From the U.S. Postal Service announcement on November 17, 2020:From the USPS: 
The four fun designs on this new pane of 20 stamps invite interactivity with dozens of self-adhesive accessories that personalize your cards, letters and envelopes for delighted recipients. Decorations include hearts, hats, voice balloons, flowers and thought bubbles. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the pane with new illustrations by Elise Gravel.
Here are the Scott catalogue numbers for this issue:
5636 Pink and Red Monster
a. Imperforate
5637 Four-armed Monster
a. Imperforate
5638 Tentacled Monster
a. Imperforate
5639 Red-headed Monster
a. Imperforate
b. Horiz. or vert. strip of 4, #5636-5639
c. Imperforate strip of 4, #5636a-5639a
Additional information will be posted below the line, with the most recent at the top.
Updated August 25th:
Here is the first-day postmark for this issue:
The Digital Color Postmark measures 3.0″ x 1.48″. There is no pictorial postmark for this issue.
[ceremony advisory]
Message Monsters Ready to Bring a Smile to Your Mail
WHAT: The U.S. Postal Service will celebrate Message Monsters with the most playful, customizable Forever stamp design ever. The four monster illustrations on this pane of 20 stamps invite interactivity with dozens of self-adhesive accessories on the selvage. The monster-ific accoutrements include cartoony voice balloons and thought bubbles with exclamations and salutations, hats and crowns, hearts, stars, crazy daisies and other fun flair.
Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the pane with original artwork by Elise Gravel, author and illustrator of popular children’s books.
The first-day-of-issue event for the Message Monsters Forever stamp is free and open to the public. News of the stamp is being shared with the hashtag#MessageMonstersStamps.
WHO: Jeffery A. Adams, vice president, corporate communications, U.S. Postal Service
Angie Grau, owner, Paper June Books
Tom Underwood, executive director, NOTO Arts & Entertainment District
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, at 11 a.m. CDT
WHERE: Redbud Park
924 N Kansas Ave
Topeka, KS 66608
RSVP: Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at: usps.com/messagemonsters.
BACKGROUND: The U.S. Postal Service unleashes the most playful, participatory postage stamps ever — stamps that welcome you to customize a collection of cute and crazy critters. They’ll ride through the mail, adapted by you, adding mirth to your messages.
The 20 Message Monsters on the pane, in four different designs, invite you to enhance your mail with the included adhesive accessories. These little monsters are totally adorn-able. Make them yours and they’re even more delightful!
The stamp designs start with the playful illustrations of Elise Gravel, whose characters are frisky, fresh and full of fun. Colorful characters populating the pane include a roundish, rosy rascal with a sunny tummy; a silly, striped imp waving a four-armed howdy; a squiggly, squid-ly yellow critter with enough eyes to go around; and a reddish rapscallion in short shorts. Whimsical, wacky and inviting your inventiveness, these creatures appeal across generations.
The Message Monster stamp dedication event falls during “Thinking of You Week,” which runs Sept. 20–26. It was first launched in the United Kingdom in 2014 and brought to the United States in 2018 by the Greeting Card Association. What better way to let someone know you’re thinking of them than to send a funny, friendly monster through the mail?
Preorders for the Message Monsters Forever stamps can be made online at usps.com/stamps beginning Aug. 30.
Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic, or at Post Office locations nationwide.
The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.
From the Postal Bulletin:
On September 24, 2021, in Topeka, KS, the United States Postal Service® will issue the Message Monsters stamps (Forever® priced at the First-Class Mail® rate) in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 481300). These stamps will go on sale nationwide September 24, 2021, and must not be sold or canceled before the first-day-of-issue. The Message Monsters pane of 20 stamps may not be split and the stamps may not be sold individually.
The four designs on this new pane of 20 stamps invite interactivity with dozens of self-adhesive accessories that personalize these comical characters for delighted recipients. Decorations include hearts, hats, voice balloons, flowers, and thought bubbles. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the pane with new illustrations by Elise Gravel.
No automatic distribution.
How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 120 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office™ or at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop. They must affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:
FDOI – Message Monsters Stamps
USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services
8300 NE Underground Drive, Suite 300
Kansas City, MO 64144-9900
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by January 24, 2022.
