Who makes it? Brandon DeMoss sculpted it as part of his Obscurus line. Not only have I had his figures available in store, he also sculpts the fish for my FaunaFiguresFishes line!
When did it come out? I can’t recall exactly–possibly around 2010? I had them in my store in 2014 or so.
Still available? Unfortunately, this particular is retired.Wherever they are out there, that’s it. Generally, only a limited number of each model will be cast by Brandon
Where can it be found in my displays? I have some higher displays that showcase some of my artist-created and showpiece models. It’s among those.
How does it fit in the collection? I mentioned in my last post that I am a fan of the non-dinosaur reptiles. And if rauisuchids like Postosuchus aren’t very common…phytosaurs are even less so. Plus, the pose is very unique.
Any story behind it? Well, this one was already in my store stock, how could I not add one? Plus, admittedly, of the several that came in, this one didn’t balance well. So I had to get it, couldn’t let someone be disappointed with a tippy phytosaur! It was a sacrifice, honest (I used small washers to adjust the weighting, so now it stands fine)
Notable remarks about this figure (a review that isn’t really a review): This would be considered a sculpt instead of a toy, so the standards we’d use are a little different. The design and sculpt of the figure is very striking. Instead of a static flat sculpt, it is a single-piece sculpt using a muddy base to show the Mystriosuchus rising up in the water–the tail is attached to a tree stump but otherwise is held off the ground. The balance of the figure with the base is really important, and well done. In all of the other ones I had in, they never had issues with weighting–and it didn’t take much to balance mine. It’s especially impressive given how far over the base the animal’s body extends. In terms of appearance, the the sculpt reflects the expected look of a phytosaur, with the long, narrow snout and nostrils place well back on the base of the snout. The back is covered in crocodilian scutes, and the rest of the body has a pebbled texture probably reflecting smaller scales in an animal that spent the majority of it’s time as an aquatic hunter. The colour choice overall is nice, with a mottled brown and black; the back has a grey wash that…seems a little bright, to be honest. It’s a good size too, about 19cm long measured along the curve of the body.
Would I recommend it? I would…or would have. Figures like these are like little artworks, and it’s hard not to appreciate the work that goes into something like this, from sculpting to casting to finishing. Plus the dynamic base and pose are something extra unique. And…it’s not like there are a lot of phytosaur figures out there (although a nice one came out from Favorite a few years ago…and is about as hard to get now). And there have been a few other small ones as parts of sets (Dinotales, Safari toobs) none of which are currently in production either. So if you are able to find one, I would say go for it. At least until phytosaurs get more attention, along with all of the other weird and wonderful extinct reptile figures.
