Toyway, (the company who also produced the Walking with dinosaurs toys), created this new collection of dinosaur toys for the Natural History Museum, London. Although they are nicely packaged and generally more accurate in posture and anatomy than the old invicta plastics line they replace, they simply don’t hold a candle to their predecessors. They don’t have the same quality of moulding (the details are crude) nor the fluid realism of the invicta line – very disappointing in most aspects. The Iguanodon is in an accurate quadrapedal pose, but I’d rather have the outdated kangaroo-like original any day.

Available here

Iguanodon (Toyway, BMNH Collection) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Eleven dinosaur figures were produced by the company Toyway, to accompany the TV series ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’. I recall my eyes bulging out of their sockets when I first came across these little gems in a local toy shop in Bath. I was visiting the town with a group of fellow palaeontology students: presumably the shop owners had no idea why their entire stock of Utahraptors was wiped out in the space of 5 minutes by a bunch of grinning young adults, but presumably they didn’t care either! I later completed my collection in the Natural History Musuem, London, getting my hands on the rare Liopleurodon. (reviewed here). These are really great figures, with plenty of colour and character, the species in the collection represent some of the major players in the TV series.

photo by ‘Sbell’, used with kind permission.
The Tyrannosaurus is the only figure in the collection with a ‘rock’ moulded onto the foot for support.The WWD figures are no longer in production so they are difficult to find. They were predominantly released in the UK so they most frequently can be found on Ebay UK, but sometimes on Ebay US

Tyrannosaurus rex (Walking with Dinosaurs collection, by Toyway) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

The Walking with Dinosaurs collection by Toyway includes some of the most detailed and scientifically accurate dinosaur figures out there. The figures tie directly into the TV series ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ and represent some of the major dinosaurs seen in the show and they therefore appear identical to the on screen portrayals. They were packaged in a plastic bubble attached to a packing card, the figures are solid and the robust ones are therefore heavy. The Ankylosaurus is one of those robust models – the type when you really feel like you are getting value for money.

The colours are true to the onscreen versions, the Ankylosaurus is grey/green in colour with yellow armour. The face has quite a grumpy-looking expression! The only negative aspect of these figures (there are not many!) is their static pose: the head always looks straight forward, the tail straight back, and there is no dynamicity, none of the figures are striding or walking, only standing.

Ankylosaurus (Walking with Dinosaurs Collection) (Toyway) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

The spectacular Utahraptor by Toyway based on the BBC Walking with Dinosaurs series, is a sleek, slender, rather mean looking figure. The anatomy is accurate, this is one of the first ‘raptor’ figures to break away from the trendy but erroneous vision put forward in Jurassic Park. Notably the hands in the Utahraptor are true to the fossils, the wrist joint directs the hands backwards and the palms face each other. The tail is extremely long and slender and held stiff, the arms and legs are lean (skinny seems to harsh a term), but the sculpture is easy on the eye and quite believable.

Feathers were not included on this figure or in the dinosaur as seen in the series. Although there is no direct evidence for feathers in this species, it is probable based on our knowledge of it’s very close relatives, that Utahraptor sported a covering of feathers. The colour of the skin is true to the series, quite like a large predatory cat with yellow skin and black stripes. The belly is paler and he extremities are grey with the claws highlighted in black. The mouth is closed so that no teeth are visible and the eyes are evil-looking red.

The posture is static and not particularly dynamic – the tail is held out directly behind, the head faces forwards, there is no lateral ‘motion’ in the figure at all. Time seems to take it’s toll on the hard plastic used to make WWD figures, this is only a problem in the two legged figures because the plastic deforms/bends over time and the figures struggle to stand unassisted.

The figure is long (about 25cm) but due to the diminutive amount of plastic used on the figure, the figure came accompanied by an additional figure – a Laellynasaura – but that is a topic for a future blog entry.

The WWD figures are no longer in production so they are difficult to find. They were predominantly released in the UK so they most frequently can be found on Ebay UK, but sometimes on Ebay US

Utahraptor (Walking With Dinosaurs Collection by Toyway) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

It’s time to continue our review of pliosaur figures – this time we will look at the Walking with Dinosaurs Liopleurodon by Toyway. The line has been out of production for some years and was only available locally for a short period of time so this line, and this rare figure in particular is quickly becoming a ‘holy grail’ for dinosaur collectors.

It is a spectacular figure and is by far the most accurate pliosaur toy reviewed on The Dinosaur Toy Blog so far. All of the Walking with Dinosaurs figures are almost perfectly symmetrical, which is a let down in most of the figures which are just ‘standing around’ – this is not so much of an issue the aquatic Liopleurodon. The figure is 24cm long.

