CREATIVE BEAST STUDIOS Beasts of the Meso/Ceno/Cyberzoic

They're neat. I got my Dilophosaurus recently, and I really like him. I just wish he was 1/12.
 
I got my KS Sabertooth a few weeks ago, and I have to say I'm a bit, disappointed? It's definitely much thinner than I was expecting.

PXL_20250406_205209848 by lionpride75, on Flickr

PXL_20250406_205214825 by lionpride75, on Flickr

Especially standing it next to the Hasbro Zabu.
PXL_20250406_202153705~2 by lionpride75, on Flickr

The limited articulation compared to Zabu was also a bit alarming. Just testing the range in the front legs caused the ball to pop out of the body, which was a bit of a pain to get to pop back in.

It still pairs well with 6" figures, but it makes me glad I didn't jump on the black version he was offering on his site.
PXL_20250406_205315634 by lionpride75, on Flickr
 
Ugh. I absolutely freakin' love the look of these guys and the new articulated Nanmu studios stuff, I just don't know if I can justify getting into it. Especially given how deep into the Hammond Collection I am, which, while far from perfect themselves, are quite nice for the price point. I love to think I'd be able to just dabble and get one or two of these guys, but I gotta be honest with myself. But allow me to live vicariously through you all- post lots of pretty pictures!
 
I've been buying Creative Beast stuff since the raptors and love everything I own — except the Sabretooth. I did pick up the black version (and quickly sold it for cost, thankfully) so I knew all the shortcomings before I received the regular version. But I like this one even less.

That pick with Zabu puts it all in perspective.

I don't know if it's so the armor fits better or an attempt to keep it as realistic as possible but not being able to pull the legs out for that type of crouching pose you get with Zabu really limits what you can do.
 
GrumpyMatt said:
I don't know if it's so the armor fits better or an attempt to keep it as realistic as possible but not being able to pull the legs out for that type of crouching pose you get with Zabu really limits what you can do.
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Likely the latter, as that's the whole reason he started the line to begin with.
 
cmoney said:
Likely the latter, as that's the whole reason he started the line to begin with.
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But how does making the articulation more limited make the figure more realistic? That doesn't make sense to me. It's not like engineering that joint differently would necessarily change the sculpt in any meaningful way.

Count me as one of the people extremely disappointed with this release. I was really excited for some 'pre-pounce' type poses or swiping poses and it doesn't look like this will be able to do anything like that. Just a super bizarre, bad decision, in my opinion. And really sucks to see this kind of limitation on a product that isn't exactly cheap.
 
Damien said:
But how does making the articulation more limited make the figure more realistic? That doesn't make sense to me. It's not like engineering that joint differently would necessarily change the sculpt in any meaningful way.
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It's more limited to the way real cats can move. They fold their legs when they crouch, not splay them to the sides like that Zabu. That said, I do remember him saying they'd allowed for a bit more of the in/out movement on the KS release than the first-released black one.
 
No one's wrong in criticizing the limited range of motion on the Smilodon, but I think this line seems to value anatomical realism over kinesthetic realism. That Zabu figure can move the way it does because it has those ball-jointed shoulders and hips that stick out from its relatively broad torso. Big cats don't have proportions like that, but those proportions makes that toy more fun to pose and play with. I love the two BotM raptors I have, but they definitely benefit from being bipeds you wouldn't think to put in a really splayed stance anyway.
 
cmoney said:
It's more limited to the way real cats can move. They fold their legs when they crouch, not splay them to the sides like that Zabu. That said, I do remember him saying they'd allowed for a bit more of the in/out movement on the KS release than the first-released black one.
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Hope so, on that last bit, 'cause I don't really buy the first bit. Big cats can -definitely- spread their legs apart. It would be insanity for the argument against better ROM here to be 'real cats can't do that' when they absolutely can.


RunestoneCowboy said:
No one's wrong in criticizing the limited range of motion on the Smilodon, but I think this line seems to value anatomical realism over kinesthetic realism. That Zabu figure can move the way it does because it has those ball-jointed shoulders and hips that stick out from its relatively broad torso. Big cats don't have proportions like that, but those proportions makes that toy more fun to pose and play with. I love the two BotM raptors I have, but they definitely benefit from being bipeds you wouldn't think to put in a really splayed stance anyway.
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Still feels like creating a problem so you (not -you- you) can solve it by not doing something. You can create better ROM on the big cat body without going Zabu. Zabu just happens to have comic proportions. Hasbro's previous Guen figure from the Drizzt set had narrower shoulders and great ROM. You just need to use the correct assembly, not change the overall body type of the animal.

Hopefully it's sorted for the KS.
 
Damien said:
Hope so, on that last bit, 'cause I don't really buy the first bit. Big cats can -definitely- spread their legs apart. It would be insanity for the argument against better ROM here to be 'real cats can't do that' when they absolutely can.



Still feels like creating a problem so you (not -you- you) can solve it by not doing something. You can create better ROM on the big cat body without going Zabu. Zabu just happens to have comic proportions. Hasbro's previous Guen figure from the Drizzt set had narrower shoulders and great ROM. You just need to use the correct assembly, not change the overall body type of the animal.

Hopefully it's sorted for the KS.
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It wasn't, at least not for the initial (?) run. The one I got was as a KS backer, and the limitations ARE there. Testing the outward range is what popped the should/leg out of the body on me.
 
Damien said:
Hope so, on that last bit, 'cause I don't really buy the first bit. Big cats can -definitely- spread their legs apart. It would be insanity for the argument against better ROM here to be 'real cats can't do that' when they absolutely can.
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Since accuracy is usually the watchword for SIlva's choices in this line and I know I've read somewhere that Smilodon had somewhat restricted lateral movement at the shoulder joint because of its shape, I have just assumed that was what was going on here. I haven't had much luck finding pics of actual cats crouching in the way that the Zabu above is displayed either.
 
cmoney said:
I haven't had much luck finding pics of actual cats crouching in the way that the Zabu above is displayed either.
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This is more what I'm worried about (first pic I saw, I didn't look too deep into it). The ability to get the paws facing away. I don't think they tend to crouch like that, it's more the 'mid-attack' pose that I want to be able to hit. Or crouching and taking a swipe, which might bring the foreleg outward.


SalemCrow said:
It wasn't, at least not for the initial (?) run. The one I got was as a KS backer, and the limitations ARE there. Testing the outward range is what popped the should/leg out of the body on me.
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That's a bummer. Guess we'll see when my KS exclusive version shows up. Honestly, the armor might hinder it enough that I won't notice the limitations on the articulation anyway.
 
I really love the new Cyberzoic Allosaurus Jimmadseni. The sculpt and painted details on this thing are so naturalistic and sharp looking. It reminds me so much of the Paleo art books I used to own as a kid or even the Dinosaur murals at museum halls. Ism so addicted to the Creative Beasts line thanks to figures like this
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