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[Demoncarnotaur]

The campaign is over! It closed at $351,753 with all 17 stretch goals funded!


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6 days remaining - $229,614 funded (that's more than $100,000 over the initial goal!)

There are now two more raptor color variant add-ons available:

And new Stretch Goals!

• #9- Saurornitholestes langstoni (roadrunner colors)- unlocked at $245,000
  
• #10- Zhenyuanlong suni (helmeted hornbill colors)- unlocked at $255,000

And then.. we get into the accessory packs! I will be posting a comprehensive update on these later today, but for now here's how they will be listed:

• #11- Wetlands Accessory Pack- featuring 6" Buitreraptor g.- unlocked at $265,000
  
• #12- Desert Accessory Pack- featuring 6" Mononykus o.- unlocked at $275,000
  
• #13- Forest Accessory Pack- featuring 6" Microraptor g.- unlocked at $285,000
  
• #14 Mountain accessory pack- featuring 6" Troodon f (juvenile).- unlocked at $295,000

Once unlocked, these accessory packs will be available to add to your existing pledge for $30US or $35 INT. Again, I will be posting a much more detailed look at what is included later today.

And looking past those stretch goals, we have the two unpainted 'Build-your-own' Raptor sets.

• #15 Build your own Raptor 1 (Velociraptor body type)- unlocked at $305,000
  
• #16 Build your own Raptor 2 (Atrociraptor body type)- unlocked at $315,000

Once unlocked, these sets will be available to add to your pledge for $40US or $45 INT

There will be more info on the BYO Raptor sets in a few days.

And last but not least, there will be two more Jonathan Kuo related tiers listed within the next few days:

Exclusive Post card set no.2 (set of 7) (Adasaurus thru Linheraptor, plus V. osmolskae)- $15 (everyone)

2017 Beasts of the Mesozoic 2017 calendar featuring the art of Jonathan Kuo- $25 (everyone)

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Hit the updates page to read more details about what this all includes!

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Funded! With 17 days remaining, the $125,000 goal has been hit!

Update: New stretch teaser as it's close to $160,000 and the first 3 stretch goals have been unlocked. 16 days remaining!

Already sold on the concept? Hit the link!

Trigger warning: feathers

Ok. Anyways, I'm really excited about this and other fans of dinosaurs should be also. This line comes from David Silva, who works at Neca (though this is a personal project) and has worked at McFarlane Toys on the Dragons line, and Hasbro on Jurassic Park, Star Wars and more. David is an incredibly talented industry veteran, who knows his dinosaurs - he created one of the best Jurassic Park toys out there: the 2013 Pachyrhinosaurus.

This project has been a long time coming, and within about 8 hours it already has $32,000+ 3 days it's already at $70,000+ of the $125,000 goal!

Anyways, enough of my ramblings, lets hear it from the page itself:

Dinosaurs. We all know of them, many love them, and they've effected all of us in different ways at different ages. Through museums, books, movies, and toys, these mysterious beasts of prehistory have been a part of our lives for nearly two centuries. Our fascination of what they were like has lead us to re-imagine them in countless ways throughout the years, influenced by new scientific discoveries that constantly shape our view of how these animals lived and appeared. Today, museums, books, and movies provide more than you'll ever need for your dinosaur interests. However, if you like dinosaur toys... well, lets' just say it's time for an upgrade, or an evolution if you will.

Beasts of the Mesozoic- what is it?

Beasts of the Mesozoic is a line of scientifically accurate, highly detailed, and articulated dinosaur action figures. Being a serious toy collector myself, I've seen great advancements in the toy market the past several years with innovative companies raising the bar of what's possible with detail, articulation, and value. However, despite my love for dinosaurs and for toys, my dinosaur toy shelf is surprisingly small compared to the other collections I have. Why? Well they simply haven't changed much at all in the past several decades and honestly aren't that good compared to other action figures. It just doesn't seem like you get much for your money. I for one am ready for some good dinosaur toys worthy of my shelf space and my money, aren't you?

So who are you and why do you think you can pull this off?