The triangular-shaped head is good – the eyes are in the correct place (so often in plesiosaurs they are positioned too far back) and the little external nares are retracted close to the eyes as they should be. There are other accurate details – the mandibular symphysis and tip of the rostrum is slightly expanded and the teeth are enlarged and slightly procumbent, there is even a short diastema (gap) in the tooth row where the premaxilla meets the maxilla. The mouth is slightly open but there is no detail in the mouth, no gullet or obvious tongue for example. The eyes are yellow and inexplicably framed above by what appears to be a delicate eyebrow – perhaps this is supposed to be a beautiful female? I’m sure I don’t need to explain that pliosaurs almost certainly never had eyebrows I guess it is supposed to be a ridge.

The neck is short but distinct and the body is long and quite narrow (rather too narrow actually) with four long broad flippers. The body region is actually deeper than wide, the opposite should be the case. There is a ridge running along the spine. The limbs are beautiful with a rounded anterior edge and a sharp crenulated trailing edge, perfect for producing lift. The hind limbs are noticeably larger as is typical among pliosaurs. The limbs are expanded where they meet the body accommodating all that strong musculature associated with swimming. The tail is short and laterally compressed slightly.

The texture is quite rough which contrasts with the smooth skinned pliosaurs previously reviewed here. The flippers appear cracked and the tummy area is covered in irregular large scales, all nice details. The colouration is taken directly from the Walking with Dinosaurs TV series – is is speckled deep blue and white on the back and all over the flippers, the tummy is countershaded in white. It is a stunning and distinctive colour scheme – one that has shamelessly been duplicated by the new Procon Liopleurodon (review coming soon…). The WWD Liopleurodon is an amazing figure and one of my favourites.

It is rare but sometimes available here

Liopleurodon (Walking with Dinosaurs by Toyway) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Although a full review will be added in time, I just had to highlight the hind feet on this figure. As you can see below, they look more like alien feet than dinosaur feet; the four pedestal-like toes seem out of place on an Iguanodon sculpt that is otherwise very accurate. 

A full review of this figure will be added at a later date.
Feel free to send your reviews to plesiosauria@gmail.com

Iguanodon (Walking with Dinosaurs Collection by Toyway) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Toyway produced a set of 11 dinosaur figures for their now out of production Walking with Dinosaurs line. This number includes the pterosaur Ornithocheirus, which was only available as a magazine give-away and is thus almost impossible to find. For this reason many collectors consider a WWD set complete even without the pterosaur. The most exiting figures in the set for me were the marine reptiles and I’m probably not alone as they tend to command quite high prices today. The WWD Liopleurodon is probably the most sought after figure in the line (except for the illusive Ornithocheirus), but the ichthyosaur Ophthlamosaurus is likely a close second (or third depending on your views on that pesky pterosaur). The Ophthalmosaurus was previously reviewed on the Dinosaur Toy Blog but a fresh review is now in order.

This is a stunning replica, a toy with real character. The vibrant colour scheme is based on the Ophthalmosaurus in the show but the paintwork in the toy is a little more intense – and all the better for it! The surface is of the skin is almost entirely smooth with a just few wrinkles around the forelimbs and under the jaw. The painted surface in all of the WWD figures is delicate and easily damaged, this is especially so in the smooth surfaced ichthyosaur so pristine examples of this figure are hard to come by.

Anatomically this toy is excellent. The stubby round forelimbs are characteristic for Ophthalmosaurus. Although there is no direct evidence for it, the WWD figure has a dorsal fin and a large lunate tail. The characters are inferred from soft tissue evidence in other species of ichthyosaurs, and from the distinct bend in the vertebral column of the tail. Some researchers have suggested that Ophthalmosaurus may have lacked a dorsal fin entirely although this proposal has never really been taken seriously. Still. the dorsal fin is less pronounced in this toy than in other ichthyosaur figures. The beautiful saucer-like eyes have hugely dilated black pupils with a slight reflective sheen to the surface. Adult Ophthalmosaurus were almost entirely toothless (maybe the dentition changed with growth or varies between sexes). As it appeared in the TV series, Ophthalmosaurus had a mouth full of teeth, which could be considered an error depending on the sex or how old the individual was supposed to be. The mouth is closed in the Toyway WWD figure so this characteristic is not perpetuated here.

The Walking with Dinosaurs have been criticized in the past for their wooden posture. However in the Ophthalmosaurus this doesn’t matter, derived ichthyosaurs like this one had relatively little range of motion anyway, so the neutral posture is quite appropriate. Most ichthyosaur toys have this basic posture for this very reason. This perceived neutrality of posture was likely the impetus behind Safari Ltd’s decision to spice up their Ichthyosaurus figure with an additional ammonite, an unnecessary addition in my opinion: simple does not equate with boring. For me the ichthyosaur’s perfectly adapted morphology and distinctively streamlined shape is the biggest part of their appeal.

