Disney Villains (U.S. 2017)

Updated July 7, 2017: The Scott Catalogue numbers for this issue are

5213 (49¢) Disney Villains – The Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
5214 (49¢) Disney Villains – Honest John from Pinocchio
5215 (49¢) Disney Villains – Lady Tremaine from Cinderella
5216 (49¢) Disney Villains – Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland
5217 (49¢) Disney Villains – Captain Hook from Peter Pan
5218 (49¢) Disney Villains – Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty
5219 (49¢) Disney Villains – Cruella De Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians
5220 (49¢) Disney Villains – Ursula from The Little Mermaid
5221 (49¢) Disney Villains – Gaston from Beauty and the Beast
5222 (49¢) Disney Villains – Scar from The Lion King
a. Block of 10, #5213-5222

Updated July 7, 2017:
On July 15, 2017, in Anaheim, CA, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Disney Villains stamps (Forever® priced at 49 cents), in ten designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 475400). The Disney Villains $9.80 pane of 20 stamps may not be split, and the stamps may not be sold individually. The stamps will go on sale nationwide July 15, 2017.

This issuance celebrates the rich legacy of the Walt Disney Studios Ink & Paint Department with a pane of 20 stamps showcasing 10 classic Disney villains: Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), Honest John (Pinocchio), Cruella De Vil (One Hundred and One Dalmatians), Captain Hook (Peter Pan), the Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland), Lady Tremaine (Cinderella), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), the Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Gaston (Beauty and the Beast), and Scar (The Lion King). The selvage area features the Queen from Snow White standing in front of an ornate background. The reverse side of the pane includes drawings of the 10 characters and a quote by each one. Art Director Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, working closely with Disney Creative Director David Pacheco and the team at the Walt Disney Studios Ink & Paint Department, designed these stamps using new art created for the issuance.

Stamp Fulfillment Services has completed an automatic push distribution to Post Offices of a quantity to cover approximately 30 days of sales. How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-782-6724. 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 – Disney Villains 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 September 15, 2017. Philatelic products for this stamp issue are as follows:

  • 475406, Press Sheet with Die-cut, $58.80
  • 475410 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (random cover), $11.95
  • 475416 First-Day Cover (set of 10), $9.30
  • 475421 Digital Color Postmark (set of 10), $16.40
  • 475430 Ceremony Program, $6.95
  • 475433 Panel, $17.95
  • 475466 Notecards (set of 20), $15.95

Technical Specifications:

Issue: Disney Villains Stamps
Item Number: 475400
Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail®, Forever
Format: Pane of 20 (10 designs)
Series: N/A
Issue Date & City: July 15, 2017, Anaheim, CA 92803
Art Director: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Designer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Typographer: Derry Noyes, Washington, DC
Artist: Walt Disney Studios Ink & Paint Department
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Stamps per Pane: 20
Print Quantity: 60,000,000 stamps
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Gloss Block Tag
Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, PMS 7687C Purple
Stamp Orientation: Vertical
Image Area (w x h): 1.085 x 1.420 in/27.56 x 36.07 mm
Overall Size (w x h): 1.225 x 1.56 in/31.12 x 39.62 mm
Full Pane Size (w x h): 7.12 x 9.45 in/180.85 x 240.03 mm
Press Sheet Size (w x h): 22.235 x 19.025/564.77 x 483.24 mm
Plate Size: 120 stamps per revolution
Plate Numbers: “P” followed by five (5) digits
Marginal Markings:
Front: Header: DISNEY VILLAINS – from the Walt Disney Studios Ink & Paint Department
Back: ©2017 USPS • USPS Logo • Barcode (475400) • Plate Position Diagram • Promotional Text • Line Drawing and quote for each character • Disney Logo • Disney proprietary information

Updated July 6, 2017: There are 10 Digital Color Postmarks for this issue, one for each stamp, but any of the DCPs may be used for any of the stamps! There is also a B&W hand cancel and a “special” postmark that local post offices may use. Here are the designs: “Alice in Wonderland” measures 2.87″ x 1.47″.“Cinderella” measures 2.99″ x 1.10″.“Lion King” measures 2.97″ x 1.32″.“Peter Pan” measures 2.73″ x 1.48″.“Sleeping Beauty” measures 2.99″ x 1.15″.“Beauty and the Beast” measures 2.99″ x 1.32″.“101 Dalmatians” measures 2.94″ x 1.37″.“Little Mermaid” measures 2.98″ x 1.47″.“Pinocchio” measures 2.69″ x 1.32″.“Snow White” measures 2.97″ x 1.44″.The B&W postmark measures 2.57″ x 1.23.”.The “special” postmark measures 3.00″ x 1.27″.

