Dinosaurs for Hire is an American comic book series created by Tom Mason in 1988.[1] It was first published by Eternity Comics and ran nine issues until 1990 when it was cancelled. The title returned to publication in 1993 by Malibu Comics, which had purchased Eternity as an imprint.
Dinosaurs For Hire, along with Ex-Mutants, was merged with the Protectors universe during Malibu’s Genesis crossover before being cancelled a second time. Malibu was purchased by Marvel Comics in 1993, and no Dinosaurs for Hire comics have been published since.[2] Within the Marvel Comics multiverse, the Dinosaurs for Hire reality is designated as Earth-88469.[3]
Dinosaurs for Hire originated as a black-and-white comic by Mason titled Elvis Undercover, featuring Elvis Presley as a crime-fighter. The comic was never produced, out of concerns that Presley’s estate would sue. Mason eventually divided Presley’s fictional personality among three dinosaur characters, resulting in Dinosaurs for Hire.[4][5] To represent the dinosaur characters, Mason chose Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus, based on their popularity among the general public.[4]
Synopsis
Dinosaurs for Hire is a satirical comic that is heavy on parody and humor. The primary characters are a tyrannosaurus named Archie who dresses like the Terminator, a triceratops named Lorenzo who wears a Hawaiian shirt, a one-eyed stegosaurus named Reese who wields heavy weapons, and a pterodactyl named Cyrano. In the comics, the Dinosaurs are actually intelligent aliens who resemble smaller versions of Earth dinosaurs presumably due to a convergent evolution (aside from their extraterrestrial nature, their backstory was only hinted at but never confirmed). After their spacecraft malfunctions in Earth’s atmosphere and crashes into the ocean, they are stranded on Earth and become mercenaries for hire.
In other media
Main article: Dinosaurs for Hire (video game)
A Dinosaurs for Hire video game by Sega was released in 1993, for the Sega Genesis. It is a shoot ’em up game featuring Archie, Lorenzo and Reese as playable characters, while Cyrano occasionally shows up to give mission briefings.[6]
References
- ^ Markstein, Don. “Dinosaurs for Hire”. Don Markstein’s Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ “The Return Of Tom Mason’s Dinosaurs For Hire?”. Bleeding Cool. 2014-09-24. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
- ^ The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- ^ Jump up to:a b c d e Howard Johnson, Kim (August 1993). “Giant Lizards with Big Guns”. Starlog. No. 193. United States. pp. 38–41, 72.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Vaughn, J.C. “Dinosaurs For Hire”. Scoop. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021.
- ^ Jump up to:a b Sczepaniak, John (25 June 2014). “Dinosaurs for Hire”. Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ “How Tom Mason’s Dinosaurs for Hire Became a Video Game”. Wackoid. 2020-10-16. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