Because the WWD figures are no longer in production they are difficult to find. They were mainly released in the UK so they are typically found here being sold by British sellers.

Opththalmosaurus (Walking with Dinosaurs by Toyway) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

From a bygone age in which Toyway still made half-decent dinosaur figures comes this spiky beast, their rendition of the British ankylosaur Polacanthus, part of their terrifyingly collectible figure line originally released to accompany the TV series Walking With Dinosaurs (and long since discontinued). Polacanthus isn’t often a dinosaur that toy makers turn their attention to (although there’s a CollectA version too of course) – so if nothing else, it’s great to see this animal in plastic form.

Like all the Walking With Dinosaurs toys, this Polacanthus doesn’t, unfortunately, make a very interesting subject for photography. That’s because of the rather wooden, static pose – completely still, with all legs in line and all four feet planted firmly on the ground, the model lacks the fluidity and organic feel that characterise the best dinosaur models (Invicta were especially good at this). It isn’t moving anywhere, it isn’t defending itself or eating, it’s just…standing, with a drooping tail that nearly touches the ground. Boring. It’s a shame, as the dull posture detracts from what is otherwise a pretty decent sculpt.

The arrangement of the spines ties in nicely with modern reconstructions of the animal (who else remembers the days when it looked like this?), while the body is very broad, if not quite broad enough over the hips – seems like people just can’t accept how completely insane ankylosaur anatomy really was (see also: the neck of Apatosaurus). Elsewhere the head is approximately the right shape (the head of Polacanthus is unknown anyway; most restorations are based on Gastonia) while the feet possess the right number of digits. Just as on the real Polacanthus, there is a large, bony shield covering the hips. The tail’s a little short, but then, ’twas ever thus (nonavian dinosaur anatomy just doesn’t suit bulk transport).

In terms of aesthetics, the dappled pattern down the animal’s flanks, extending to the belly, is very attractive and adds much-needed interest to the figure. Various spines and osteoderms are neatly painted, although the slightly sloppy white ring around the eye is an odd feature. The colour scheme may be fairly muted, but it remains naturalistic in appearance, which is a definite bonus given the rather inert, statuesque appearance of the sculpt overall.

Whether or not this figure is for you really depends on your fondness for ankylosaur figures and/or British dinosaurs (an important factor in my purchase, being a limey myself). Anatomically it’s a pretty decent depiction of an under-represented, yet striking animal, but in spite of its fairly large size and heft it’s not going to stand out on a shelf. It’s a shame, as given the animal’s appearance the potential was there for a very dramatic, eye-catching model with real appeal for both kids and collectors. As it is, it’s difficult to recommend except to those with the aforementioned interests (or loony Walking With Dinosaurs toy completists, who presumably have bottomless wallets). It’s available on eBay occasionally, and isn’t one of the rarer ones, but due to the mad popularity of the range it can be hard to find it going for a sensible price. That said, I found it with a BIN price of £2.99 (about 4.8 USD), so they are out there. As always – good luck!

Oh and by the way – it has a cloacal opening (running joke alert). But I didn’t take a photo. Sorry.

Polacanthus (Walking With Dinosaurs by Toyway) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

Review by Niroot ‘Himmapaan’ Puttapipat

The first reader to name more than three good hypsilophodontid figures gets a bean bun.

The scarcity of this family of dinosaurs in toy and model form is still a puzzle to me and something I’d long lamented. I can’t be alone in prizing neat, understated elegance over the populist vulgarity of teeth and claws, surely?

Thanks in large part to the BBC’s Walking With Dinosaurs (1999), the beautifully named Leaellynasaura amicagraphica (how could I omit such a wonderful species suffix?) has secured a fairly wide recognition; and Toyway’s figure, produced to accompany the series, is perhaps the best representation of this dinosaur and indeed of any hypsilophodont available.

