The future for Battat

[amargasaurus cazaui]

Just something to consider about the future of the line Dan had reinvigorated. He once stated that Battat paid him 250 per MOS figure to redo the paint scheme...just a quick math figure but thats somewhere approaching 5 grand for work that was done and completed. I felt Dan wanted these models back out there and he did repaint them and accepted payment so I really assume they will be forthcoming. I have to believe that both Dan and Battat understood his health issues and had made plans for the worst case scenario.
   One of the last posts on his Facebook page before his passing was his grandson? I believe looking at his display of toys at Target. I do not see the family interferring with that legacy, he loved dinosaurs too much for them to do that to his memory.
   I think its an everyone wins situation, the family, Battat, and his fans. That is just me offering my thoughts however.

[Takama]

Well i figured that i can post this.   Battat already gave Dan permission to tell you guys whats coming, and Dan asked me to wait until he made more progress on these before i show them off..

These are the very last models that he was working on for the Terra line.    he never made it any further then this



The left is Plateosaurus, Middle is Majungasaurus, and the right is the Yutyrannus.   

[Gwangi]

That really is sad to see, they would have been spectacular models.

[suspsy]

That photo makes me sad. I have no doubt all three would have been excellent.

On the bright side, there are all the brand new ones Dan did complete, plus the remaining reissues. Altogether, they make for quite the impressive and lasting legacy.

[Balaur]

That's a sad photo. I would have loved to see those finished.

[sauroid]

Battat might hire a new sculptor to continue the series?
looking at Mr. LoRusso's unfinished sculptures is very saddening...

[Daspletodave]

I'm optimistic that the line will continue. We know that the Parasaurolophus, Euoplocephalus and Stegosaurus will be coming next. Just to release the remaining MOS line figures could take several years, plus Dan's Gigantoraptor, Gastonia, Pentaceratops, Nasutoceratops, and Europasaurus models. (And all of those models could justifiably be considered a continuation of the Dan LoRusso collection)
So Battat already has plenty to work with, and they don't have to rush to hire a new sculptor. They can take their time and hire somebody good - and that person will take the line in a new direction with their own unique style.

[Pachyrhinosaurus]

It sounds likely that the models already sent will be released in time, I don't really know if a new sculptor would be quite the same.
The photo is a saddening one, knowing that he will never be able to finish them. I have often considered asking Dan for pictures of his armatures, not to see what's next but to learn more about his process. These certainly would have been good pieces. Part of me wants to see those three dinosaurs finished and released, since that may be what Dan would have wanted but another part wants them to stay as they are.

[tyrantqueen]

We have set one out already, and set two will be released soon as well. Dan LoRusso said in his PT interview that there was a good chance of there being a third set...but obviously that cannot happen now

[amargasaurus cazaui]

They could actually take this an entirely seperate and even more awesome direction if they wished....suppose they decided to rename the set, the Lorosso Legacy series and continue with his new sculpts and repaints within the series...and then hired a new artist to continue the Terra line itself?

[Sim]

The photo of the 3 incomplete Battat dinosaurs is sad to see.  It's no longer visible now, but I saw it yesterday.

I really look forward to getting all the new sculpts Dan did and the reissues.

[Takama]

I will say that After the Yutyrranus Majunga, and Plateosaurus, he was planning on Chasmosaurus, Nigersaurus, Concavenator and Australovenator. 

If Battat gets a new Sculptor thats not a Cheap Chinasaur Amature in the world of paleoart. I hope we can convince him or her to give these animals a shot.

Also Dr Admin, is there a reason the photo is missing?  MAy i put it back up?

[tyrantqueen]

Has any considered emailing Battat? Or maybe Dan Liebman can contact them...

I want to know if the line will continue or end, and whether they intend to continue with the rereleases (REALLY hope they do).

How open are they to communication? I know they're a big business so it could be difficult.

[Takama]

Has any considered emailing Battat? Or maybe Dan Liebman can contact them...

I want to know if the line will continue or end, and whether they intend to continue with the rereleases (REALLY hope they do).

How open are they to communication? I know they're a big business so it could be difficult.

The Terra Website has a Email. Though i dont know how connected they are to Battat themselves

[email protected]

[tyrantqueen]

I've sent Battat an email:

Hello
I belong to a community of dinosaur toy collectors. I have heard of the sad passing of Dan LoRusso, the sculptor for the Terra line. This is our forum:
http://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?topic=3857.msg112619;topicseen#new

We as a community would like to know to what extent the line will continue. Are you going to continue with your plans to rerelease the old MOS line, with new paintjobs? Are all of Dan LoRusso's new sculpts for Terra going to be released as planned? Will the line end or is a new sculptor going to be hired?

