Toys: "Old Timer" to Today's Toys
Flash forward about thirty years after Owen’s death in 1892 and we see one of the world’s first dinosaur toy. The Twistum Toy Company, which operated from 1922 to 1932, was one of first companies to come up with the concept of dinosaur toys. Their dinosaur toy, called the “Old Timer,” was first introduced in 1925 when the film “The Lost World” began advertisement. Today, these antique toy dinosaurs currently go for anywhere between $175 and $500.
From here on we see Messmore & Damon’s “Creatures of the Park” in the 1930s, and into the 1950s where we see more and more companies designing toy dinosaurs (World a Million Years Ago). Companies such as: “Marx, Ajax, Timmee, J.H. Miller Company, Timpo (England), Cherilea (England), Sinclair” (Dinosauriana). The 1950s is when the world really sees dinosaurs in pop culture, ranging from plastic figurines to board games. Today, they have expanded the toys to plushes, replicas, and model kits, all done by “Geoworld (Jurassic Hunters, Dino Dan), Hog Wild (Dino Benders); Hayakawa, Kaiyodo (Revoltech) (Japan); IMEX (China); K & M/Wild Republic (Dinosauria), Learning Curve (Dinosaur Train), New Ray, Peterkin, Vivid Imaginations (Walking with Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie)”. Dinosaur toys have been in our pop culture since about the time of their known existence, so it’s safe to say these toys will not go away anytime soon.
From here on we see Messmore & Damon’s “Creatures of the Park” in the 1930s, and into the 1950s where we see more and more companies designing toy dinosaurs (World a Million Years Ago). Companies such as: “Marx, Ajax, Timmee, J.H. Miller Company, Timpo (England), Cherilea (England), Sinclair” (Dinosauriana). The 1950s is when the world really sees dinosaurs in pop culture, ranging from plastic figurines to board games. Today, they have expanded the toys to plushes, replicas, and model kits, all done by “Geoworld (Jurassic Hunters, Dino Dan), Hog Wild (Dino Benders); Hayakawa, Kaiyodo (Revoltech) (Japan); IMEX (China); K & M/Wild Republic (Dinosauria), Learning Curve (Dinosaur Train), New Ray, Peterkin, Vivid Imaginations (Walking with Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie)”. Dinosaur toys have been in our pop culture since about the time of their known existence, so it’s safe to say these toys will not go away anytime soon.
Dinosaurs has been a part of pop culture and the media for decades, it is clear that it is a topic that fascinates many. Everywhere from children's movies like The Land Before Time and The Lost World, to the films Walking With Dinosaurs, Jurassic Park, and The Land Where Time Forgot. Children and adults alike all have the fascination and curiosity when it comes to these prehistoric creatures, so it's no wonder why Hollywood continues to produce these types of science fiction films.
Below is the first ever Dinosaur cartoon, created in 1914.
Below is the first ever Dinosaur cartoon, created in 1914.
In The Movies: Jurassic Park
Perhaps the most popular dinosaur movie of them all, the Jurassic Park series (1993-2015) show an altered world in which dinosaurs actually roam Earth, causing terror and destruction. The dinosaurs come to life when a group of scientists discover dinosaur DNA in mosquitoes, and then in return make them come to life.
"Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special affects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg's best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since Jaws."- Rotten Tomatoes
"Huge advancements in scientific technology have enabled a mogul to create an island full of living dinosaurs. John Hammond has invited four individuals, along with his two grandchildren, to join him at Jurassic Park. But will everything go to plan? Especially when one of the parks' own workers attempts to steal the dinosaur embryos, and has to shut down critical security systems in the process. It's now a race for survival with dangerous creatures roaming all over the island."-IMDb
The film series has received astonishing reviews, calling it one of the best science fiction movie of all times. The first installment of these blockbuster movies alone grossed $920 million worldwide. A fourth installment of the series in the works, and said to be release in 2015, entitled Jurassic World.
"Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special affects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg's best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since Jaws."- Rotten Tomatoes
"Huge advancements in scientific technology have enabled a mogul to create an island full of living dinosaurs. John Hammond has invited four individuals, along with his two grandchildren, to join him at Jurassic Park. But will everything go to plan? Especially when one of the parks' own workers attempts to steal the dinosaur embryos, and has to shut down critical security systems in the process. It's now a race for survival with dangerous creatures roaming all over the island."-IMDb
The film series has received astonishing reviews, calling it one of the best science fiction movie of all times. The first installment of these blockbuster movies alone grossed $920 million worldwide. A fourth installment of the series in the works, and said to be release in 2015, entitled Jurassic World.