Loon's Collection: PNSO Suchomimus (Jan 16, 2023)

[Halichoeres]

We're really spoiled for choice with Triceratops. Thanks for the mini-review, reminds me how much I enjoyed your reviews when you were writing for the blog.

[suspsy]

@Loon, did you want to submit your thoughts and images as an official DTB review? All we need basically are the measurements.

[Loon]

@Shonisaurus Thanks and happy I could at least show it to you, and hopefully you can get one someday.

@Ezikot happy to be of service! I can definitely chew people's ears off when it comes to some animals, spotted hyenas being chief among them!

@Eocarcharia Thanks. I really enjoy looking back at that Ceratopsian shot, definitely a lovely group to collect because of those amazing heads.

@JohannesB Thanks for the comment!

@Gothmog the Baryonyx I appreciate getting to read your thoughts on it. I didn't even consider the frill being so dull. The lighter colors do help it stick out a little in person, but yeah, with that much real estate, I would have liked to have seen something more decorative.

@Halichoeres Yeah, really, you can't go wrong regardless of company. Even Schleich and Mojö have some pretty decent recent offerings. Also, looks like you won't be without a review of mine on the blog too long...

@suspsy Sure, why not? Let me get those measurements and adjust the text and I'll send those to the blog email in a little bit.

Alright...

The past week and a bit has brought some old favorites back to the collection after having been sold for one reason it another.


First, the Carnegie Collection Beipiaosaurus. I wish Forest Rogers was still making dinosaur toys, because some of those later wave Carnegie Collection figures are second to none. The Beipiaosaurus is, to me, her best feathered dinosaur. Rogers managed to capture such a natural look in this figure, especially with those shaggy feathers. Plus, it's a species from the Yixian formation, so, how can you beat that?


Safari's nesting "Oviraptor" is a type of figure I feel like we won't see again. It's so rare to get large dioramas like this, or really dioramas in general. Compared to the modern figure of the species this actually represents, Citipati, it definitely doesn't hold up in terms of accuracy, but as a figure I prefer it. The modern Citipati is good, but mine has never been able to stand long and really isn't my favorite sculpt/paint job. The older model just captures what I enjoy about collecting prehistoric animals more in the sense that it portrays what we have learned about these long extinct animals.


I think a lot of the people who read this thread will know I have a decent collection of Protoceratops figures and while I'm not always actively looking to add more, I could not pass up on the deal I found for this Safari Authentics one. I'm quite taken with the sculpt of this little guy, it's pretty accurate for the late 90s, and well detailed compared to some other Authentics. I believe this was Greg Wenzel's work? Not sure. But, nonetheless, it makes a nice little addition to the shelf.


The Battat Pachyrhinosaurus is figure that I fondly remember from my early days of collecting. The Terra by Battat line as a whole is pretty nostalgiac as it made up a decent portion of my early collection since I could easily get those figures in person and not for a lot of money. This also represents a trend in my collection, where I'll hear a lot about a figure and my weak-willed self will be convinced I need it asap. In this case, I'm happy to have it back. I used to suffer from a very strict "one figure per species" policy, but I've started making exceptions for figures I'm fond of, even if there's a "better" version available. Of course, this creates a conflict of which figure to display. I bought the Battat Pachyrhinosaurus because of the more accurate, rounder body compared to Safari's figure which has thinner frame. Still, that figure has its advantages, such as the more detailed skin texture and far nicer colors. So, as of now, it's a toss up and a rare example of two figures of the same species occupying space on the same shelf. Both figures mean a lot to me and both have their pros and cons, so who knows...

[Shonisaurus]

My congratulations on all your new acquisitions of dinosaurs from Safari and Battat among other figures. For me the beipiaosaurus is one of the best feathered figures made by the Safari Carnegie company together with the microraptor of the same brand.

[Gwangi]

The Carnegie feathered dinosaurs were a major motivation for me getting into this hobby. I remember seeing them in a craft store and being absolutely blown away over the fact that feathered dinosaur toys were a thing. I still display all of them, except the Microraptor which I've never liked that much and has been replaced by Safari's.

The Battat Pachyrhinosauru is perhaps my favorite sculpt of the genus, but it has an atrocious paintjob. Love the Safari Authentics Protoceratops, I keep hoping to come across one of those.

Thanks for sharing!

[suspsy]

@Loon, that's great, thanks!

[Loon]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Ok, I wanted to sneak this guy in before I get consumed by the glut of stuff coming in this week. Another one of my Christmas cash splurges, it's the Dino Hazard Irritator.