The aquiline head, slender legs and other notable graceful characteristics are all present and admirably proportioned. I’ve been informed that all the Toyway figures in this series were modelled directly from the original digital prototypes created for the documentary. The drawback of this, of course, as with all the others in the series, is that it has resulted in this static and rather uninspiring ‘diagrammatic’ pose. The hands are unfortunately pronated; though as this was created during the tail-end of the nineties, I can forgive this very easily. Leaellynasaura also possessed particularly large eyes, so I might have preferred these to be larger in the figure, though one could argue that they do have a slightly heavy-lidded appearance here, thus concealing their full extent. Perhaps it is sleepy…

The most significant inaccuracy, however, is the tail, which in the actual Leaellynasaura comprised an astonishing 75% of the animal’s entire length. The tail (because I did my homework and am anxious to display it, so there) also lacked ossified tendons and could have been very flexible, and it has been suggested that the dinosaur might have been able to wrap its tail around its body for warmth during the long winters of its Antarctic habitat, not unlike modern arctic foxes and other long-tailed animals. If so, this would accord well with the idea that it might have been covered in some form of ‘dinofuzz’. However, as a conjectural feature, the latter’s absence in the figure couldn’t be deemed a real flaw, and the tail’s remarkable length was only recently affirmed in 2008, so its deficiency here is entirely forgivable.

The figure is painted in a subdued scheme of mottled dark brown with green stripes: a simplified version of the one used in the television series. It may not be terribly imaginative or vibrant, but, together with the dry-brush-like technique of the application, does lend much naturalism to the figure. That said, the unpainted areas of the figure’s fleshy brown material tends to give the whole the curious effect of having been played with a good deal — even one in mint condition. But this, too, is easily overlooked.

My only real and extremely minor complaint is the mask-like appearance caused by the distinct ‘separation’ at the back of the head where it meets the neck. When stared at long enough, this can over-emphasize the dome-like crown of the skull, so that the head begins to assume the aspect of a goblin-like creature — or perhaps even the infamous ‘Dinosauroid‘.

I ought perhaps to mention that my figure unfortunately does not stand unaided; though I’m aware that some lucky individuals do. Parthenope here (for that is her name; shush [fruitcake - Ed]) is supported by the ‘rock’, as you see.

I recall mentioning in my first review about a year ago (these reviews are tremendous tasks, you know) that ‘small but beautifully formed things have always held my particular regard’. At just under 14cm long and about 7cm tall, this Leaellynasaura is a small and beautifully formed figure of a small and beautifully formed dinosaur. If the tail poses a real concern for anyone, you may easily name it as another hypsilophodont of your choice (my flexibility in these matters alarms purists, but I am prepared to brave their consternation). Like other Walking with Dinosaurs figures, it has long been out of production, but does crop up on eBay now and again.

Niroot Puttapipat is a professional illustrator and all-round upstanding gentleman. Be sure to check out his DeviantArt page for additional dinosaurs and much, much more besides.

Leaellynasaura (Walking with Dinosaurs by Toyway) is a post from The Dinosaur Toy Blog

History:  166 million years ago during the middle Jurassic a predator named Megalosaurus prowled England.  In 1824 it became the first non-avian dinosaur to have a validly named genus.  From there its popularity grew and became a widely known dinosaur celebrity.  It received top billing at Crystal Palace Park where it was one of the three mascot dinosaurs.  Megalosaurus looked to become one of the foremost faces of the prehistoric age, even being mentioned in a Charles Dickins novel.  Then, as with many celebrities, it slowly all fell apart.

Even though an entire family, the Megalosauridae was established in the mid 1800’s, (we have to remember that at the time dinosaurs were not well known), so many dinosaurs were just thrown into the family.  There is no holotype fossil evidence just the lectotype, a piece of a right lower jaw (Dentary) with a single erupted tooth, and the syntypes fossils that are associated with it that may, or may not be part of Megalosaurus.  Including the possible Megalosaurus tracks found in 1997.  At least until a more complete skeleton arrives to use as a comparison.

Then you had the almost complete skeletons of now popular dinosaurs being found during the bone wars in North America and in 1905 the rise of T-Rex.  By that time, the Crystal Palace Dinosaus was basically forgotten; no new fossils of Megalosaurus had arrived.  So as the 20^th century got under way, it slowly faded from popular imagination and became an afterthought.

So how does this quick history lesson apply to the 2006 Toyway (Natural History Museum) Megalosaurus, let’s take a look!

About the toy:  Its size is 17cm long and 9.5cm high and the scale is 1:40.  The posture is very basic with the head (if you are looking at it from the front) slightly turned to the right with its mouth open.  The body has a slight curve, leading all the way to the tail were it curves slightly to the left.  The right foot is forward, with the left foot slightly behind the hip.  The head is thin and rather small, with many very small teeth that go far back into the mouth just underneath the eye.  The snout is thin and rather flat, with two brow ridges above the eyes.  It has a common theropod s-curve with an average length neck.  The arms are short and pronated with bunny hands with three digits ending in small claws.  The mid torso has a narrow ribcage, wider hips, and the legs are thin below the knee.  The tail is thin and is as long as the rest of the toy.

