Safari 2018 - complete list!

halichoeres wrote:

Thanks for putting it that together, Roger. The only thing amiss is that the Leviathan should go with the other mythical/fantasy creatures.

Thanks, it is such exaustive work that there is always something that gets mixed. I promise that I haven't thought it was a prehistoric creature. dinosaur:lol:

So we have all figures now?

No, there should be one more batch two weeks from last Friday.

Tupolew Tu-154 wrote:

So we have all figures now?

Let me quote Blaine in this same topic.

bmathison1972 wrote:

Looking at the blurry Poleroids, and the 'hints' Poleroids, the following still need to be revealed:

scorpion
spiny lobster
owl (with ear tufts, so it's not the barn owl GLM)
marmot
Hyaenodon/thylacine-looking thing
tiger-striped sauropod
falcon/hawk (African species, apparently)
possibly two cartilaginous fish (based on suspect fins)
koala (or something with an ear like a koala)
plus others not hinted at (any more TOOBs?)

Thanks for your hard work, Roger!

Ok Guys Take a look at the NEW Arivals Page

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There is a Wildlife Wonders Bison and a whole slew of other models on there now

This year, Safari is very strong !

Florian wrote:

This year, Safari  is very strong !

Indeed

Bison XL
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Dimetrodon
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Flamingo
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Gray reef shark
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Groundhog XL
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Hyaenodon gigas
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Lemon shark
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Long eared owl
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Macrauchenia
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Malawisaurus
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Manta ray
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Peregrine falcon
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Scorpion XL
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Spiny lobster XL
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Texas Longhorn bull
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Triceratops
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Whitetip reef shark
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Safari has done it !!! The shark species !! ( am sure a Greenland shark is round the corner next year ) prehistoric mammals have been the best !! it's an amazing year Safari ltd !!

What a pity! Groundhog and spiny lobster are both XL. They seldom make the Incredible Creatures series in a smaller version!

This year Safari has spoiled us for good! Gosh how many beautiful animals and so various...I love every single piece but Macrauchenia, Hyaenodon and Sumatran Rhino have a very deep impact on me..Malawisaurus never heard before I shall check on wikipedia..thank you Safari !! Next year I will be out of money in a very short time

More wonderful prehistoric animals, like Macrauchenia, Hyaenodon and Dimetrodon. Nice sharks
Thanks to the Admin, who edit my first post and put the news in. ^^

Thanks for the photos!

pm64 wrote:

This year Safari has spoiled us for good! Gosh how many beautiful animals and so various...I love every single piece but  Macrauchenia, Hyaenodon and Sumatran Rhino have a very deep impact on me..Malawisaurus never heard before I shall check on wikipedia..thank you Safari !! Next year I will be out of money in a very short time

Well said ... Also the vaquita ,Sei whale ,new porcupine species, Pygmy hippo and Sulawesi (I  like both better than collectA s ) and so far the Sumatran rhino is the best figure for me in 2018, it's great  that not just collectA but Safari too makes fantastic figures and species .. the diversity is getting better ...I am a big fan of the xl size and that Bison and Florida panther rock the stage for me even the spiny lobster and groundhog ... Coral fish ...I'm going to be poorer next year ...and yes , it is the year of the Sumatran Rhino ...thank you Safari Ltd !! Bravo !!

So many models that I like this year... the vaquita, Sumatran rhino, and leopard seal are my must haves... and many of the prehistoric mammals and sharks are jumping on my wish-list.

That owl and these sharks i will add in my wishlist :)

barracudacat wrote:

Quote :

I think it takes a couple of years for a toy to go from idea to production--I'm sure when they started these figures, they had no idea what CollectA was doing. Regaliceratops was only described in 2015; I'm sure both CollectA and Safari saw it and thought it would be cool to make. It's just that CollectA made it a little faster, and by the time it was revealed, the Safari sculpt had almost certainly been completed. If they resemble each other, it might be because both were influenced by the artwork of Julius Csotonyi

Thank you for explaining this better.  I can understand if both companies simultaneously created the same species since this often happens.  However, what I find very hard to understand is just how similar they look in terms of pose and design.  You can see what I mean here since both look like they're calmly bending over for a drink.

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Even if it was coincidental, I would have either nixed the figure or reworked it so that it looks different (like the two Uintatheres).  I definitely don't see its inclusion as nefarious, but rather a poor business decision since most of the sales will probably go to CollectA.  I actually very much want Safari to succeed.  Hopefully, they will take some of these suggestions to heart.  They really are one of the best figure producers in the world and when they stick to their own thing, they remain on top.

