This week, the US Postal Service announced that it will start to honor living people in its stamps, in hopes of increasing public engagement with snail mail.
Up until now, only deceased people were considered to be featured on their stamps, but this recent measure opens the door to a world of new possibilities…
So we wanted to ask you: which living person would you like to see featured on a stamp, and why?
126 comments so far
Lady Gaga would be epic.
Mandela! This needs no explanation, I thought!
Celine Dion! Amazing singer, woman and mother!
Pope John Paul II
I agree with Schoffie. Nelson Mandela should be the undisputed choice, I think. If I was to vote for someone from my own country, Ireland, then I would vote for our golfers Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke
People who make a difference ie: heroes, contribution for charity works, inventions, peacemakers, medical breakthroughs
Usain Bolt)
I think there should be a couple of series ... popular authors, musicians, actors .... all living ... about 5 different people for each series. I don't much care about popular personalities but I think it would attract others to buy the postage. And, with every new presidential inauguration, there should also be a new postage stamp issued. That is the only politician I want to see on a postage stamp, though :-)
Oh, and Steve Jobs :-)
Myself hehehehe
Helmut Kohl
Mandela deserves to be put on that stamp i agree with that!
I think we should have lady Gaga design her own stamp. Wondering how that would turn out..
I think we should honor the people of the world. "Mortals" normal people, a teacher, a policeman, a parent, but real people, the heroes of the everyday. They, if anyone, deserve to be put on a stamp!
Dave Matthews!
President Obama. And Ellen Degeneres because she really wants to be on a stamp.
It's the US postal service - I'm sure they mean living US persons.... terrible idea.
Mauricio de Sousa - the most famous brazilian cartoonist and creatorof Monica's Gang Comics. I grew up reading this.
Then I think it should be the actual president and his family.
Jane Goodall. She has always been one of my heroes, and last year for the first time I was able to hear her speak - truly an amazing woman and a great inspiration.
Reading the above posts, I have to agree about Nelson Mandela. Another one who springs to mind is Aung San Suu Kyi.
Of course I doubt the USPS will adopt any of these suggestions - they will want Americans to put on stamps. (Although we did get the Mother Theresa stamps, now that I think about it.)
Rafael Nadal!!! He has had such fantastic achievements and has represented the colours of his country so greatly, so I really think he has deserved to be put on a stamp! I once wrote to the Spanish postal service about this, but they ignored my message :)
Nelson Mandela, Oprah, President Obama to name a few ;)
Nelson Mandela of course, any fireman or policeman in New York that survived 9/11. Actually George Bush did good during 9/11 too, Mayor Guiliani.
..of course, PAULO and ANA ;D
Paulo Magalhães on a 98-cent stamp.
Difficult to choose anyone and not somebody else, surely there're a lot of people who would deserve to be on a stamp ^^ Nelson Madela sounds very reasonable, but also maybe unknown people which did something importand/good whatever (for charity, rescue somebody...)
Osamu Tezuka, the father of MANGA!!!
...
...
or us :P
Paulo and Ana!!!!
For the US, the current policy is that the stamp subjects must be American citizens. Mother Teresa was allowed because she was granted honorary US citizenship, one of a small number of individuals to receive this distinction. The others are: Winston Churchill, Raoul Wallenburg, William & Hannah Penn, the Marquis de Lafayette & Casimir Pulaski.
the cast of the Lord of the Rings ! ! ! !
What about a "recently deceased" pane of 20 stamps: For 2010 it could include stamps for: Tony Curtis, Rue McClanahan (from Golden Girls), Corey Haim, Peter Graves, Dixie Carter, John Forsythe, Ronnie James Deo, Gary Coleman, Dennis Hopper, Teena Marie, Barbara Billingsley (Leave it to Beaver, Zelda Rubenstein (the psychic in Poltergeist movie), Lynn Redgrave, Lena Horne, Art Linkletter, Jimmy Dean (the sausage maker), Tom Bosley(Happy Days), Leslie Nielsen, Dino De Laurentiis, Eddie Fisher.
