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. 

Addams Family Comic Books

With the Addams Family being around as long as they have, naturally they've made their way into just about every type of media. After their 1972 appearance in the New Scooby Doo Movies (which you can watch here), they were spun off into their own animated series. In 1974, Gold Key released a series of comics based on the animated series.

 

 The animated series was quite a bit different from the live action show as you can see. For starters, their appearance was more like Charles Addams' original cartoons than their live action counterparts. The family was often on the road in an RV that was part house/part vehicle. They also had a few more pets with them like Ali the alligator and Ocho the octopus.

But if you were looking for more Addams adventures, you'd be a bit disappointed. Each issue of the comic was based on an episode of the animated show. Now this was still the early 70s so a comic where kids could experience their favorite TV shows or movies again wasn't all bad.

Although the show went for 16 episodes, the comic only lasted for three issues. Today, in near mint condition, each issue can fetch over $100, with issue #1 going for slightly more. But thanks to the wonder that is the internet, you don't have to shell out $300+ dollars to read these. If you click on each cover, you can drop these into your digital trick or treat bucket.

If you check out the other Countdown to Halloween bloggers by clicking below, a ghost may follow you home!

Quarter Bin - Battle of the Planets

Battle of the Planets will always be one of my favorite cartoons. It was my first real intro to Japanese animation and was one of the shows in rotation that my friends and I would use for inspiration when playing out our own adventures. I remember making our own wristbands and sonic boomerangs out of cardboard.

The arrival of Battle of the Planets in the US was due to the popularity of Star Wars at the time. It's right there in the name! Star Wars. Battle of the Planets. The original show, Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, was edited (read: sanitized) for American audiences and incorporated new footage featuring an R2-D2 inspired robot called 7-Zark-7. Until the internet age, I had no idea BotP was anything other than what I saw on afternoon TV. The original Gatchaman is a bit more violent and has some adult themes, including transgenderism.

Here's the show's intro



Just hearing that music and voice-over makes me feel like a kid again! The basic premise of the show followed this group of super teens battling the evil Zoltar and the forces of Spectra. Like any good hero, each one has a signature weapon and vehicle. Being Japanimation, the vehicles combine but not in a Voltron like way. This is a quick clip showing how all the vehicles combine into the command ship, The Phoenix.

I don't know how popular the show was when it aired but I feel like they missed out by not marketing it in the US with a toy line. I know I kid me would have been all over it!

The show ran in syndication from September 1978 - May 1980 while the comic produced 10 issues from June 1979 - February 1981. The first few issues featured the Gold Key logo and then switched to Whitman. Oddly, issue 4 can be found with either company logo on it.

The art in the comic is about on par with what you'd expect for a comic adaptation of a 70s cartoon. It's not going to knock your socks off but it gets the job done. Like the series, the comics for the most part are self contained stories. I didn't fully look into it but I think they're all original stories.

In 2002, Image/Top Cow Comics brought the super teen team back into print with a 12 issue mini-series featuring alternate covers by Alex Ross. They went on over the next couple years with a manga adaptation, one shots featuring Mark and Jason, and a 6 issue Princess mini-series. There were also a pair of crossovers.

I know next to nothing about Witchblade so that book wasn't nearly as exciting to me as the Thundercats crossover. Definitely a fun read for fans of either!

Collecting the Gold Key issues will put a small dent in your wallet. Ebay shows issues ranging from $10-$40 each and going upwards of $100 for pro graded copies. The more recent Top Cow books are generally under $5 each.

If you've never seen the show, it's worth checking out. There are plenty of episodes to be found on YouTube. While the original Gatchaman might appeal more to us now as adults, Battle of the Planets is still good if you need a dose of Saturday morning cartoons.

And just the next day, Toy Galaxy posted this awesome video.

Friday Funnies - Jet Dream

Take Pussy Galore's all female Flying Circus from Bond's Goldfinger and add a bit of Charlie's Angels (the original) and you've got Jet Dream and Her Stunt Girl Counterspies. Whew, what a mouthful! I guess people hadn't gone acronym crazy in the late 60s yet.

Jet and her gals first appeared as a backup story in an issue of The Man from U.N.C.L.E (Hey Jet, that's how you make a creative team name that rolls off the tongue!) and were then spun off into their one and only comic.

Jet's international team consisted of

• Jet, (the good ol US of A) "the leader"
• Petite, (France) "quick as a whippet"
• Marlene (Germany) "powerful as a wrestler"
• Ting-a-Ling (Fiji) "instincts of a panther... but naive and innocent as a lamb" 
• Cookie Jarr (possibly Norway or Sweden) "when the action is over, she's an alluring charmer"

Jet Dream's HQ: No-Man's Land

Any one of these girls would likely give Bond a run for his money. Each one is an expert pilot/driver, well trained in martial arts and uses an array of girlish spy gadgets.

It's a really fun read but unfortunately for Jet, the book was not a success and this was her only full length story.