Hello,
I was away on a small vacation so I was out of the forum loop for a while, I could read but I couldn't post so I have been itching to add my two bits here. In case you don't know I am a Safari Ltd sculptor and the one who did the Regaliceratops. As Halichoeres has pointed out it can take years for a piece to reach production. I am sculpting the 2019s right now.
There are only so many poses to chose and still have a figure that stands on its own so there is always a chance two artists will come up with similar poses for the same animal. So first of all if we decide we want to do a piece it is because we want to do it and we think it will sell, if someone beats us to the punch and comes up with a similar pose we are willing to let the quality of our pieces go up against the competition. And make no mistake we are in competition. I read elsewhere either here or on another forum that someone thought Safari Ltd and CollectA should cooperate so duplicate pieces don't come out. That would be like asking Chevrolet not to make the Camaro because Ford makes the Mustang. That IS the VERY reason Chevrolet makes the Camaro, to compete. We are not a nonprofit organization. We choose our pieces because of our likes and the requests we get from dealers and fans. So if another company has made an animal that sells well and we get a lot of requests to do one there is a good chance we will make our version to compete against it. In the case of the Uintatherium I had suggested it and the Daeodon, Mastodon and Megacerops back as early as 2004 when we did our first series of Prehistoric Mammals. We would have done them way back then but Carnegie used a clause in their contract to stop us from doing prehistoric mammals so we had to stop. Now we are finally able to do them so why shouldn't we.
You say we should have "nixed" or "reworked" the pieces. At that point I would have made my sculpt, made my moulds, finished and painted my prototypes and the company would have made the extremely expensive metal production moulds and started preproduction samples. If you nix or rework a piece that means the thousands of dollars invested to that point would be flushed down the toilet and that is not a good business decision.
So I hope that explains why we will still be doing pieces that other companies may have already done with or without our knowledge.

P.S. the Safari Ltd pieces that I have done for 2018 are the American Mastodon, Daeodon, Uintatherium, Megacerops, Ankylosaurus, Regaliceratops, Triceratops, Dimetrodon, Babirusa, Pygmy Hippo, Sumatran Rhino, Muskox, Bison (new sculpt), WW Florida Panther, WW Bison, WW Jaguar repaint (my sculpt) and they have re-issued my Flamingo.

Well, as you guys can imagine I am super excited for the spiny lobster and will do a walkaround as soon as it's in my hands.
The scorpion looks nice but it's clearly a rerelease of the old bendy Hidden Kingdom figure. In the teaser Polaroid, they showed it with African animals but I doubt it was modeled after an African species. More likely they put it in Africa as a convenient choice. If anything it looks like a North American vaejovid.

Great to read from you, Doug

You have surely made a lot of wonderful models for 2018

bmathison1972 wrote:

I should point out the flying frog, bison, plus the already mentioned tabby cat and maybe Komodo Dragon are mere repaints, or so it seems (if new sculpts, they don't look that different).

I don't know about the others but the North American Wildlife Bison is a completely new sculpt. The original was in a straight ahead walking stance. Mine is in a rutting stance with the rear legs splayed, pawing the ground with the left front hoof and head cocked to one side in the middle of the swaying display they do.
The WW Bison is also a different pose from the original NAW Bison.

Doug Watson wrote:

bmathison1972 wrote:

I should point out the flying frog, bison, plus the already mentioned tabby cat and maybe Komodo Dragon are mere repaints, or so it seems (if new sculpts, they don't look that different).

I don't know about the others but the North American Wildlife Bison is a completely new sculpt. The original was in a straight ahead walking stance. Mine is in a rutting stance with the rear legs splayed, pawing the ground with the left front hoof and head cocked to one side in the middle of the swaying display they do.
The WW Bison is also a different pose from the original NAW Bison.

Thank you Doug, the Sumatran Rhino is a classic and in my opinion it's definitely one of the best figures of 2018 ... .. The prehistoric mammals are fantastic as well as the Bison XL and the Florida panther , both are keepers for a collector like me ... The repaint flamingo is still so beautiful ..the Sulawesi and the Pygmy hippo too .. thank you for making these figures ! I was waiting for a new Trike in Doug Watson art !! And I got it too !! Fantastic year safari ..in species and sculpts

Thank you for the explanation, Doug.  I can definitely understand about the fierce competition.  I don't mind if several companies produce the same species at the same time if they are done differently (such as the Uintatheres) as both can fulfill different needs in the market.  The main reason I'm concerned is that I strongly value Safari as a company and wish to see their long term survival.  As I know you're well aware of, plagiarism is considered against the law in the US.  By the way, this is in no way meant to undermine your fantastic talents as an artist.  I simply ask for those in charge of decision making at Safari to consider such things for future releases.

I was prepared to give Safari's latest batch of figures wonderful reviews, especially the Malawisaurus since I love both the species choice and the scale.  However, I noticed a striking similarity to this image here, especially the fact that both have very similar calico-like colors and eye patches.  

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While it seems technically different enough to be legal, it's still very difficult to tell.  Plus, I know the original artist would likely feel cheated out of his or her design.  It's frustrating as a consumer because a very simple color change would have turned this into a must-have figure.  Even though I know changing figures like this would have been expensive, I would still consider it a good investment for future survival. Unfortunately, as it stands I can't financially support Safari this year.  However, I do have hope things will turn around and I'll be eagerly awaiting the day when this happens.

barracudacat wrote:

Thank you for the explanation, Doug.  I can definitely understand about the fierce competition.  I don't mind if several companies produce the same species at the same time if they are done differently (such as the Uintatheres) as both can fulfill different needs in the market.  The main reason I'm concerned is that I strongly value Safari as a company and wish to see their long term survival.  As I know you're well aware of, plagiarism is considered against the law in the US.  By the way, this is in no way meant to undermine your fantastic talents as an artist.  I simply ask for those in charge of decision making at Safari to consider such things for future releases.

