“The Living Skeleton” (吸血髑髏船 / Kyūketsu Dokuro-sen), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1968, Shochiku Horror, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) Q257
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1968 for the first release of The Living Skeleton (吸血髑髏船 / Kyūketsu Dokuro-sen), Shochiku’s cult maritime horror film. The Japanese title translates literally as “Vampire Skull Ship,” a wonderfully lurid title that perfectly captures the film’s mixture of ghost-ship mystery, skeletal terror, revenge, and late-1960s Japanese horror atmosphere.
Original Japanese posters for The Living Skeleton are highly sought after by collectors of vintage Japanese horror, particularly because the film belongs to Shochiku’s remarkable late-1960s genre cycle, alongside titles such as Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell and Genocide / War of the Insects.
Film background
Released in 1968, The Living Skeleton is one of Shochiku’s most distinctive horror films of the period. Directed by Hiroshi Matsuno, the film blends ghost story, crime revenge, maritime dread, and surreal horror imagery into a striking black-and-white nightmare.
The story centres on a mysterious ship massacre and the supernatural aftermath that follows. Combining haunted seascapes, skeletal apparitions, vengeance, and a doom-laden atmosphere, the film has become a cult favourite among fans of Japanese horror cinema. Its mood is darker and stranger than many studio genre pictures of the time, with a distinctly funereal visual tone.
Poster design
This Japanese B2 is an exceptional horror design. The composition is dominated by the ghastly face of the undead antagonist, looming from the centre in deep shadow with a sunken, corpse-like expression. His outstretched skeletal hand reaches toward the viewer, giving the poster immediate and unsettling impact.
At the top, a dark twilight sea stretches behind a ship silhouette, while the left side includes a grim image of hanging skeletons, reinforcing the film’s ghost-ship setting. Below the central figure, the frightened leads are shown recoiling in terror, adding a human scale to the supernatural menace.
The title 吸血髑髏船 is printed vertically at right in enormous blood-red characters, with a jagged, dripping quality that makes the typography feel almost like a horror illustration in itself.
The yellow headline at the top reads:
「吸いついて離れないミイラの手！海底にゆらぐ亡霊の行列！」
A natural rendering is:
“The mummy’s hand that clings and will not let go! A procession of ghosts swaying at the bottom of the sea!”
The result is a superb piece of 1960s Japanese horror advertising: sensational, graphic, atmospheric, and immediately memorable.
Condition
Excellent condition. Please review the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.
The poster presents very strongly, with rich blacks, vivid red title lettering, sharp image contrast, and excellent display impact. Minor signs of age and handling may be visible, consistent with an original theatrical poster from this period.
This poster is an original Japanese theatrical B2 from the 1968 first-release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is over 55 years old!
Certificate of Authenticity included.