Updated July 5, 2017:
According to the USPS web-store listing for this item, “the selvage area features the Queen from Snow White standing in front of an ornate background. The reverse side of the sheet includes drawings of the 10 characters and a quote by each one.”

Maleficent: “You poor simple fools! Thinking you could defeat me, me, the Mistress of All Evil!”

Honest John: “If we play our cards right, we’ll be on easy street, or my name isn’t Honest John!”

Cruella De Vil: “So, they thought they could outwit Cruella.”

Captain Hook: “Blast that Peter Pan!”

Queen of Hearts: “Off with their heads!”

We’re not told if there are quotes for the remaining three characters, Scar, Gaston and Snow White‘s Queen.

Thanks to Richard Wierzbowski for the tip.

[USPS press release]
Disney Studios Ink & Paint Department to be Celebrated on Forever Stamps Featuring Disney Villains

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the rich legacy of the Walt Disney Studios Ink & Paint Department by dedicating a sheet of 20 Forever stamps featuring 10 classic Disney villains.

The Disney Villains Forever stamps will be dedicated at 1:30 p.m. PDT July 15, during D23 Expo 2017, Disney’s ultimate fan event at the Anaheim Convention Center, Center Stage. The public is encouraged to share the news on social media using the hashtag #DisneyVillainsStamps. Beginning June 22, the stamps may be pre-ordered at usps.com/shop for delivery shortly after the July 15 issuance.

Admission is limited to the ceremony that is standing room only. You may RSVP at www.usps.com/disney; however, this does not guarantee admission. Additional instructions will be provided. D23 Expo 2017 ticket holders do not need to RSVP. Each stamp showcases one of 10 classic Disney villains against a blue background: the Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Honest John (Pinocchio), Lady Tremaine (Cinderella), the Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland), Captain Hook (Peter Pan); and Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), Cruella De Vil (One Hundred and One Dalmatians), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Gaston (Beauty and the Beast) and Scar (The Lion King).

The words “USA” and “Forever” appear in the top right corner or bottom right corner of each stamp and the name of the classic villain and the movie in which the character appears runs along the left edge.

The Art of Animation
Beginning in 1923, Disney’s Ink & Paint Department helped create classic animated films. Its artists brought life to countless memorable characters, including many iconic Disney villains.

One of the first groups of its kind, Disney’s Ink & Paint Department was yet another stop on the road to creating an animated film. After the animators’ pencil drawings were finished, they went to Ink and Paint. There, highly specialized artists meticulously recreated each pencil line in ink, capturing every nuanced movement and expression. At first, artists used black and white, and later shades of gray to “color” each celluloid or cel. In the early 1930s, the artists began using rich colors on the animation cels.

The last full-length animated Disney film to use the hand-painted cel process was The Little Mermaid (1989). Beauty and the Beast (1991) and The Lion King (1994) were hand drawn. The original pencil drawings for those films were then scanned and painted digitally. For these stamps, the characters Gaston (Beauty and the Beast) and Scar (The Lion King) have been recreated using traditional ink and paint techniques.

Art director Derry Noyes of Washington, DC, designed the issuance.

The Disney Villains from the Walt Disney Studios Ink & Paint Department stamps are being issued as Forever stamps that are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail service one-ounce price.

8 thoughts on “Disney Villains (U.S. 2017)

  1. From USPS.COM/store PSA Pn 20 475404 $9.80
    no info on #10 Keepsake, #16 FDoI or #21 DCP.

  2. A great set. It should sell well. I am eager to design my covers.
    Bravo USPS…

  3. So far the other six issues MS, NE, Have a Ball etc., have Scott Catalogue Numbers, If the USPS be so Kind and Nudge those idiots at AMOS PUB. to come up with four numbers would greatly appreciate it. I know the USPS can do it!

    • Patience! The stamps were just issued July 15th. The latest Scott catalogue numbers were released about two weeks later. Scott doesn’t assign numbers until it confirms the stamps are actually on sale and can be purchased by the public, whether they are as promised and whether there are any varieties.

      The Scott editors are careful, not idiotic.

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