Oh, that is Edward :-)
I think that Nelson Mandella for sure, Lady Gaga for sure, and the President, and of course, we cannot forget the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate...........
I think Stephen King and his work could be featured in Stamps. Can you imagine Carrie, Christine, Cujo, Jack Torrance and Pennywise on a stamp collection? :D
Ellen Degeneres !!!
Nathan Fillion! :)
Ozzy Osbourne of course! He's the fucking prince of darkness!
The Rolling Stones! Bob Dylan! Bruce Springsteen! =)
Hayao Miyazaki will be my choice. He has done amazing anime back in the 80s up to these days. My Neighbor Totoro is an example of his success and so is the Oscar winning, Spirited Away for Best Animated Feature in year 2002! XD I would love to see a stamp featuring this great person! ^_^
K-pop is intensively popular nowdays all around the world. I would certainly buy stamps featuring G-Dragon and T.O.P from BIGBANG! XD They are the most successful K-pop group I'v seen so far! XD
What about Dolly Parton, and do I really have to explain why?
Nobel winners
Dick Hoyt
The US' biggest impact on the non-political world are in the realms of entertainment and technology. How about titans of Silicon Valley? Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, the Google guys, Mark Zuckerberg, etc. Also the greats of music, Hollywood and Broadway like Aretha Franklin, Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese, Oprah, Barbra Streisand and others.
Bill Gates - computer visionary.
Madonna
Important scientists - what about Stephen Hawking? And James Dewey Watson for sure; anyhow he is US-american... Well, Nobel prize laureates would be fine.
My mum! She's always ready to lend a hand, no what what task needs to be done.. Looking after her 2 grandsons, cleaning my house, making curtains for my house.. And she took care of my dad for several years, who suffered from various serious illnesses. Without a complaint, ever.
I think is Zmrzlina is right :) There must be a Steve Jobs Stamp. And Jane Austen would be nice. Her first novel was a epistolary novel
Adele. She's amazing.
Albert Einstein or Metallica or Aerosmith etc.
There are so many people who are worth being on stamps.
I am South African, so of course my vote is for Nelson Mandela , and I also think Oprah deserves to be on a stamp too. Her show has inspired and helped millions across the globe.
Someone who has made a real difference- Virginia McKenna, founder of Born Free. I'd be very happy to see people who deserve it to be on our stamps in the UK, instead of someone who just happened to be born into Royalty.
In CZ we allways have the current president on a stamp, however I never liked them (and as a child I regretted their heads must be stamped on :-) ).
But one of you mentioned it already - Nobel Prize winners sounds reasonable to me too. So that people can know these faces, can realise that something new, better was invented or reached.
I wouldnt opt for "medially-known" faces, as I think one day these can be famous and the other day forgotten, however I guess as a business idea it could work.
Johnny Depp!!! He is the best actor!!!
I like the suggestions of Nelson Mandela and Jane Goodall and would love to see a series with authors and artists of reknown.
Canada has stamps of Prince William and Kate, a domestic and an international..
I think a series of stamps featuring Lemony Snicket (he's from San Francisco!) or J.K. Rowling characters would be epic.
We need to reinforce the value of education here in the US....each year The Teacher of the Year should be featured on a stamp, perhaps with additional stamps in the series featuring his/her favorite books or symbols of what they teach.
I will start with me, but on a more serious note I think the US has a lot of heroes in the Arm forces , Fire department etc. This is news to me I never know only deceased people were considered to be featured on US stamps
I guess we are ahead of them we even have Obama, Bill Clinton, Carter, The Royal Wedding Stamps came out here a few days ago its beautiful.
I forget to mention that we already have the POPE, Mandela, and lots, and lots of others
Do all not forget: they want living peoples! Pope John Paul II is dead, also Tony Curtis, Albert Einstein and Osamo Tezuka.
People who have truly made difference, Nobel peace winners (ahtisaari, and of course Mandela, he is my hero) and those who fight against unfairness and oppression.
