“Ultraman: Monster Big Battle” (ウルトラマン 怪獣大決戦), Original Japanese First-Release Double-Sided Theatrical Press Sheet / Promotional Poster 1979, B3 Size (c. 36.4 × 51.5 cm) I205A

This is an original Japanese double-sided B3 theatrical promotional press sheet produced for the first release of Ultraman: Monster Big Battle (ウルトラマン 怪獣大決戦) in 1979.

Released theatrically in Japan on 21 July 1979, the film was produced by Tsuburaya Productions and directed by Noriko Shishikura. It forms part of the major late-1970s revival of the original Ultraman, combining selected material from the classic television series with newly produced footage and presenting the franchise’s heroes and monsters on the big screen.

Importantly, this is not the standard single-sided B2 theatrical poster. Its smaller B3 format and extensively printed reverse identify it as a double-sided theatrical publicity / press piece, designed to promote the film while also supplying exhibitors, media or promotional partners with detailed information about the production, characters and Ultraman mythology.

Film background

The film was assembled around some of the most memorable episodes of the original Ultraman television series, including appearances by several of the franchise’s defining kaiju.

Rather than functioning simply as a television compilation, the theatrical production incorporated substantial newly filmed material, most notably an expanded confrontation between Ultraman and Alien Baltan.

The film also brought together what the campaign promoted as the 12-member “Ultra Family”, while introducing contemporary audiences to the wider lineage of Ultra heroes.

Among the monsters represented are some of the most famous creatures in Japanese tokusatsu history, including:

Alien Baltan
Red King
Neronga
Chandlar
Gigas
Draco
Magular
Pigmon

The film therefore functioned both as a celebration of the original series and as an introduction to the wider Ultra mythology for a new generation of viewers.

Design

The front is an exuberant piece of late-1970s Japanese tokusatsu advertising, densely packed with Ultraman and his adversaries.

At centre, Ultraman strides forward against a cosmic background, his silver-and-red body sharply illuminated against deep black space and a swirling galaxy.

To the left, Alien Baltan dominates the foreground with its enormous pincer claws and glowing orange eyes—one of the most immediately recognisable creature designs in the entire Ultraman franchise.

Across the lower section, a crowded procession of monsters creates a deliberately overwhelming sense of spectacle, while a second Ultraman figure appears at right in combat.

The vertical copy at upper right announces the central promise of the campaign:

「ウルトラ12人ファミリーと10大怪獣…画面を揺さぶる最後の闘い！」

Approximately:

“The 12-member Ultra Family and 10 great monsters… the final battle that will shake the screen!”

At upper left, additional text declares the arrival of a new Ultraman, tying the film to the renewed wave of Ultra enthusiasm sweeping Japan at the time.

The enormous yellow-and-red ウルトラマン title fills the lower third, with the pink-and-blue 怪獣大決戦 subtitle beneath it.

The colour palette—electric yellow, vivid red, metallic silver, deep black and cosmic blue—is pure Showa-era tokusatsu and gives the sheet tremendous nostalgic character.

The reverse / press-sheet format

The reverse is what makes this piece particularly interesting.

Rather than being left blank like a conventional theatrical poster, the entire back is printed with publicity material, production notes, photographs and franchise information.

The upper portion includes explanatory text surrounding the film, accompanied by stills from the production and a bold headline promoting the theatrical confrontation.

Across the middle is a feature introducing the film’s 10 major monsters, with small black-and-white images and individual explanatory text.

The lower section is headed:

「『ウルトラマン』について 知っておきたい10の事実！」

“10 facts about Ultraman you should know!”

This section functions almost like a miniature press dossier, explaining key pieces of Ultraman history and mythology for readers.

Along the bottom is an array of alternative Ultraman / 怪獣大決戦 title treatments and logos, further reinforcing the sheet’s publicity and promotional purpose.

This combination of poster artwork on one side and detailed press information on the other makes the piece a particularly appealing survivor from the film’s original Japanese campaign.

The B3 format

Measuring approximately 36.4 × 51.5 cm, the Japanese B3 format is exactly half the surface area of a standard B2 poster.

Its dimensions were well suited to press material, promotional handouts and compact display pieces, particularly where a full B2 theatrical sheet would have been impractical.

Because these smaller publicity pieces were often handled, folded, circulated and ultimately discarded after a campaign ended, surviving original examples from 1970s tokusatsu releases are increasingly difficult to find.

The double-sided printing also makes this considerably more interesting than a simple reduced-size reproduction of the principal artwork.

Condition

Very Good+ original condition overall.

Please review all photographs carefully; they show the exact item for sale, front and reverse.

This is an original Japanese B3 double-sided theatrical promotional press sheet from the film’s first-release campaign in 1979.

It is not a reproduction or modern reprint.

It is approximately 47 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.