Re-issue of Battat former Museum of Science Boston Series

[loru1588]

Battat re-issue prototypes

Diplodocus


Stegosaurus


Dilophosaurus


Parasaurolophus


Amargasaurus


Carnotaurus


Pachycephlasaurus


Acrocanthosaurus


Maiasaura


Triceratops


Styracosaurus


Edmontinia


Ceratosaurus


Euoplocephalus


Ouranosaurus


Tyrannosaurus

[DinoLord]

Dan,

For the most part the old Battats are very accurate and wouldn't need much, if any, revision for accuracy. The large carnivores, Diplo, hadrosaurs, and ankylosaurs are all pretty much fine. Some others like the ceratopsians and stegosaur could use a bit of retooling (namely with the angle of the forearms in the ceratopsians and the front feet). And of course figured like the Utahraptor and Gallimimus could use feathers.


However I'm not sure if everyone would want the sculpts to be retooled, mainly those who don't have any of the originals. Perhaps it could be out up to a poll?

[Patrx]

I think it'd be great to make some subtle updates to the Triceratops' (and Styracosaurus')  forelimbs! Namely, more separation of the digits, no claws on the fourth and fifth, and a bit more outward rotation of the entire manus - a lot like the new Pachyrhinosaurus. I think there's been some advances in the understanding of hadrosaur, stegosaur and ankylosaur manual anatomy as well, but I've not done enough research to know what kind of changes that update would entail. The Stegosaurus could also be modified to include the osteoderms known to have been on the throat area.
Also, I think the hands on the Pachycephalosaurus are currently pronated, which could be fixed, and the arms of the Carnotaurus could stand to be shorter and pointed "backward" like the ones in this image: http://sauropedia.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/carnotaurus.jpg

I'd be tempted to say that the Utahraptor would require a total reworking in order to be properly updated. The proportions and skull anatomy have been reevaluated, so it would be more than the addition of feathers.

Tough to imagine anyone being "against" updates like these  But, it is a possibility.

[Ikessauro]

I don't think anyone would mind the retooling I guess, even ones who don't have any. If they are not willing to "hunt" the classic line now I don't think they would prefer less accurate models over the updated ones. That also would be another incentive for people who already have the line to get the new ones and feel their money is being well spent, not just to get another paint job.

[stargatedalek]

in addition to the utahraptor and gallimimus, some feathering on tyrannosaurus would be amazing!

[DinoLord]

If they are not willing to "hunt" the classic line now I don't think they would prefer less accurate models over the updated ones.

These days it's not an issue of will; oftentimes hunting down the old figures is very financially infeasible. The prices have gone up in the last few years. I remember not buying acros and T. rexes that sold for 50-75 when I first started collecting this line, something I (until recently) greatly regretted because they do not sell for under $100.

[postsaurischian]

Good idea to revise the original models .

Especially the Stegosaurus which I (and obviously a lot of other collectors) never wanted to get, even if it was offered at a lower price.
My wish would be not to add plates, but rather subtract to 17 (or does it already have 17?) and make them more voluminous.

[loru1588]

Good idea to revise the original models .

Especially the Stegosaurus which I (and obviously a lot of other collectors) never wanted to get, even if it was offered at a lower price.
My wish would be not to add plates, but rather subtract to 17 (or does it already have 17?) and make them more voluminous.

As I have explained in the past ( not here until now ) the Stegosaurus was based on a then yet to be named Stegosaurus that was thought to have smaller plates & 8 spikes and was smaller than stenops. A few years after the toys were out this info was invalid. I will not be resculpting this but revising it the best I can. If this series sells well I will add more dinosaurs to it including new stegosaurs.

[Yutyrannus]

Utahraptor would pretty much need to be completely re-sculpted, not just retooled, new evidence suggests that Utahraptor looked more like this:

[stargatedalek]

even just adding an accurate amount of feathers to the original would pretty much require a complete re-sculpt

[John]

In the sauropods Diplodocus and Amargasaurus,maybe the nostrils could be positioned down to the front of the snout maybe.In Maiasaura and Parasaurolophus maybe the musculature in the neck and base of the tail could be thickened out and the nails on the forelimbs removed.And as said earlier maybe have the hands on the bipedal carnivores and Pachycephalosaurus repositioned to have the palms facing each other rather than downward.That's all I can think of that wouldn't be a totally new sculpt.

[Patrx]

Good thinking; I'd forgotten about sauropod nostrils. Now we know they were toward the front of the snout, not the top of the head. Also, I remember reading that the tails of theropods were more muscular at the base than previously estimated.

[John]

Good thinking; I'd forgotten about sauropod nostrils. Now we know they were toward the front of the snout, not the top of the head. Also, I remember reading that the tails of theropods were more muscular at the base than previously estimated.

Yes I remember that about theropod tails too,but the tails of the original theropod models already do have thick musculature.Looking at the Tyrannosaurus I have from the top view,the musculature at the base of the tail is enormous,much closer to that of the alligator in the diagram than that shown for the Tyrannosaurus just above it on the link you provided,so tail musculature issues have already been taken care of.The Carnotaurus is the same way.This line was always ahead of their time in many ways.

[stoneage]

Favorite recently released new figures of most of their old figures.  I bought every one.  I suspect that would make me more likely to buy the new figures because not only are they new paint jobs but the figures are not exactly the same.  I never have gotten any figures that were just repainted before.

[loru1588]

Utahraptor would pretty much need to be completely re-sculpted, not just retooled, new evidence suggests that Utahraptor looked more like this:

I took my resin master and held it up against the silhouette you posted and it pretty much matches, sans the feathers. Feathering over the resin will be no problem including adding winglets on the arms. I've got an email into Jim Kirkland to see what he has to say.

[loru1588]

even just adding an accurate amount of feathers to the original would pretty much require a complete re-sculpt

See my response to Yutyrannus

[Seijun]

I like everyones suggestions so far. My suggestion would be to fatten up the diplo a little. Just the belly area seems very skinny when viewed from both the top and sides, when compared to most skeletal reconstructions I have seen.  His body in general looks too elongated compared to the length of the neck, but I am not sure if that could be easily fixed. The width of the shoulders and hips seem fine though.

[Patrx]

Yes I remember that about theropod tails too,but the tails of the original theropod models already do have thick musculature.

Good to hear! I've never gotten a close look at the original Battat theropods, regrettably.

Here's a new Utahraptor restoration based on some of the new material:


the legs and tail are pretty stout, and one of the odd new details is the shape of the front of the mandible, which features an almost spinosaur-like curve.
As far as adding feathers to the original sculpt, you'd not go wrong using this as a guide - very dense integument, hiding a lot of the underlying structure, just like a modern dinosaur. The only thing I don't care much for is the "mohawk" atop the head - but that's just an aesthetic detail, not to do with accuracy.

[Seijun]

Another suggestion: It would be very nice to see the version 1 original rex released, the non-snowshoe version, but maybe it could be modified into a tripod stance so it can stand like the version 3 rex?

[Simon]

Dan - I have a suggestion for the Trex, it may not be popular but with the right kind of paint it would turn the Battat TRex into the biggest "head-turner" dinotoy figure out there.

You probably know where I am going with this .... no, I am NOT saying you should feather the entire figure, BUT ... giving the Trex a little "mane" would make it into something  incredible - here is an example of what it could look like: