Crafted in Hollywood, shot in Japan
I roll my eyes as much as the rest of you when it comes to The Last Samurai, and the ninja scene is just as cheesy and unconcerned with history as the rest of the movie. However, when I had a … Continued
An open letter to the Honda ninja girl…
Dear Cute Ninja Girl in the Honda Civic ad, Your adorable little action-oriented commercial has been around for what, SIX WEEKS or more now? I’ve been glued to my TV, watching for your Akakage-inspired red mask, contemporary urban take on … Continued
A designer’s rant…
A reader sent me some anime movie poster scans, for which I was grateful, but one of them just struck a nerve – a wrong nerve – and I have to vent. Some day job background first – I pay … Continued
Enter the Red Ninja!
What’s going on in this picture??? Yep, you’re right! Another hapless red ninja gets pig-stuck by a movie hero. Well what did you think was happening? You people disgust me sometimes… honestly. Franco Nero impales a hapless jobber in the … Continued
Images from THE OCTAGON
When vengeance wore a mustache… Is it just me, or did Chuck Norris never look comfortable with a sword? Good career choice, sticking to uzis, nickel-plated handguns and heel kicks with cowboy boots. This awkwardly colored image of Richard Norton‘s … Continued
Toshiro Mifune: Ninja???
Everyone knows Toshiro Mifune, right? Shogun, warlord, admiral, ronin. But who knew he once played a ninja!?!? Born on this day in 1920, let’s celebrate Mifune’s birthday with a look at a lesser-known chapter of his storied career – two ninja … Continued
Egyptian poster for NINJA IN THE USA
Amazing Arabic market poster for Alexander Lo-Rei’s Ninja in the USA. Wow… I mean, WOW!
NINJA BUGEICHO
So-called “Motion Comics” released on DVD and partially-animated graphic novels adapted for tablet devices are familiar now, but go back a few decades and experiments in using still art in moving media are less frequent, and with mixed results at … Continued
Quicklinks to the the ‘Ninja-To’ article series
If you’ve missed the evolution of the ninja sword discussions day-by-day, here’s an easier way to read them all in order: Part 1.) Origins of the 80s Ninja-To – in which we looked at the earliest American magazine ads we … Continued
‘Ninja-To’ visual shorthand in American vs. Japanese films
One thing you hear over and over from the anti-‘Ninja-To’-sword-haters-club is the blade is “pure Hollywood.” Before this recent spat of research and over-scrutinizing swords in old movies, I used to argue against that notion; the Japanese studios got ninja … Continued