Since I made the Brian Tyrannosaurus last time, I've developed a strange fondness for the Godzilla-stance T-Rex. Is this perhaps due to my age? If you say I'm simply indulging in nostalgia for my childhood, a penchant for retro aesthetics, you'd be absolutely right. But lately, I've been deeply moved by the thought that the T-Rex I encountered at the National Museum of Nature and Science in my childhood (New Treasure House Vol. 10) is truly the origin of my T-Rex image. The Godzilla-stance T-Rex is now on the brink of extinction, largely removed from encyclopedias and museums, only to be found in old dinosaur parks and vintage books, showing its aged form. How do today's children, who have grown up seeing dinosaurs with raised tails, perceive the Godzilla-stance T-Rex?

*As I've written before, the "Osaka Museum of Natural History" may not have a T-Rex, but it does have nostalgic exhibits such as the skeletal remains of a Godzilla-stance Allosaurus, which often brings tears to the eyes of veteran dinosaur fans.

I recently brought up my feelings about the Godzilla-stance T-Rex at a dinosaur club drinking party, expressing them to a young curator from a certain museum who happened to be there. "Couldn't the T-Rex stand in the Godzilla pose, even for a moment?" I asked. "If it did that, its bones would break," came the blunt reply. Disappointing. But at least I'd like to see it in a model... So, this time, it's a grand collection of Godzilla-stance Tyrannosaurus.

First, let's try to make "a modern Tyrannosaurus take the Godzilla stance." Looking back, around the late 70s, I was thrilled by the sight of a T-Rex striding with its tail raised, and it feels like a dream that I used to happily modify T-Rex models of the time, which naturally stood in the Godzilla pose, to a horizontal posture (Treasure House Vol. 3). Perhaps this is a microcosm of life itself...

After that somber thought, I cheered up and started by trying to stand up some movable joint figures (①). From the left, Pose Skeleton, Honehone Zaurus, Ania (feathered version!), CARNAGE (appeared in Treasure House Vol. 42), and Kaiyodo Revoltech. The result was that I had to prove that the Godzilla stance is unbalanced and tends to make them fall forward.

Next is what I put the most effort into this time. I made a huge 1/10 scale skeleton model, sold by Geoworld (Doyusha in Japan) for about 15,000 yen, into a Godzilla stance. Initially, it looked like this (②). I corrected the way the head was attached, but otherwise, it's straight from the kit, and don't you think it looks quite cool? And it should, because although it's simplified for children and oddly colored, its origin is "Stan" made by Black Hills. I liked it, but the hard rubber-like material couldn't withstand its own weight, and it became flimsy in less than a year, so I left it as it was. Please take a look at its splendid resurrection—it's a rare Godzilla-stance "Stan." It's huge! It stands 57cm tall. Here's a two-shot with the real thing (made by Black Hills) (③)

That's it for the "Let's make Godzilla-stance" project. After this, I'd like to introduce all the Godzilla-stance T-Rex models and toys, but there are so many that it would take over a year just to introduce the ones I have at home. So, here I'll introduce my top three favorites and a few classic figures from the 50s to 70s.

1st Place: Plaster model souvenir from the National Museum of Nature and Science in the 50s
See New Treasure House Vol. 17.

2nd Place: ITC skeleton plastic model
This has also been introduced in Treasure House Vol. 56, but again (④). It's a masterpiece plastic model that quite faithfully models AMNH5027 from the New York Museum of Natural History before its renovation. The photo was taken in 1980 in New York, joyful at my first encounter with a T-Rex. At that time, there were no full T-Rex skeletons in Japan. Please also see Treasure House Vol. 20.

3rd Place: Aurora plastic model
Please also see Treasure House Vol. 10, Vol. 57. I remember this plastic model was no longer seen around 1980, and after searching for several years, I got information that it was in a model shop in Chiba and went all the way there to buy it.

And nostalgic Western (⑤) and Japanese (⑥) figures. The one on the right in the Japanese collection is a soft vinyl T-Rex. I didn't intend it, but the way they are lined up and beckoning is somewhat surreal.

Even in the 21st century, several "Godzilla-stance" Tyrannosaurus figures have been released by true believers (⑦). On the left are the Favorite's Oldies series, sculpted by Mr. Araki (there's another type that's on display at the Kanna Town Dinosaur Center), and the first version from PAPO. The face is JP-style, but it stands proudly in a Godzilla stance. PAPO also recently released a Godzilla-stance Cryolophosaurus, so they're quite dedicated. There are also some nostalgic items like the secret figure from Choco Saur, and Reds' "Retro Classic Dinosaurs."
On the right are nostalgic models that faithfully reproduce movie and drama characters. The large one (about 30cm tall) is the T-Rex from the TV special effects drama "Dinosaur Expedition Team Born Free," which was animated with stop-motion, a rarity for Tsuburaya productions. The smaller one is the costumed T-Rex that was active in the movie "The Land That Time Forgot," and it comes with a catapult as a bonus. I wish it had come with a human figure too...

The last T-Rex, alongside the Godzilla-stance Stan, is the highlight of this collection, a true "treasure." If my memory serves me right, I encountered this item in a display case at Kaiyodo Hobby Lobby when it was located in Shinsen, Shibuya (late 80s). It's a resin kit, but it's not listed in early Kaiyodo catalogs, so details are unknown. Over 10 years ago, I found it on a shelf at "Godzilla-ya," an antique toy shop in Koenji. I bought it for 500 yen as a junk item, but the front part of its left ankle was missing. I kept putting off repairing it because it seemed like a hassle, and it remained that way until now. This time, I decided that if I didn't fix it now, I'd never get around to it, so I meticulously recreated the foot using epoxy putty, bringing it back to life. I think I did a pretty good job. It's about 1/20 scale and has a substantial weight. It's very cool and imposing. Other than the left foot, I haven't touched it. It's finished so nicely that I can't help but imagine it might be the very display item I saw in Shinsen. If so, that would be quite a story. (⑧)
*If anyone knows about this T-Rex, please contact me.

I received images (⑨) from the special exhibition "Changing Dinosaurs Seen Through Figures" being held at the Kanna Town Dinosaur Center. Seeing our figures, which are usually crammed onto narrow shelves at home, beautifully displayed with lighting and captions, fills me with emotion... Hmm? I feel like I've written something similar before. Anyway, I think a dinosaur exhibition with this many figures is rare. Although it's a bit hard to get to, I would be delighted if you could visit.
*For old merchandise from the Kanna Town (formerly Nakasato Village) Dinosaur Center, please also see Treasure House Vol. 2 and Vol. 48.