Michael Jackson book draws on unseen images by the singer

The ink outlines may be crudely etched, the style described as impressionistic, at best. But for fans of Michael Jackson, the pose struck by the figure in the foreground is unmistakable.

The picture, drawn by a 13-year-old Jackson in 1971 as a protest against the Vietnam War, shows troops taking a hill, backed up by blazing aircraft. It is to be included in an official book documenting the singer’s life, and can be published for the first time today.

Although he drew and signed it while still a student at Walton Elementary School, in California, the outstretched arms of its protagonist would later become one of the singer’s trademark poses. Along with a portrait drawn by Jackson during his 1988 Bad tour, the picture is among thousands of pieces of material unearthed for inclusion in the Michael Jackson Opus, a 400-page tome that is the only new biography of the star sanctioned by his estate.

Plans to publish the 13in by 18in book, which weighs more than 26lb (12kg), had begun before the King of Pop died of a heart attack in June. This month a judge in Los Angeles ruled that the project could go ahead, given that Jackson had already given it his blessing.

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The singer is to be buried on September 3 at Forest Lawn cemetery in Los Angeles, his family have said, after they were forced to delay the ceremony from August 29, the day on which he would have celebrated his 51st birthday.

Court documents released this week show that he died from a lethal dose of propofol, an anaesthetic, leading police to focus the investigation on Conrad Murray, his personal doctor, who was with him on the day he died.

Two dozen researchers have begun the task of going through his personal notebooks and boxes as well as other material from collectors around the world, and hope to include lyrics, notes and drawings on songs that have never been seen before.

To be released this year, it will also include a feature known as augmented reality, which can be used to trigger 3D images via a webcam and computer.

A picture of a boy’s face quickly drawn by Jackson on the Rome leg of his 1988 tour has also been found. As he got back to his room at the Lord Byron hotel he took a sketch book and drew the picture of a boy in pen. He told friends: “Look at the eyes, look at the eyes,” and signed it “Boyhood M.J. 88 Italy”.

Also included is a photograph taken of the singer in Minneapolis in May 1988 that he had framed and hung in his games room in his Neverland ranch. He told friends that it was one of his favourite performance photographs.

A note left by the star to a Parisian artist whom he had commissioned has been unearthed as part of the search and will be seen by some fans as an eerie portent. Quoting Michelangelo, the Renaissance artist, he wrote: “I know the creator will go, but his work survives, that is why, to escape death I attempt to bind my soul to my work.” He adds: “Dedication, Will, Belief creates all things, Believe. MJ.”

Karl Fowler, chief executive of Opus Media Group, which is producing the book, met Jackson in the weeks before his death and said the Thriller singer was “literally jumping up and down with excitement” when he learnt of the Opus plan.

The Michael Jackson Opus will be handbound in leather in a silk clamshell case and is being produced by the team behind several other Opus books, including one on Manchester United that changed hands this year for £1 million, making it the most expensive sports publication on record.

But the singer made it clear that he wanted the book to be priced so it would be available to the majority of his fans. Mr Fowler said: “Our researchers are hard at work as we speak looking at so much rich and varied material from Michael Jackson’s life and career, with photographs, art, letters and drawings such as this one. We know there are lyrics and notes on songs that he wrote that have never been seen before.”

Readers of The Times can purchase the Opus at a discounted price as part of an exclusive deal. For details, see times2, page 18. For details of the book, see michaeljacksonopus.com