrell Museum's cast (first two) and another couple from Wikipedia:

EDIT: might be this one "Ivakhnenko, M.F. (2000). "Estemmenosuchus and primitive theriodonts from the Late Permian". Paleontological Journal. 34 (2): 184–192."

Spoiler

[close]

I believe most if not all casts circulated and displayed in museums across the world are based on the holotype PIN 1758/6. I am unaware if any additional specimens have been found / confidently assigned to E. mirabilis. It's very likely the travelling exhibition uses a cast of the holotype specimen, and as such would've also shown 8 incisors instead of 6. Of course admittedly I have not visited to the exhibit, nor do I have access to the catalogue/image in question; would be great if you could post it here!


Asymmetry:
Looking more closely at video reviews, you are correct that at a dead centre angle, the skull is perfectly fine. Any minute variation can be easily explained by individual variation. Shane also brings up an excellent point that the centering of the pupil paint can exaggerate the perceived asymmetry considerably, something I hadn't considered previously.

I was wrong in assuming that the sculpt itself was not symmetrical, and I see now that it's not fair to expect perfection with hand-sculpted models. Hand-sculpting truly is a lost art these days in the industry, and it certainly gives that "human touch" to the models. Makes the sculpts feel alive, something many digital sculpts are unable to achieve despite having higher resolution details. One of the many reasons Safari ltd figures still stands proudly on my shelf next alongside offerings from higher-end companies like PNSO.


Please don't take my nitpicking personally. I always do this for figures I am very passionate about, this genus especially so. It's not an indicator of me not wanting to support the company, as 90% of the time the figures I "pick apart" end up on my shelf regardless.

[Doug Watson]

Here is the image of the the E. mirabilis skull from the "The Great Russian Dinosaurs" catalogue. I checked the photos I took in Toronto and Ottawa and the only specimens on display were of a full mount and a separate skull of E. uralensis. The E. mirabilis skull was only in the catalogue and it is 1758. It was the only good reference I had for the lower jaw. Looking at it now it could be that those extra incisors are there but from this photo at least it is not obvious.
If all E. mirabilis had those teeth like Shane said they would have been covered by the tongue I sculpted. By the way I did this guy in 2019.

[SidB]

Wow, beauty sure is in the eye of the beholder, isn't it!

[Bread]

Here is a pic from SpinoDude (youtube reviewer and instagram)



Pretty happy with the color tones seen here. I think this is probably one of my favorites this year from Safari.

[Flaffy]

Any word on when we can expect the 2023 figures to be available in the UK? Words cannot describe how excited I am to be able to add a new Estemmenosuchus to my collection.

[Flaffy]

Here is the image of the the E. mirabilis skull from the "The Great Russian Dinosaurs" catalogue. I checked the photos I took in Toronto and Ottawa and the only specimens on display were of a full mount and a separate skull of E. uralensis. The E. mirabilis skull was only in the catalogue and it is 1758. It was the only good reference I had for the lower jaw. Looking at it now it could be that those extra incisors are there but from this photo at least it is not obvious.
If all E. mirabilis had those teeth like Shane said they would have been covered by the tongue I sculpted. By the way I did this guy in 2019.

Ah yeah looks to be the same. All the cracks, missing bits and imperfections match up with the casts. I was fortunate enough to be able to see one copy of the cast in the world renound Fukui Dinosaur Museum too back in 2016.

Also, can't believe Safari held out that long before finally producing the figure! Is 4 years the average time it takes from the prototype sculpt to final mass production?

[Doug Watson]

Also, can't believe Safari held out that long before finally producing the figure! Is 4 years the average time it takes from the prototype sculpt to final mass production?

Nope but Covid threw a wrench into things.

[GojiraGuy1954]

Any word on when we can expect the 2023 figures to be available in the UK? Words cannot describe how excited I am to be able to add a new Estemmenosuchus to my collection.

Probably by the end of the decade

[Doug Watson]

Any word on when we can expect the 2023 figures to be available in the UK? Words cannot describe how excited I am to be able to add a new Estemmenosuchus to my collection.

I have an idea for you, if you still have the extra Battat Dilophosaurus version with the base when I can get my hands on one I could swap it for your Dilophosaurus plus some coin.🙂

[Halichoeres]

Doug, thanks for sharing some of your process and insights. For me, this is the most exciting Safari release in several years, since maybe Shringasaurus.

