Our thanks to William who sent into Everything Dinosaur a review of one of his recent purchases. He had recently acquired the new Beasts of the Cenozoic black Smilodon articulated figure.  This replica of Smilodon populator has twenty-one points of articulation.  The model is supplied with two interchangeable heads.  One head depicts this predator with a gaping mouth, the other provides a more passive closed mouth expression.  William commented that he loved both head sculpts.  However, he expressed a preference for the gaping mouth look with the articulated lower jaw.

He commented:

“The fearful wide maw of roaring is how we picture the Smilodon in the heat of action with prey or foe.”

The packaging was praised along with the beautiful artwork by the renowned palaeoartist Raph Lomotan.

Beasts of the Cenozoic Smilodon packaging.

The Beasts of the Cenozoic black Smilodon product packaging. The front of the box (top) and the back of the box providing some information on the Smilodon genus (bottom). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Beasts of the Cenozoic Black Smilodon

It was pointed out that this figure was in 1:12 scale, although a 1:18 scale figure is planned. William commented that the orange-coloured eyes compliment the head sculpts and the choice of colour around the snout was praised. Moreover, the ability to change the ears makes the Creative Beasts series one of the very special model collections. Other clever little touches highlighted by the reviewer included the ability to show claws drawn or retracted and the removable neck ruff.

William explained:

“This figure captures both scientific and fantasy aspects all in one. I hold of the highest esteem the accurate life restorations of the Machairodontinae by the maestro Mauricio Anton as his art has no equal.”

The Beasts of the Cenozoic black Smilodon figure.

The Beasts of the Cenozoic black Smilodon figure shown in lateral view.

To view the range of Beasts of the Mesozoic/Beasts of the Cenozoic figures in stock: Beasts of the Mesozoic/Cenozoic Figures.

“Beyond the Black River”

William postulated that many collectors may have first encountered Smilodon within the pages of literature. For example, from Robert Erwin Howard’s Weird Tales story from 1935 “Beyond the Black River”.

The reviewer kindly provided a quotation:

“The creature that stood in the gate was like the embodiment of nightmare legend. Its colour was of a curious pale quality, which made it seem ghostly and unreal in the dim light. But there was nothing unreal about the low-hung savage head and the great curved fangs that glistened in the firelight. It was survival of an older, grimmer age, the ogre of many an ancient legend – a sabre-tooth tiger. No Hyborian hunter had looked upon one of those primordial brutes for centuries.”

In concluding his review William stated that the new Beasts of the Cenozoic black Smilodon model was an extremely accurate but equally beautiful Smilodon populator figure.

Furthermore, he summed up his latest acquisition with one word – “perfection.”

Our thanks to William for sending into Everything Dinosaur his Smilodon model review.

The award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Animal Models and Toys.