Hi everyone,

I’m looking for help identifying and dating a particular variant of the Michael Jackson “Ghosts” poster. I recently acquired a framed copy that appears to be different from the versions I have usually seen online, and I’m hoping collectors or researchers familiar with Christophe Boulmé, Black & White magazine, or original Michael Jackson promotional material may be able to shed some light on it.

What makes this copy unusual is the combination of several details. It includes the side credit “Illustration by Christophe Boulmé / Black & White,” the theatrical tagline “COMING SOON TO A THEATRE NEAR YOU,” and a full movie-style billing block at the bottom. The composition also appears slightly different from the more commonly reproduced versions of the artwork: for example, the final “S” in “GHOSTS” extends very close to, or partly underneath, the visible edge of the mat/frame.

I have found many examples of the familiar Boulmé “Ghosts” illustration, including versions without the theatrical tagline and versions associated with later authorized reprints. I have also found posts from Christophe Boulmé’s official Facebook presence showing later reprints, including examples from around 2019 that carry the same “Christophe Boulmé / Black & White” credit. Because of that, I understand that this credit alone cannot be used to prove that a particular print dates from 1996–1997.

The piece was previously sold by Gotta Have Rock and Roll as a signed “Ghosts” original movie poster. The framed dimensions were listed as approximately 22 x 30 inches, but because the listing also gave a depth of about 1 inch, those measurements appear to refer to the framed object rather than the paper itself. Based on the visible proportions, the actual poster may be close to A2 size, but I still want to verify the exact paper dimensions outside the frame.

There is also genuine historical context for theatrical promotion of “Ghosts.” The film received a limited U.S. theatrical engagement in selected Sony theaters in October 1996, where it was shown in connection with “Stephen King’s Thinner,” and contemporary promotional material indicated that a wider theatrical release was being contemplated for 1997. That makes the wording “COMING SOON TO A THEATRE NEAR YOU” historically plausible, although I have not yet found another clearly documented surviving copy of this exact poster variant with that complete wording and layout.

At this point I am trying to determine whether this is:

an original 1996–1997 theatrical advance/promotional poster;

a Black & White / Christophe Boulmé promotional print from the original period;

a later authorized Boulmé reprint;

or some other reproduction or variant.

I would be very grateful for any help from people who have seen this exact version before. In particular, I would love to see photographs, measurements, scans, catalog references, magazine inserts, promotional material, or dated examples of the Boulmé “Ghosts” artwork that could help establish when this specific layout first appeared.

If anyone owns one of the later Boulmé reprints from 2019 or another post-2009 edition, a direct comparison would be especially useful. I’m particularly interested in whether those later prints include the same theatrical tagline, the same billing block, the same placement of the “Christophe Boulmé / Black & White” credit, and the same cropping/composition of the word “GHOSTS.”

 Any documentation or firsthand knowledge would be greatly appreciated.