“Howard the Duck” (ハワード・ザ・ダック／暗黒魔王の陰謀), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1986, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) Q211
This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1986 for the first theatrical release of Howard the Duck (ハワード・ザ・ダック／暗黒魔王の陰謀), the Lucasfilm science-fiction comedy adventure based on the Marvel Comics character. The film stars Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, Tim Robbins, and the voice of Chip Zien, and was released in Japan by UIP / Universal.
Original Japanese posters for Howard the Duck are highly collectible, and this example is especially desirable for its spectacular Japan-specific action layout, which presents the film less as a simple comedy and more as a large-scale science-fiction adventure.
Film background
Released in 1986, Howard the Duck follows Howard, a wisecracking anthropomorphic duck accidentally transported from his own world to Earth, where he becomes entangled in a cosmic battle involving alien forces and the sinister Dark Overlord of the Universe. Produced under the George Lucas / Lucasfilm banner, the film blends comedy, fantasy, rock music, comic-book absurdity, and 1980s special-effects spectacle.
Although controversial on release, the film has since developed a strong cult following, particularly among collectors of Marvel-related cinema, Lucasfilm productions, and 1980s genre ephemera. Its unusual tone and ambitious effects work make it one of the most distinctive comic-book films of the decade.
Poster design
This Japanese B2 is a superb and highly dynamic release design. Unlike many Western posters for the film, which leaned heavily into comedy, the Japanese campaign presents Howard the Duck as a high-stakes sci-fi adventure. The composition is packed with dramatic action imagery: the possessed Dr. Walter Jenning / Dark Overlord looms at the centre, radiating supernatural energy, while surrounding scenes show aircraft, explosions, concert imagery, and the film’s human characters caught in the chaos.
At lower left, Lea Thompson as Beverly Switzler appears in a striking portrait image, while the lower area includes a small image of Howard’s cracked egg emblem and a concert-performance scene that recalls the film’s rock-and-roll atmosphere. The main title ハワード・ザ・ダック is rendered in a large orange-yellow block font, with the subtitle 暗黒魔王の陰謀 — “The Conspiracy of the Dark Overlord” — placed beneath in a bold red banner.
The Japanese promotional copy at the top reads:
「地球の危機を救え！今世紀最小で最大のニュー・ヒーロー誕生！」
“Save the Earth from crisis! The birth of the smallest yet greatest new hero of the century!”
Above the title, the blue text announces:
「ジョージ・ルーカスのスーパー・アドベンチャー超大作！」
“George Lucas’s super-adventure blockbuster!”
The result is a wonderfully excessive 1980s Japanese poster: colourful, explosive, comic-book driven, and far more dramatic than the film’s standard international advertising.
Condition
Excellent condition. Please review the photos; they show the exact poster for sale.
This poster is an original Japanese theatrical B2 from the 1986 first-release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is over 40 years old!
Certificate of Authenticity included.
