One was the subject of the best selling poster of all times, the other the creator of the best selling album of all times. With the deaths yesterday of media mogul Michael Jackson (1958-2009) and poster icon Farah Fawcett (1947-2009) come vivid reminders of the days before the Internet, when mass production of printed media connected the world in so many ways.
Jackson's album Thriller, which celebrated it 25th anniversary last year, sold a total of 109 million copies, as many as 1 million copies a week during its initial bubrst of sales. Originally recorded in 1982 and issued by Epic Records, it was reissued in special deluxe versions both in 2001 and again in 2008. Even that last 25th anniversary version was produced in both vinyl LP with large format packaging with liner notes and the deluxe CD version was housed in a hardbound book-style package with a 48-page color booklet of rare photos and lyrics.
Farah Fawcett's impact on print was less comprehensive, but she updated the concept of pin-up girl to the 1970's. Her most memorable visual moment began as a photo for another lost element of printing's heyday, a 1976 Life magazine photo. It was turned into a poster and eventually sold 12 million copies, the best-selling pin-up poster of all time. Pro Arts Inc., Medina, OH poster printing and publishing company, created the memorable swimsuit poster. Pro Arts Inc., once owned by brothers Ted and Mike Trikilis, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1981 and was liquidated in 1984.
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