Greetings, ladies and gents! Sorry for my EXTREMELY lengthy absence, even though it's not likely to abate any time soon. Work, teaching, wrapping up a graduate degree, and packing to move have left VERY little time for me to contribute here. Glad my fellow Dino-Freaks like Blade and Dan have been refreshing paleo-conversation regularly!
I saw all of the postings about the Papo Tyrannosaurs and thought I'd throw in my two cents. Just ordered these from Dan, and I have to say, I'm EXTREMELY happy with them. They're not the most paleontologically accurate... but if you look at them within the JP vein (since Papo seems to follow JP dinosaur designs extremely closely) they're sterling additions to the line.
First, the brown (female) repaint of the original model: Well, if they're going to give us a repaint, at least they have the decency to make some modifications to the sculpt as well. For example, the posterior region of the mandible tapers a bit more, and the squamosal region of the skull has been narrowed. Fine changes, creating a skull that's a bit more gracile and less bulky than the original. Also, as Blade mentioned, the details are much crisper both in dermal scales and teeth. Overall, it seems as if the creative team provided enough justification for most Papo collectors to snag this piece.
Secondly, the green, running (male) T.rex is a very, very, very interesting accomplishment for Papo. The reason I say this is because it's their first dino release with true personality. I was reticent when I saw the stock photos, thinking that this looked more of an excuse to issue a V-Rex, circa Jackson's King Kong, more than anything else; but the model is FAR from that superficial appraisal in person. Far from it. What Papo has given us is a senior, grizzled, battle-worn male that really acts almost as a Papo companion piece to Krentz's "elder statesman" T.rex for Sideshow. The sculpt is replete with nuance: the deformed/diseased mandible, the notched and scarred maxilla and premaxilla, the added neck wattle (see Stan Winston's T.rex model for TLW), the much more elaborate cranial ornamentation (also see the TLW male), and the somewhat emaciated torso with loose skin and ribs protruding through. This is definitely a tremendous leap forward for Papo, and I hope they carry this level of detail and creativity over to future pieces. The other two T.rex sculpts come across as robust, active hunters in their prime... even if they're too pristine for my liking (admittedly the female has a facial scar, another nice addition by the design team). The running male, however, looks as if he's transitioned probably mostly toward a carcass-scavenging lifestyle at this point, with his gauntness attesting to less than optimal predatory success. Yes, these Papo sculpts are "toys," but for the quality and the price, these JP-esque Tyrannosaurs can be displayed along Sideshow's "When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth" diorama with pride.
Just poking my head in quickly to give some thoughts, and I'll make a diligent effort to stop by again ASAP!!!
thanks everyone!
