Message Monsters: cute postage stamps you can make even cuter

Was at the USPS online store looking for some stamps today and came across these ridiculously cute Message Monsters ones! I was immediately reminded of Mark's tiny creature drawings (right?):

Then, as I looked closer at the Message Monsters, I learned that you can actually customize them with adhesive accessories like hats, hearts, and speech bubbles. Anyway, long story short, I bought 10 panes for myself. )I've joked many times that mail art is my "love language.")

Also, when I started researching them for this post, I went looking for an image that showed what the stamps look like decorated. I never found one but I did find the stamp's promo video. Watch it until the end. After the USPS VP of Corporate Communications talks about how great the stamps are (he's not wrong), there's a strange little segment that's starts off spooky and ends in a surprise. Someone had fun making that!

"Message Monsters" are available at USPS locations or online at www.usps.com/messagemonsters.


The stamp designs start with the playful illustrations of Elise Gravel, the author and illustrator of popular children's books, who drew each monster and accessory in her joyful, silly style. The four colorful characters populating the pane include a roundish, rosy rascal with a sunny tummy; a silly, striped imp waving a four-armed howdy; a squiggly, squid-like yellow critter with enough eyes to go around; and a reddish rapscallion in short shorts. Whimsical, wacky and inviting your inventiveness, these creatures are sure to charm everyone along their mail delivery journey… Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the pane.