Royal Mail revealed of a set of 13 Special Stamps being issued to celebrate the British contribution to the globally successful, Transformers, animated franchise.
The main set of eight stamp designs, are produced in pairs and feature original illustrations of an Autobot and Decepticon locked in a battle, in retro Generation One style from the 1980s.
Featured on the stamps are: Optimus Prime; Megatron; Bumblebee; Starscream; Grimlock; Shockwave; Arcee; and Soundwave.
The images were created exclusively for Royal Mail by three established, British comic artists: Andrew Wildman (pencils); Stephen Baskerville (inks); and John-Paul Bove (colours) - who have all contributed to The Transformers comic series.
The main eight stamps are printed with a hidden ink which reveals each of the character's faction logos and names in the Cybertronian alphabet when shone under UV light.
In addition, fans who download the Royal Mail App, can scan the stamp, and watch a unique Augmented Reality animation including a clip from the original animated Transformers TV series.
A further five stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, feature the Dinobots; Grimlock; Snarl; Slug; Sludge; and Swoop.
Matt Parkes, Director of Stamps and Collectibles, Royal Mail, said: 'Since The Transformers burst onto the scene in 1984, British writers and artists have made a substantial contribution to the ongoing story of the popular warring mechanoids; to this day many continue to do so and have inspired new artists to do the same. We are delighted to be able to celebrate their work with this stunning set of stamps - which calls back not only to the early comics but also - by using the Royal Mail App to trigger hidden content - the original cartoon series as well!.'
The Transformers:
The Transformers - alien robots who can change into vehicles, machinery and weapons - first appeared in toy shops and on TV screens in 1984. Nearly 40 years on, thanks to the addition of comic books, computer games and movies, the likes of Optimus Prime and Megatron have become pop-culture titans.
The story of the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons has been told in many different ways, but the core premise is usually the same: a deadly civil war engulfs the distant metal planet of Cybertron and eventually spreads to Earth. Key to the warring mechanoids' success in the UK and Ireland was Marvel UK's The Transformers comic, which told an epic seven-year story across 332 issues.
As well as launching the careers of British writers and artists, such as Simon Furman, Geoff Senior and Andrew Wildman, 'TFUK' inspired fans to follow in their footsteps - with James Roberts, Nick Roche and Jack Lawrence continuing to expand the mythos, establish the definitive origin of the Transformers and reinvent the Robots in Disguise for the 21st century with characters and concepts that endure to this day.
The stamps are available to pre-order now at www.royalmail.com/transformers and by phone on 03457 641 641. The stamps go on general sale on 1 September, with the Presentation Pack, containing all 13 stamps, priced at GBP17.50.
About Royal Mail Special Stamps
For more than 50 years Royal Mail's Special Stamp programme has commemorated anniversaries and celebrated events relevant to UK heritage and life. Today, there are an estimated 2.5 million stamp collectors and gift givers in the UK and millions worldwide. Her Majesty The Queen approves all UK stamp designs before they are issued.
About Royal Mail plc
Royal Mail plc is the parent company of Royal Mail Group Limited, the leading provider of postal and delivery services in the UK and the UK's designated universal postal service provider. UK Parcels, International and Letters ('UKPIL') comprises the company's UK and international parcels and letters delivery businesses operating under the 'Royal Mail' and 'Parcelforce Worldwide' brands. Through the Royal Mail Core Network, the company delivers a one-price-goes-anywhere service on a range of parcels and letters products. Royal Mail has the capability to deliver to more than 31 million addresses in the UK, six days a week (excluding UK public holidays). Parcelforce Worldwide operates a separate UK network which collects and delivers express parcels. Royal Mail also owns General Logistics Systems (GLS) which operates one of the largest ground-based, deferred parcel delivery networks in Europe.
Contact:
Media
Natasha Ayivor
Senior External Comms and Campaigns Manager
Email: natasha.ayivor@royalmail.com
Mobile: 07436 280002
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