Xenozoic from Mark Scultz is like Rocketeer by Dave Stevens, as in it’s a series I’m vaguely familiar with but have never read. It’s also widely praised for its classic adventurism and dynamic artwork. Now the fine people at Flesk Publications have released a collected edition of all the Xenozoic tales from creator Mark Scultz. The series was also a cartoon called Cadillacs and Dinosaurs in the early 1990s. Details about the black and white tome below.

Flesk Publications is pleased to announce their new release, Xenozoic by Mark Schultz!

Welcome to the Xenozoic Age, a post-apocalyptic landscape where dinosaurs roam freely…and humanity is the endangered species!

Forced into hiding by a global ecological cataclysm, humans emerge from their underground warrens half a millennium later to discover that the Earth has been totally transformed. All of the familiar flora and fauna are gone, replaced by a radically altered natural order populated by rampaging dinosaurs and strange, new creatures. It takes guts, grim determination, ingenuity and a whole lot of old-fashioned luck just to survive, much less thrive, in this alien wilderness—all qualities that ace mechanic Jack Tenrec, lovely scientist Hannah Dundee and their friends possess in abundance.

But even the worthiest of these hardy souls are hard-pressed to surmount the obstacles presented by their new homeland. And when those trials are further compounded by the underhanded and selfish actions of the cutthroat human scavengers they encounter, brains and bravery might not be enough.

Xenozoic combines lush and richly realized ink-and-brush artwork with a pulp-fueled narrative to create an action-packed fantasy—an unrelenting adventure that also serves as a subtle cautionary fable concerning the unforeseen consequences that shortsighted present-day decisions might have upon future generations.

When asked about his new book, author and artist Mark Schultz explains, “When Flesk Publications expressed interest in publishing a new collection of my Xenozoic stories, I couldn’t have been happier. I knew that the reproduction and packaging would be of the highest quality—the very best. The new scans show my brushwork with more clarity than previously, and with the full tonalities within the blacks evident. My drybrush technique has never been reproduced more faithfully. The generous page count allowed for the addition of extra illustrations, as well. It’s a beautifully designed book—I’m very proud of the entire package.”

Flesk publisher, John Fleskes further notes, “This book features all of the stories written and drawn by Mark Schultz to date. He has created new drawings to introduce all twenty stories, as well as provided additional illustrations. Schultz also fully hand colored the new cover artwork using watercolors, providing a rich overtone unlike anything he has done before.

“With the exception of two stories, ‘Green Air’ (11-pages) and ‘The Rules of the Game’ (10-pages), all of the artwork has been reproduced from the originals. These other two stories were scanned from original proofs.

“I’m very excited about this hefty 352-page Xenozoic book!”

Xenozoic is now available at your local comic book shop and bookstore. Introduction by Craig Elliott, 352-page softbound edition with 4” French flaps, 8.5” x 11” for $39.95. ISBN: 978-1-933865-31-7. Full details and sample pages can be viewed at the Xenozoic product page at the Flesk Publications website. Furthermore, orders can be placed direct through Flesk on their online store.

November 18, 2010
Categories: Comic Art, New To Comics?, News . Tags: Flesk Publications, Mark Schultz, Xenozoic . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: 2 Comments