On July 16, 2010 the U.S. Postal Service celebrated five iconic American newspaper comic strips with their dedication of the Sunday Funnies postage stamps. The 44-cent first-class commemorative stamps honor Archie , Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace , Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes.
Beetle Bailey Comic Strip History
According to Don Markstein's Toonopedia.com, Beetle Bailey made its first appearance in 12 newspapers on Sept. 4, 1950. At that time, creator Mort Walker presented Beetle as a lazy college student (originally going by the name of "Spider"). On March 13, 1951, Walked had Beetle quit college and join the Army, where he began his relationship with the infamously lovable Sgt. Snorkel at Camp Swampy. The strip now appears in more than 1,800 papers around the world.
A long list of supporting characters have taken on a life of their own in the Beetle Bailey strip. Some of the more memorable characters include Killer, Cosmo, Plato, Zero, Lt. Peachfuzz, Lt. Flap, General Halftrack, and the General's secretary Miss Buxley.
USPS Beetle Bailey Stamp
The Beetle Bailey stamp features Beetle with a calm smile on his face while Sgt. Snorkel typically screams in outrage. USPS Art director Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland selected the Beetle Bailey image that appears on the stamp.
U.S. Postal Service Eastern Area Vice President Megan Brennan dedicated the Sunday Funnies stamps at The Ohio State University, home of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum. Joining the dedication were OSU Executive Vice President and Provost Joseph Alutto and OSU Libraries Director Carol Pitts Diedrichs. Also in attendance as special guests were various creators, artists, and writers from the honored comic strips. These guests included Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker, Garfield creator Jim Davis, Dennis the Menace artists Marcus Hamilton and Ron Ferdinand, Archie Comics newspaper strip writer Craig Goldman, and Calvin and Hobbes Editor Lee Salem.
Ordering Beetle Bailey First-Day-of-Issue Postmarks
The USPS offers first-day-of-issue postmarks on Beetle Bailey stamps. According to the USPS, customers have 60 days after the stamps go on sale to obtain first-day-of-issue postmarks by mail. Customers should purchase stamps at any local Post Office, at The Postal Store website,or by calling 800-STAMP-24. Once acquired, the U.S. Postal Service instructs that stamps should be affixed to an envelope of the customer's choice and the envelope should then be addressed to the customer or another party. The envelope (or envelopes) should then be placed in a large envelope and mailed to:
- Sunday Funnies Stamp
- 850 Twin Rivers Drive, Retail - Rm. 416
- Columbus, OH 43216-9653
First-day-of-issue postmarks are a free service offered by the USPS. The U.S. Postal Service will apply the first-day-of-issue postmark and then return the envelopes through the mail. All orders must be postmarked by Sept. 17, 2010.
Ordering Beetle Bailey First-Day Covers
The Stamp Fulfillment Services department of the USPS is offering first-day covers of the Beetle Bailey Sunday Funnies stamp postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. The Beetle Bailey first-day cover can be found in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:
- Information Fulfillment
- Dept. #6270
- U.S. Postal Service
- PO Box 219014
- Kansas City, MO 64121-9014
Beetle Bailey Sunday Funnies Philatelic Products
Several Sunday Funnies philatelic products are available from the USPS website:
- First-Day Cover Set of 5, $4.10
- Digital Color Postmark Set of 5, $7.50
- Uncut Press Sheet, $79.20
- Ceremony Program, $6.95
- Cancellation Keepsake (Pane of 20 & Digital Color Postmark Set of 5), $16.95.