Me? I'm David Silva, professional dinosaur enthusiast. And I also sculpt and design toys for a living (see the video). Since I began working in the toy industry back in 2003, the idea of doing a line of realistic dinosaur action figures has come up on several occasions, but unfortunately in every instance the project was canceled somewhere along the way. So seeing as how I have the toy industry experience and I've also been sculpting dinosaur model kits as Creative Beast Studio since 2009, perhaps I have everything I need now to get the ball rolling (well, except for the money). I feel a responsibility at this point to try to bring great dinosaur action figures to the masses.

Alright, what's being offered then?

This first series of Beasts of the Mesozoic will be the 1/6th scale Raptor Series consisting of mid-sized dromaeosaurs and related species. The campaign will begin with three species: Velociraptor, Atrociraptor, and Tsaagan with more to follow as the campaign progresses. (I will also be adding a Kickstarter exclusive figure the second week of the campaign). Each figure will have 26 points of articulation, realistic detail and movement based on the most recent scientific discoveries, and will also feature a base with posing rod as well as alternate running toes.

In addition, every package will have unique artwork by the amazingly talented Jonathan Kuo for each raptor and a collectible card on the back featuring the art and basic stats about each animal. And also available with this Kickstarter campaign is a signed, limited edition print by comic illustration legend, Mark Schultz, creator of Xenozoic Tales (a.k.a Cadillacs and Dinosaurs). I'm extremely grateful to have both of these fantastic artists helping me with this project.

And how is this better than what I already have?

Aside from my extensive attention to detail and an near-obsessive respect for scientific accuracy, these figures have better articulation and movement than any dinosaurs toys you've owned or seen. (I even invented a few new joints just for this project.) So check out this construction video to see how it all works. Keep in mind though that this is just the resin prototype, so it's a little fragile and unlike the actual toy, doesn't hold together well. However, it gives a good idea of what you can expect with the final product in terms of movement. If all goes as planned, the toy will actually move better than this.

The Raptors [$35 pledge for one as a reward, different options net you a different raptor]

Velociraptor mongoliensis (swift thief) - The one we all know and love from the movies- or is it? Though the real Velociraptor was very different from it's movie star counterpart, it was no less fierce and dangerous. It used to inhabit an arid desert climate in a part of the world that is now Mongolia. Velociraptor can be distinguished from other dromaeosaurids by its long and low skull, an upturned snout. And let's not forget about that terrible toe claw!

This tier gets you one 1/6 scale Velociraptor mongoliensis action figure.

Shipping for US will be $10 and $25 for International backers.

Estimated delivery: May 2017

Atrociraptor mashalli (savage plunderer)- Little is known of the mysterious Atrociraptor. Only fragments of the skull and teeth exist for this animal, but from just these fossils, we know that Atrociraptor had a very strong bite, with a skull deeper than most dromeaosaurs and larger teeth and biting muscles. Because of these adaptions, it's believed that this species relied much more heavily on it's bite than it's claws. This raptor lived in forested flood plains and swampy areas- it's remains were found in SW Canada.

This tier gets you one 1/6 scale Atrociraptor marshalli action figure.

Shipping for US will be $10 and $25 for International backers.

Estimated delivery: May 2017

Tsaagan mangas (pronounced Sar-gan) (white monster)- Known from a skull and neck vertebrae, the Tsaagan was originally confused for a Velociraptor, but it's skull shows differences in shape and form such as being more robust and smooth on top. Tsaagan is a more primitve cousin of later dromeaosaurs such as velociraptor and also lived in desert environments in Mongolia and northern China. Tsaagan was likely an efficient hunter with both it's claws and it's teeth.

This tier gets you one 1/6 scale Tsaagan mangas action figure.

Shipping for US will be $10 and $25 for International backers. Estimated delivery: May 2017

REWARDS

There are a ton of rewards for pledging support starting at $10. A small pledge of $35 nets you a raptor of your choice. There are plenty of larger packages available with fun goodies, and honestly too many to list. Hit the link and check it out!

Stretch goals? Stay tuned...

Wow! This is nearly at $90,000 already. On that note, David has added two stretch goals..


