Violence Jack
Buronson cited Bruce Lee and "Mad Max" as his two biggest influences on "Fist of the North Star". He stated that Kenshiro and the martial arts were inspired by the martial artist Bruce Lee and his 1970s Hong Kong action kung fu films, while the post-apocalyptic setting was inspired by the "Mad Max" film series (1979 debut). "Fist of the North Star" was also influenced by Go Nagai's manga series "Violence Jack" (1973 debut), which similarly had a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland setting with biker gangs, anarchic violence, ruined buildings, innocent civilians, tribal chiefs and small abandoned villages; it has been argued that "Mad Max" may have also been influenced by "Violence Jack". Originally, Hara and Buronson were contracted to do "Fist of the North Star" for a three-year run, but due to its popularity and the publisher's demand, it was extended to a five-year run.