The mix of 50s automotive style and prehistoric danger is visually unique.
Before it was an arcade sensation, the franchise began in 1987 as an alternative comic book series titled Xenozoic Tales . Created, written, and beautifully illustrated by Mark Schultz, the series is set in a dystopian future where humanity is forced underground due to severe environmental cataclysms.
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs remains a testament to the power of imaginative, high-concept storytelling and, in the case of its arcade iteration, exceptional game design.
Whether you discovered it through the stark, beautiful panels of Mark Schultz's comics, the adrenaline of pumping quarters into the Capcom arcade cabinet, or the catchy theme song of the Saturday morning cartoon, the franchise holds a unique space in pop culture. It is a time capsule of an era when creators weren't afraid to mix gritty ecological warnings with high-octane action.
The 1990s was a decade defined by radical concepts, and few media properties captured that era's beautifully absurd energy quite like . Born in the pages of underground comic books, this unique franchise evolved into a legendary Capcom arcade game, a Saturday morning cartoon, and a cult classic phenomenon.
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs pushed the Capcom Play System 1 (CPS-1) board to its absolute limits. The visual presentation featured vibrant comic-book coloring, expressive character animations, and massive, detailed boss sprites. The environments transitioned smoothly from flooded city streets and dense jungles to high-tech underground laboratories.
He drove toward the setting sun, the Cadillac’s tailfins cutting the twilight like twin blades, with the thunder of dinosaurs fading behind them and the open road—broken, dangerous, but open —stretching ahead.
The early 90s saw a wave of merchandise including action figures (by Tyco), trading cards, and a role-playing game (RPG).
