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5 – Art and Advertising

In the right hands, crayons can be deadly
5 Nov 2022

In the right hands, crayons can be deadly

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 2 - Books and Manga, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

Repeated numerous times on this site, here’s another great example of the real strength of the ninja — genericness! You didn’t need to pay licensing fees to any property owner, no actor likeness negotiated, no corporate branding to reinforce sales… … Continued

generic merch, Generic toys, Tony Tallarico
Some 1985 Ninja Apparel
28 Jan 2020

Some 1985 Ninja Apparel

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 5 - Art and Advertising, 6 - History and Martial Arts | 0

Some of the most concise and enduring memories of those of us who lived through the 1980s ninja craze are mail order ads. By the middle of the decade, mail order ninja suits, weapons, posters and books nearly crowded the … Continued

Zukins, zukins, zukins…
6 Apr 2019

Zukins, zukins, zukins…

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

Check out this awesomeness! This 3×8-inch sheet of kids’ temporary tattoo image transfers has somehow survived the decades, and is aging in delightfully weird ways. No manufacturer or year, and I won’t even guess, but it’s FAR from new… Sword-slingin’ … Continued

kurozukin
Possibly the BEST menkos I’ve ever come across…
21 Aug 2018

Possibly the BEST menkos I’ve ever come across…

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

The somewhat physical card game of Menko (aka Bettan or Patchin) — wherein players ‘fwap’ cardboard rectangles or circles down on each other then claim whatever flips over — isn’t the most conducive to collectible items surviving the decades. These things … Continued

menko, menko cards
Kagemaru Tattoos
25 Nov 2017

Kagemaru Tattoos

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 4 - Collectibles, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

The rarest antiques are the things that are the most disposable when produced, and its hard to think of anything (outside of ice cream bars maybe) with a shorter shelf life than a sheet of temporary tattoos for kids. Somehow … Continued

Kagemaru, Mitsuteru Yokoyama
Sugoroku “boards”
29 Oct 2017

Sugoroku “boards”

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 3 - Toys and Merch, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

Hot damn are paper “Sugoroku” game board sheets just the coolest! The 300 year old board game akin to Chutes and Ladders (“Snakes and Ladders” for you Europeans), is aimed at adults and children alike, is a New Year’s tradition in … Continued

Mitsuteru Yokoyama, Ninja Hattori-Kun, Sugoroku games
Katsuya Terada illustrations
21 May 2017

Katsuya Terada illustrations

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 2 - Books and Manga, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

Picked up a used copy of a 2004 Japanese-language ninjutsu book called Shinobi: All Things About Ninja – Hattori Hanzo, Momochi Tanba, Fujibayashi and More, which was sealed and I couldn’t inspect before committing to. As I don’t read kanji … Continued

Katsuya Terada
Kosugi and Van Cleef in Japan
20 Feb 2017

Kosugi and Van Cleef in Japan

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

One of the great head-scratchers of the 80s American ninja boom was the NBC TV series The Master, created by Michael Sloan but driven by the one-man craze-catalyst that was Sho Kosugi. On one hand its very existence spoke to the … Continued

Lee Van Cleef, Sho Kosugi, The Master
Wait… WHO rented Cannon their house?
31 Jan 2017

Wait… WHO rented Cannon their house?

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

If you weren’t able to make the Revenge of the Ninja CD signing event in Januar,y the score and exclusive event print are now available via mail order, all signed by ROTN director Sam Firstenberg, stunt coordinator and silver-masked ninja … Continued

REVENGE OF THE NINJA, Sam Firstenberg, Sho Kosugi, Steve Lambert
We’re still looking for more KOSUGI KICKS
16 Oct 2016

We’re still looking for more KOSUGI KICKS

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 3 - Toys and Merch, 4 - Collectibles, 5 - Art and Advertising | 0

Vintage Ninja still has an open call out for what we call “Kosugi Kicks” — images of ninja in movie posters, VHS sleeves, toy packaging, advertising, whatever, that are cribbed from the iconic two-sword jump kick publicity shot Sho Kosugi … Continued

Kosugi Kick, Sho Kosugi

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Welcome to VINTAGE NINJA — dedicated to old ninja movies from Japan’s 60s boom to the 80s American exploitation craze and beyond, with a ton of vintage toys, comics, and sharp pointy stuff thrown in for good measure.

Read the Definitive History:

50+ Japanese ninja movies reviewed

Categories

  • 1 – Film and TV
  • 2 – Books and Manga
  • 3 – Toys and Merch
  • 4 – Collectibles
  • 5 – Art and Advertising
  • 6 – History and Martial Arts
  • 7 – Ninja Miscelany
  • 8 – News & Notes

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