Ninja Yashiki board game
Up on eBay right now from vendor susi-sumo-jpn, this vintage board game is to die for! No year specified, but I’m thinking 80’s from the art and the way it’s colored. Looks like shuriken and ninja figurine tokens. The black box … Continued
Masked swordsmen from the 1920s
This 1926 promotional flyer from the Nishiki-za movie theater in Kobe, Japan features some sweet hooded misadventure! From the text, this Nikkatsu production was called Teru Hi Kumoru Hi: Zenpen, (roughly Sunny Day, Cloudy Day: Chapter 1) based on a novel by Kurama … Continued
80s Ninja Hoods
Is it just me, or did the two piece hood common to North American merchandisers completely suck? A mainstay of retailers like Asian World of Martial Arts, the common American ninja head gear was made of a heavy duty outer … Continued
Happy 3rd Birthday to US!
Wow, VN’s big year three anniversary! I feel inclined to do the same thing we do every year, and revisit our first (and stil one of my favorite) posts, so enjoy: AKAI KAGEBOSHI – the other ‘red shadow’ (originally published … Continued
KANA – the *ORIGINAL* G.I. NINJA
It was August of 1981, a few months before Enter the Ninja would kick off the outright “boom.” The word “ninja” wasn’t a household term yet, but between Shogun on TV, Eric Van Lustbader (The Ninja was already a bestseller) and Andrew Adams’ … Continued
VN REVISITED – Sengoku Yaro (Warring Clans)
(originally published June 2009) Sword of Doom and Kiru! maestro Okamoto Kihachi‘s 1963 ninja classic Sengoku Yaro is a real blast – a superb mix of comedy and combat peppered with some rather outré fight scenes, a jazzy score by Masaru Sato that keeps you … Continued
New DEAD RINGO trailer
Check out the latest from Eddie Mort! And see a pile of imagery at the Dead Ringo tumblr.
Coming soon…
…but not necessarily this week: And if anyone can identify where this panel comes from I’ll send them something cool free! Meanwhile, I’m looking at a busy two weeks in front of me, so new stuff might be sparing. I’ve … Continued
JIRAIYA THE BRAVE: Ninja and toad magic in the roaring 20s
This 1921 silent movie might just be the first time the legend of Jiraiya was put on film. It could also well-be the first time giant toad and snake magic with special effects transformations appeared on screen, four decades before … Continued
Vintage Ninja Wind Chime
This 4″ porcelain windchime came from Japan, the seller not knowing how old but had it in her possession since the early 80s. However the design is old school enough, I have a feeling the same mold was used for … Continued