USPS just designed a perfect postage stamp
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea and is coming to a mailbox near you? SpongeBob SquarePants, the star of the U.S. Postal Service’s newest postage stamps.
The beloved Nickelodeon cartoon is the subject of a sheet of Forever stamps USPS will release on August 1 in a ceremony in Times Square, and wouldn’t you know it, SpongeBob is a perfect fit. Only the form of a square-shaped cartoon character perfectly matches the function of a square postage stamp the way SpongeBob does.
The SpongeBob SquarePants stamps were designed by USPS art director Greg Breeding using artwork provided by Nickelodeon. They come in four different designs, two of which cleverly show only SpongeBob’s smiling face filling out the entire stamp. The other stamps feature SpongeBob with other characters from the show, including Patrick the pink starfish, Sandy the squirrel, Mr. Krabs, and Squidward.
They’re perfect for birthday cards to grandkids, nieces, and nephews. And they’re worth noting for a legitimately funny design that makes the most of the limitations of a postage stamp’s small shape and size. A sheet of 16 stamps featuring the four designs will be available for $12.48.
U.S. postage stamps are better known for their depictions of real people, from statesmen like George Washington and Ben Franklin, who appeared on the U.S. government’s first stamps in 1847, to pop culture icons like Betty White and Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, who got their own stamps last year. Fictional cartoon characters like Buzz Lightyear, Bugs Bunny, and an assortment of Disney villains have gotten the postage stamp treatment before, though, and now SpongeBob joins them.
SpongeBob SquarePants, which began its 16th season just last month, premiered in 1999. Created by animator Stephen Hillenburg, the show has inspired Pantone colors, pop art, and fast-food meals, and animation cels from the beloved cartoon are part of the Smithsonian’s collection. But with these USPS stamps, the cartoon has reached a new milestone. SpongeBob is now government-issued.