Weird NINJA-KUN knockoffs…
…over at the excellent Toypedia blog:
Select Merchandise ninja cardback art
They might just be the most coveted line of 80s ninja toys clinging to the edges of obscurity, sought after by elite ninja super-collectors worldwide. (translated: a half-dozen or so of us really competing for these on eBay). We first featured … Continued
KINNIKUMAN Ninja
This articulated “Romando” figure is from the famed wrestling manga/anime property Kinnikuman, better known here as M.U.S.C.L.E. Great character design for this ring-sport shinobi. These 6-8″ versions of the bizarre wrestlers were produced in the mid-2000s for the 25th anniversary … Continued
Resin kusarigama statue
Nice little 5″ resin-cast statue sold to martial arts supply stores in the early 2000s. I’ve seen two different poses of these, in black and really ugly camouflage, too.
Plush assassin
This mid 90s, 8-inch plush rendition of Kage-Maru from Sega’s Virtua Fighter video game was likely a “UFO prize” (aka kids’ allowance bait in one of those coin-devouring claw machines). This is a character that when first introduced was a … Continued
Fighting Furies KUNG-FU WARRIOR ADVENTURE
OK, so there’s no direct ninja-ness to this post, but I have a serious love for weird 70s martial arts toys, and where else am I going to find a home for these pics? Circa 1974-75, Matchbox had ambitions beyond … Continued
ARASHI 7″ vinyl
I love the somewhat goofy Henshin Ninja Arashi and I love this cheap 7″ semi-articulated vinyl figure too. Bandai produced this in 2005, and it sold for $10-14. I dig this size and price range of collectible – one only … Continued
Ninja miscellany to close out February…
No major theme today, but I wanted to throw some notes out there before a busy weekend. I’ll start with a rather strange score from LA’s Chinatown: Found this statue/plaque/display thing at a shop in the Dynasty Market complex, which … Continued
Hachiman from THUNDERCATS
The interwebs were abuzz this week with the first image of a hip new version of the beloved 80’s cartoon ThunderCats. I was never much of a fan myself, but back in the days when martial arts-related action figures were … Continued
NINJA CAPTOR vintage vinyl
I’m not especially familiar with the 1976/77 Toei tokustatsu property Ninja Captor, but I do like the character design. The elemental-themed costumes combined garishly decorated crash helmets, superhero utility belts and go-go boots with primary-colored mesh that evoked ancient armor. I … Continued