Technical Specifications:
Issue: Message Monsters Stamps
Item Number: 481300
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: September 24, 2021, Topeka, KS 66603
Art Director: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Designer: Antonio Alcalá, Alexandria, VA
Artist: Elise Gravel, Montreal, Quebec
Modeler: Sandra Lane/Michelle Finn
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Banknote Corporation of America
Press Type: Gallus RCS
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 18,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Phosphor, Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.42 in./ 27.559 x 36.068 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.56 in./31.115 x 39.624 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.75 x 8.19 in./196.85 x 208.026 mm
Press Sheets Size (w x h): 14.5 x 18.25 in./368.3 x 463.55 mm
Plate Size: 60 stamps per revolution
Plate Number: “B” followed by four (4) single digits in two corners
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: Message Monsters • Plate number in bottom two corners
Back: ©2020 USPS • USPS logo • 2 barcodes (481300) • Plate position diagram (3) • Promotional text
The full pane:
This is what they come up with?
It’s embarrassing! Where’s the Fred & Ginger stamp already?
Do you think they are trying to get the younger group invilved in stamp collecting? its not just about us adults!
Yes I know “Involved”
If you want to get young people interested in stamp collecting, how about making the USPS more user friendly and pro-collector.HOW? By allowing the purchase of individual stamps at the counter,reducing the number of stamp issues annually, using subject matter vital to our national history as well as the people who made our nation. I believe that stamp collecting has ALWAYS been an EDUCATIONAL pastime , NOT a children’s playroom. Using sensible judgement on subject matter and being sensitive to potential collectors will attract more interest in the hobby. Consider the sizable contribution of money each year to the USPS.
Well said, Tim. You masterfully hit all the points that matter in our hobby.
my favorite issues were the Celebrate the Century Series. They were a good starting point for new collectors to celebrate our history with issues, trends, and events that we all could relate to. Why not celebrate each decade?
I can explain. Issuing stamps to celebrate a decade or a year in review will be time consuming for USPS. I’m mostly surprised that we can’t make inauguration stamp for every of our presidents. Russia, for example, can. Marshall Islands too. Why can’t the US?
“I’m mostly surprised that we can’t make inauguration stamp for every of our presidents.” Commemorative postmarks don’t go back that far! Probably the earliest is mid-20th century. The U.S. hasn’t issued any inauguration stamps, with the exception of one or two for Washington’s first inauguration. Anyone could use any inauguration postmark, within the time period for servicing, to create a series of covers honoring each of the presidents. In fact, I’d bet some of the mass marketers like Postal Commemorative Society have done so in the past.
I was referring to an actual stamp, not postmark.
my favorite issues were the Celebrate the Century Series. They were a good starting point for new collectors to celebrate our history with issues, trends, and events that we all could relate to.
True. I have nothing against Children stamps to get 9-year-olds involved. I started my hobby with a German musician of 100 pfenig price at that time. The Germans had many stamps for the children at the time of my residence there between 1997 and 2000. I have no objection to the USPS issues of Disney characters from 2004 to 2008 as well as 10 stamp set of Villains and Warner Bros characters from 1997 to 2001. The Pixar cartoon stamps were also great, between 2011 and 2012.
Tim:
I agree totally with your analysis.
can i purchase these now?
No, not until they are issued on July 14th.
Mystery Message is coming out July 14th. We don’t know yet when Message Monsters are coming out…at least I don’t
24 SEP
You seem to know details, and I just received a philately magazine yesterday. I am not a collector per se, but I use it for stamps I might want to buy and use. Are these MONSTERS virtual only, or do you think they’ll be made available to purchase and use on envelopes?
They’re real stamps, and if not at your local post offices, you’ll be able to order them via USPS.com and use them on mail. The issue date is September 24th.
My favorite issues were the EARTHSCAPE & CLOUDSCAPE issues. Thay are colorful and highly representative of our diverse landscapes and economy. Celebrate the century series beautifully represent the culture of our heritage here in the US.
What do cloudscapes have to do with economy? Did you meant ecology? I like Celebrate the Century series also. In fact, those were the first stamps I purchased upon arrival from Russia to this country. We did Celebrate the Century in Russia too. Check it out. There was a sheet of 20 in 2000.
My first collection also started with Celebrate The Century Series, although I have been living here for a long time.
I also have the Russia Millennium collection as well as many other other countries.
From USA Philatelic 3rd Quarter: 24 SEP Topeka, KS Message Monsters USPS# 4813. #04 Pn-20 $11.00, #06 Press Sheet $33.00 #08 Uncut Press Sheet $33.00 #16 FDoI-4 $3.96 #21 DCP FDoI-4 $6.80 Projected Scott 5636-39
With the price adjustment, these prices are not correct. Stamps are now $.58 each as of August 29,2021. Thanks.