TNG Prehistoric Figures (Unending Tedium)

[Flaffy]

Hm, didn't realise the Megacerops was that small. It's nice for sure as the base sculpt is very strong. But is it $15 nice when the larger & cheaper $10 Safari version exists? Personally I'm very satisfied with Doug's sculpt so I don't  have plans atm to add the TNG one to my collection. Great for brontothere enthusiasts though.

Without having the TNG in hand, and comparing it to the Mojo, CollectA and especially Safari figures that I do own, it seems to be a 1/35 piece (also, see Andy's Youtube review). This would make it ideal foe 1/35 scale collectors, whereas the others are of a larger scale, particularly the imposing CollectA one, of course.

Good point about it being 1/35 scale. Though I generally prefer my mammals in a larger 1/20 scale so the Safari suits my needs better, though save the 1/35 slots for large proboscideans and the odd Paraceratherid.

Speaking of Brontotheres, I'm surprised as to how Geoworld is the only company that bothered making Embolotherium. Which is odd considering it's bizzare nasal anatomy (frankly even weirder than Megacerops) and comparable size.

[Sim]

If TNG is successful; I'd love to see them, and other companies collaborating with indie artists to convert their limited-run resin sculpts into mass produced PVC models. Makes them way more accessible to casual collectors, with plenty of obscure species to choose from!

@Flaffy, I'm curious, do you have any resin models/species in mind?  Any that you'd like to see toy versions of?

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

@Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews) Do you happen to have the CollectA Elasmotherium or Safari Megacerops to compare with their TNG counterparts? Would love to see how they stack up to each other.

I do not. I like to keep my collection in scale, which unfortunately tends to limit the prehistoric mammals I can buy.
That's also why I was so excited for TNG, though!

[dinofelid]

@Fembrogon the Elasmotherium and Megacerops are from the Musee sculptor.  The other mammals we don't know for certain which sculptor made them.

Though as pointed out in the OP, the TNG Stegodon listing on aliexpress specifically calls it the "Huanghe Flumen stegodon", and it does look very similar to one of the two resin Stegodon models by Huanghe Flumen listed on lana-time here (though they're not quite identical, the front leg position is different for example). If Andy or anyone else has connections they could ask about whether Flumen was involved with the TNG version that'd be good to know.

[ceratopsian]

D @dinofelid: Huanghe means Yellow River, Flumen means river in Latin - so I think that's just a tautologous place name.  The resin model was produced by Dinone Studio and as far as I can see represents the Stegodon found near the Yellow River.  The name of the model denotes where it was found, not the name of the artist.

@Fembrogon the Elasmotherium and Megacerops are from the Musee sculptor.  The other mammals we don't know for certain which sculptor made them.

Though as pointed out in the OP, the TNG Stegodon listing on aliexpress specifically calls it the "Huanghe Flumen stegodon", and it does look very similar to one of the two resin Stegodon models by Huanghe Flumen listed on lana-time here (though they're not quite identical, the front leg position is different for example). If Andy or anyone else has connections they could ask about whether Flumen was involved with the TNG version that'd be good to know.

[Mattyonyx]

So now back to the topic at hand. I've received a response from Musee Studio that proves what both Sim and I have been saying all along. Here is the response.

"Hello, Andy

Our studio mainly focuses on the scientific restoration of paleontology and dinosaurs. The studio was founded by three archeologists, one of whom moved to another company two years ago. They are mainly engaged in PVC plastic toy products. Later, they established the TNG brand. That company has also cooperated with us before. The prototype engineer brought several products from us, including (Elasmotherium) (Bronotheriidae), etc. They mainly make PVC for mass production of plastic. We mainly make resin statues. The number of our statues is limited, generally around 100 sets. They will not be made after the sale. TNG's products are aimed at children and low-end players. Our products are aimed at high-end players and collectors."

So there we have it. Official confirmation that the models are released by the original sculptor from Musee and by the sounds of it, we may get lucky and see similar models in the future if they continue to work together!

Interesting, they referred about TNG the same way they did about HAOLONGGOOD when they released the cheap PVC version of their Quetzatcoatlus which explains EVERYTHING!   

Thank you! 

There's a lot of talk about this company, especially the legitimacy or otherwise of the figures. Although the message shared by A @Andysdinosaurreviews is correct, further clarification is needed.

The archeologist mentioned in the message is now an ex-member of Musee Studio and doesn't collaborate with them anymore. The Studio has many sculptors, so it's unclear if the prototypes used by TNG only belong to one person (actually, each step of the production is assigned to different people).

That said, we should not think of something like the GR Toys/ Musee collaboration, but rather a competition like in the early days of Mojo with all that sculpts originally made for CollectA, hence why the last part of the message emphasizes the difference between the targets of the two companies.

