In Salon today, Douglas Wolk reviews Brian Michael Bendis’ run on Daredevil. He talks about the series’ popularity under Frank Miller, and mentions (bolding mine): “Miller’s “Daredevil” became hugely popular, especially after he introduced Elektra, the hero’s ex-lover, now a ninja assassin. Ninja assassins were pretty big in the '80s.”
Simple question: why?
More complicated question: as a fan of Miller’s run on DD, I do remember ninjas being way cool and suddenly popular. They showed up in comics, role playing games, movies, and other popular geek media. Did Miller popularize them, was he an early adopter, or just a johnny-come-lately?
In short, why did US pop culture go (relatively) ninja-crazy in the '80s?
U.S. culture went a little Japan crazy in the eighties, tied in with the impression that Japan’s economic strength would inevitably lead it to taking over corporate America. The western had died out as a genre and something had to replace it. Japanese culture was relatively novel, introduced in a big way by the Shogun miniseries in 1980.
In retrospect, it’s not really all that surprising at all.
I’m convinced it had something to do with the Cold War. All sorts of crazy things happened back then- like Culture Club.
Now, I don’t know where Miller falls in the chronology, but I can think of a few landmark martial arts events that would have led to a lot of imitators:
The Karate Kid
American Ninja
Bloodsport
Kickboxer
Anyway, upon preview, I also agree with the idea of Ninja as gunslinger for the modern day, at least in that era. He’s since been replaced by the gangsta (if anyone wants to hear my theory on gangsta rap culture as the modern equivalent of the gunslinger: in a lawless world where the only things that matter are honor, family, and loyalty, and the only moral authority coming from strength of arms- explaining its appeal to middle class white kids whose fathers made their fortunes through compromise- let me know)
You’re right, of course. But it seems to me – and this may just be my perspective talking – that ninjas took off in a way a lot of other Japanese icons didn’t. Samurai, for example, were certainly known, but didn’t have the same whiff of the badass exotic that ninjas did, even with “Samurai Delicatessin” Ran, and Miller’s Ronin pumping them up.
Heck, pop-culture ninjas were already showing up in Western media in the James Bond flick You Only Live Twice in the late 60s (as the commandos of Japanese superspy Tiger Tanaka).
The Ninja thing in the 80’s was all part of the great Ninja/Pirate war (which lately the Pirates have been dominant during). Who knows, maybe we’ll see Ninjas rise to the top again.
Oh, and don’t forget the coolest ninja movie ever: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
FTR, historical ninjas were mainly spies, not assassins. So, when on missions, they rarely wore black jumpsuits. They wore something ordinary-looking that would help them blend in with the crowd.
I think it was just an extension of the martial arts craze starting sometime around Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” released in 1973. I only remember ninjas being really popular in the early 80’s and they pretty much died after that. OR at least went on life support.
Mobster Ninja: Well, did you spy on him?
Groucho Ninja: I did.
MN: What was he doing?
GN: He was spying on me.
MN: Did he see you?
GN: No, I was too fast for him. All he could do was spy on me.
