Dino-Riders


Dino-Riders is an animated television series that first aired in 1988. Dino-Riders was primarily a promotional show to launch a new Tyco toy line. Only fourteen episodes were produced, three of which were produced on VHS for the United States. The show aired in the U.S. as part of the Marvel Action Universe programming block.
The series focuses on the battle between the heroic Valorians and the evil Rulon Alliance on prehistoric Earth. The Valorians were a superhuman race, while the Rulons comprised several breeds of humanoids. Both races came from the future but were transported back in time to the age of dinosaurs. Once on Earth, the Valorians befriended dinosaurs, while the Rulons brainwashed them.

Overview

The Valorians were a peaceful race that lived on Valoria until they were attacked by the Rulons. The Valorians attempted to escape the Rulon assault using their "Space Time Energy Projector" ; however, something went wrong. They were sent back in time, 65 million years to the age of the dinosaurs. Unknown to them, the Rulon flagship Dreadlock were also sent back through time when the S.T.E.P. was activated.
After successfully landing on prehistoric Earth, the Valorians - led by Questar - used their AMP necklaces to telepathically communicate with the dinosaurs they encountered and eventually befriended them. On the other hand, the Rulons - led by the warlord Krulos - used brainwashing devices known as brain-boxes to control dinosaurs for their own needs. The Rulons then launched an attack on the Valorians, who called upon their dinosaur friends to assist them in fighting back. After ultimately defeating the Rulons, the Valorians renamed themselves Dino-Riders.
In regard to the dinosaur species present, the series is extremely anachronistic, showing late Cretaceous species like Tyrannosaurus rex alongside species from earlier eras, including the Permian genus Dimetrodon, which lived 200 million years earlier, before dinosaurs existed.

Characters

Valorians

The Commandos are a special forces military unit within the Dino-Riders.
The Valorians have also made allies with a tribe of Cro-Magnons. Among the known Cro-Magnons are:
The Rulons are a race of aliens that are the enemies of the Valorians and the main antagonists of the series.
Zar's tribe of Cro-Magnons have been at war with a rogue tribe of Neanderthals. Among the known Neanderthals are:
The Dino-Riders series consisted of a single season of 14 episodes. The first two episodes were produced for release on VHS as standalone specials, the first in 1987 and the second in 1988. Also in 1988, the series transitioned to television, with a further 11 episodes being produced and added to the specials to create a standard season's worth of 13 episodes. Lastly, in 1990, an additional VHS special was produced to promote the new range of "Ice Age" figures, released as "Ice Age Adventure". Below is a list of each episode along with the date it first aired.
Episode #TitleWritten byAiredSynopsis
1"The Adventure Begins"Gerry Conway and Carla Conway1987
October 1, 1988 		While trying to escape from the Rulons, the Valorians end up on prehistoric Earth and settle down with the various dinosaurs. However, the Rulons have been taken to Earth as well and are determined to return to their own time at any cost.
2"Revenge of the Rulons"Michael WalkerOctober 8, 1988Llahd is taken prisoner by the Rulons, who are also planning to steal the S.T.E.P.
3"The Rulon Stampede"Larry ParrOctober 15, 1988Krulos plans to steal the S.T.E.P. crystal by sending a dinosaur stampede through the Dino-Riders' camp.
4"The Blue Skies of Earth"Kayte Kuch and Sheryl ScarboroughOctober 22, 1988The Dino-Riders practice their flying skills while Hammerhead and Rasp fight for Krulos' favor.
5"Toro, Toro, Torosaurus"Paul Kirshner,
Kayte Kuch, Sheryl Scarborough, and Donald F. Glut 		October 29, 1988When Llhad runs off, the Dino-Riders split up to look for him, giving Krulos an opportunity to attack.
6"T-Rex"Christy MarxNovember 5, 1988Turret feels that he's of no use to his fellow Dino-Riders. Meanwhile, Krulos steals a baby Tyrannosaurus to get its parents to attack the Dino-Riders' camp.
7"Krulos"Kayte Kuch and Sheryl ScarboroughNovember 12, 1988Krulos' exo-suit is damaged by an earthquake and his subordinates plan to steal his position.
8"Tagg, You're It!"Donald F. GlutNovember 19, 1988Tagg discovers that the Rulons are digging their way underground to the Dino-Riders' camp but is captured.
9"Thanksgiving"Alan SwayzeNovember 26, 1988The Dino-Riders' Thanksgiving celebration threatens to be ruined by the Rulons damming up the river.
10"To Lose the Path"Alan SwayzeDecember 3, 1988Yungstar's anger at the Rulons may remove his ability to communicate with dinosaurs.
11"Enter the Commandos"Christy MarxDecember 10, 1988The Commandos break into the Dreadlock to rescue stolen triceratops eggs.
12"Battle for the Brontosaurus" Paul Kirshner,
Kayte Kuch and Sheryl Scarborough 		December 17, 1988The Dino-Riders rescue a brontosaurus from the Rulons and Krulos leads an attack to get it back. However, that's not all the Rulon emperor has up his sleeve...
13"One to Lead Us" Paul Kirshner,
Kayte Kuch and Sheryl Scarborough 		December 24, 1988Having successfully framed Questar as a traitor, Krulos takes the brontosaurus and the S.T.E.P. crystal. Questar, the Commandoes and several others must stop him before the Rulons wipe out the Dino-Riders for good.
14"Ice Age Adventure"/"Dino-Riders in the Ice Age"Paul Kirshner1990 Upon the S.T.E.P. being repaired, the Dino-Riders work to keep it from being claimed by the Rulons where an accident sends the Commandos members Astra, Kameelian, Bomba, Faze, and Glyde to the Ice Age where it leads to them encountering it's creatures and a tribe of Cro-Magnon led by Zar. As the Commandos work to repair the S.T.E.P. and reunite with the Dino-Riders, they must also help Zar's tribe in their fight against Grom's tribe.

