Mrs. Dex got me a couple of these with my Valentine's goodies.
Some people hate the whole blind package thing but we love it
here. I don't usually try to go for complete sets so picking up a few rarely
results in duplicates.
But sometimes you do get ones you're not as excited for. I don't remember much about the Bigfoot & Wildboy show other than it existed. I actually thought this might be Chaka from Land of the Lost when I pulled him out. Bigfoot was huge in the 70s but I'm guessing when when talk about him and TV most people are going to think of when he was on The Six Million Dollar Man.
On the other hand, ElectraWoman and DynaGirl was probably my second favorite of the Krofft shows (just behind Land of the Lost naturally). Live action superheroes on Saturday morning weren't a rarity but unlike the other shows, EW & DG were usually squaring off against costumed villains. Plus they had those cool Electracomp bracelets and a flying car.
Other shows represented in this series are Land of the Lost (gotta get that Sleestak!), Wonder Bug, Lidsville, The Bugaloos, The Lost Saucer, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (which got a whole other series of these).
I'm hoping there's a series two to give us Fi (Ruth Buzzi) from The Lost Saucer and maybe a Doctor Shrinker.
Back in 2018/2019 I did a few posts under the title Quarter Bin to talk about random old comics. That title never really clicked with me (even though I decided on it!) so I'm rebranding to Lost in the Longbox...and I'll probably post another one in 2033.
Today's deep pull (maybe that would be a better title?) is Tales of Sword and Sorcery Featuring Dagar the Invincible. Or just Dagar the Invincible to his friends.
Dagar was published by Gold Key from October 1972 to December 1976 for a total of 18 quarterly issues. I think I was just getting into Superfriends comics when Dagar ended so I missed out. If he'd come along a few years later when I picked up my first D&D box set and Thundarr was on TV, I'm sure I would have checked it out. I mean, look at that cover!
Issue 2 was reformatted and packaged as a give-away with bubble gum. Bazooka Joe, he ain't! I know packing a comic book with bubble gum sounds weird but if you're wondering what it would look like, here you go.
Issue 1, Page 1. That saber-tooth tiger is looking for lunch!
Dagar was written by Donald F Glut who Star Wars kids will no doubt recognize as the author of the Empire Strikes Back novelization. He was also a screenwriter for Saturday morning heavy hitters like Land of the Lost, Transformers, G.I. Joe, DuckTales, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, and also created characters and lore for Masters of the Universe. How's that for a resume?
Covers and interior art was done by Dagar co-creator Jesse Santos who is best known for this book and Tragg and the Sky Gods, another Gold Key book written by Glut. Tragg, as you might guess by the name, is a prehistoric caveman. The Sky Gods are humanoid aliens so this book has a little more sci-fi to it than Dagar. Santos would go on to work in advertising to work with properties like Blackstar, Jem, and Tiny Toon Adventures.
Dagar was a typical brawn over brains adventurer type contending with magic and monsters in a fantasy world. But Glut's writing is what keeps him from being a Conan knock-off. Thanks to the Wayback Machine, you can read an interview with Glut about his work on Dagar.
If you'd like to enjoy some Tales of Sword and Sorcery, head back to that first cover and give it a click.
Before I jump into anything, I want to take a minute and dedicate this
post to Will West. If you read this blog, you probably know who he is and that
he had a stroke last week. I don't know him personally but he's one of the
bloggers that inspires me. He's got such a great voice online and has a lot to
say. I know a lot of us in the blog-o-sphere are pulling for him and hope he
recovers soon. There's a GoFundMe out there
to help out his wife and two girls and they're getting close to their $40k
goal. More than anything, I think he's going to be pissed
at having to break his weekly blogging streak.
Gatchaman Progress
Not only did I forget to log this last month, but I've only watched 5 eps
since November.
Current ep: 70
Streaming
Stranger Things (S1-5, Netflix)
Usually, when a show comes back after a break, I'll find a 30 minute YouTube
recap video but I know how much I loved this show and with it being the final
season, I re-watched the first four seasons and am so glad I did! Not only did it make the overall story more cohesive but I got to meet the gang again and be reminded of their interpersonal dynamics. I feel like
I need a whole post just to talk about the series but I'm lazy. The first
couple eps of season 5 didn't quite click but once it did, I was all in. They
managed to stick the landing for me. It was satisfying and emotional. I'm
going to miss the Hawkins gang so I'll be diving into some of the books this
year.
History of the World Part II (Hulu)
At it's best, it was okay. It probably would have been better as a movie
instead of a comedy sketch type show. Does not fill me with hope for
Spaceballs 2.
I see why a lot of people didn't like this. I enjoyed the first one but this
is is more like a whole new operating system than an upgrade. It's got a more
campy tone, is more violent than I remember the first one being and also somehow feels like a superhero movie? If I saw
this by itself, I'd probably like the 90s direct to video feel but as a
sequel, it doesn't quite deliver what you liked about the original.
Rating: 5/10
Igniting the Spark - The Story of Magic: The Gathering (2025, Prime)
I was there at GenCon 1993 when MtG debuted and like everyone else, was
instantly hooked. At least for a few years and then I got out. Anyway, this
doc starts of with the founding of Wizards of the Coast and then how MtG came
to be. If you've ever been into the game, I highly recommend checking this
out. If you've never played but are a gamer at heart, I still think its
interesting to see how a whole new genre of game was developed.
How many freakin islands are there?! Despite the very video game plot (they
need to get DNA from a water dino, an air dino, and a land dino), this was a
pretty solid monster movie. There's no legacy characters to bog it down and I
like the assembled by circumstance adventuring group. It may not really do
anything new (other than introduce contractually obligated new dinos) but it's
a fun ride that stands on its own.
Rating: 7/10
Killing Mary Sue (2025, Prime)
An action comedy that doesn't quite deliver on either premise. I'm guessing
they spent most of the budget on the cast because it sure wasn't on the
gunfire effects. This movie wants to be cooler than it really is and that's
too bad because it could be fun if handled the right way. I'd recommend Becky and The Wrath of Becky instead of this.
File this under unexpected sequels I didn't know I needed! But didn't The
Grabber die in the first one? Yes, yes he did. Horror fans will not doubt draw
comparisons to Freddy here but it all works for me. The psychic dream
sequences have a fantastic otherworldly creepiness to them (as they should!)
and I really liked how they tied it together with the first one.
Rating: 7/10
Marshmallow (2025, Shudder)
This is one of those where you should go in as blind as possible as it keeps you guessing. The kid actors are pretty good and the counselors play their slasher movie stereotypes well. This should be a good gateway horror flick for young teens that want to dip a toe in the pool...or summer camp lake.