I'm so happy to have finally got one after following this lines development for a few years now. I love how the minimal base and fish make this resemble a museum display; it definitely has that life-like look. There are a few small problems, like my base coming warped, but that was minor and could be fixed with some heat, and the fish is a bit of a pain to get in the hands. But, really, without sounding TOO redundant, I'll just say that I'm really pleased with this thing.

[Flaffy]

PNSO should take notes from Dino Hazard on how to present their "premium museum figures". 
A nice base + a complementary accessory does far more than superfluous booklets and crumbled up posters.

Congrats on acquiring the Irritator! It's a lovely figure.

[Leyster]

Congratulations, that Irritator is one of the highlights of 2021.

[Theriz]

like the Earth Before Us trio

I LOVE the Earth Before Us Trio. They are so good! They are relatively accurate (Riojasaurus is Cretaceous Africa) for children's books.

[Loon]

PNSO should take notes from Dino Hazard on how to present their "premium museum figures".
A nice base + a complementary accessory does far more than superfluous booklets and crumbled up posters.

Congrats on acquiring the Irritator! It's a lovely figure.

^this 100%

I think this is also evidenced by the fact that I did not feel any sense of remorse or guilt (feelings I often associate with a new PNSO purchase) over buying the irritator since I enjoy the whole package. I get no value out of the excessive paper waste PNSO throws into their boxes, and the tacked-on costs take away from my enjoyment of the figure as a whole.

Congratulations, that Irritator is one of the highlights of 2021.

Thanks, L @Leyster! I would definitely include it in a list of my top 5 of the year if I could remember what exactly came out last year (it's all a bit fuzzy).

[Loon]

"Ugh, another stupidly expensive Triceratops figure? What are you doing, Loon?"
"No idea."


I've made it no secret that Jurassic Park is my favorite movie of all time. Being a dinosaur-obsessed kid, I kind of knew what it sorta was through sheer cultural osmosis, but it wasn't until I saw a clip from the scene where Tyrannosaurus roars triumphantly in the rotunda on an Animal Planet show called Whoa! Sunday, that 8-year-old me knew it had to be the greatest thing ever created by human hands. To kid me, this was the first time I realized that dinosaurs were real, which sounds silly, but it's true.

My brother (left) and I (right) around said time.

Having grown up considerably since my first exposure to the film, I've come to enjoy different facets of it. Notably, I am obsessed with behind-the-scenes material for this movie, as it shows exactly how this huge group of talented people was able to accomplish something as daunting as bringing dinosaurs back to life (metaphorically). I rarely really care much about this sort of information for other live-action films, but I love dinosaur puppets and animatronics (even those terrible ones you see at fairs) so I could watch things like the Stan Winston Studios youtube channel all day long. That very youtube channel made me fall in love with, arguably, the least active dinosaur in the whole film, the Triceratops.

I'll admit it, I had never really cared for this design, as I think it has to be the weirdest of any dinosaur in that first film (yes, I am even counting the tiny Dilophosaurus with frilled lizard....well, frills). The face is weird and wrinkly, the shoulder is way too high up, the legs are somehow both stumpy and too long, and the tail looks like a potato wedge. But, still, and I'm sure this is entirely biased because it's my favorite movie, but I kinda like it. If you watch that Stan Winston video, you'll see the incredible amount of work that went into bringing this thing to life. Fun fact: the triceratops prop was actually given a black and green color scheme, but the crew felt the animal would be covered in a lot of dirt as it had been lying around for so long, so the brown coloration is just dirt covering the real skin color.


Honestly, even though the Triceratops does nothing much in the film, I also feel that it wouldn't be the same if that scene was missing. Dare I say, I think that scene does more to set up the whole "magic of dinosaurs" theme than the Brachiosaurus scene? Yes, the Brachiosaurus standing up to get those leaves and the pan over the lake with all of the mysterious 1993 Parasaurolophus is beautiful and iconic, of course; but, our main characters never touch them, let alone even get up close to them. Alan Grant literally turns back into a child seeing the Triceratops going up and giving the closest thing he can to a hug, and if that doesn't encapsulate my feelings about that movie, I don't know what does.
https://youtu.be/RF6W9m1Malk
https://youtu.be/3uCX5leGng0

Oh...yeah... This is about a figure... Um, yeah. I don't own any Nanmu figures besides this, as, for the most part, I'm perfectly happy with what Mattel has been releasing with their Jurassic World Legacy Collection line. I think the defining characteristic of the Jurassic franchise is the interaction between people and dinosaurs, and those Montone miniatures Nanmu provides with many of their releases don't really cut it for me in that respect. That combined with the high price are also big turn-offs in terms of me even considering most of them. They're all super nice, don't get me wrong, but just not my speed, really. That being said, I was immediately drawn to this Triceratops, as I love to recreate scenes from the film with my figures, and unfortunately, all of the official releases are either far too expensive or lack the articulation to adequately recreate the pose.       

