Lost in the Longbox - Dagar the Invincible

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.

 

Monsterzone has a great post showcasing Santos' work on Dagar and Tragg. 

 

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. 

Monthly Media Recap - January 2026

 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.

 

Movies 

 

M3GAN 2.0 (2025, Prime)

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.

 

Jurassic World Rebirth (2025, Peacock)

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.

 

Rating: 4/10

 

Black Phone 2 (2025, Peacock)

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.

 

Rating: 7/10

 

This Month

New: 6   Rewatch: 0

Year to Date

New: 6   Rewatch: 0

Labyrinth Graphic Novel

I got this a little while back and keep forgetting to show it off. Boom Studios did a Kickstarter for this hard cover collecting their eight issue adaptation from 2024. The cool thing about it is that it adapts the movie novelization which was written while the movie was still in production so there are a couple things here and there different from the final film.

 

 I shelled out a little extra to get the version with the slipcase which is styled after Sarah's Labyrinth book from the movie. Boom Studios was also offering hard cover collections of their two (yes two!) Labyrinth sequel comics. I already have those and didn't feel the need to drop the extra cash to upgrade to hard covers. Of course, I also already have the comics collected here but this is THE story.

 

 This Kickstarter version has an exclusive variant cover that won't be reprinted again. The pages are gold gilded which just adds to how it looks on a table. I like when they do stuff like this so you feel like you're really getting something special when you support them.

 

Speaking of something special...one of the stretch goals was this fantastic art print.

 

 And this enamel pin was unlocked for people that backed on day one (that's me!). The campaign hit its initial $25k goal in 15 minutes! I guess there's a lot of us weirdos out there that love this movie.

 

 I instantly fell in love with the art style. I like that it's sort of cartoony. Disney's been all about live action remakes of animated movies. I think this would be a great candidate for an animated remake of a live action movie! I'd just use the film audio and animate it.

 

At the back of the book are 16 pages featuring different cover art used for the individual comics.

 

The last six pages have character designs. There's two pages each for Sarah and Jareth and the last two have a bunch of the characters Sarah meets, including Alph and Ralph the two dog-like door guardians that pose the logic puzzle to Sarah. Bet you didn't know they had names!

I'm really happy with this one and it's going to be a great addition to my growing Labyrinth library.