[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Garfield

PostNL issued the Garfield frame stamps on April 27, 2026. Frame stamps are issued alongside the official program and designed based on a fixed layout, with a fixed number of stamps per sheet. Each of these 5 stamps features a different portrait of Garfield.

Simultaneously with the Garfield frame stamps, PostNL released the Garfield gold stamp. This stamp, featuring 24-karat gold, shows a standing portrait of Garfield that does not appear on the frame stamps.

Garfield is a character from the comic series of the same name. He is a lazy, fat, orange cat who lives with his ‘owner’ Jon Arbuckle and the always cheerful, but very stupid dog Odie. Garfield is constantly looking for food, with a strong preference for lasagna and a strong aversion to healthy food. Jon regularly forces him to go on a diet. He is too lazy to hunt mice. At night, he likes to give noisy performances on the fence that are not appreciated by the neighbors, sleeps a lot, is sarcastic and headstrong, destroys the neighbor’s garden, and bullies the dog and Jon. Another running gag in the comic is his strong dislike of Mondays.

Over the years, Garfield became increasingly human. He even started walking upright, and was therefore fitted with larger feet. The cat also became smarter than his owner Jon, who originally played the lead role in the comic. Their roles reversed. Garfield cannot speak – his lines are in so-called ‘thought bubbles’ – but over time, the comic showed that he can write and use computers, telephones, and tools.

The creator, writer, and illustrator of Garfield is the American Jim Davis (1945). He named the comic cat after his grandfather, who in turn was named after the 20th president of the United States. Davis spent his childhood on a small cattle ranch in Indiana where about 25 cats also lived.

Popularity
The comic strip first appeared via a comic syndicate in a number of American local newspapers in 1978 and was already being printed in 850 newspapers worldwide by 1981. Davis then founded the company Paws Inc., in which he placed the rights. In 2004, the strip appeared in no fewer than 2,600 newspapers, and in that peak year, merchandise generated a billion dollars worldwide.

In the Netherlands, the strip appeared in De Telegraaf from November 1980 to January 2021. Comic books, films, television specials, and video games have been produced starring Garfield, and an endless series of consumer goods and clothing items bearing his likeness have been created. Davis sold Paws Inc. to Nickelodeon (part of Paramount Global) in 2019. He still produces the strip himself, with the help of 20 assistants.

Stamp designer Frank Janse received assistance from his intern Alec Versluis in designing the framed stamps, which is why Versluis is also listed on the stamp sheet. Certain elements of the framed stamps are fixed, such as the format, the lettering of the value indication and ‘Netherlands’, and the sorting hook. In this case, Janse was also bound by the lettering of the texts ‘Garfield’, ‘Nickelodeon’, and the text inside the speech bubbles in the comic drawings. Paws Inc., the company that manages the rights to Garfield, is part of Nickelodeon. Therefore, both company names appear on the sheet. The background colors of the drawings are also fixed by the rights; there was a choice of 10 colors.

Janse had a wide selection of Garfield drawings to choose from. ‘The character Garfield has a number of traits, including some less desirable ones such as arrogance, destructiveness, and cynicism. I chose to use cheerful drawings for the 5 framed stamps, so that each one creates a likeable image in its own right. His love for lasagna and his striving to take as many naps as possible are featured. His favorite stuffed animal is also on it. For example, a drawing in which he scratches something to pieces with his nails didn’t make the cut; it didn’t work well on a standalone image.’

For the gold stamp, Janse chose a drawing in which Garfield poses somewhat jauntily and full of self-confidence. On the packaging of this stamp, he leans back and waves.

Janse has given the sheet of framed stamps as much of a comic strip look as possible. ‘It must be clearly recognizable that it concerns a comic character.’ That is why the design is tightly framed and nothing runs off the sheet. The 5 stamps are arranged in a row like in a comic strip, with the serrated edge as a border. Garfield is taking a nap above, but remains entirely within the frame of the space above the stamps.

From various options, Janse chose the quote ‘Mornings would be better if they started later’. It fits with the sleeping Garfield at the top, and Garfield’s naps also reappear on the second stamp, which features the letter Z used in comics to indicate that the character is sleeping.

Technical Specifications (Frame Stamps):

Issue date April 27, 2026
Format: 1 sheet with 5 different stamps
Edition: 10,000
Stamp size: 30 x 40 mm (wxh) with serrated edge
Country of issue: Netherlands
Value indication: 1 for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands
Article number: 860030
Design: Frank Janse, Leene Communicatie, Gouda/The Hague with the collaboration of Alec Versluis (intern)
Illustrations: by Jim Davis for Paws Inc./ Nickelodeon
Colors: Colors CMYK + phosphor
Paper: standard with phosphor print, gummed
Printer: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé, Haarlem
Retail price: € 7 (currently USD $8.21) per sheet with five different stamps

Technical Specifications (Gold Stamp):

Issue date April 27, 2026
Format: 1 stamp with 24-karat gold
Edition: 1000
Stamp size: 30 x 40 mm (wxh) with serrated edge
Country of issue: Netherlands
Value indication: 1 for mail up to and including 20 grams with a destination within the Netherlands
Article number: 860031
Design: Frank Janse, Leene Communicatie, Gouda/The Hague
Illustrations Illustrations by Jim Davis for Paws Inc./ Nickelodeon
Colors: CMYK
Retail price: € 50 (currently USD$58.67), including luxury packaging and certificate of authenticity

Note: PostNL does not sell directly to collectors in North America. Its website refers to a company called Nordfirm, which says it sells Dutch new issues at face value. The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.

Collectors may also wish to contact the U.S. firm Bombay Stamps, which can also obtain first day covers upon request, with lower shipping fees. The email is sales@bombaystamps.com Again, The Virtual Stamp Club has no connection to this company.