Description
Dinotopia is the creation of painter and writer James Gurney, and includes his best known works. Dinotopia is a setting (and minor pop-culture franchise) where dinosaurs and humans peacefully co-exist on a forgotten and mysterious island, developing a rich and complex civilization together. The first Dinotopia book (where the images in this card set come from) was an illustrated novella released in 1992. It was written as a journal of two castaways that wash up on the island in the late 1800s. Gurney’s stunning, often impressionistic paintings, and detailed approach to world-building made the book a success with young and adult audiences. A year later, Jurassic Park would ignite the dino-fever of the 90s, and Dinotopia would become an underdog dinosaur franchise, a less violent counterpart to the action-horror of the more popular Jurassic Park.
These cards actually appear to predate the first book by two years (??) and may have been one of the very first windows into the world of Dinotopia. 3 more illustrated novellas would eventually be released, as well as a TV movie, a short-lived TV series, as well as an animated film, a series of young adult novels, and several video games.
With foil stamping on both sides of all cards, (gold on the front and red on the back,) only 8 cards per pack, and unusual lenticular and tri-fold chase cards, the cards were clearly a deluxe product at the time, and are still a really lovely showcase of Gurney’s amazing art.
- These trading cards are vintage stock and were produced in 1990 by Collect-A-Card.
- Because of their age, cards may stick together and slightly degrade the print. (Gently flex the cards with your hand before opening to help with this.)
- Each sealed pack comes with 8 random cards, and there are 72 cards in the complete set.
- All cards have foil stamping on both front and back.
- Chase cards include rare “Dino-Fold” (tri-fold, 1:12 chance) cards, “Dino-Vision” (lenticular, 1:18 chance) cards.
