Transformers: Royal Mail issues stamps to mark global franchise
- Published
Optimus Prime is one of the Transformers featuring on the new stamps
A set of stamps depicting characters from the Transformers media franchise has been issued by Royal Mail.
The designs were first seen after being unveiled to fans at a convention in Birmingham on Saturday.
Optimus Prime, Megatron and Bumblebee are among 13 alien robots from the TV series which feature on the stamps.
Royal Mail said that the set would be a celebration of British involvement in the franchise over the decades.
The Transformers first appeared in toy shops and on TV screens in 1984 and helped launched the careers of several British writers and artists.
And it was three British comic artists - Andrew Wildman, Stephen Baskerville and John-Paul Bove - who designed the new collection.
The main set of eight stamps are produced in pairs and feature original illustrations of an Autobot and Decepticon, two rival Transformer factions, locked in battle.
Optimus Prime, Megatron, Bumblebee, Starscream, Grimlock, Shockwave, Arcee, and Soundwave feature in the main set.
These are some of the designs featured on the new stamps
They are printed with hidden ink which when shone under UV reveals each character's faction logos and names in the Cybertronian alphabet.
Those who have the Royal Mail app can also scan the stamp and watch an augmented reality animation, including a clip from the original TV series.
A further five stamps, presented in a miniature sheet, feature the Dinobots - Grimlock, Snarl, Slug, Sludge, and Swoop.
Matt Parkes, director of stamps and collectibles at Royal Mail, said British writers and artists have made a "substantial contribution" to the ongoing Transformer story and continue to do so "to this day".
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