I would love to receive stamps from: Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah, Hillary Swank, the cast from the L-word, the cast from Harry Potter (even though they aren't Americans...)
Australia Post releases a "Living Australians" issue every year and it has a different theme each time - Sportspeople, Authors, Actors, Activists - the same kinds of themes would probably work well in the US. To generate interest, actors would probably be a good start - I vote for Johnny Depp!
As this is a US-matter I would go for zmrzlina's idea of releasing series of 5 stamps on different themes. The President should be one of them. This should sell and be collectible. Maybe the rules could later be stretched again to permit non-US-citizens. Btw - in the Netherlands you can have stamps made with your own photograph on it (your new born baby, your granny on her birthday, your child's favourite teacher, you self...) - unfortunately only with "inside Netherlands" postage.
We have had The Simpson and Wallace and Grommet. To go along the same track my choice would be the hilarious Fred Bassett - the dog who thinks he's human. His cartoon strip in the Daily Mail brightens every day for me.
Nina Hagen, German singer. Not on one stamp, but on a sheet of 10 differents
She was born in DDR [Germany-east before reunited] and became famous there. Later moved to Germany-west.
Her walk of life is interesting like her voice is within the reach of many kinds of octaves / musical range. She song rap, opera, punk, gospel, ...
In her search of life she researched / explored most religions. At this moment she sings, volunteers a lot for church and peta.
Royal Mail intends to put GB gold? medal winners in the 2012 Olympics on stamps, maybe US medal winners would be appropriate subjects for US stamps...
Robert Downey Jr cause he's my favourite actor :)
+ Participants from Eurovision (from UK especially)
Mhh... difficoult answer: talking about someone famous, I'd say H. Murakami.
But I honestly think there should be a stamp for Paulo and Ana for their PC idea and one for all of us, because we are part of the International mail service!!! ;P
Johnny English of course, after all he did save England!
I go for Paulo and Ana too. ;)
TOM HANKS OR PAMELA ANDERSON
No doubt, Nelson Mandela, for his legacy!
Dirk Nowitzki ofcourse :-) Greetings from Germany...
Definately Nelson Mandela!
for Italy Rita Levi Montalcini, she's a Nobel winners and also if she's 101 years old she's engaged in manyproblems, scientific, human and politcs
Mandela, Nina Hagen and yes Paulo and Ana!! +1
Joanne K. Rowling and all the speakers of the TED Conferences, they usually have amazing people who make a real difference.
Difficult to choose just one... Nelson Mandela, Bono Vox, Roger Federer,... and of course Paulo & Ana :)
David Attenborough! with a different animal with him on each stamp!
The newspaper the Guardian in England does obituaries of ordinary (but extraordinary) people called Other Lives - http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/series/otherlives - maybe something like that could be done to honour the people who lead by their own example and strive daytoday to improve the world?
I think the recent president of the USA ould be great!
I would like to receive a stamp with Oprah or with some Star-Trek/ Stargate-actors or little, great heroes with their stories!
In Holland we have the possibility to make your own stamp (that you can really use to sent!) and i put on my lovely poodle. Is there any country where you can do this also?
Nobel winners
Can we please have Rob Pattinson?
Arnold Schwarzenegger ~
Australia just put Cadel Evans, World Champion and Tour de France winner, on a stamp
Australia just put Cadel Evans, World Champion and Tour de France winner, on a stamp
Australia Post also has "personalised stamps" so you can have your own 'live' face on a stamp - local stamps only!
Lady Gaga. Trendsetter, wonderfu singer and She's dedicated to homosexual people!
In the U.S. you can already make up your own stamps with your picture (or your dog, or a photo you have taken). It costs about $10 more for a sheet of 20 stamps. But an option.
www.zazzle.com
I'd love to see the president on a stamp, city stamps, and everyday heroes...policeman, firemen, teachers, etc.
Popular singers or groups and great authors, prize winners and inventors with their work,...
Paulo...who else.
