From the press release from the United States Postal Service:
The Sunday Funnies stamp pane honors Archie, Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace, Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes. The stamps will go on sale in July.
Offering an idealized portrait of American adolescence, Archie existed only in comic-book form before debuting in newspapers in 1946. A typical small-town teenager with a knack for goofing things up, 17-year-old Archie Andrews is often torn between haughty brunette Veronica Lodge and sweet, blonde Betty Cooper.
A military strip with universal appeal, Beetle Bailey first appeared in September 1950. Possibly the laziest man in the army, Private Beetle Bailey is an expert at sleeping and avoiding work. His chronic indolence antagonizes Sergeant Orville P. Snorkel, who is tough on his men but calls them â??my boys.â?
Dennis the Menace follows the antics of Dennis Mitchell, a good-hearted but mischievous little boy who is perpetually â??5-ana-halfâ? years old. His curiosity tests the patience of his loving parents and neighbors, guaranteeing that their lives are anything but dull. The comic debuted in March 1951 as a single-panel gag.
Garfield first waddled onto the comics page in June 1978. Self-centered and cynical, the crabby tabby hates Mondays and loves lasagna. He lives with Jon Arbuckle, a bumbling bachelor with a fatally flawed fashion sense, and Odie, a dopey but devoted dog.
Calvin and Hobbes explores the fantasy life of 6-year-old Calvin and his tiger pal, Hobbes. The inseparable friends ponder the mysteries of the world and test the fortitude of Calvinâ??s parents, who never know where their sonâ??s imagination will take him. The strip ran from November 1985 to December 1995.
Nice to see the USPS recognize Calvin and Hobbes. I gotta go get them.
These will be released in July, according to a rep at the USPS I spoke to. He couldn’t yet say where they’ll be launched with First Day of Issue registration.
Won’t this merchandising of “Calvin and Hobbes” destroy the integrity of the strip?
I don’t think Watterson will have a problem with his strip being on postage stamps. I’m sure he’d rather have that than the Calvin peeing on stuff stickers.
I’m hoping it will be a peeing Calvin stamp.
Great news, I’m especially happy to see Mort Walker/Beetle being honored!!
Look at this….
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=210826.0
If she mailed this to someone using the C&H stamps, would Mr. Watterson’s head explode?
Stacy – you hit the nail on the head. Obviously this isn’t merchandising in the traditional sense, but this must be one of the very, very few (perhaps only) times you can buy Calvin and Hobbes “merchandise.”
Keep in mind we’re not talking about t-shirts here. A stamp is a national symbol, like money, so this is a prestigious way of acknowledging the contributions all of these cartoonists made to American (and worldwide) culture.
Of course, I believe Watterson once said, “The day I let them use Calvin for merchandise is the day they can lick …”
🙂
Don’t you have to be dead to be on a postage stamp? Just askin’…
I agree Mike. Being honored on a stamp is not the same as selling out.
Jeff, my understanding of it is, the rules are different for fictional characters. And remember, there’ve already been comic strip stamps before, as well as other stamps featuring Disney and Looney Tunes cartoon characters.