Some Cartoons on Stamps

Today's Sunday Stamps - II: Cartoon characters. I thought I had uploaded all my stamps about this theme to the blog. But after a closer look...

Two more Donald (and friends) stamps, from the Netherlands. I do not know the year of issue.


Also from the Netherlands:

Jan, Jans en de Kinderen (or Jack, Jacky and the Juniors) is a Dutch comic strip by Jan Kruis, starting in the seventies. This stamp was issued on 6 October 1998 (both in normal and fluorescent paper, I have read - ?). I love the theme of the stamp: A reminder not to forget to use a stamp!

Suske en Wiske (or Spike and Suzy,Willy and Wanda, Bob et Bobette...) is a Belgian comics series created by the comics author Willy Vandersteen. The stamp was issued on 18 March 1997, in the Netherlands. Did you know these characters?

From the USA, two vintage comics but still ongoing: Archie (first appeared in 1941) and Dennis the Menace (since 1951). These stamps were issued in 2010, along with other three comic characters: Garfield, Calvin und Hobbes and Beetle Bailey.

And, from Finland, I have received some Moomins, the well-known characters by illustrator and writer Tove Jansson. However I had not heart about them before I joined Postcrossing. One more thing I have learned thanks to stamps! The stamps below were issued in different years. I think Finland issues regularly stamps with Moomins!

Paris Post

I received this postcard from Laura (the UK) the same week that, for one of those coincidences, I had sent this Paris-themed illustrated envelope to her:

From 30 November to 11 December 2015, the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) took place in Paris. On 24 November 2015, the French Post released a special round-shaped stamp, devoted to this event. 

I had seen this stamp on the net (for instance), and I was more than happy to receive it on a letter (almost the same day). Can you spot the Eiffel Tower? I think it is a super design.

Animail Stamps

And I have received more of the animail collection... 

The Year of the Monkey, Incoming (2)

Surprisingly, the same day I received the second monkey postcard from FinnBadger, I found three more monkeys on my mailbox. These two wonderful Canadian stamps arrived on different pieces of mail: a postcard from Alberta and a letter from Nova Scotia. So, from both extremes of that big country. Isn't that amazing?

And still a monkey arrived on a postcard from Japan on the same very day!

And a week after arrived these funny monkeys... Can you believe these are stamps?

It seems that there is a discussion among philatelists, and most of them do not like the Animail stamps. Maybe because they are more fun to use than to collect? I find funny the way they hold on postcards and letters, too:

The Year of the Monkey, Incoming (1)

Unexpectedly, I have received some mail to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Monkey from FinnBadger (the USA). (Can you see the golden monkey on the stamp?). This pictorial postmark arrived well protected inside this envelope with the label Cancelled Stamps Enclosed:

The postmark is on the back of this cheerful monkey postcard:

And still another beautiful postmark, for the first day of issue of this beautiful stamp. (But there is something odd about the days, isn't there?)

I like that the postmark was so perfect, and that it arrived also dutifully protected in a plastic envelope:

This second monkey arrived as a thank you for my first contribution to FinnBadger's The Year of the Monkey mail art call. If the theme inspires you, you have untill January 2017 to contribute as well.

Welcome, Smurfs!

Postcards sent by John (the UK). The first illustration by Stepsone, and the second by Darkdream.

And this amazing 3D collage was sent by Micu (Hungary). I guess it is made by reused materials, and the result is pretty. The little Smurfette is a real one. I just put her next to the mushroom to take the picture (and because I thought she could like it).

Clotheslines

I do not know if clotheslines is a common theme among postcard collectors, but it is not strange to find postcards about. In some postcards this is the main subject. And also sometimes you discover a clotheslines hidden in a landscape.

But it is certainly not a theme you find often on a stamp...

The stamp belong to the 2015 Children Stamps set, issued on 2 November.

I Love Windmills on Stamps

But I have also received windmills on stamps:

The postcard of the beautiful site of Kinderdijk that I posted yesterday arrived with this matched stamp. 

The second stamp shows one of the mills at the Zaanse Schans (again in the Netherlands). 

And the third, somewhere in the region of La Mancha (Spain), where part of the story of Don Quixote was set; and especially the famous windmill scene, with Don Quixote's attack on windmills that he believes to be ferocious giants.

This stamp was designed by a 16 years old girl, and won the prize for youngsters of Disello, a stamp design contest in 2015. By the way, the third edition of the contest is still open.

I am adding this post to Sunday Stamps-II (Today's theme is free).

I Love Windmills on Postcards

I have recently received some windmills on postcards and stamps. These were sent by Heleen (the Netherlands & Spain):

Whimsical postcard! I do not know where the picture was taken. Somewhere in the Netherlands.

Kinderdijk is an UNESCO Heritage site. All the sun on this postcard makes me really happy!

The illustrator is Mª Ángeles Sánchez Alcázar, and the windmill is supposed to be in Lo Pagán (Murcia, Spain).

Happy Mail inside This Teapot

Illustrated envelope sent to Laura (the UK).

You Did Not Take the Trouble

This letter was supposed to have been sent from the UK, but not through Royal Mail. It looks like one of that commercial letters that someone sends to the post company for they to print (Deutsche Post. But the French language on the envelope is a bit confusing). It was neatly printed on a boring white DIN A4 paper, and it did not bear any real signature.

But there is a thing I found funny. The letter starts:

Dear Eva, 

Thank you for sending us your letter. We're glad you took the trouble to send it, stamp and all. [...]

Well, all I can say is... you didn't take the trouble to stick any stamp!

Accurate Map Letter

Letter sent by Laura (the UK).

I love this stationery because it shows on the map where the sender and the recipient were, while we write/read the letter.

Not Just Canines

I thought I did not have any stamp for today's Sunday Stamps-II theme: Canines, But then I received these stamps on the back of a Canadian postcard. Well,,, One of them fits!

These stamps were issued by Canada Post on 22 April 2013. The aim was to call attention to the high number of homeless pets in Canada, and also educate the public about shelter animals and encourage adoption. More information here.

Lilac or Purple Cow

Lilac or Purple Cow drawn by Heleen (the Netherlands) on the back of a packet of biscuits. I have always thought that this cow and the Laughing Cow could be good friends...

Sweet Letter

Sweet letter received from Laura (the UK).