Maya Angelou would be my choice!
if they consider Non US citizen then i would love to see SACHIN TENDULKAR (Theme Sports - Cricket)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sachin_Tendulkar
Michael Schumacher (Theme Sports - F1)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Schumacher
Viswanathan Anand (Theme Sports - Cheese)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viswanathan_Anand
Lata Mangeshkar (Theme Music - Singer)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lata_Mangeshkar
Thomas Monson.
on croatian stamps its always sportsmen who win medals and championships :) for a country as successfull in sports as the US that wouldnt be doable i suppose, too many candidates..! i'd put dita von teese ;)
The peace symbol and a dove.
It's not a person but a sign ;)
I think Oprah would be very well received.
Someone I'd personally love to see is Morgan Freeman and/or Drew Barrymore.
Australia already does this..... I agree with real people, not sporting celebrities etc, they have their faces everywhere already!Show us the doctors, fire fighters,police officers who risk their lives on a daily basis, people who find cures for diseases etc... show us teir faces.
Johny Depp a Usain Bolt.
The Dalai Lama, allthough sending it to China wouldn't be so smart, I guess.
Try Justin Bieber. I'm not a fan at all, but as he is very popular with girls, they will probably buy loads of them.
My choice would be Paulo Coelho, a great writer. His books are well read all over the world, so he might as well travel all over the wordl by stamp as well! I also like the idea of choosing a writer and having his/her fictionale characters on stamps. Maybe it will increase reading as well as snail mail ;)
I think it would be famous writers, artists, architects or phorographers, because everybody knows what they did, but also nobody knows their faces :)
I would put on artists and writers, photographers, etc. It is a great way of promoting the culture in a country, or even the world! Plus a special series with upcoming artists just coming out of school to help them start.
Personally, I think this is just another stupid decision made by the USPS. Recent stamp topics have been bad enough, but now we can get stamps of people who totally do NOT deserve being on a postage stamp. When the subject has to be deceased a certain amount of time, it means that person is still important or influential. Now, any shmo can and will get on a stamp. Every president will want to be on one, even if they do not deserve it (and most don't)...
Steve Jobs.
I'd rather see fictional characters. Dr Who!
My vote goes to Nelson Mandela.
My vote goes to Mikhail Gorbachev; because of his "glasnost" he changed the world.
Stephen Hawking, for start.
Rock'n'Roll Hall of Famers: Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Genesis, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Run DMC, Metallica, etc.
Robert Pattinson :D
johnny depp or jk rowling!
Fidel Castro
Hugo Chavez
Camila Vallejo
Suleyman Seba
The Beatles...John and George should have made it on a stamp, but the Post is waiting until Paul&Ringo are gone too. Also, cute dimply Shirley Temple, because so many of her fans have aged and time is running out for them....
As for me, I'd love to see on stamps such legendary musicians as Paul McCartney and Klaus Meine as their art connects many generations of music-listeners, which is beyond the time, space and ages...
Mark Harmon and the cast of NCIS
"Miracle on the Hudson" airplane pilot Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, for knowing how to do a job correctly and getting it done well. Oh, and whoever invented Moose Tracks ice cream...THAT person knows how to do their job correctly, too!
BON JOVI or GUNS N' ROSES
The 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) , Wangari Muta Maathai, Nelson Mandela .... Peace Nobel prize winners would be nice, I think, and would be another way of showing gratitude to their work...
I agree with Tsoden, J.K.Rowling would be a really great idea
Living presidents once they are out of office (Carter, GHW Bush, Clinton, GW Bush) but a current president should not appear- too much like a monarchy (no offense Elizabeth II- you look smashing on stamps and coinage). Supreme Court justices when they retire (not while they are serving). Bona fide military heroes (Medal of Honor winners, etc) and Nobel Prize winners. I'm not big on the idea of living pop culture icons being honored in this manner- it would be more of an honor if it was reserved for those men and women who have served their country in a significant and meaningful way. Just my 44 cents...
Anda Kerkhoven. www.andakerkhoven.nl See her story!!!
Pamela Anderson
I support the J.K. Rowling idea. In fact, why not make a Harry Potter stamp series?
Bruce Springsteen :)
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