[Renecito]

So now back to the topic at hand. I've received a response from Musee Studio that proves what both Sim and I have been saying all along. Here is the response.

"Hello, Andy

Our studio mainly focuses on the scientific restoration of paleontology and dinosaurs. The studio was founded by three archeologists, one of whom moved to another company two years ago. They are mainly engaged in PVC plastic toy products. Later, they established the TNG brand. That company has also cooperated with us before. The prototype engineer brought several products from us, including (Elasmotherium) (Bronotheriidae), etc. They mainly make PVC for mass production of plastic. We mainly make resin statues. The number of our statues is limited, generally around 100 sets. They will not be made after the sale. TNG's products are aimed at children and low-end players. Our products are aimed at high-end players and collectors."

So there we have it. Official confirmation that the models are released by the original sculptor from Musee and by the sounds of it, we may get lucky and see similar models in the future if they continue to work together!

Interesting, they referred about TNG the same way they did about HAOLONGGOOD when they released the cheap PVC version of their Quetzatcoatlus which explains EVERYTHING!   

Thank you! 

There's a lot of talk about this company, especially the legitimacy or otherwise of the figures. Although the message shared by A @Andysdinosaurreviews is correct, further clarification is needed.

The archeologist mentioned in the message is now an ex-member of Musee Studio and doesn't collaborate with them anymore. The Studio has many sculptors, so it's unclear if the prototypes used by TNG only belong to one person (actually, each step of the production is assigned to different people).

That said, we should not think of something like the GR Toys/ Musee collaboration, but rather a competition like in the early days of Mojo with all that sculpts originally made for CollectA, hence why the last part of the message emphasizes the difference between the targets of the two companies.

As far as I know if there are three founders behind a company, it means that all three own what is produced under the brand's name but that also means that one of them can't do whatever he wants with that product just by leaving the company but he still needs the approval of the other two since they also remain as owners and I think that it's rather obvious that Musee Studios, a brand that is known for their high end quality limited statues, doesn't want to see their statues turned into cheap mass-produced figures but that's what TNG is doing and that's why Musee made it clear in the statement that they are not part of that brand but belongs to a former partner and they also referred about TNG product and target in the same way they did when HAOLONGGOOD release the PVC version of their Quetzalcoatlus, which we know Musee was totally against it.

Pd: I guess the work of the sculptors that have been hired will belong to the company they are working for but if it is produced as a collaboration it will belong to both of them.

[Mattyonyx]

So now back to the topic at hand. I've received a response from Musee Studio that proves what both Sim and I have been saying all along. Here is the response.

"Hello, Andy

Our studio mainly focuses on the scientific restoration of paleontology and dinosaurs. The studio was founded by three archeologists, one of whom moved to another company two years ago. They are mainly engaged in PVC plastic toy products. Later, they established the TNG brand. That company has also cooperated with us before. The prototype engineer brought several products from us, including (Elasmotherium) (Bronotheriidae), etc. They mainly make PVC for mass production of plastic. We mainly make resin statues. The number of our statues is limited, generally around 100 sets. They will not be made after the sale. TNG's products are aimed at children and low-end players. Our products are aimed at high-end players and collectors."

So there we have it. Official confirmation that the models are released by the original sculptor from Musee and by the sounds of it, we may get lucky and see similar models in the future if they continue to work together!

Interesting, they referred about TNG the same way they did about HAOLONGGOOD when they released the cheap PVC version of their Quetzatcoatlus which explains EVERYTHING!   

Thank you! 

There's a lot of talk about this company, especially the legitimacy or otherwise of the figures. Although the message shared by A @Andysdinosaurreviews is correct, further clarification is needed.

The archeologist mentioned in the message is now an ex-member of Musee Studio and doesn't collaborate with them anymore. The Studio has many sculptors, so it's unclear if the prototypes used by TNG only belong to one person (actually, each step of the production is assigned to different people).

That said, we should not think of something like the GR Toys/ Musee collaboration, but rather a competition like in the early days of Mojo with all that sculpts originally made for CollectA, hence why the last part of the message emphasizes the difference between the targets of the two companies.

As far as I know if there are three founders behind a company, it means that all three own what is produced under the brand's name but that also means that one of them can't do whatever he wants with that product just by leaving the company but he still needs the approval of the other two since they also remain as owners and I think that it's rather obvious that Musee Studios, a brand that is known for their high end quality limited statues, doesn't want to see their statues turned into cheap mass-produced figures but that's what TNG is doing and that's why Musee made it clear in the statement that they are not part of that brand but belongs to a former partner and they also referred about TNG product and target in the same way they did when HAOLONGGOOD release the PVC version of their Quetzalcoatlus, which we know Musee was totally against it.

