“Army of Darkness” (Captain Supermarket / キャプテン・スーパーマーケット), Rare Original Japanese B4 / B3 Double-Sided Press Sheet Poster 1992/1993, B4 Folded Size / B3 Open Size (c. 36.4 × 51.5 cm unfolded) Q78
This rare Japanese B4 folded / B3 unfolded double-sided press sheet poster was produced for Sam Raimi’s cult classic Army of Darkness, released in Japan under the unforgettable title Captain Supermarket (キャプテン・スーパーマーケット). Far more distinctive than much of the standard international marketing, this Japanese design leans fully into the film’s absurdist horror-comedy identity: Bruce Campbell’s Ash is presented not only as a chainsaw-wielding medieval hero, but as a pop-culture mascot of slapstick violence, supermarket kitsch, and comic-book excess.
Among collectors of Japanese horror and cult cinema paper, this pink Captain Supermarket design is one of the most recognisable and sought-after Japanese promotional pieces of the early 1990s. Its appeal lies in the contrast between the grand fantasy-horror key art and the outrageous bubblegum-pink collage treatment surrounding it. Issued as a promotional press sheet rather than a standard theatrical poster, it is significantly harder to locate than more common poster formats, especially in strong, complete, double-sided condition.
Army of Darkness itself has become one of the defining cult films of its era. Directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell, it transformed the Evil Dead formula into a delirious blend of medieval fantasy, horror, slapstick comedy, and comic-book action. The Japanese release title, Captain Supermarket, brilliantly reframed Ash through his S-Mart identity, emphasising the film’s central joke: an ordinary retail clerk thrown into a mythic battle against the forces of darkness. More than thirty years later, the film’s following remains exceptionally strong, and original Japanese advertising material for the title has become increasingly desirable.
Design
The front is one of the great Japanese cult-film poster designs of the period. The right-hand panel uses the dramatic fantasy key art of Ash standing triumphant with chainsaw and torn shirt, surrounded by medieval ruins, Deadites, warriors, and the captive heroine. Across the image runs the bold Japanese title キャプテン・スーパーマーケット in vivid yellow against a hot-pink logo field, while the vertical pink callout at the upper right gives the composition an unmistakably Japanese promotional energy.
The left-hand panel is entirely different in tone: a frantic, comic-book-style montage set against a saturated hot-pink background. Film stills are framed in yellow, overlaid with pop-art sound effects such as “CLICK!”, “ROWRRR!”, “HROO”, and “BOOM”, together with Japanese captions, arrows, hearts, and visual jokes. Ash, Sheila, the Deadites, the Necronomicon, skeleton armies, and chainsaw action are all treated like panels from a chaotic horror-comedy magazine spread. The result captures the film’s unusual tone with remarkable precision: grotesque, romantic, heroic, ridiculous, and self-aware all at once.
The reverse side expands the promotional presentation into a full press-sheet layout. One section features a moody blue-toned image of Ash confronting a monstrous Deadite above the English title CAPTAIN SUPERMARKET and the line “The hero you’ve never seen before.” The remaining panels include Japanese production notes, cast and staff information, critical quotes, stills, and sections devoted to Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. A large silhouetted figure with raised arms overlays the text area, giving the reverse a strong graphic presence rather than the plain informational layout usually found on many press sheets.
Condition
Excellent / Unused (folded, as issued). Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale. Original machine fold down the centre, allowing the piece to store at B4 size and open out to approximately B3 size.
It is over 30 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
