When did knowledge of ninjas become general in the West?

[Count_Blucher]

@CalMeacham

I couldn’t recall if Bond got ninja schooled in the novel, as well. It’s been too long since I read it. Neither the Wikipedia page nor the Bond Wiki say anything about ninjas in Fleming’s novel. (And my copy of the book’s at home)

First mention? Page 110, half way down.

hard cover edition

[Idilia_Dubb]

@Bill_Door

The Kung Fu television series had at least one episode featuring a ninja in the 1973-1974 season.

Maybe it was a ninja who hung Carradine in that closet?

[Kamino_Neko]

@Kinthalis

Are ninja’s well known to western audiences?

Certainly the depiction of ninjas as black pajama wearing guys jumping up walls and using ninja-to and throwing ninja stars, etc is etched into pop-culture, but these are caricatures, they aren’t really representative of actual history.

Heh…this is the observation I was going to make…apparently this thread was too stealthy for me to make it in a timely manner, though. >_>

[The_Other_Waldo_Pepper]

Iron Fist’s first comic-book adventures in 1974 involved a superstealthy ninja who tagged along in black pajamas to fling a well-timed shuriken or whatever. (By 1975, he was pretty much top-billed in the Death Is A Ninja issue of Marvel Premiere.)

[Bill_Door]

@Idilia_Dubb

Maybe it was a ninja who hung Carradine in that closet?

If it was a ninja, we’d never have known it. Hey, wait a minute>