KAGEMARU manga covers
Mitsuteru Yokoyama is probably the second most prolific creator of crossover ninja properties next to Shirato Sanpei. Both Kagemaru of Iga and Masked Ninja Akakage expanded from their pulp roots to multiple incarnations in anime and live action film/television. I’m … Continued
Osamu Tezuka’s ninja
It’s ComiCon week here in SoCal, so I’ll be posting a lot of manga and comics stuff over the next few days. We’ll start things with the king – the emperor? – the ultimate genius? Hmm, I just don’t have … Continued
ZOKU SHINOBI NO MONO press stills (part 2)
The Shinobi no Mono films not only revolutionized the way ninjutsu was portrayed in film, they changed the very notion of ninja characters. Raizo Ichikawa was the perfect victim protagonist – the lone man struggling to survive in a world that … Continued
ZOKU SHINOBI NO MONO press stills (part 1)
These sepia-toned (and aging poorly) 8×10’s are from either a theatrical lobby promo kit or a studio press kit contemporary to the 1963 theatrical release of ninja blockbuster Zoku Shinobi no Mono (Return of the Band of Assassins, ). Raizo … Continued
My icon explained…
Couple folk have asked about my icon on Twitter or Facebook. It’s an image of where my worlds of ninja fandom, pro wrestling mark and obseesive toy collector meet – a Japanese capsule figure of ninja-themed 80’s pro-wrestler The Great … Continued
First print ad for this site…
Many thanks to longtime friend and co-conspirator Rafael Navarro for giving us the back inside cover to the new Sonambulo Lives! comic, which makes it’s debut at this year’s ComiCon International in San Diego.
YATSUHA in “Samurai Champloo”
Samurai Champloo is now available as a lower-priced box set, so I’ll re-purpose an old Ninja80 post here. I was a huge mark for Cowboy BeBop, but the creative team’s follow-up series failed to make the same impact with me… until … Continued
FUJIMARU book-n-record (PART 2)
The adventure continues… Fujimaru had a rather large friend from above his whole life – a giant eagle. It was all part of a well-balanced mix of genuine historical weaponry and credible martial arts with superhero-like powers and outright magic. … Continued
SAVITAR – best ninja figure of the 80’s?
For the most part, 80’s ninja figures released in the U.S. resembled the cheesy straight-to-video movie costuming or equally lame ninja suits sold in the back of Soldier of Fortune magazine. Re-mold a He-Man in black pajamas, paint the head … Continued
FUJIMARU book-n-record (PART 1)
Growing up in the pre-home video era often meant the only way to relive your favorite movie or TV property was the now extinct book-n-record. I positively wore out my GI Joe, Frankenstein and Planet of the Apes comic book / … Continued