I'm not going to go over every scale and line of this thing, so, I'll just say that this is a really nice-looking figure. It better be, considering what it goes for. However, unlike some other expensive "high-end" Triceratops models, I feel like this one fills out its price point far more meaningfully. It's heavy as anything, so much so, I could imagine it doing some serious damage if it fell on you from a shelf or someone threw it at you for some reason. The base is also really nice, and while I somewhat question the inclusion of a base with a non-standing figure, seeing the final result really sets the scene, so I appreciate it.

Funny story about the base, I almost threw it away, as I initially forgot it came with the figure (I only got the foam packaging insert, bot the full box) and didn't release it was packed separately. Luckily, I foolishly kicked the foam insert to clear some space on my room's floor. When I noticed it was kinda heavy and that kinda hurt, I took a second look.   

Alright, time to let the figure do the talking, here are some silly shots.

[Dusty Wren]

Not sure if I've mentioned this already, but one of the things I really enjoy about your collection thread is how you talk about what the figures mean to you. I also have warm fuzzy feelings for the trike scene in the first JP movie, especially because Grant says that Triceratops was his favorite dinosaur as a kid and she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. That moment really sells the awe and wonder of the film. I'm glad you're happy with the Nanmu version; it's a lovely rendition of the scene.

(Also, the YouTube algorithm has really failed me, because TIL that Stan Winston's studio has a channel. brb gonna go binge videos for a couple of hours).

[Theriz]

It's still not fixed.

[Shonisaurus]

My congratulations, that injured Nanmu triceratops is of a formidable finish, I did not know that it weighed so much for what you say. Nanmu is one of the best companies next to W-Dragon that make prehistoric animals and JP/JW creatures by far.

[Loon]

@Dusty Wren Thank you. I feel like these write ups are a good way for me understand what I like about what I but. There are plenty of figures, I get and, while I like them, I can't say much other than "it's really nice." I feel like, if I'm going to buy something, it has to mean something to me. That was probably rambling, but hopefully not.

@Theriz I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to.

@Shonisaurus thank you!

Carnegie Collection Tanystropheus
I think, when you collect long enough, you begin to form "rules" about what you buy. For a long time, mine was strict anatomical accuracy. While I like having great, up-to-date representations of species, there is also part of me that loves creating displays. This tanystropheus is represents one of those compromises.

I don't like calling it that, honestly, since I really appreciate this figure. Of course, it has its issues, such as how the legs are posed, but I can forgive those (it's over 20 years old now). Forest Rogers' sculpting is always so nice to look at. I think it manages to tread the line between under and over-detailed, which a lot of lines can fall into. There's a nice skin texture, but every single scale hasn't been picked out and render at a massive size; it's just right for the size. The paint too is so interesting. It's nothing fancy, but it executes a flashy color scheme better than most by actually making it look appealing.


Unfortunately, this figure, despite coming with the tag (which actually had information about the animal, which I wish was still the case), has some sufficient wear on the body, particularly on the underside. Oh well.


I'm just happy to have a figure of this bizarre and interesting animal. It's one of the many species I was first introduced to when I got back into prehistoric animals, and that uniqueness got my imagination flowing in a big way.

With a heron, which Tanystropheus may share a similar hunting style with.


Weirdos gotta stick together.

And finally, here it sits on the weird and wonderful Triassic shelf. As few figures get release from this timer period, I have to say they all have some charm. I'm just happy my favorite animal from this period is finally among them.

[Shonisaurus]

I'm glad you have Safari Carnegie's tanystropheus. For me it's also a unique figure, when I bought it back in the day it was and is one of my figures from the Triassic world.

[Halichoeres]

This is a great figure, one of very few Triassic animals in the Carnegie line. I agree that the paint job manages to be lively without being outlandish. And Rogers's sculpts are wonderful, avoiding the deep-fried look of the post-Papo hobby.

[Leyster]

Yes Carniegie Tanystropheus is really nice, I'm happy I was able to get it when it was widely available in shops. I think it was my eleventh bithday? Anyway, the paint scuffs on the underside are more or less normal, that light blue chipped really easily.

@Halichoeres I fully agree on the definition of post-Papo era, sometimes I miss the smooth elegance of Battats and Carnegie.

[Theriz]

@Theriz I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to.

It's a book series about prehistoric life. They are really good, and highly accurate.