Doonesbury U.S. Protest Stamp : 1990

The top two panels of the May 1990 Sunday comic shows Zonker Harris picked up his mail and looking disgusted. He says "Another 1989 postmark! Time to take action!This is followed by four panels with Zonker announcing his Protest stamps, along with a pseudo-sheet of 18 stamps featuring 2 designsHi! Former U.S. Postal Service Temporary Zonker Harris here! Have the proposed new postal rates got you steamed?Sure U.S. Postal rates would still be among the lowest in the world, but aren't ypu fed up anyway? Uhu?Sure you are! So why not affix these dandy 5c protest stamps to all your mail? What better way to send a message to your Postal Service?They're attractive, convenient and possibly illegal! So go ahead, slap on a U.S. Protest Stamp? You won't be sorry!

The Postal Service was not amused. A USPS spokesman told reporters that the Doonesbury stamps were "definately illegal." In fact, used risked a fine of $300. The USPS did report that many envelopes containing the bogus stamps were caught during the sorting process and removed from the mail stream. However there were some stamped envelopes that reached their final destination.

- Doonesbury's Cinderella Story: Protest Stamps and Comic Timing, Ashley Bowen-Murphy

Sunday Funnies : 2010

2010-Jul-16 Columbus OH

2010-Jul-16, Columbus, Ohio, the Postal Service issued a 44-cent, Sunday Funnies commemora-tive stamp in five designs, designed by Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, Maryland.

The Sunday Funnies stamp pane honors five of our most beloved comic strips: Archie, Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace, Garfield, and Calvin and Hobbes.

The Beetle Bailey stamp features Beetle, smiling calmly while Sarge loses his cool.

The Calvin and Hobbes stamp captures the precocious 6-year-old and his tiger pal making scary and ridiculous faces.

The Archie stamp features Archie sharing a chocolate shake with brunette Veronica Lodge on his right and blonde Betty Cooper on his left.

The Garfield stamp features the crabby tabby standing back to back with Odie, a carefree, energetic dog.

The Dennis the Menace stamp features 5-year-old Dennis, dressed in red overalls and striped shirt, running off to some new adventure.

USPS Bulletin PB 22287 June 17, 2010

Special Dedication Postmarks - Only the following pictorial postmark is permitted for the Sunday Funnies stamp. The word “Station” or the abbreviation “STA” is required somewhere in the design, because it will be a temporary station. Additional pictorial postmarks used at various Post Offices around the country can be found Pages: Classic Comic Stamps - 1995

Calvin & Hobbes : 2010 Sunday Funnies

2010-Jul-16 Columbus OH

Bill Watterson was born in Washington, D.C., in 1958. His love of art began at an early age, and early influences included Charles Schulz ("Peanuts"), George Herriman ("Krazy Kat"), and Walt Kelly ("Pogo").

Watterson's numerous daily comic ideas were all rejected until he created "Calvin and Hobbes," the engaging chronicle of a 6-year-old's psyche. The strip was signed by Universal Press Syndicate and debuted on Nov. 18, 1985. By the end of its run on Dec. 31, 1995, the award-winning "Calvin and Hobbes" was carried in more than 2,400 newspapers. Watterson became the youngest person to win the prestigious Reuben Award for "Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year" from the National Cartoonists Society. He won the award again in 1988. GoComics

Commemorative postmark used 2010-Jul-16 California State Fair Sacramento CA

Archie : 2010 Sunday Funnies

2010-Jul-16 Columbus OH

Robert William Montana (1920 – 1975) American comic strip artist who created the original likenesses for characters published by Archie Comics and in the newspaper strip Archie. Montana worked in advertising and pulp magazine illustration before entering the comic book field. While freelancing at True Comics and Fox Comics, he created an adventure strip about four teenage boys and tried to sell it without success. He also worked as an assistant to cartoonist Rube Goldberg.