The body is covered in small round irregular scales that cover the head, mid and upper torso, arms, and legs.  There are some loose skin and folds along the neck, torso, shoulders, and hips.  There are some muscle bulges and a hint of a rib cage.  The base color is a light orange, with grey tiger striping coming down from the spine along with smaller darker orange striping over the grey.  The belly and neck are a light creamy orange.  The eye is glossy black, the inside of the mouth and the tongue is pink, and the small teeth are white.

Also: the legs can warp over time on this toy, which can make it difficult to stay upright over time.

Scientific accuracy: I almost give this toy a pass in this area; there just isn’t the fossil evidence to really compare it too.   The toy is generic theropod toy.  It is bipedal with a horizontal tail.  Its arms are pronated which we all know is wrong, while ending in three digits which could be right.  I also think the head looks like it was just stuck onto the neck.

Playability:  It is your basic predatory dinosaur.  Kids will enjoy playing with it, and the colorization is striking enough for them to enjoy.  It is also a rather tough toy, as the paint holds up very well.  The edges are not sharp, so it is safe for kids of all ages to use.

Overall Appraisal:  In many ways, this is a forgettable toy.  The posing and anatomy is generic, and it has some scientific flaws.  This is forgivable due to the lack of fossil evidence.  In the toy world, the Natural History Museum Megalosaurus doesn’t have much in the way of competition.  The only other toys that I have seen are from CollectA, Sega, Starlux, and Invicta.  I wouldn’t say those were very good, though the Invicta toy is very strange and cool in its retro styling.  In fact, that is the good thing about this toy.   If you follow the history of our understanding of dinosaurs and compare it to Megalosaurs, even starting at Crystal Palace, the toys for it reflect the current thinking of the time of what dinosaurs looked like.  You could do a really cool diorama with Megalosaurus from that perspective.  I also like the color and the striping pattern on it, it is both pleasing, and stands out in a crowd.

The Natural History Museum Megalosaurus is an average toy at best. Since the Megalosaurus is a rare dinosaur to find in toy form, it can find a place in some people’s collections.  It also works well with many different types of dioramas and for kids play-time adventures.

Usually available from Ebay.com here.

Here is the 2006 Toyway Diplodocus, ready to tap dance into your hearts, across your living room, and give comedic one timers. Couldn’t you just picture this model walking on stage to an in-studio audience applause and doing an opening monologue. Of course with that smile, it should do some toothpaste commercials as well. Before I go way off topic, lets us remember that the actual Diplodocus probably did not have a sense of humor, as they had small heads, brains, and their daily thought probably went something like this. I am hungry need food. Was that a predator? Look more leaves!

History: Let’s take a quick foray into the well known facts. As I am sure you are aware, Diplodocus is one of the giants of the Jurassic, known for its long neck, and even longer whip like tail. It was an herbivore that most likely used it teeth to strip branches to feed. It is a widely popular dinosaur and is an easily recognizable sauropod that looks like a suspension bridge. It lived around 154 to 150 million years ago.

About the toy: The Diplodocus is 16in long (40.64cm) from the bend in its tail to its nose. It is 4in High (10.16cm) over its hip. The full length of the tail is 10.2 in (26cm). It is in a neutral pose that from the head, to the bend in the tail, is almost a straight line down the spine. The head on this model is very small showing off its white peg like teeth. The neck is a bit on the thin side but does become thicker as you move down from the head to the body. Along the spine, beginning at the wide hips, there is a line of narrow, pointed, keratinous spines that run the full length of the tail getting smaller and smaller till ends in small bumps.

The skin is wrinkled and lined yet it very smooth with very little texture. There is some nice muscle bulges in the legs and a few skins folds on the body. The colorization is mostly light and dark grey with a black wavy line that goes from the base of the skull to the bend in the tail. The teeth are ultra white. Its colorization is basically the same as 1996 Carnotaurus. The feet have five digits and the ends are done in dark grey.

Scientific Accuracy: The scientific accuracy on this is shall we say, a little comical. If you take a quick, glancing look, it passes the quick eye candy test. The neck is long and is held horizontally to the ground. It has a small head with good weight in the mid section. When you take a really close look at this guy, that’s when you notice that the accuracy just isn’t there.  I’ll just say both the skull and the feet are wrong.  In 1990  skin impressions were found with keratinous spines on the their tails, and could have them all the way up their spine.  Interestingly on this model, the keratinous spines stop abruptly over the hips.  I really would have loved a longer tail, but I understand that practicality must win out.

Playability: It works just fine as a toy, though it lacks punch. It’s one of those dinosaurs, that kids are excited about but doesn’t get the bulk of play. The neck is at a convenient height for most Tyrannosaurus Rex toys to grab a hold of, so that is a plus for the carnivore toys and for playtime fun. The paint also wears quickly on this fellow. I find the rest of the toy quite robust and able to take some rough style play.

