The first 1,600 people lucky enough to snag a ticket to Magic Live 2018 will walk away with more than just amazing memories of a great time in Las Vegas, but a cool set of magic-themed stamps as well. (UPDATE: Attendees actually get a First Day of Issue official ceremony program, which comes with cover envelope and one of the cancelled stamps. If they want the full set, they’ll have to buy the remaining stamps and have them cancelled as part of the first day ceremony. We apologize for the error)
Created by Charleston-based graphic designer, Jay Fletcher, these official USPS stamps celebrate five of the most iconic branches of performance magic: Production, Transformation, Levitation, Prediction and Vanishing. Fletcher’s clear love for stark, geometric minimalism is prevalent, but there’s a hint of Art Deco luxury hidden in those sharp edges and smooth curves.
While the tricks depicted on the stamps are instantly recognizable, Fletcher struggled to convey the inherent “change” of a magic trick in one, static image. As he explained in an interview with Comm Arts:
As the process went on, we began to wonder if appealing to everybody, conveying the concepts in a digestible way and having the stamps immediately feel “magical” was too much to ask for. One of the most challenging aspects of the project was that most of the concepts were dependent upon the “before” and “after.” For example, it’s hard to depict something as having vanished without first showing it was there to begin with—almost like animation with a single frame.
If you were hoping to snag a late booking to Magic Live, you’re likely out of luck. The convention’s 1,600 spots sold out incredibly quickly, and while there’s still a waiting-list in case of cancellations, those tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. So good luck. Fortunately, if you’re just after the stamps, those will be released to the general public at a later date.
Magic fans who still enjoy sending mail the old-fashioned way, take note: the United States Postal Service has unveiled their custom line of 2018 stamps, and five of them are inspired by the “art of magic”.
From the report on USPS.com:
The Postal Service celebrates the art of magic with this pane of 20 stamps featuring digital illustrations of five classic tricks magicians use to amaze and delight audiences: a rabbit in a hat (production), a fortune teller using a crystal ball (prediction), a woman floating in the air (levitation), an empty bird cage (vanishing), and a bird emerging from a flower (transformation).
No word on issue date or other details just yet, but they should be available for postage by early next year. Other people and subjects honored by the upcoming USPS stamps include Lena Horne, Mister Rogers, Sally Ride, John Lennon, the Flag Act of 1918, World War 1, and more. You can see samples of each here.