Friday 17 April 2009


The United States Postal Service is jumping on the bandwagon of one of America's favorite families. No, not the one in the White House.

A new set of stamps scheduled to debut next month will feature all five members of the Simpsons, the cartoon family that has been making us laugh -- sometimes guiltily -- for 20 years.

And in an interactive feature similar to the one that accompanied the "Star Wars" stamps in 2007, Americans are being invited to vote for their favorite Simpson online at usps.com/simpsons. The voting will conclude May 14, with participants 18 and older eligible to win a poster signed by Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons."

The 44-cent stamps, designed by Groening, feature Homer, Marge, Bart ("a known philatelist," according to the Postal Service), Lisa and Maggie. They will be available in booklets of 20 and on stamped postal cards. The stamps and packets of 20 cards can be ordered in advance. The postal cards will feature the artwork from the 44-cent stamps, with four cards of each stamp image selling for $14.95. The Postal Service also is selling a number of related items, including framed posters.

The first day ceremony will be held May 7 at Fox Studios in Los Angeles.

The Simpsons were selected from among about 50,000 suggestions for stamps that the Postal Service receives each year. The longest-running comedy in TV history, it is the only television program to be featured on a stamp while still in production.

Groening and James L, Brooks, executive producer of "The Simpsons," reacted with typically irreverent humor.

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