I decided it was time to do something prehistoric again, so I'm back with a new acquisition. This will also be another one that's not a dinosaur, and in fact something quite different. (The same could be said for the patchisaurs.) I still consider it in the ballpark, especially since it came out as part of the Jurassic Park toy line. Without further ado, I introduce the Lycaenops.
For the science, the Lycaenops is a creature from the Permian period, the era before the Triassic, when the first dinosaurs appeared. As I would usually be the first to rant, it was a synapsid, the lineage of the mammals and their ancestors, and as such, it had more in common with us than a dinosaur. The actual creature was 3 feet long and probably weighed 30 to 40 pounds, about the same size as a medium-sized domestic dog. Its immediate relatives were called gorgonopsids, characterized in part by large fangs that superficially resembled those of a sabertooth cat. Some members of the group were as large as lions and bears, notably Inostrancevia.
As for the toy, Lycaenops was introduced in 1994 as part of the second wave of Kenner's toyline for the original Jurassic Park. It's considered one of the better sculpts in the line, but would have come out when the popularity of the toys and the movie was starting to dwindle. It had an action feature where the jaws snap if the hind leg is pulled. It popped up again in 1998 as part of a "Chaos Effect" spinoff to the Lost World/ JP 2 line. The stated concept was hybrids of different dinosaurs, but mostly just consisted of dinos sculpted in brighter colors with weird spiky bits tacked on. The Lycaenops in particular was dubbed Tyrannonops and implied to be part tyrannosaur, but it was really just a recolor of the original figure. Here's a reference shots with the JP raptor plus Bossk and the Truckstop Queen.
This couch ain't big enough for two saber dogs.
For my personal story, I picked up the original Lycaenops at a comic book store sometime in the early 2000s. That meant it ended up getting played with by my nieces and nephews. They loved it, and ran the action feature into the ground. In the process, the hind leg went completely loose. Fortunately, the figure itself remains in good shape, I am sure in part because of the elegantly simple design. In the last few weeks, I ordered the other version online, partly in hope of getting one with working jaws. Here's a few closeups of the new arrival.
On examination, the reissue is a mixed bag. I always liked the colors and pattern, which remind me of a coral snake. However, there's a definite difference in the plastic that feels cheaper in a way I can't describe. The action works, as shown above, but it's stiff and not entirely reliable. What I can't explain is the way they painted the eyes, which literally looks like something out of the Evil Dead movies. It's certainly creepy, and I'm sure it was considered that they would save a bit of money on paint. However, it simply doesn't look like a realistic living animal, which is missing the very thing that set JP apart from other monster movies before and since.
Even with that misfire, it's still an undeniably cool figure. I certainly plan to give both versions pride of place in my collection. And I couldn't resist a couple more story pics.
Here, boy....
I said to catch Han Solo, not me!
That's all for now, more to come!
David N. Brown Mesa, Arizona
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