Vol. 4 Paper Dinosaurs
I have to confess, I'm terrible at paper crafts. If I try to cut in a straight line, it warps in no time, the glue inevitably oozes out, and if I try to make a crease, I end up tearing the paper after several attempts. Sometimes I even spill water and the paper gets soggy. It seems I just don't get along with paper as a material. However, "paper" holds an undeniably significant share in the world of dinosaur models.
When it comes to paper dinosaurs, the first thing that probably comes to mind is "origami dinosaurs." Origami dinosaurs are a genre in themselves, with many books on how to fold them published both domestically and internationally. Some of them are even as incredible as "Tyrannosaurus Full Skeletal Folding Diagram."
I do collect origami books, but it would be utterly ridiculous for me, who can barely fold a crane, to talk about origami dinosaurs. So, this time I'll be focusing on another type of paper dinosaur: papercraft. Due to the reasons mentioned at the beginning, I have very few finished products at home, but even just looking at the beautifully colored development sheets is enjoyable.
The other day, at a "Ekiben Fair" in a department store in Tokyo, I bought a "Dinosaur Story, Three Chicken Delights Bento" from Katsuyama Station. This bento box was an incredible value, including two soft models from Favorite (mine were Allo and Pachy... which alone are 1050 yen!) as a bonus for the 1500 yen bento. Furthermore, the plastic container has reliefs of a Fukui Raptor skeleton and several dinosaur teeth. And then I later realized, at the bottom of the paper packaging, there was a papercraft of "Fukuisaurus tetoriensis"...
Photo 1
As you can see, papercrafts, made from a single sheet of paper, are hidden everywhere: from free handouts to inserts, books, and even online. They're not something you can just set out to collect. I only buy ones that catch my eye, but somehow I've accumulated quite a few over time. I'll introduce some of the main ones.
Photo 2
Shogaku Sannensei (3rd Grader) Appendix (1970): 1/30 Brontosaurus skeleton. This is quite elaborate, more so than you'd expect a third grader to make. This is the biggest treasure I bought at an antique toy store.
Photo 3
Also a Shogaku Sannensei (3rd Grader) Appendix (1977): Tyrannosaurus
Photo 4
Shogaku Ichinensei (1st Grader) Appendix (date unknown): Allo vs. Tricera is a bit disappointing.
Photo 5
Shogaku Gonensei (5th Grader) Appendix (1984): Despite being touted as "Dinosaurs of Japan," it clearly looks like a Tyrannosaurus.
Photo 6
This is made in the UK (Made in Wales!). A very stylish Tyrannosaurus with a gimmick.
These are a few of my completed works. Although they've been left untouched for nearly 20 years since I made them, they are still intact. Paper is surprisingly durable.
Photo 7
A Tyrannosaurus skeleton (1987) pinned to the skylight on the ceiling. It's 1 meter long, but since it's attached to the ceiling, it doesn't get in the way. This is a display only possible with paper. It's utterly impossible for it to stand on its own as shown in the package photo. What's noteworthy is that it includes gastralia.
Photo 8
Similarly, a surprising "Tuojiangosaurus" attached to another skylight, about 90cm long. This was included in "Taikan Kyoryu" (Dinosaur Experience), a package book (?) full of dinosaur items published in 1995.
Photo 9
Made in Australia in 1991. Although a bit small, it's still 70cm. It came as a set with a Triceratops, but I unfortunately gave up after making the Tyrannosaurus.
Photo 10
"Tobidase!! Kyoryu" (Leaping Dinosaurs!!) from 1994. I skipped this one because everything except the Triceratops isn't die-cut, meaning I'd have to do delicate cutting with scissors, which I'm not good at.
Photo 11
This is an original from the National Museum of Nature and Science, formerly sold at its museum shop. It has character. Speaking of the National Museum of Nature and Science, the papercraft of the marine reptile skeleton accompanying the exhibition of Japanese marine reptile fossils at last year's Dinosaur Expo was wonderfully made. I really hope they start selling it.
Here's a collection of other papercrafts I own (which I probably won't get around to making).
Photo 12
From the long-selling "KUMON" dinosaur series (formerly called three-dimensional paper-cutting crafts) from the 1980s to the present, to "Tatebanco," original merchandise from the Roppongi Dinosaur Exhibition two years ago, and even beautifully colored foreign books I bought a long time ago.
Photo 13
Finally, back to Katsuyama. This isn't a dinosaur itself, but a papercraft of the Keifuku Electric Railway "Dinosaur" train that connects Fukui and Katsuyama. It seems to be a vehicle that ran in the mid-1990s, and I acquired it on Yahoo Auctions, so it might be quite valuable now.
Currently, many free dinosaur papercrafts are distributed online. This page on the "Dinosaur Toy Museum" website provides a comprehensive list. It's very convenient.
The curator of this museum creates them himself. I am very impressed.
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