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How did you get involved with the Dino-Riders line?
The line was conceived by Jim Alley, my boss at the time. I was VP or Director of marketing for new business at Tyco. Boys action was a category we were not in.

 

What tasks did that position entail?
I was responsible to oversee all aspects of marketing and work with the product development team to create toys.

 

How did the idea of Dino-Riders originate?
As legend has it Jim (Alley) was sitting in his bed thinking of the next big thing when he combined dinos with space technology.

 

Why did you think Dino-Riders would be appealing to children?
Dinos are always a classic appeal, as it good vs evil.

 

How were the characters and backstory created?
Aw, made it up sitting around having fun.

 

How was it decided what dinosaurs would be produced?
We looked at the most common, the most popular, and which ones according to scale matched our price points (cost needs).

 

How was it decided which dinosaurs would be heroic, and which would be evil?
Carnivores = bad, herbivores = good was our initial rule.

 

How important was historical accuracy in the sculpting of the dinosaurs?
Very. We decided early that the key point of difference was our dinos would be sculpted with a high degree of accuracy. Kids know dinos much more than adults, and we wanted the dinos to be spectacular. I thought we did a great job in that regard.

 

How did Dr. Bakker become involved in the designing of the dinosaurs?
His book was out, and we all liked it. He was a fun guy to have around, and I think he liked the fact that we went to an expert for guidance - it was also a good PR move.

 

What dinosaurs was he involved with?
All of them either directly or indirectly. He looked at most of the early ideas.

 

Was there any concern that the larger and more expensive sets wouldn't sell?
Oh yes! We had big fights on that one.

 

Series 2 and 3 had many more Dino-Rider sets than Rulons: were the heroic Dino-Riders more popular with children, or was there another reason?
I do not recall why.

 

Why were there only 3 dinosaurs produced for the third series?
Management thought the popularity was waning. We had a tough time getting internal support for additional tooling and development.

 

Was the 'Ice Age' series introduced to regain interest in the line, or was it always planned?
It was planned. We had to reconcile with kids the fact that the Ice Age was millions of years after the dinos were around (I think).

 

What was your favourite dinosaur in the line?
Stegosaurus.

 

Are you satisfied with how successful Dino-Riders was?
I always thought it should have been bigger, but I am satisfied.

 

Were there any sets that didn't make it to final production?
I don't recall, but I am sure there were more on the drawing board.

 

Dino-Riders are currently enjoying healthy sales on the secondary market, are you surprised by this?
Yes, very.

 

With the return of 80's icons like Transformers and Masters of the Universe, do you see the Dino-Riders coming back as well?
I am not sure, but I would think so. Mattel has the rights, as they bought Tyco. I am sure the tools are still somewhere. For a few years Tyco sold the dinos as an authentic line of dinos (The Smithsonian Institute Dinosaur Collection). I am not in touch with Mattel, but you never know...

 

Do you have a message for the kids that grew up playing with Dino-Riders?
Thanks, we had a lot of fun making them, and it humbles me to imagine being in any position to say anything.

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Many thanks to Mr. Browne for answering my questions. He has registered interest in another Q&A in the future, so if you have a question email it to me and I'll add it to my list!