Thank you for your time
Sincerely
<my name>

Hopefully they will reply.

[mest]

Some figures of the series look really interesting. But sadly you can't buy Battat figures outside US.

[Paleogene Pals]

Will the picture Takama posted be visible again? I never had a chance to see it. Although I don't collect in the scale of the Terra or MOS line, I've always been fascinated by Battat and the sculpting style of Dan. I recently bought some of the repaints for a friend and was quite impressed. There are lots of up and coming young paleoartists who could continue the legacy. Or, imagine Shane Foulkes for the dinosaur line or even Sean Cooper for a new line of mammals. You cannot replace Dan ever, but the line could carry on.

[Sim]

I will say that After the Yutyrranus Majunga, and Plateosaurus, he was planning on Chasmosaurus, Nigersaurus, Concavenator and Australovenator. 

If Battat gets a new Sculptor thats not a Cheap Chinasaur Amature in the world of paleoart. I hope we can convince him or her to give these animals a shot.

Also Dr Admin, is there a reason the photo is missing?  MAy i put it back up?

If another sculptor continues the Battat line, I think it would be best if they decided what animals to do rather than just do the animals Dan was planning to do.  I think a new sculptor shouldn't try to continue Dan's work but instead make their own decisions based on what they think is best.

I hope I don't sound unpleasant saying this, but I would personally prefer to see some dinosaurs in the Battat line who don't have any close relatives already in the line, like Plateosaurus, Baryonyx and Herrerasaurus (there are currently NO Triassic Battat dinosaurs).  These dinosaurs don't even have any good up-to-date toy version.  While I'm sure Dan would have made excellent figures of the dinosaurs in the first sentence of your post, most of them already have one or more close relatives in the Battat line and/or a good toy version.  This is how I personally feel about this...

Takama, is the photo hosted by Facebook?  If it is, that's probably why it's no longer visible.

[Megalosaurus]

So sad Dan passed away 

May someone reupload his last works picture? I haven't see it yet.

[Sim]

On the subject of what was planned to be in the Battat dinosaur line, I once asked Dan LoRusso what was planned for the Battat MOS line before it got discontinued.  He told me set 4 of the MOS line would've been Allosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus, Shunosaurus, Lambeosaurus, Gorgosaurus and Gastonia, and set 5 would've been marine reptiles.

Plans can change, it's a natural part of life.  An example of this is that out of those animals planned for the MOS line only Gastonia and Pachyrhinosaurus have been made for the restarted Battat dinosaur line.  If Greg Wenzel had continued sculpting Battat dinosaurs with Dan maybe some of the species chosen for the new Terra sculpts would've been different. Maybe Greg would've sculpted a feathered therizinosaur.  Dan LoRusso promised Einiosaurus would be in the next set of Battat dinosaurs he sculpted, but maybe that plan changed as it wasn't among the dinosaurs Takama said he was thinking of doing for the next set. The point is plans can change due to many reasons.

If another sculptor makes new sculpts for the Battat dinosaur line I think it's fair that they choose what animals to sculpt, just like how Dan did when he was sculpting them. I think another sculptor shouldn't feel under pressure or expected to do the dinosaurs Dan was thinking of doing.


There's no rush for Battat to hire a new sculptor, it will probably take them several years to release all the unreleased reissues and new sculpts Dan has completed.  Maybe if a time comes where additional dinosaur sculpts are wanted by Battat, the Tyrannosaurus/Acrocanthosaurus/Diplodocus could have sold well and Battat might want to produce additional figures of larger dinosaurs.  The dinosaurs Takama mentioned Dan was thinking of doing are all on the smaller side.

The style of the Battat dinosaurs is one of the things that has made them my favorite dinosaur toy line.  If a new sculptor continues the line I don't think I'd be happy if the style of the line changed.  While I wouldn't want a new sculptor to feel forced to change their style, I also wouldn't want to see new additions to the line with a clearly different style.  Of course, I wouldn't want to see the high level of accuracy the Battat dinosaur line is known for to lower (shrink-wrapping / undersized caudofemoralis muscles turning up would be saddening).  But another example is I wouldn't want new Battat dinosaurs in the style that often/always gives spines/spikes/knobs/plates/other rough details when there's nothing that suggests the animal had them.  I don't like that style, and it's very different to the style of the Battat dinosaurs.  Unless Battat dinosaurs start being sold in other places in addition to Target, I wonder how much Battat needs more dinosaur sculpts once all 27 dinosaurs by Dan and Greg are available to buy?