According to the review from @Gwangi this is in a 1/24 scale.

Oh really ?
Compare to the biggest Estemmenosuchus type ?
The Collecta must be huge then...

Yeah, the CollectA is quite large (it's a Deluxe figure). My scale estimate for the CollectA is based on a 3-meter individual of E. mirabilis, but the other species (E. uralensis) could get larger, more like 4 meters. But both CollectA's and Safari's are clearly E. mirabilis.

[SBell]

I have to say I don't notice other brands being picked apart on this degree of minutia but that's just me.

Welcome to the internet I suppose...

Personally, I'll just say amazing work and that this is a model I'm truly eager to get

[Shane]

Also, can't believe Safari held out that long before finally producing the figure! Is 4 years the average time it takes from the prototype sculpt to final mass production?

Nope but Covid threw a wrench into things.

Exactly this. There are some figures that were in various stages of production/pre-production but COVID temporarily ground all of that to a halt. So for some items it has taken a while to pick back up again while going through the backlog.

[Faelrin]

Well better late then never I say. In fact this was a much welcome suprise, after a bulk of theropods for several years straight now. This adds back in some much needed diversity to the line, as far as non dinosaurs go (yes I was pleased with Zuul last year, but still a dinosaur).

[SpartanSquat]

I dont know when it will be avalible in spain. Im still waiting albertosaurus, green anaconda and cryolophosaurus. The only 2022 I get was patagotitan in november.

[Flaffy]

Also, can't believe Safari held out that long before finally producing the figure! Is 4 years the average time it takes from the prototype sculpt to final mass production?

Nope but Covid threw a wrench into things.

Exactly this. There are some figures that were in various stages of production/pre-production but COVID temporarily ground all of that to a halt. So for some items it has taken a while to pick back up again while going through the backlog.

Here's to hoping there's plenty of interesting figures waiting to be released from the backlog! Been a good few years since Safari's last pterosaur and aquatic critter

[Flaffy]

According to the review from @Gwangi this is in a 1/24 scale.

Oh really ?
Compare to the biggest Estemmenosuchus type ?
The Collecta must be huge then...

Yeah, the CollectA is quite large (it's a Deluxe figure). My scale estimate for the CollectA is based on a 3-meter individual of E. mirabilis, but the other species (E. uralensis) could get larger, more like 4 meters. But both CollectA's and Safari's are clearly E. mirabilis.

A part of me wishes the Estemmenosuchus was in 1/20 scale so that it scales with the rest of my mammal collection. IIRC the 2018 Dimetrodon is in a larger scale than 1/24 too?

[Halichoeres]

According to the review from @Gwangi this is in a 1/24 scale.

Oh really ?
Compare to the biggest Estemmenosuchus type ?
The Collecta must be huge then...

Yeah, the CollectA is quite large (it's a Deluxe figure). My scale estimate for the CollectA is based on a 3-meter individual of E. mirabilis, but the other species (E. uralensis) could get larger, more like 4 meters. But both CollectA's and Safari's are clearly E. mirabilis.

A part of me wishes the Estemmenosuchus was in 1/20 scale so that it scales with the rest of my mammal collection. IIRC the 2018 Dimetrodon is in a larger scale than 1/24 too?

Actually, I get 1:24 for a very large individual of Dimetrodon grandis!

[Concavenator]

Any word on when we can expect the 2023 figures to be available in the UK? Words cannot describe how excited I am to be able to add a new Estemmenosuchus to my collection.

Probably by the end of the decade

Let's hope irony doesn't meet reality this time, because at this rate you might even be right! 

[mgaguilar]

I am SO excited for the Utahraptor! Doug has been doing an absolutely incredible job on the raptors so far. The Velociraptor, Deinonychus, and now the Utahraptor have been my favorite line from Safari by a long shot. Can't wait to see more raptors coming in over the next few years.

[Sim]

I've been enjoying Safari's dromaeosaurids very much too!  Safari's 2017 Microraptor is great as well, even if it wasn't made by Doug.  I too hope there will be more in the next few years.  A troodontid, Saurornithoides, or unenlagiine, Buitreraptor or Austroraptor, would be what I'd like next.  But I would also be very happy with a Sinornithosaurus or Zhenyuanlong!

It's nice to see you back on the forum @mgaguilar!