When Montana started working for MLJ Comics he was asked to work up a high-school style comic-strip story, featuring Archie Andrews. Montana and Harry Lucey collaborated on the first comic book story which was featured in Pep Comics (Dec. 1941), and its popularity led MLJ to assign Montana to draw the first issue of Archie (Nov. 1942)

Archies commemorative postmark used 2010-Jul-21 Rye NY and 2010-Aug-11 Mamaroneck NY

Commemorative postmark used 2010-Jul-16 Sacramento CA

Garfield : 2010 Sunday Funnies

2010-Jul-16 Columbus OH

 

James Robert Davis is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known as the creator of the comic strips Garfield and U.S. Acres. Published since 1978, Garfield is one of the world's most widely syndicated comic strips. Davis's other comics work includes Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat, and Mr. Potato Head.

Garfield was originally published locally as Jon in 1976 (later changed to Garfield in 1977), then in nationwide syndication from 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character Garfield the cat, Odie the dog, and their owner Jon Arbuckle. As of 2013, it was syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals; the comic held the Guinness World Record for being the world's most widely syndicated comic strip.

Commemorative postmark used at California State Fair Sacramento CA

Dennis the Menace : 2010 Sunday Funnies

2010-Jul-16 Columbus OH

Henry King Ketcham (1920 – 2001) American cartoonist who created the Dennis the Menace comic strip, writing and drawing it from 1951 to 1994, when he retired from drawing the daily cartoon and took up painting full-time in his home studio. In 1953, he received the Reuben Award for the strip, which continues today in the hands of other cartoonists.

Dennis the Menace made its debut on March 12, 1951 in 16 newspapers and was originally distributed by Post-Hall Syndicate. The full-color Sunday strip debuted in January 1952. The inspiration for the comic strip came from Dennis Ketcham, the real-life son of Hank Ketcham, who, at four years old, refused to take a nap and made a complete mess of his room.

Commemorative postmark used 2010-Jul-16 California State Fair Sacramento CA and

2010-Aug-21 Pine Bush NY

Beetle Bailey : 2010 Sunday Funnies

2010-Jul-16 Columbus OH

Addison Morton Walker (1923 – 2018) American comic strip writer, best known for creating the newspaper comic strips Beetle Bailey in 1950 and Hi and Lois in 1954. He signed Addison to some of his strips.

Beetle Bailey was first published September 4, 1950. It is set on a fictional United States Army post. Beetle was originally a college student at Rockview University, as of September 4, 1950. Although he was as lazy in college as he would be in the service, he did have a broken down jalopy and was the star of the track team (apparently on a scholarship). The comic strip Hi and Lois, co-created by Mort Walker and Dik Browne, is a spin-off from Beetle Bailey (Beetle's sister is Lois Flagston).

Over the years, Mort Walker had been assisted by (among others) Jerry Dumas, Bob Gustafson, Frank Johnson and Walker's sons, Neal, Brian and Greg Walker, who are continuing the strip after his death.

Commemorative postmark used 2010-Jul-16 California State Fair Sacramento CA and

2010-Aug-27 Columbia MO

Jeff McComsey - FUBAR

2014.04.12 Asbury Park Comic Con, Asbury Park, NJ

I was familiar with Steve Becker and Jeff McComsey's FUBAR zombie based military comic. I had the idea of asking Steve Becker if he would initiate Beetle Bailey into the FUBAR world.  When I returned to pick up the sketch, Steve had handed the assignment off to Jeff McComsey.

McComsey is the editor-in-chief of the historical zombie anthology and New York Times best seller FUBAR. According to his bio when he's not chained to his desk drawing pages, he's chained to his desk... drawing pages...

Although I had never been a big zombie fan, still have not read or seen Walking Dead, I have enjoyed the FUBAR books. Zombie armies need a purpose, and what better purpose than to maintain the battle...

Jamal Peppers - Archie

2011.05.22 Wizard Comic Con, NY

Jamal Peppers worked in illustration and design, but got his start in comics at Archie Comics where he has worked on Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Universe and Mega Man...

