This year, Monsters and Masks Month will also be celebrated at our lucha libre-themed sister site From Parts Unknown, where plenty of masked wrestler vs. monster and Dia de los Muertos inspired mayhem will ensue. The party’s already begun over … Continued
It was the 1980s, and there wasn’t a cheesy enough piece of Japanese graphics or ninja-related bad illustration we wouldn’t wear on a black t-shirt. And let’s just take a look at the logic of this: It’s a tough read … Continued
Picked there up in an anime/manga shop in NYC back int he early 90s, had no idea what they were from or who they were, but I guess I recognized coolness when I saw it. 15+ years later I finally … Continued
From the art book companion to the 1969 animated Kamui theatrical compilation film and 26 episode TV series. Some great designs here by Shuichi Seki, faithful to the Shirato Sanpei manga originals but with that rough, sketchy look popular in … Continued
These are from a set of POORLY repro’d press/publicity photos from Enter the Ninja‘s Yugoslavian theatrical release. Wonder if that amazing Kosugi credit sequence had the same craze-launching lighting bolt effect on European audiences that it did for us?
2001s Red Shadow (aka Akakage) is the sort of remake/adaptation that watches fine if you are TOTALLY unfamiliar with the source property. That way, you’re not aware of the squandered opportunity for a modern digital-age superhero ninja vs. monster romp. … Continued
The art is surprisingly good on this mid-to-late 80s sliding puzzle. Although why he’s holding that tanto backwards is beyond me. Check out the others in the assortment, not missing a genre, and getting progressively… stranger. 70s porn Rambo I … Continued
Gotta wonder about the mentality of the ‘monster-of-the-week’ in these tokusatasu properties… I can see the first boss baddie being all gung-ho, the second and third obsessed with revenge and whatnot, but after a year or two of the mystically-invulnerable … Continued
Sci-Fi Japan is reporting Nukenin – retitled Rogue Ninja – is coming to Euro-regioned DVD. So where’s OURS!?!? This movie’s been out for years, ‘Merikins love our sword gals, too, and Alien vs. Ninja was a festival circuit hit. No … Continued
This line of rather poorly sculpted and often more poorly painted porcelain statues was EVERYWHERE during the 80s craze – Chinatown video shops, flea market vendors, martial arts supply stores, the Smithsonian’s souvenir stand, ball park peanut vendors, the Automat … Continued