My first issue of Xenozoic Tales, #14, was the last issue of Xenozoic Tales. That was in 1996. The previous issue came out in 1994, and the one before that 1992. So I knew going in that Xenozoic Tales (a.k.a. "Cadillacs & Dinosaurs") was not exactly known for its timeliness. But the story was continued so I did expect to see another issue sometime. In 2003, Dark Horse released a two-volume set of the series up to then, so I thought we might see another issue then. In 2013, IDW released an "Artist's Edition" of issues #9-14, so I thought wemight see another issue then. But it's been 12 years since IDW and 22 since Dark Horse and 29 since Kitchen Sink Press, and I'm beginning to think we're never going to see #15. What is it about Xenozoic Tales that takes so long to produce. I'll get to that.
First, though, for those who may not be familiar with the premise, here's the deal. In the early part of the 21st century, a series of seismic and climatic upheavals drove humanity to seek shelter underground. when the human race emerged 500 years later, it was to discover that, inexplicably, every species that had ever existed on Earth, again existed on Earth: the Xenozoic Age. Mechanics became a revered class because they tended the machines which kept society running. But the Mechanics are also "Old Blood," which means that they believe in maintaining Balance between man and nature. Jack Tenrec is one such Mechanic, whose garage is on the mainland near the "City in the Sea" (formerly New York City). Hannah Dundee is an ambassador from Wassoon (formerly Washington, DC). And that's all you really need to know.
After I read #14, I quickly acquired #1-13 (in a variety of formats). I even bought the Topps Comics series Cadillacs and Dinosaurs by Roy Thomas, Dick Giordano and Rich Buckler (based on the cartoon series of the same name). It wasn't as good as Xenozoic Tales, but it was definitely good. There is also a CD, Songs of the Xenozoic Age, by Mark Schultz and Chris Christenson (with narration by Miguel Ferrer) from Graphitti Designs, which is well worth listening to if you can find a copy.
Reading it again for the first time in years, I am surprised how easily it can be interpreted as an allegory for today... worldwide as far as climate change is concerded, but especially in the United States in terms of politics. The Xenozoic Age is the result of climate change taken to the nth degree, and Wilhelmina Scharnhorst is Donald Trump (or perhaps vice versa). She even spouts some of his exact rhetoric ("drain the swamp," "lock him up"). Unfortunately, #14 ends on a cliffhanger so (as with the next four years) I don't know how it's how it's all going to turn out.
Now, why does each issue take so long to produce? Toward the end of the run, Mark Schultz became a practitioner of dry brush technique. Inother words, he would intentionally split the hairs of his brushes and drag wonderfully expressive calligraphic strokes of ink across his boards. (The technique did not originate with Schultz, but his results were particularly spectacular.) He started introducing bits of dry brush as early as #10 and went all-in with #13. With that issue, publisher Denis Kitchen decided to produce Schultz's pages as halftones, as opposed to the industry-wide norm of the time to reproduce line art as flat blacks. Halftones were more expensive, but allowed for his evolving inking technique to be seen with all the variations inherent to dry brush. He started out as a (very good) Wally Wood copycat, but the final issues were truly phenominal.
The last I heard Schultz still intends to return to the world of Jack Tenrec and Hannah Dundee someday... but I'm not holding my breath.
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I quickly acquired #1-13 (in a variety of formats).
For example, I read #5-8 in the harcover edition of Dinosaur Shaman, and #9-12 in the hardcover edition of Time in Overdrive, both published by Kitchen Sink Press.
If anyone reading this has a hardcover edition of volume one, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, he would be willing to part with, let me know.
"Leave room for the color" is a frequent admonishment made to novice cartoonists by their mentors. That doesn't apply to Mark Schultz in this case, but the first time I read Xenozoic Tales #1-4 it was reprinted in Epic Comics' Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, and the added color made Schultz's fine linework virtually unreadable. I don't know what more modern coloring techniques would look like, but it doesn't really need color.
This is a new, single-volume collection of all of Xenozoic Tales.
Look for it April 16.