Too Crazy For Minis?

Just recently with the release of Khurasan Miniatures lovely 15mm feathered velociraptors rekindled an interest in an old project of mine - Armed Sci Fi Raptor Aliens.

About this time last year, I started a thread on TMP about the idea  but this was really a follow up to almost ten years worth of working at trying to make them happen through one means or another. I first started with the original Eureka 300 Club and have run the project through at least two attempts there but in the nearly ten years that the 300 Club has been around it hasn't happened. I'm not sure why the concept failed but part of it has to do with the eb and flow of the poularity of sci fi minis, little supporting media and the fact that 15mm has rarely been more popular thna it is now despite my own personal long love of the scale.

When you think about it, there isn't much to not like about the concept of Jurassic Park runaways tricked out with a little scifi kit and guns. Some people, as can be seen in the TMP thread, didn't quite grasp the concept entirely. Many though I was referring to the conjectural dinosauroids that have been popularized for the last couple of decades. But I am not after humanoid saurions, I am after intelligent raptors.

The idea of intelligent dinosaurs who have maintained most of their original anatomical geometry is not completely without its merit and interest. There have been other artists who have tapped into the wicked combination of animal sleekness, cunning, and/or  high-tech firepower.

An example of a dinosaur-like alien are the Sii-ruuk from Star Wars. Though they are not purely based on earthly dinos, they have the same sort of geometry I am looking for - non-anthropomorphic but evolved to tool use. For me, I want to keep the dinosaur charm and excitement but turn them into an intelligent alien race.

One artists, the author of the RobotBlood blog has created some lovely dinosauroids, depicting them in the height of their own evolution, utilizing tools that fit their own anatomy. Note the feathers and the the very avian appearance. He even did a study of a form of fighting style for them. As you can see below in the sketches and drawings, he has maintained the dinosaur geometry, so you have lovely, tool-using dino primitives.

Now comes the question of why such figures have not appealed in the past and whether or not they will appeal now, a year after I last brought them up on TMP. Surely there is a greater desire/need for interesting aliens out there. Khurasan Miniatures' Garn miniatures have given use a fully bipedal dinosaur-like alien but is there room in the market for sleek, long-necked dinos with guns? As an attempt to demonstrate my idea, I am tempted to do some conversion work on some existing dinosaur minis assuming I can find some that are not too big, but beyond a small squad of a few demonstration models, I am not sure how many I am willing or able to convert. Doing kit and especially guns at 15mm can be tricky, especially with consistency.

Tell me what you think. Is there merit to this idea? Would you buy them if they existed? What are your reasons for not buying or lack of interest?

Thank you,

-Eli