Turok/Playmates

## Turok Series 2

From left to right, 6" figures of armoured Joshua, a Dinosoid, and Tal' Set

In the late 1990's, Playmates produced a single line of toys based on a FPS video game where you go around shooting dinosaurs and an evil tribe that commands them. The following year, they revealed a second wave with much more elaborate offerings, though were ultimately wiped off the face of the earth.

## **Summary**

*Turok* is a series of six first-person shooter video games based on the comic book character by Western Publishing/Dell Comics and were published by Acclaim Entertainment until their bankruptcy in 2004, taken over with development managed by Propaganda Games and Touchstone Games publishing them. The first game has you play as a Saquin warrior named Tal’Set (“Turok” is his chief title) who must face an evil warlord known as the Campaigner and defeat several of his own minions along with dinosaurs. Later games introduced more protagonists like Joshua Fireseed in *Seeds of Evil*, and his sister Danielle who joins him in *Shadow of Oblivion*. The games have had mixed critical reactions as some praise the first and second while the third and fourth (technically a prequel) are considered bad. It’s reputation has sadly led to planned games being cancelled like a sequel to Evolution, a Game Boy Advance game, and a Game.com “game.”

In 1998, Playmates released a line of toys based off the first*Turok* game including articulated action figures that were sometimes sold with battle action dinosaurs that offer extreme battle scenarios. For the first wave of normal 6" action figures were Joshua Fireseed, Adon, and Primagen. The Dinosaur Hunster Assortments came with aggressive-styled 8" dinosaurs and 3" action figures that had spring-loaded weaponry. Wave 1 consisted of Tal’Set with Tribal T-Rex Junior, Joshua with Tribal Raptor, Carl Fireseed with Tribal Spinosaurus, and Primagen with Triceratops Bionosaur.  In February following year, another wave of *Turok* products were revealed at the New York Toy Fair and were especially based on the sequel *Seeds of Evil*. Lined up for Wave 2 of the 6" action figures were Joshua in his Tek armor, Tal'Set, and a Dinosoid. Wave II of the Dinosaur Hunters would've included the Campaigner with his Raptor Bionosaur and Greyhawk Fireseed with his Tribal Pachycephalosaurus. There were at least four brand new subfactions of *Turok* merchandise that were intended to debut with Wave 2. The first one was a Display Diorama, which would've been priced at $14.99 and included 6" figures of Joshua with his raptor arch-nemesis'; arranged in a rocky terrain setting. The second idea were the Lost Land Dinosaurs, which was an assortment of fiercely-styled 5" articulated figures priced at $5.99-$6.99 and would've included the Raptor, the T-Rex, and the Megalosaurus. The third concept was the Battle Sounds Dinosaur Assortment which were sculpted at 12", marketed around $19.99-$21.99, and had roaring & missile sound effects; combined with spring-powered weaponry and realistic battle actions. Produced for this line was Joshua Fireseed with Tribal Stegosaurus and Campaigner with Ankylosaurus Bionosaur. The fourth and final concept was the Interactive Electronic Dinosaurs, an assortment of action figures sculpted 24" tall and would've been the most expensive of all the *Turok* toys with a price range around $34.99-$39.99. The sole figures for this line were Joshua and his Tribal T-Rex, and the Primagen with his Allosaurus Bionosaur.

## **Final Verdict**

*Turok* Wave 2 never reached the promised release date it was set for and while no reasons have ever been given, it may have been due to either Playmates losing the license or the figures being too ambitious and expensive to produce. Regardless, the Series 2 prototypes have not been seen since the 1999 Toy Fair and will remain: **LOST**.

## **Gallery**

Greyhawk Fireseed and his Tribal Pachycephalosaurus vs. the Campaigner and his Raptor Bionosaur; each would've been produced as part of the Dinosaur Hunter Assortment.A Raptor Bionosaur and some sort of evil mercenary that might have been intended as a toy for the Dinosaur Hunter AssortmentJoshua Fireseed with his Trial Stegosaurus that would've been released as part of the Battle Sounds seriesThe Campaigner with Ankylosaurus Bionosaur that would've been released as part of the Battle Sounds seriesA deluxe electronic version of Joshua Fireseed and his Tribal T-RexThe 24" Electronic Allosaurus Bionosaur with Primagen action figureSome 6" Raptor action figures that were planned to come with a Joshua figure as part of a display dioramaThe Raptor, T-Rex, and Megalosaurus that would've been released as part of the 5" Lost Land Dinosaur Assortment

## **External Links**

* Wayback Machine capture of the original press release given by Playmates at TF99
* Coverage of Playmate's booth at NYTF 1999 by Raving Toy Maniac

## **Sources**

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turok:\_Dinosaur\_Hunter
2. ↑ https://www.figurerealm.com/actionfigure?action=seriesitemlist&id=3321