I was prepared to give Safari's latest batch of figures wonderful reviews, especially the Malawisaurus since I love both the species choice and the scale.  However, I noticed a striking similarity to this image here, especially the fact that both have very similar calico-like colors and eye patches.  

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While it seems technically different enough to be legal, it's still very difficult to tell.  Plus, I know the original artist would likely feel cheated out of his or her design.  It's frustrating as a consumer because a very simple color change would have turned this into a must-have figure.  Even though I know changing figures like this would have been expensive, I would still consider it a good investment for future survival.  Unfortunately, as it stands I can't financially support Safari this year.  However, I do have hope things will turn around and I'll be eagerly awaiting the day when this happens.

Please tell me which piece of mine from this years release that you are accusing me of plagiarism!

barracudacat wrote:

Thank you for the explanation, Doug.  I can definitely understand about the fierce competition.  I don't mind if several companies produce the same species at the same time if they are done differently (such as the Uintatheres) as both can fulfill different needs in the market.  The main reason I'm concerned is that I strongly value Safari as a company and wish to see their long term survival.  As I know you're well aware of, plagiarism is considered against the law in the US.  By the way, this is in no way meant to undermine your fantastic talents as an artist.  I simply ask for those in charge of decision making at Safari to consider such things for future releases.

I was prepared to give Safari's latest batch of figures wonderful reviews, especially the Malawisaurus since I love both the species choice and the scale.  However, I noticed a striking similarity to this image here, especially the fact that both have very similar calico-like colors and eye patches.  

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

While it seems technically different enough to be legal, it's still very difficult to tell.  Plus, I know the original artist would likely feel cheated out of his or her design.  It's frustrating as a consumer because a very simple color change would have turned this into a must-have figure.  Even though I know changing figures like this would have been expensive, I would still consider it a good investment for future survival.  Unfortunately, as it stands I can't financially support Safari this year.  However, I do have hope things will turn around and I'll be eagerly awaiting the day when this happens.

I can't help but notice that you've also posted the same general complaint against some of CollectA's upcoming releases, citing very generalized coloration and pose/sculpt similarities to other pieces of art as examples possible plagiarism, and for that reason you will not be supporting CollectA this year.  While you are certainly welcome to your opinion, may I caution you against making spurious claims of plagiarism that you can only loosely substantiate on behalf of artists and artworks that you do not legally or professionally represent.  And admins, I ask that you please monitor this carefully.  While some may hold the same opinions as Barracudacat, there is now an open accusation of plagiarism against two companies that have held good relationships with this forum, which, thus far, have not been addressed by Admins. This is a good way to find our forum on the receiving end of a Cease and Desist order, not to mention losing positive relationship our forum currently holds with these companies.  I do not want to see the entire forum lose relationships with Safari and CollectA because one or two members seem to be looking for reasons to justify not purchasing new figures.

Again, Barracudacat, and everyone else, you are welcome to have your opinions. If you don't like the artistic direction the companies are taking, that is fine. I, and many others on the forum, don't share that opinion. Before you call foul, though, you could simply address it as an artistic vision you don't like vs. a moral issue you feel must be corrected.

Doug Watson wrote:

barracudacat wrote:

Thank you for the explanation, Doug.  I can definitely understand about the fierce competition.  I don't mind if several companies produce the same species at the same time if they are done differently (such as the Uintatheres) as both can fulfill different needs in the market.  The main reason I'm concerned is that I strongly value Safari as a company and wish to see their long term survival.  As I know you're well aware of, plagiarism is considered against the law in the US.  By the way, this is in no way meant to undermine your fantastic talents as an artist.  I simply ask for those in charge of decision making at Safari to consider such things for future releases.

I was prepared to give Safari's latest batch of figures wonderful reviews, especially the Malawisaurus since I love both the species choice and the scale.  However, I noticed a striking similarity to this image here, especially the fact that both have very similar calico-like colors and eye patches.  

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

While it seems technically different enough to be legal, it's still very difficult to tell.  Plus, I know the original artist would likely feel cheated out of his or her design.  It's frustrating as a consumer because a very simple color change would have turned this into a must-have figure.  Even though I know changing figures like this would have been expensive, I would still consider it a good investment for future survival.  Unfortunately, as it stands I can't financially support Safari this year.  However, I do have hope things will turn around and I'll be eagerly awaiting the day when this happens.

Please tell me which piece of mine from this years release that you are accusing me of plagiarism!

Doug, I believe the aforementioned Regaliceratops; while you explained the reason for your sculpt resembling the CollectA sculpt (I, for one, see no resemblance other than them being the same species), that apparently does not negate the fact that the two look similar and should, instead, be totally different. This seems, to me, like a roundabout way of requesting different sculpts of the same species to populate the herd on one's shelf. But who am i to say.