Stretch goal #1- $135,000.00

Saurornitholestes sullivani (lizard-bird thief): Known for its keen sense of smell, light build, and long sharp claws, Saurornitholestes was both a hunter and a scavenger.

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Stretch goal #2- $145,000

Balaur bondoc (stocky dragon)- Once thought to be a Dromaeosaurid, Balaur is now classified as a bird. Balaur is known for having two sickle-shaped claws on each foot, and its limbs were proportionally shorter and heavier than those of its relatives.

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Here's a WIP look at the Saurornitholestes head sculpt:

So what are you waiting for? Support it and spread the word!

 

[Piston Hyundai]

read that as "Breasts of the Mesozoic"

hang on I need to start a Kickstarter myself

 

[How About No]

Those are some badass turkeys

No but they look cool tho

 

[Wanda/Wander]

Looks rad as fuck

 

[Savitar]

For once I dislike the facts.

 

[LycanXIII]

Oh cool, they helped make the Kaiju figures for Pacific Rim.

 

[Reverend Funk]

always been a feather dinosaur kinda guy this really speaks to me

 

[RockTurtle]

i thought that dinosaurs didnt have feathers in the avian sense, but more like elongated scales...

 

[Asbel]

This makes me realize I'd be down with a dinosaur skeleton that was scientifically accurate in action figure size.

 

[Green Mamba]

Ooh, these are really cool looking. Doing Balaur is pretty iffy considering what we know it likely is now (something not as strikingly badass as a two clawed raptor).

i thought that dinosaurs didnt have feathers in the avian sense, but more like elongated scales...

Some had fuzz that looked more like hair or the downy feathers on a baby chicken, but many of the groups of dinosaurs most closely related to birds had proper modern bird feathers.

For instance, this is a skeleton of Microraptor, a decently close relative of Velociraptor, that was preserved with nice impressions of its wings (all four of them):

 

[KeyBladerXIII]

Feathers on dinosaurs...preposterous.

 

[Wuthering_Heights]

Those aren't raptors.

 

[Cow Mengde]

I saw these on facebook. Saw them putting one together. They are beautiful. One thing kind of disappointing is that they're not free standing models. They need stands to keep them up.

 

[Toxi]

These look fucking gorgeous, and they look fairly well-articulated.

The only real issue I see is that they don't bend at the ankles so you can't get a resting pose.

I saw these on facebook. Saw them putting one together. They are beautiful. One thing kind of disappointing is that they're not free standing models. They need stands to keep them up.

Making them stand on their own wouldn't work with realistic anatomy because the different parts of the body had different density in the real animals that don't really transition well to a plastic action figure. For example, the tail of the real animal was proportionately heavier, while in an action figure it's made of the same plastic as the rest of the body.

An action figure also doesn't have the ability to constantly correct its pose if it's unbalanced like a real animal.

 

[Cow Mengde]

An action figure also doesn't have the ability to constantly correct its pose if it's unbalanced like a real animal.

That's true.

 

[pdog128]

Spoiler

Do want.

 

[cdyhybrid]

These are pretty awesome.

 

[a Master Ninja]

Cool stuff. Hopefully children's toys, books, and movies start catching up to our current understanding of dinosaurs.

 

[Byakuya769]

I'd expect more variety.

 

[Demoncarnotaur]

I'd expect more variety.

This honestly comes down to a budget thing - the more reusable parts, the less metal molds and the more feasible it all becomes.

 

[sc0la]

read that as "Breasts of the Mesozoic"

hang on I need to start a Kickstarter myself

I read it as "Beats of the Mesozoic"
by Dro

Spoiler

meosaieus

 

[Byakuya769]

This honestly comes down to a budget thing - the more reusable parts, the less metal molds and the more feasible it all becomes.

Tha makes sense... Still kind of tempted to get a couple of these for my office, because they're beautiful.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

I'm in.

 

[Amalthea]

I love that the Velociraptor is based on Bearded Vultures. Such badass birds, there are still ridiculous superstitions going around in the alps, that they steal and eat live babies and such.

Backed a crowdfunding for the first time ever. Pledged 100$ to get the 3 pack.