Pd: I guess the work of the sculptors that have been hired will belong to the company they are working for but if it is produced as a collaboration it will belong to both of them.

Exactly. We can't possibly know all the details about the ownership of the prototypes, all we know is that they're not working together. The Quetzalcoatlus drama is a perfect example: the release of a PVC version put the companies in direct competition.

[SidB]

Hm, didn't realise the Megacerops was that small. It's nice for sure as the base sculpt is very strong. But is it $15 nice when the larger & cheaper $10 Safari version exists? Personally I'm very satisfied with Doug's sculpt so I don't  have plans atm to add the TNG one to my collection. Great for brontothere enthusiasts though.

Without having the TNG in hand, and comparing it to the Mojo, CollectA and especially Safari figures that I do own, it seems to be a 1/35 piece (also, see Andy's Youtube review). This would make it ideal foe 1/35 scale collectors, whereas the others are of a larger scale, particularly the imposing CollectA one, of course.

Good point about it being 1/35 scale. Though I generally prefer my mammals in a larger 1/20 scale so the Safari suits my needs better, though save the 1/35 slots for large proboscideans and the odd Paraceratherid.

Speaking of Brontotheres, I'm surprised as to how Geoworld is the only company that bothered making Embolotherium. Which is odd considering it's bizzare nasal anatomy (frankly even weirder than Megacerops) and comparable size.

That's a fascinating rendition, @Flaffy . I suppose that the fleshy tissue posterior to the "hood ornament" is some sort of resonating chamber, possibly? As far as the fabrication of a new Embolotherium, well, if there was ever a birth of a more robust interest in extinct mammals, that would be an ideal candidate. When I saw the five TNG mammals advertised, that gave me a ray of hope that something of the sort might happen, or at least be stimulated. It will always be a niche market, I'd guess, but hopefully it can expand somewhat. At least TNG is taking a chance and making a move in this direction. Very few companies ever move beyond the Smilodon/ Wooly Mammoth one-two punch.

[Sim]

To me it seems clear from the response Andy received from Musee that they specified the original sculptor of the Elasmotherium and Megacerops brought those mammals to TNG.  And nothing in the response suggests the remainder of Musee has a problem with it.  I haven't seen a similar response with regards to Haolonggood, but in that case it did emerge that there was a disagreement.

[Flaffy]

That's a fascinating rendition, @Flaffy . I suppose that the fleshy tissue posterior to the "hood ornament" is some sort of resonating chamber, possibly? As far as the fabrication of a new Embolotherium, well, if there was ever a birth of a more robust interest in extinct mammals, that would be an ideal candidate. When I saw the five TNG mammals advertised, that gave me a ray of hope that something of the sort might happen, or at least be stimulated. It will always be a niche market, I'd guess, but hopefully it can expand somewhat. At least TNG is taking a chance and making a move in this direction. Very few companies ever move beyond the Smilodon/ Wooly Mammoth one-two punch.

That's one of the leading theories yes. Mike Ellison's reconstructions I find particularly convincing, here's his blog article on the justification of a fleshy nose rather than the more traditional WWB-style bony protrustion: https://www.behance.net/gallery/23416255/Embolotherium

If TNG is successful; I'd love to see them, and other companies collaborating with indie artists to convert their limited-run resin sculpts into mass produced PVC models. Makes them way more accessible to casual collectors, with plenty of obscure species to choose from!

@Flaffy, I'm curious, do you have any resin models/species in mind?  Any that you'd like to see toy versions of?

Pretty much the entirety of DINONE's mammalian catalogue tbh. Been waiting forever for a nice Platybelodon, Moeritherium, Cuvieronius and Arsinotherium. (https://lanatime-shop.com/collections/dinone-studio)

[SidB]

To me it seems clear from the response Andy received from Musee that they specified the original sculptor of the Elasmotherium and Megacerops brought those mammals to TNG.  And nothing in the response suggests the remainder of Musee has a problem with it.  I haven't seen a similar response with regards to Haolonggood, but in that case it did emerge that there was a disagreement.

That was my impression too. Of course it's not too difficult to pull varying conclusions from any given answer if there is any room for speculation left.

[SidB]

Thanks, @Flaffy , for the Embolotherium info.

[Mattyonyx]

To me it seems clear from the response Andy received from Musee that they specified the original sculptor of the Elasmotherium and Megacerops brought those mammals to TNG.  And nothing in the response suggests the remainder of Musee has a problem with it.  I haven't seen a similar response with regards to Haolonggood, but in that case it did emerge that there was a disagreement.

