About This Stamp
On September 8, 1966, Star Trek premiered. Centered on the interstellar voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise, the prime-time television program's mission was “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” With an intricate futuristic setting, multicultural cast, and story lines that touched on social issues, Star Trek pushed past the boundaries of popular science fiction and became a worldwide phenomenon.
Each of the 20 self-adhesive Star Trek stamps showcases one of four digital illustrations inspired by elements of the classic TV show: the Starship Enterprise inside the outline of a Starfleet insignia against a gold background, the silhouette of a crewman in a transporter against a red background, the silhouette of the Enterprise from above against a green background, and the Enterprise inside the outline of the Vulcan salute (Spock's iconic hand gesture) against a blue background. The stamp sheet includes five of each design. The words “FOREVER USA,” separated by a small Starfleet insignia, appear along the top edge or the bottom edge of each stamp. The words “SPACE... THE FINAL FRONTIER,” from Captain Kirk's famous voice-over, appear beneath the stamps against a background of stars.
During its run on NBC, Star Trek deftly combined action, adventure, drama, fantasy, and allegory. Episodes alluded to the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the population explosion, the growing generation gap, and race relations. NBC canceled Star Trek after three seasons, but the show soon entered syndication and grew even more popular. Soon, the once fledgling sci-fi program blossomed into a franchise that included an animated television series, multiple live-action series, and a string of motion pictures.
Antonio Alcalá was the project's art director. The issuance features artwork by The Heads of State, who also designed the stamps. The Star Trek stamps were issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce price.
TM & © 2016 CBS Studios Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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.
Stamp Artist, Designer, and Typographer
The Heads of State
For more than a decade, Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers have been working together as The Heads of State. They’ve created award winning posters, book covers, branding, and illustration for a diverse list of clients, including The New York Times, Wired, New Balance, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and musicians Iron & Wine, The Decemberists, and Wilco.
In 2012, they launched Pilot and Captain, a design venture focused on creating T-shirts, posters, and products inspired by the golden age of travel. Kernevich and Summers lecture frequently about their work and process and teach graphic design and illustration at Tyler School of Art, where they both studied. They live and work in Philadelphia.
The Heads of State recently created the artwork for Star Trek (2016), their first U.S. Postal Service® project.