Overall appraisal: I wish I could give this lovely sauropod a lot of love due to its wonderful personality. In the toy world it ranks as ok. There is certainly better Diplodocus out there such as the 2008 Carnegie, of even the standing CollectA version. The colorization bothers me just because it reminds me of the original paint job for the 1997 Safari Carnotaurus. The feet and head are comical and just not close enough to be accurate.

It could be used in dioramas, but again there are better Diplodocus out there. Despite those issues, I would still recommend this figure; on the basis that I think it looks good on display. If you can get past silly look on its face and some of the scientific accuracy problems that you probably will not notice from a distance, it could be worth taking a chance on.

This figure can still be found on the Natural History Museum store website or on ebay here.

Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy

When most dinosaur-related series cover ceratopsians, Triceratops is the animal most often chosen to be featured. However, while Triceratops made a cameo appearance as a T. rex‘s courtship offering in the BBC series Walking with Dinosaurs, the main ceratopsian was the lesser known Torosaurus instead (whether it or not it turns out to be a mature Triceratops, we will see). They also chose it as one of the animals to be featured in the (annoyingly collectable) Toyway line, and that is what I will be reviewing.

At 9.1” long and 4.2” long, it’s a reasonably large figure, though in keeping with the rest of the line. The colours are accurate to its appearance in the TV series, if a little less vibrant, but the largely grey body is accurate to large animals today, and I feel it works well. The texture and details are amazing on this figure, lending well to an amazing sculpt all around. As a Walking With Dinosaurs figure, it does suffer from an extremely static pose in which it seems to not be doing anything at all. The main reason for this is that it is based on the models used for the series, thus it is slightly forgivable. On the plus side, if you have two, they are in a great pose for jousting!

As for scientific accuracy, the toys are based off the series, so it rates very well. Torosaurus possessed one of the largest skulls of any vertebrate in relation to its body due to its massive frill, and this is well represented here. The horns are also the right length, not too long or short. The length of the legs are correct, with the back legs much longer than the front legs, resulting in the sloping back. The tail could be a little longer, but this is negligible, really.

Overall, this is a great figure of a species that is much less represented in comparison to its more famous cousin, and maybe the best among them (with the exception of the Collecta version). It is from a discontinued line, and an incredibly collectable one, making some of the figures harder to find. Torosaurus is among the more common ones and appears fairly regularly for a reasonable price on eBay (mostly from British sellers). If you are a fan of this dinosaur or trying to complete your Walking With . . . collection (as I am!!!), then definitely pick it up!

Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy

There comes a time in almost all dinosaur toy lines when three species must be immortalized in plastic: Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus, them being the most popular and well-known dinosaur species. With the exception of Triceratops, the Walking With Dinosaurs line is much the same, and I will be talking about one of these in this review: the Jurassic giant, Stegosaurus.

As an introduction to the species is most likely unnecessary due to the enormous fame of this animal, we’ll go straight to details. At 9.5” long and 4.4” at the highest plate, this is a large figure, although it fits well with the other dinosaurs in its line. It does suffer from the stoic pose that is an issue for this line, but that is due to it being based on the animation model used for the series, so you may be able to forgive it. The colour scheme is mainly lime green and beige, with a slightly pink underbelly, pale grey along its back, and red for the plates. While not identical to the colours used in the show (which featured more darker green, more jagged stripes down the back, and more prominent black on the plates), it is close enough to be acceptable.

Now for accuracy. As you can imagine, it’s pretty good here. The legs are the correct length, as is the tail, it has the correct number and arrangement of plates, and the general proportions of the body are correct, such as the thagomizer and small head. The only real inaccuracy I can see is that it has four toes on its hind legs rather than three, but that is all.

For Stegosaurus fans, Walking With . . . fans, or just dino lovers in general, this is a great figure and well worth having. It is durable enough for children to play with safely, so it can be enjoyed by them as well (if the collectors allow then anywhere near it!). It is one of the more common of the Walking With Dinosaurs figures, and can be fairly regularly found on eBay for a reasonable price. I highly recommend it, so happy hunting!

Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy

Before Tyrannosaurus was discovered and became a palaeontological superstar, there was another theropod that filled the role of the quintessential prehistoric predator: Allosaurus. Featured in early dinosaur media (such as being the main predator in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic novel, The Lost World), Allosaurus has still been able to gain some of the limelight, helped by very complete remains with some incredible injuries (Big Al). As a result, the species featured in the second episode of Walking With Dinosaurs and a special, The Ballad of Big Al, where it was the central species. As a result, it had a figure made in the Toyway line.

