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2 – Books and Manga

Goin’ COMMANDO: British ninja pulp at its finest
11 Feb 2023

Goin’ COMMANDO: British ninja pulp at its finest

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 2 - Books and Manga | 0

Britain’s military history somewhat mirrors Japans in as much as they had a long period of feudal warfare with an armored elite class of warriors, but also had a historically famous commando tradition. This may only have gone back as … Continued

Commando Comics, Commando War Stories in Pictures
VN’s holiday gift-to-yourself guide
27 Nov 2022

VN’s holiday gift-to-yourself guide

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 2 - Books and Manga, 3 - Toys and Merch, 4 - Collectibles | 0

Well, it’s that time of year again, when, let’s face it… we buy a ton of gifts for ourselves because no one else understands our NEED for more ninja stuff! So here’s some recommendations, all of which I own or … Continued

GI Joe, New York Ninja
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
South-of-the-Border Shinobi
7 Aug 2022

South-of-the-Border Shinobi

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 2 - Books and Manga, 4 - Collectibles | 0

¡Holá Amigos! The ninja craze may have been a fusion of Japanese martial and cinematic traditions filtered through American 1980s pop culture, but it spread to every civilized corner of the globe and no geographic or linguistic market was spared … Continued

Blue Demon, El Ninja Mexicano, El Santo, lucha libre, Octagon
Great ways to spend those ninja dollars…
8 May 2022

Great ways to spend those ninja dollars…

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 2 - Books and Manga, 3 - Toys and Merch | 0

There are some nifty new ninja and ninja-adjacent opportunities at hand to lighten your wallet folks: I was delighted with the positive and supportive tone of Austin Trunick‘s first volume of The Cannon Film Guide (as reviewed here) and this … Continued

Future Cyborg, Kaizo Hayashi, The Cannon Film Guide, To Sleep So As To Dream
THESE FISTS… KILL TREES!
19 Feb 2022

THESE FISTS… KILL TREES!

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 2 - Books and Manga | 0

I have great appreciation for a new worthy cause to wipe out some trees, and as an author, book designer and marketing pro myself, These Fists Break Bricks hits me in all three of my hearts! For starters, this 330+ … Continued

Chris Poggiali, Grady Hendrix, These Fists Break Bricks
REVIEW: The Cannon Film Guide
10 Aug 2020

REVIEW: The Cannon Film Guide

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 2 - Books and Manga | 0

If there’s one speck of light in the dark months of the pandemic shutdown, it’s been some great quarantine reading for fans of Cannon Films, and that continues with Austin Trunick‘s The Cannon Film Guide Volume 1: 1980—1984. After an … Continued

Cannon Films, Sam Firstenberg, Sho Kosugi
Revelations on the silent-era ninja boom from an unlikely source
6 May 2020

Revelations on the silent-era ninja boom from an unlikely source

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 2 - Books and Manga | 0

We’ve recently been blessed with the book Carnal Curses, Disfigured Dreams by Japanese cinema researcher Kigami Jigoku Kobayashi, and it inadvertently provided some jaw-dropping insight into the depth and breadth of ninja movies going back to the 1910s and how … Continued

Carnal Curses Disfigured Dreams, Silent Film, yokai
Life stories of the Cannon-eers
17 Apr 2020

Life stories of the Cannon-eers

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 1 - Film and TV, 2 - Books and Manga | 0

As we enter a second month of shutdowns and quarantines (if we live in one of the smart spots of the world, that is) one’s ‘to-be-read’ book stack is probably dwindling. So it’s a great time to check out the … Continued

Cannon Films, REVENGE OF THE NINJA, Sam Firstenberg, Steve Lambert
Early Western ninja in JUDO MASTER
4 May 2019

Early Western ninja in JUDO MASTER

by Keith Rainville | posted in: 2 - Books and Manga | 0

Comic books never get enough credit for being the vanguards of entertainment movements, and their contributions are almost always overlooked in comparison to the big, break-through movie or TV show. But comics do two huge things that really lay the … Continued

Charlton Comics, Frank McLaughlin, Joe Gill, Judo Master, Judomaster

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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

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  • 2 – Books and Manga
  • 3 – Toys and Merch
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  • 5 – Art and Advertising
  • 6 – History and Martial Arts
  • 7 – Ninja Miscelany
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