Tag Archives: children’s movies

Start Your Week With A “Sketchy” Disney•Pixar Contest

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Remember last week’s post about the blue-pencil sketches on the back of the Mail a Smile stamp sheet? Well, now’s your chance to show us how well you know the five Disney•Pixar movies featured on the stamps.

Here is the back of the stamp sheet again:

Can you name all the characters shown in the sketches? If so, you could win one set of Mail a Smile postcards, which include the stamp art and five of the sketches.

To enter, send your name and address along with the name of each character and the movie in which he/she/it appears to uspsstamps [at] gmail [dot] com. Three winners will be selected at random from those who answer correctly. You have until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, 9/12 to submit your answers. Good luck!

Disney/Pixar Materials: © Disney•Pixar

Disney•Pixar Stamps Continue to Charm

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If our Instagram feed is any indication, you all love the new Mail a Smile stamps. These “cute,” “adorable” stamps are the second in a two-part issuance that began last year with Send a Hello. Both sheets feature favorite characters from Disney•Pixar movies like Finding Nemo, Up, and Toy Story 2. And all of them have helped make mail time the best time of the day!

Most of the pictures of the Mail a Smile stamps that we see on Instagram look a little something like this. (We took this one for you all! )

But have you ever turned the pane over and looked closely at the back?

Those illustrations are actually blue-pencil sketches created by artists at Pixar Animation Studios. Even though Pixar is responsible for almost every major breakthrough in computer animation and continues to reset the bar in technology, the company begins every project the old-fashioned way: with a simple sketch. For Pixar, science inspires art and art challenges science. Both always serve the story; that’s the secret of Pixar’s success.

Want to share the stamps *and* sketches with your friends? The Mail a Smile postcards include both. (Click image to order.)

Come follow USPS Stamps on Instagram and show us your favorite stamps! And if you’re as crazy about Disney•Pixar movies as we are, head over to our newest Pinterest board, The Wonderful World of Disney.

Disney/Pixar Materials: © Disney•Pixar

Experience the Magic of Mail a Smile First Day of Issue Ceremony Again and Again

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If you weren’t able to make it to the Mail a Smile (Forever®) First Day of Issue ceremony at Disney World on Friday—or watch it on our live feed—you can catch all the action you missed! Watch the entire dedication and be taken away on a magical journey.

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You can still purchase Mail a Smile , including a standard cancellation with the date and location of the stamp issuance, and  to add to your collection. They make great gifts, too!

Sending a Hello Just Got Easier

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Looking for a fun, special way to brighten up someone’s mailbox? Just “Send a Hello” and delight a friend or loved one! This makes communicating warm, personal, and convenient. Five different card designs showcase characters from popular Pixar Animation Studios films: Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars, Remy and Linguini from Ratatouille, Buzz Lightyear and Aliens from Toy Story, Carl and Dug from Up, and WALL•E from WALL•E.

We’re having a blast exploring the different ways postcards can entertain and inspire as we celebrate National Postcard Week. How many “hellos” have you sent this week? Have any creative ideas for sending postcards? Let us know in the comments!

Disney/Pixar Materials: © Disney•Pixar

Creeping and Crawling: A Bug’s Life Stamp Coming Soon

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The release of the Mail a Smile stamps, featuring beloved Disney•Pixar characters, is just a few weeks away and we’re all overflowing with anticipation! A Bug’s Life—one of my absolute favorites!—is one of five Disney•Pixar classics that will appear on the pane.

Insects don’t usually conjure up images of stalwart heroes, feisty heroines, and comedic sidekicks, but that’s exactly what Flik, Dot, and the cast of A Bug’s Life were in Disney•Pixar’s second full-length, computer-animated film.

To achieve the feat of turning insects into likable characters and creating a believable and appealing bug world, Pixar artists shot “bug cam” nature footage and used advanced computer programs to create organic shapes and translucent lighting while directing a cast of 800 animated insects in 430 crowd scenes.

Directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Andrew Stanton, A Bug’s Life won an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score, a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition, and four ASIFA-Hollywood Annie Awards for Outstanding Feature, Directing, Writing, and Production Design. Bugs rule.

The first issuance in this series, Send a Hello, which are still available, was released in 2011 and featured characters from Disney•Pixar’s Ratatouille, Cars, Toy Story, Wall•E, and Up. The Send a Hello and Mail a Smile stamps tap the Disney•Pixar characters’ contemporary humor and lively personalities to convey an animated message about the positive impact of communicating by mail in any season and for any reason. The Mail a Smile stamps can be pre-ordered today!

Which stamp is your favorite?

Disney/Pixar Materials: © Disney•Pixar