The Allosaurus itself is 11” long and 4.4” high, making it a fairly large figure even in comparison with other members of the line. Again, it suffers from a stoic pose, which is a shame, but that is the result of being based on the in-show model. The colour scheme is fairly close to how it appears in show, with predominate grey all over, dark stripes, and red crests, although it does lack the tan featured in the show, and the red is less prominent on the figure. Maybe it’s a youngster. It also has a very clear cloacal opening. That’s all I have to say on that.

Accuracy is very good on this figure, as should be expected. The proportions of the limbs, tail, and torso are correct, and the hands and feet have the correct number of digits. It does feature an overbite, which some may dispute over whether or not it is correct. The crests are featured, but seem a little small (on a slightly small head overall). Maybe this really is a juvenile after all.

This is a great figure all around. Accurate and well detailed, it is well worth buying. As the line is retired and highly collectable, it is hard to find and expensive when you do. This is one of the harder figures of the line to find, much like the other predators in this line (only beaten in rarity and expense by the marine reptiles), so best of luck if you do wish to add this to your collection.

Review and photographs by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy

Walking With Dinosaurs introduced the general public to a suite of extinct species that most people would never have heard of otherwise. Along with the dinosaurs themselves, it also covered several other ancient reptiles, including the review subject: Postosuchus, a Triassic relative of crocodilians that has been found in Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas. It featured in the first episode, having enough screen time (and causing enough controversy) to merit a figure in the Toyway line.

The figure itself is 2.3” high and 10.8” long, making it one of the shortest figures, and yet the longest at the same time. Go figure. The colour scheme is very close to the show, albeit with the tan swapped for a grey shade (something of a theme among these figures). As with the rest of the line, it does suffer from a stoic pose, though it does have an open maw, which gives it a slight improvement over some of its fellow figures.

In recent years, the debate over whether Postosuchus was a biped or quadruped has favoured the former owing to the short nature of the forelimbs and the similarity of its limbs and spine to theropod dinosaurs, which are (mostly) obligate bipeds. This figure is from the late 90s’ however, so it favours the quadruped stance. Thus this is an inaccuracy that can be forgiven (no one has yet bucked this trend in more modern lines either). All the other features are correct here: short forelimbs, correct number of digits, and an accurate skull and tail. I do feel that it is too skinny, and could do with a bit of bulking out, but otherwise it’s pretty accurate.

Overall, this is a really good figure. It certainly earned its spot at number 5 in the top 10 prehistoric ‘croc’ toys, and is worthwhile despite a few flaws. This is one of the harder figures to track down, and often sell for high prices on eBay, but is certainly worth the money. If you can find one, loose or as a set, for a reasonable price, get it. It won’t disappoint.

It’s time to continue our series of pliosaur figure reviews and this time we will look at the Walking with Dinosaurs Liopleurodon toy by Toyway. The WWD line has been out of production for some years and was only available locally for a short period of time, so this rare figure is quickly becoming a ‘holy grail’ for dinosaur collectors.

It is a spectacular figure and is by far the most accurate pliosaur toy reviewed on The Dinosaur Toy Blog so far. All of the Walking with Dinosaurs figures are almost perfectly symmetrical, which is a let down in most of the figures which appear to be just ‘standing around’. However, this is not so much of an issue in the aquatic Liopleurodon. The figure is 24cm long.

The triangular-shaped head is good. The eyes are in the correct place (so often in plesiosaurs they are positioned too far back) and the little external nares are retracted close to the eyes as they should be. There are other accurate details – the mandibular symphysis and tip of the rostrum is slightly expanded and the teeth are enlarged and slightly procumbent, there is even a short diastema (gap) in the tooth row where the premaxilla meets the maxilla. The mouth is slightly open but there is no detail in the mouth, no gullet or obvious tongue, for example. The eyes are yellow and inexplicably framed above by what appears to be a delicate eyebrow – perhaps this is supposed to be a beautiful female? I’m sure I don’t need to explain that pliosaurs almost certainly never had eyebrows I guess it is supposed to be a ridge.

The neck is short but distinct and the body is long and quite narrow, rather too narrow I think, with four long broad flippers. The body region is actually deeper than wide whereas the opposite should be the case. There is a ridge running along the spine. The limbs are beautiful with a rounded anterior edge and a sharp crenulated trailing edge, perfect for producing lift. The hind limbs are noticeably larger as is typical among pliosaurs. The limbs are expanded where they meet the body to accommodate all that strong musculature associated with swimming. The tail is short and laterally compressed slightly.

