Apparently, Tyco (like many other toy companies) thought female figures were a bad investment and Mark had to fight just to have Hanna included in the line. Jack is pretty close to model, but Mustapha is given a mechanical leg for Pete’s sake! The Hanna Dundee figure is the biggest disappointment in the line. Hanna, thank goodness, retains most of her striking style. Mustapha’s Pittsburgh Pirates hat is replaced with a yellow doo-rag and Jack goes sleeveless to show off a tattoo. The cartoon itself did a much better job staying true to the characters as Mark Schultz drew them in Xenozioc Tales. Each figure has plenty of muscle and a standard 5 points of articulation. Because the car was a representation of an actual Cadillac Tyco had to have General Motor’s approval! The rest of the toys are average fare for the early 90’s. I remember Mark telling me once that the best thing to come from the toy line was Jack’s Cadillac. But it seems the real nail in the coffin had to do with something action figure collectors understand well – the toys were not on the shelves when the show debuted.Īlthough a couple months late Tyco did produce a decent initial offering: 6 figures, 4 dinosaurs (although most were kit bashed from the Dino Riders line,) 3 vehicles, and a playset. CBS also had the Winter Olympics that year and often bumped Cadillacs and Dinosaurs. – the time when many local affiliates would switch over to local programming. CBS had scheduled it in a bad slot: 11 a.m. Unfortunately, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs only made it one season. Or the overhead shot of Jack Tenrec confronting the governors in their meeting room: For instance, Hanna Dundee writing in the boat: Some episode plot points were pulled directly from the pages of the comic, ie – the issue “Foundling” directly influenced the episode “Wild Child” (written by Marv Wolfman.) Having memorized the visuals of much of Xenozoic Tales I would be tickled when the cartoon would mimic an iconic scene.
In my opinion the cartoon did a reasonably good job sticking to the spirit of Xenozioc Tales in that most episodes brought home some valuable lessons regarding concern for our living world.
#CADILLACS AND DINOSAURS TOYS LICENSE#
Saturday morning cartoons mean toys and Tyco was the one to pick up the license (for better or for worse.) Between 1993-94 the rebranded Cadillacs and Dinosaurs cartoon ran for 13 episodes.
#CADILLACS AND DINOSAURS TOYS TV#
In the early 90’s Xenozoic Tales was adapted into an animated TV series. I find when rereading Xenozoic Tales, for instance, I get stuck on certain beautiful panels that leave me just shaking my head in awe. I struggle not to sound trite when describing Mark’s visual art and storytelling. Between the years 19 writer/illustrator Mark Schultz composed 14 issues of comic brilliance called Xenozoic Tales.