Jeff Shultz - Archie

Jeff Shultz, Superheroes for Hospice, Eatontown, NJ 2010.09.11

Shultz is an artist at Archie comics drawing Betty & Veronica. Shultz has also added his talents to the March of Dimes sketch cards.

Archie was created by John Goldwater (publisher/editor), Vic Bloom (writer) and Bob Montana (artist). An Archie drawing by Montana can be seen on the reference page...

Archie first appeared in MLJ Magazines' Pep Comics in 1941, becoming the dominant feature in 1944. As Archie's popularity grew the company changed its name to Archie Comic Publications. Archie is a perpetual 17 year old high school student, who has experienced the everyday life of a teenager, along with being a pop-music star, superhero and spy...

1946 Archie made his debut in the newspapers, today the strip is in the fine hands of Craig Boldman and Fernando Ruiz.. other artists on the comic strip included Dan DeCarlo and Henry Scarpelli. Of the 5 stamps issued as the Sunday Funnies, Archie is the only one probably better known for his comics and music, rather than his comic strip...

1943 Archie debuted with his own radio show which ran until 1953..

Archie comic strip credit to Fernando Ruiz and Craig Boldman

Mort Walker - Beetle Bailey

Mort Walker...Beetle Bailey 2010.10.20

Walker created the Beetle Bailey comic strip in 1950 ... Beetle was originally created as a college student, who would leave college to enlist in the US Army. Stationed at Camp Swampy, Beetle is a lazy character always trying to avoid work and his fellow soldiers offer a variety of different characters. Sgt. Snorkel is Beetle's main nemesis, who is frequently seen beating up Beetle for any minor infraction. Although the villain, Snorkel is still a lovable character. Walker himself was drafted into the US Army in 1943, Walker served in Europe during world War II, discharged as a first lieutenant in 1947.

Walker has been assisted by Jerry Dumas, Bob Gustafson, Frank Johnson and his sons Neal, Brian and Greg Walker .

In 1963, 50 animated episodes of Beetle's adventures were broadcast on television. From 1953-1980 Beetle saw publication in comic book format through Dell Comics, Gold Key, King Comics and Charlton Comics. 1992-94 Harvey Comics published a Beetle Bailey comic, as well.

Walker also created the comic strip Hi and Lois in 1954, a spin-off of Beetle Bailey. Beetle is the brother of Lois Flagston. Hi and Lois was written by Walker and drawn by Dik Browne who also created Hagar the Horrible. Walker has also created the comic strips Boner's Ark (with Frank Johnson), Gamin & Patches, Mrs. Fitz's Flats, The Evermores, and Sam and Silo (with Jerry Dumas)

Marcus Hamilton - Dennis the Menace

Marcus Hamilton - Dennis the Menace 2010.09.17

Hamilton received his Bachelor's in Commercial Art and began working in the field of freelance illustration. Hamilton would produce illustrations for magazine and book covers, as well as advertising art.

In 1993 Hamilton contacted Ketcham about an opportunity to draw Dennis the Menace should Ketcham retire. Ketcham liked what he saw, so Hamilton re-trained his drawing style to match Ketcham's and eventually took over the daily panels.

Marcus Hamilton was awarded the Reuben Award for Best Newspaper Panel 2004.

Ron Ferdinand - Dennis the Menace

Ron Ferdinand - 2010.09.13 - Dennis the Menace

Ferdinand attended the School of Visual Arts (1971-73) and the Art Students League (1974).

In 1981, Ferdinand read an interview with Hank Ketcham in Jud Hurd's Cartoonist PROfiles. Ferdinand sent some pencil sketches to Ketcham and after a few months of correspondence, he was brought in to work on the Dennis the Menace comic books for Marvel Comics. In 1982, Ferdinand began drawing the Sunday pages for Ketcham.

On July 16, 2010 the USPS issued a set of 5 stamps honoring the Sunday Funnies (Dennis the Menace, Beetle Bailey, Garfield, Archie and Calvin and Hobbes).