The texture is quite rough which contrasts with the smooth skinned pliosaurs previously reviewed here. The flippers appear cracked and the tummy area is covered in irregular large scales, all nice details. The colouration is taken directly from the Walking with Dinosaurs TV series – it is speckled deep blue and white on the back and all over the flippers, the tummy is countershaded in white. It is a stunning and distinctive colour scheme and one that has shamelessly been duplicated by the new Procon Liopleurodon (review coming soon…). The WWD Liopleurodon is an amazing figure and one of my favourites.

It is rare but sometimes available here

Review and photos by Paul Carter, edited by Suspsy

Corythosaurus, the “helmet lizard,” is one of the best-known “duck billed” dinosaurs. Discovered in 1914 in North America by Barnum Brown, it is a lambeosaurine hadrosaur and, like its more famous cousin Parasaurolophus, had a crest that possibly served as a sound chamber that gave the animal a distinctive call. Corythosaurus was around 9 metres (30 ft) in length and is known from at least 30 skulls and several complete skeletons. Some even including scaly skin impressions.

As a toy, Corythosaurus is, like most hadrosaurs, a rare sight. Much to the disappointment of collectors, ornithopods generally are not all that popular with toy makers, as their body plan is fairly similar between species. Parasaurolophus, with its long crest, tends to be the ornithopod of choice for most toy makers, but every once in a while we get something different. This Corythosaurus figure was released by Toyway as an exclusive for the Natural History Museum in London, UK. I don’t know the release year, but it has since been retired. You can still find it for a reasonable price online, however.

The figure is in the popular 1:40th scale, and is roughly on par with its Carnegie counterpart. On comparing the two, it seems as if the Toyway figure hasn’t been eating enough. The head and neck are very thin (shrink-wrapped?), but still nicely detailed. The limbs and tail also seem a bit thin. When compared with modern reconstructions of hadrosaurids, which are quite bulky, this figure looks malnourished. However, it’s not really fair to to judge this model by modern standards.

The texture of this figure is very nice considering the scale, with visible wrinkles, skin folds, scales, and muscle tone in the limbs, neck, and tail. The feet are surprisingly small and unpainted, but the animal is nicely painted overall with a tan body, a red crest with black stripes, and streaks of brown, yellow, and red running from nose to tail tip. The mouth is open and painted in the standard pink, and the tiny eyes are glossy black.

Overall, this is not a bad figure at all. Considering the relative rarity of hadrosaur toys in general (not to mention this one’s exclusive nature), I think its a worthy addition to any 1:40th scale collection.

The Walking with Dinosaurs collection by Toyway includes some of the most detailed and scientifically accurate dinosaur figures out there. The figures tie directly into the TV series ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ and represent some of the major dinosaurs seen in the show. They are therefore identical to the on screen portrayals. They were packaged in a plastic bubble attached to a packing card and the figures are solid, to the robust ones are therefore heavy. The Ankylosaurus is one of those robust models – the type of toy that makes you feel you’re getting value for money.

The colours are true to the onscreen version, the Ankylosaurus is grey/green in colour with yellow armour. The face has quite a grumpy-looking expression!

The only negative aspect (there are not many) of these figures is their static pose: the head always looks straight forward, the tail straight back, and there is no dynamism – they are only standing, none of the figures are striding or walking.

Photographs and review by Indohyus, edited by Suspsy

Ankylosaurus seems to capture the imagination of children and adults alike, mainly due to its morphology. Often described as a walking tank, its osteoderms provided a most impressive defence, not to mention the power behind its solid bone club, which could instantly smash the bones of even the most ruthless predators. No surprise then that it has had many toys over the years. The one I’m reviewing today is from the London Natural History Museum’s dinosaur collection.

This is a decent-sized figure, fitting in with most major dinosaur lines at 8.1” long and 2.9” high. The pose is fairly simple, though it seems that it has a slight lean to it (though this could just be mine). This feels like an easygoing Ankylosaurus, eating ferns and just minding its own business, making a change from ankylosaurs often being in a defensive posture. The colours are a blend of greens mixed with light browns for the osteoderms. The skin texture is very well done, and this is a very well-moulded figure overall.

Now to accuracy. Generally, it’s pretty good. The tail club is the right shape, the osteoderms have the correct shape and placement, the body is squat, and the limbs are the correct length. There are only two real flaws: the lack of neck armour (instead just adding more osteoderms) and the shape of the head. The head of an Ankylosaurus is a lot more rounded, not the lengthy skull of this incarnation. Looks more like a cow (therefore, I now dub this model Daisy!).

Overall, Daisy is quite a lovely figure, her front half notwithstanding. Any kid would be able to spend a good amount of time playing merrily with it, and I think it would charm the odd adult collector too. If you have the chance to pick up a copy of the figure, definitely give it a chance.