About This Stamp
With a stamp, the U.S. Postal Service commemorates Alex Trebek (1940–2020) who, as longtime host of the challenging television quiz show Jeopardy!, became a respected and beloved presence in millions of homes.
The grid of identical stamps resembles the array of video monitors that form the Jeopardy! playing board. In the style of the game — a provided answer prompts contestants to respond with the corresponding question — the capitalized white-on-blue text of the stamp reads, “THIS NATURALIZED U.S. CITIZEN HOSTED THE QUIZ SHOW ‘JEOPARDY!’ FOR 37 SEASONS.” The color and typography also mimic the style of clues on the show. Underneath, upside down, is the appropriate response, “Who is Alex Trebek?” next to the words “Forever USA.” Both are hand-lettered to evoke the written responses contestants provide in the final round of Jeopardy! The selvage completes the look of the Jeopardy! board, with a capitalized category header at the top of each column: Entertainment, Game Show Hosts, Famous Alexes, and Forever® Stamps. In a photograph, Trebek stands to the left, familiarly dressed in suit and tie. Seen behind him is a portion of the Jeopardy! set.
Born in 1940 in Sudbury, Ontario, Trebek began his radio career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where he was soon tapped to present a variety of television programming. He relocated to Los Angeles in 1973 to host The Wizard of Odds, followed by many other game shows. It was the syndicated reboot of Jeopardy!, starting in 1984, that made Trebek a household name. He became a citizen of the United States in 1998.
Trebek won a lifetime achievement Emmy Award and eight Daytime Emmys for outstanding game show host, among many other accolades. After a brave public battle, Trebek died of pancreatic cancer on November 8, 2020, less than two weeks after recording his last Jeopardy! episode.
Antonio Alcalá was the art director and designer for the stamp project, using photography provided by Sony Pictures Entertainment and hand lettering by Marti Davila.
The Alex Trebek stamp is being issued in panes of 20 Forever® stamps. This Forever stamp will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
Alex Trebek / ©2024 Jeopardy Productions, Inc. All rights reserved.
Stamp Designer, Stamp Art Director
Antonio Alcalá
Antonio Alcalá served on the Postmaster General’s Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010 until 2011, when he left to become an art director for the U.S. Postal Service's stamp development program.
He is founder and co-owner of Studio A, a design practice working with museums and arts institutions. His clients include: the National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Women in the Arts, The Phillips Collection, and Smithsonian Institution. He also lectures at colleges including the Corcoran College of Art + Design, SVA, Pratt, and MICA.
In 2008, his work and contributions to the field of graphic design were recognized with his selection as an AIGA Fellow. He has judged international competitions for the Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, AIGA, and Graphis. Alcalá also serves on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and Poster House Museum’s advisory councils. His designs are represented in the AIGA Design Archives, the National Postal Museum, and the Library of Congress Permanent Collection of Graphic Design.
Alcalá graduated from Yale University with a BA in history and from the Yale School of Art with an MFA in graphic design. He lives with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.