That was my impression too. Of course it's not too difficult to pull varying conclusions from any given answer if there is any room for speculation left.

Well, I'm telling you this because I spoke with another founder of Musee (the one who made the GR Toys Spinosaurus). The statement shared by Andy was written by his colleague, so I'm just posting this clarification because there seems to be some confusion about their ex-colleague.

[Sim]

If you have additional information, please share it.  At the moment from what you've said it's unclear what you're trying to tell us.

Are you saying the Musee person you spoke to doesn't know who sculpted the Elasmotherium and Megacerops?  What about the person Andy spoke to?  Also, the situation with early Mojo figures was that they were made by ex-CollectA staff who had shared ownership of the designs so they were able to produce similar figures to CollectA.  Are you saying TNG has shared ownership of the Elasmotherium and Megacerops which is why they were able to reproduce them?

[Mattyonyx]

If you have additional information, please share it.  At the moment from what you've said it's unclear what you're trying to tell us.

Are you saying the Musee person you spoke to doesn't know who sculpted the Elasmotherium and Megacerops?  What about the person Andy spoke to?  Also, the situation with early Mojo figures was that they were made by ex-CollectA staff who had shared ownership of the designs so they were able to produce similar figures to CollectA.  Are you saying TNG has shared ownership of the Elasmotherium and Megacerops which is why they were able to reproduce them?

I'm waiting for an answer about those sculpts, the only thing I've been told so far is that their ex-colleague left Musee Studio, took those prototypes with him, and doesn't collaborate with the Studio anymore.

The person Andy spoke to is a colleague of the person I spoke to, so I'm basically confirming the statement, making note however that it doesn't necessarily mean they like the situation.

What I'm trying to tell you is that, contrary to what some might think, this is not an idyllic scenario. And we still have to understand what happened with Dinone's Stegodon...
 

[postsaurischian]

If you have additional information, please share it.  At the moment from what you've said it's unclear what you're trying to tell us.

Are you saying the Musee person you spoke to doesn't know who sculpted the Elasmotherium and Megacerops?  What about the person Andy spoke to?  Also, the situation with early Mojo figures was that they were made by ex-CollectA staff who had shared ownership of the designs so they were able to produce similar figures to CollectA.  Are you saying TNG has shared ownership of the Elasmotherium and Megacerops which is why they were able to reproduce them?

I'm waiting for an answer about those sculpts, the only thing I've been told so far is that their ex-colleague left Musee Studio, took those prototypes with him, and doesn't collaborate with the Studio anymore.

The person Andy spoke to is a colleague of the person I spoke to, so I'm basically confirming the statement, making note however that it doesn't necessarily mean they like the situation.

What I'm trying to tell you is that, contrary to what some might think, this is not an idyllic scenario. And we still have to understand what happened with Dinone's Stegodon...
 

..... and all the other stolen designs as well. It's so obvious, I can't believe how gullible some posters are here. With a bit of collecting experience (in my case about 50 years) you can see that still something stinks about this TNG company. What the person Andy spoke to said, sounds more like an excuse rather than a justification to me. I'm curious to read more information about this and will surely not support such companies.

[stargatedalek]

"Stolen designs" is not the same as "stolen sculpts/molds" though. People are talking like copied poses is the shadiest thing a toy company could ever do, but it's something major brands even do. Papo and Nanmu built their reputations on it, while REBOR and even Safari at one time (copying from paintings) employed it fairly often.

I'm not saying it's not bad, or at least particularly iffy. But it's a bit hypocritical the levels of doom posting that are going on regarding this company.

[Lynx]

So is it okay for me to buy that Spinosaurus or will I be called scummy for supporting TNG? I want to buy it, but the feelings here are still so mixed and I am genuinely confused at this point.

[Thialfi]

"Stolen designs" is not the same as "stolen sculpts/molds" though. People are talking like copied poses is the shadiest thing a toy company could ever do, but it's something major brands even do. Papo and Nanmu built their reputations on it, while REBOR and even Safari at one time (copying from paintings) employed it fairly often.

I'm not saying it's not bad, or at least particularly iffy. But it's a bit hypocritical the levels of doom posting that are going on regarding this company.

I don't feel it's doom posting. In this day and age the other companies mentioned would get the same flak for similar practices. It just seems people are too eager to look beyond the potentially iffy business of TNG because they want justification to buy their products. I don't feel a definitive answer is out there at this point - the communication Andy posted doesn't prove TNG is legit, to me at least.

Don't get me wrong though: I really want them to be completely legit. The more offerings for competitive prices the better, and the idea of having cheaper plastic figures of expensive resin statues is very appealing indeed.