Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Monday, August 4, 2025
USA Philatelic Catalog has Chris Ware cover
and US residents can get it for free from the Post Office's website at https://store.usps.com/store/product/usa-philatelic-P_012007 My friend Rodrigo notes there is a pdf with quotes from Ware on page 3: https://www.usps.com/stamp-
Thursday, July 24, 2025
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Chris Ware stamps launched today at Post Office HQ
Chris Ware wasn't at his stamp release event, but I was. I took the day off because I had never been to one of these ceremonies before. This was held at the US Post Office headquarters in L'Enfant Plaza, or actually on the sidewalk outside it.
I seriously underestimated the crowd the event would draw, and ended up parking under the Spy Museum / Hilton for $18/hour. The whole area is one of those 1960s urban renewal plans that destroyed perfectly good neighborhoods for brutalist monstrosities. This was a big deal launch because it's the 250th anniversary of the postal service and these were the stamps commemorating that.
After some musical entertainment including a man singing Elvis' "Return to Sender" and a fiddle player, and an excellent version of the Star Spangled Banner by a PO employee, Ben Franklin took the stage.
In addition to Ware's stamp sheet, a new stamp of Franklin as the first Postmaster General was launched. Speakers included Amber McReynolds, USPS Board of Governors chairwoman, who writes history on women and voting...
the new Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer David Steiner...
and then they 'unveiled' both stamps, not that they were a surprise to anyone in the crowd...
and Eliot Gruber, the head of the Smithsonian's Postal Museum (a truly fun and interesting place) made some remarks...
...and then Ben Franklin wrapped it up and people got on line to buy stamps and get first day cancellations. Before and during the event, USPS staff were handing out the official programs for both stamps, and pins of each. Below is the Ware one, which was designed by Antonio Alcalá, whom I've previously interviewed here.
...they were generous with them too, so outside of DC, the Billy Ireland Library at OSU will soon have a set.
These hard-working ladies were cancelling stamps at speed but with precision for the crowd...
There was no Ware-specific cancellation, so I didn't get any, but you can buy FDCs on the PO website.
And in surprising news, the PO is planning on reissuing a stamp by voting popularity. Out of the 20 shown, 11 are cartoon stamps including Disney, Pixar, DC, and Peanuts, but not Marvel.
Special Stamp Re-Issue
- The U.S. Postal Service is inviting the public to participate in a voting event to choose a previously issued stamp to re-issue. The stamp issuance that receives the highest number of votes will be announced in 2026. Voting will take place from July 23 to Sept. 30 at StampsForever.com/vote.
Friday, July 18, 2025
WBEZ interviews Chris Ware about his postage stamps
Cartoonist Chris Ware brings Chicago-inspired world to new postage stamps
The Riverside-based artist has designed a delightfully detailed sheet of 20 Forever stamps, in honor of the Postal Service's 250th birthday.
Peanuts stamps coming from UK
Happiness is… a stamp collection: Royal Mail celebrates 75 years of Peanuts
Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang are back – this time with a delightful British twist. To mark the 75th anniversary of the beloved Peanuts comic strip, Royal Mail has unveiled a charming new set of stamps. Expect postboxes, seaside sandcastles, and even Buckingham Palace cameos.
Monday, June 30, 2025
“Ecological Aesthetic Education”: Lao Jiu and His Humorous Philatelic Cartoons online from IJOCA
"Ecological Aesthetic Education": Lao Jiu and His Humorous Philatelic Cartoons
Xu Ying
International Journal of Comic Art Vol. 26, No. 2 Fall/Winter 2024 pp. 373-389
Xu Ying
International Journal of Comic Art Vol. 26, No. 2 Fall/Winter 2024 pp. 373-389
I happen to have a strong interest in comics and stamps (I call it cartoonphilately) so I asked John if I could put this article online.
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