 

[Dead Man]

These look awesome, hope they do well.

 

[Log4Girlz]

Cool toys. Anyone else want to see a ray traced super real cg render of a dinosaur? Even Jurassic world looks fakey.

 

[neorej]

Looks amazing, although $60 bucks for one raptor is a bit steep. $145 for the lot of them... I cannot justify that with the missus.

 

[GavinGT]

Not many people know that raptors actually carried around plastic crutches to lean on when they get tired. It's part of what made them such fierce hunters.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Welp, my Dino Collection is growing it seems.

 

[Mdk7]

Those are pretty cool.
Might back!

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

This is the kind of thing you PM me for, Demon! IN.

Hopefully Deinonychus gets added at some point.

Also, he needs more rewards and maybe some big spender tiers. Like maybe blank figures to paint yourself (at $25), custom paint jobs (at $75-$100 each?) and/or a giant sauropod diaorama scene with 3 figures to place in various attack poses ($500?)

 

[MattKeil]

Might back in an effort to get to the ceratopsians. Where's my downy T-Rex?

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

I love that the Velociraptor is based on Bearded Vultures. Such badass birds, there are still ridiculous superstitions going around in the alps, that they steal and eat live babies and such.

Backed a crowdfunding for the first time ever. Pledged 100$ to get the 3 pack.

Niñoraptor has a ring to it.

Edit: oh Alps?

Kindliraptor?

 

[NEO0MJ]

Sorry but I'm not a child anymore.

Just kidding. These look nice but I don't usually buy toys based on organics.

Not many people know that raptors actually carried around plastic crutches to lean on when they get tired. It's part of what made them such fierce hunters.

Heh, you got a chuckle out of me.

 

[bengraven]

Trigger warning: feathers

I knew you were one of my favorite posters not just because of the shared obsession with dinos/JP.

ceratopsian - 2017?

 

[strafer]

Well shit. That Velociraptor.

Not even a LINUX OS can save me now.

 

[Sulik2]

Is there evidence for the vestigal wings? I know they had feathers, but feathered wing arms just look weird.

 

[Chiaroscuro]

Damn the Ross Geller in me. Fist project I ever backed and I am all in for the full set! Kickstarter only charges you after the project achieve its goals, right?

 

[Toxi]

Is there evidence for the vestigal wings? I know they had feathers, but feathered wing arms just look weird.

Velociraptor had quill knobs on its fore-arms like modern birds to attach feathers, and other dromaeosaurs have been found with wing impressions.

Keep in mind these dinosaurs basically were birds. The line between bird and non-bird dinosaur was not distinct, and these guys were sitting right on top of it.

 

[Jack Remington]

Get rid of the feathers, and I'm in. Looks like a six foot turkey.

 

[Netherscourge]

Imagine if Dinosaurs lived long enough to where Velociraptors evolved to have wings?

Flying death beasts, man. Flying death beasts.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

This made me laugh but I take it it's their way of softening the blow of declining the suggestion.

 

[cdyhybrid]

Imagine if Dinosaurs lived long enough to where Velociraptors evolved to have wings?

Flying death beasts, man. Flying death beasts.

They'd just be eagles with teeth and a big talon, right?

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Does Bish know about this?

 

[A Link to the Past]

Gotta say, and it's only sort of related, but it's obnoxious how nostalgia is preventing pretty solid scientific information from being more well-known

 

[riotous]

This made me laugh but I take it it's their way of softening the blow of declining the suggestion.

I can't unsee the 2 black cock and balls.

 

[1044]

Wow, those look cool. I want all 3. Is there a kickstarter to make more space on my desk?

 

[God Dayumm]

I'm holding back until the feathered T-rex is announced

 

[bengraven]

Imagine if Dinosaurs lived long enough to where Velociraptors evolved to have wings?

Flying death beasts, man. Flying death beasts.

Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear. Unofficial Doyle Lost World sequel with Forry Ackerman as a secondary character and has a massive Tyrannosaurus Peregrine Falcon.

Great book and fun.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

I can't unsee the 2 black cock and balls.

Hahaha nice! That second one is suspect.