DC Comic Superheroes Take Flight on U.S. Postal Stamps

The U.S. Postal Service chose the perfect site to launch the DC Super Heroes commemorative postage stamps with a first day of issue ceremony on July 20, 2006 at the San Diego Convention Center during Comic-Con International 2006, the worlds largest comicbook and pop culture show.

The DC Comics Super Heroes commemorative stamps and stamped postal cards are now available from the U.S. Postal Service (www.usps.com).

We are here to celebrate a moment in time that most of us have shared, said William Campbell, U.S. Postal Service Judicial Officer, in dedicating the stamps. I am talking about that age when the heroes of comicbooks were our personal friends. When their battles were our battles. When their victories made us cheer and their defeats made us sad. When their values helped strengthen our own understanding of right and wrong. Today, our heroes are back in all their glory and in some of their finest moments.

Joining Campbell in dedicating the stamps were many DC Comics artists and DC Comics publisher/president Paul Levitz. The DC Comics Super Heroes have been a beloved part of Americas culture for almost seven decades as the most significant characters to emerge from comic books a true American art form, said Levitz. It is both fitting and exciting for these heroes to be commemorated as stamps by the U.S. Postal Service.

This is the first stamp pane honoring comicbook super heroes to be issued by the Postal Service. Half of the pane of 20 stamps are portraits of the characters: Aquaman, Batman, The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Plastic Man, Supergirl, Superman and Wonder Woman. The other 10 stamps depict covers of individual comic books devoted to these super heroes exploits. Art director Carl T. Herrman worked with the creative staff at DC Comics on the design of this issuance. Beginning with the classic covers, information about the artwork shown on each stamp follows:DC Covers

Plastic Man #4Summer 1946Art by Jack Cole

Batman #1Spring 1940Art by Bob Kane

The Brave And The Bold #36June/July 1961Art by Joe Kubert

Green Lantern #4Jan./Feb. 1961Art by Gil Kane & Joe Giella

The Flash #111Feb./Mar. 1960Art by Carmine Infantino & Joe Giella

Wonder Woman #22 (2nd series)Nov. 1988Art by George Pérez

Aquaman #5 (of 5)Oct. 1989Art by Curt Swan & Al Vey

The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1Nov. 1982Art by Rich Buckler & Dick Giordano

Superman #11July/Aug. 1941Art by Fred Ray

Green Arrow #15Sept. 2002Art by Matt WagnerCharacter Shots

BatmanArt by Jim Lee & Scott Williams

Wonder WomanArt by Ross Andru & Mike Esposito