Cast

In total, there were four series of Dino-Riders toys: Series 1, Series 2, Series 3 and Ice Age. The Ice Age line focused on Ice age mammals rather than dinosaurs.
The larger toys in the range also had a motorized walking action with the dinosaur's head swaying from side to side. Each Rulon faction toy came with a different self-automated trap.
The dinosaurs were acclaimed for their highly detailed bodies and color, and impressed the Smithsonian Institution, who contacted Tyco to reproduce the dinosaurs for their "Dinosaur and other Prehistoric Reptile Collection". Dinosaur illustrator William Stout was credited for dinosaur design on the show's credits.

Series 1 (1988)

The release of the first series of Dino-Riders toys was timed to coincide with the cartoon series on television. It initially consisted of 5 Valorian and 6 Rulon toys, along with eight 2-figure packs. A sixth Valorian toy, Torosaurus, would be released at the end of the series. The Diplodocus, Torosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Triceratops all had motorized walking mechanisms.
ValoriansRulons
Diplodocus with Questar, Mind-Zei, and AriesTyrannosaurus Rex with Krulos, Bitor, and Cobrus
Torosaurus with Gunnur and MagnusTriceratops with Hammerhead and Sidewinder
Deinonychus with SkyDeinonychus with Antor
Styracosaurus with TurretMonoclonius with Mako
Quetzalcoatlus with YungstarPteranodon with Rasp
Pterodactyl with LlahdAnkylosaurus with Sting

Action figures
The second series of Dino-Rider toys consisted of 7 new Valorian toys and 3 new Rulons, along with eight more 2-figure packs as well as 6 "Commandos". The Commandos consisted of a human figure with unique weapons and accessories.
The most notable toy from this series was the Brontosaurus, which was the largest toy in the entire range, measuring 34 inches long and 15 inches tall. In an effort to keep costs down, Tyco had to abandon several features that were originally intended to be part of the figure. These included motorized walking action, four figures instead of three, and an entirely different weapons system.
The Stegosaurus toy had motorized walking action, while the Pachycephalosaurus and Saurolophus both had a mechanism that allowed their bodies to thrust from a horizontal position with their tail in the air into a vertical position with their tail on the ground.
ValoriansRulonsCommandos
Brontosaurus with Serena, Ayce, and Ion
Kentrosaurus with KrokAstra, commander
Stegosaurus with Tark and VegaSaurolophus with LokusBomba, munitions expert
Edmontonia with AxisPlacerias with SkateKameelian, infiltrator
Dimetrodon with ShadoGlyde, paratrooper
Pachycephalosaurus with TaggFaze, artillery expert
Struthiomimus with NimbusRok, mountain warfare expert
Protoceratops with Kanon-

Action figures
The third series of Dino-Riders toys was split into two assortments: 3 new dinosaurs for the regular series and 4 prehistoric mammals for the new "Ice Age" concept. The dinosaur sets are among the rarest of the entire range due to a limited production run.
The Quetzalcoatlus, originally released as a Valorian in Series 1, was re-released as a Rulon with a new yellow and spotted black paint scheme. The Pachyrhinosaurus had motorized walking action.
ValoriansRulons
Pachyrhinosaurus with AtlasQuetzalcoatlus with Algar
Chasmosaurus with Llava

Ice Age

The Ice Age subline was unique in that all of the animals produced belonged to the Valorian faction and, with the rest of the Series 3, are very hard to find. This line also included six more 2-figure packs. The Woolly Mammoth, the largest figure in the range, had motorized walking action.
Valorians
Woolly Mammoth with Grom
Giant Ground Sloth with Ulk
Killer Warthog with Zar
Sabre-Tooth Tiger with Kub

Action figures
Apart from the miniature comics included with each of the dinosaur toys, Marvel released a 3-part miniseries of Dino-Rider comics. The comics' storylines were considered to be much darker than the cartoon, sometimes focusing on conflicts between the Valorians. For instance, one storyline involves Questar being accused of murdering his jealous, scheming brother, Tark.
The first comic book issue, "The Path", was released in February 1989 and was 23 pages long. A Dino-Riders Annual was later released as a hardcover book that contained both the first and second issues in one collection.

Film adaptation

In October 2015, Tracking Board reported that Mattel has teamed with Solipsist Film to develop a live action Dino-Riders movie with Alissa Phillips and Stephen L’Heureux producing. As of 2018, there is no indication in the media that the film is going forward.

In other media