Zippy stamps?

Zippy stamps? Could it be? Well, there's Zippy postage at least. Unfortunately these things are always more expensive than they should be, but I ordered 1 set. Only 7 more to go. Hopefully Bill Griffith is getting a decent cut of the price.

Former cartoonist and political illustrator designes stamp

The stamp is on Alzheimer's disease and by Matt Mahurin. I'll be buying a sheet on Monday even though it's not a cartoon image. See "From Rock Videos to an Alzheimer’s Stamp," By ROBIN FINN, New York Times November 2, 2008 and the press release is here.

Garfield appears on French stamps

Dave Astor says Garfield is on two French stamps in his article, "A Pair of 'Garfield' Books -- and French Stamps!" E&P Online October 17, 2008.

[A correspondent of mine says this is actually a booklet of 10 stamps]

Smurf your letters

50 years of little blue men leads to nice new stamps in Belgium. No less than two issues : one set of two times five stamps featuring the main characters (and a few post-related ones) from Peyo's celebrated comic series, and one souvenir sheet featuring a festivity scene that seems to be rather clumsily copy pasted together. But it's printed on a luxurious large size for once, so who are we to complain ?



This release is accompanied by an awareness campaign by the Belgian Post to get children to use their services again. If they manage to collect ten different, cancelled Smurf stamps, they receive free Smurfs gifts and can compete for bigger prizes.




By the way, this is the second major Smurf stamp (not counting the crass commercialism that is the duostamp).

More at the Belgian Post Philately site.

Belgian philately site finally up to date

It has taken them a while, but the Belgian Post Office's official Philately site is finally up to date, which enables us to give you an overview of comics-related releases that have been published already, or are still to come.

Early in the year, Philip Geluck's Le Chat graced the annual Red Cross stamp. One stamp, available a single and as a row, with illustrated tab.

Another annual event, the Youth Philately stamps, carried the likeness of Hermann Huppen's hero Jeremiah. Again, one stamp, available a single and as a row, with illustrated tab.

A special series of five stamps celebrated the 70th anniversary of Belgian comic character Spirou. It was only the first of three commemorative editions, followed by a stamp on the occasion of Mickey Mouse's 80th anniversary (one stamp, available a single and as a row, with illustrated tab), and, later this month, a quite nice sheet of five stamps featuring the Smurfs.

Finally, Belgian cartoonist and illustrator René Hausmann created the art for a special sheet of five stamps about Belgian predatory mammals.

No Tintin this year ;-)

Al Hirschfeld artwork on new stamp

Today's Washington Post reports that Al Hirschfeld's artwork will be featured on a stamp again - "First- Class Act: The Postal Service Puts Black Film History In a Starring Role," Sunday, July 20, 2008; Page M06. The article says:

The last stamp is the work of the famed Al Hirschfeld for "Hallelujah," a 1929 film made by MGM with an all-black cast and directed by King Vidor. Nina Mae McKinney, another talented beauty who was known as "the Black Garbo," was a co-star. The film itself has been debated for years for including both the reality of rural life and stereotypes. The poster shows a stylized flapper raising her yellow-gloved arms.

DC Comics stamps in Singapore

They're appearing this summer starting today. See "DC Comics' super heroes featured on SingPost stamps," By Heather Tan, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 12 June 2008.