Dimetrodon Juan

Continuing this week's theme of frivolous dino-kitsch (necessitated by an unholy amount of work), I submit this piece of nondino-kitsch. I guess I'll call it pelyco-kitsch. It's my model of the Permian era's most recognizable beast, the finback pelycosaur Dimetrodon. I couldn't have been older than five or six when I got it, and I'd imagine it came from the Field Museum gift shop. My dad used to drive me up there, which I'm sure was fun for him, but it was also probably an excuse to drive his little MGB convertible on Lake Shore Drive.



I love the face; it almost has a Tlingit quality to it. I also remember the set anachronistically including a club-wielding caveman, presumably for scale purposes only. But I remember the caveman being absolutely tiny. He didn't even reach the dimetrodon's knee. This is comically out of whack; he should have been about have as tall as the dimetrodon is long. The caveman was lost a long time ago, so I can't confirm this hazy memory.