Tomorrow, Canada Post will issue its second set of Star Trek stamps, these featuring Starfleet’s finest alongside some of their villainous counterparts.
The seven-stamp set will include five domestic-rate Permanent stamps commemorating Captains James Kirk; Jean-Luc Picard; Benjamin Sisko; Kathryn Janeway; and Jonathan Archer—with the faces of the galaxy’s most notorious villains’ looming in the background. The other two stamps will depict the intrepid Class-F shuttle—another Permanent stamp—and the ominous Borg cube, which will carry a $5 denomination.
“The ships, the captains and, especially, the villains give these stamps more drama,” said Vancouver designer Adrian Horvath, who added he was a fan of The Next Generation when it was on the air from 1987-94, and revisiting the series reignited his interest in the show.
“It was fun revisiting the newer series. Every time I got home from work, I wanted to watch old episodes again.”
Designed by Horvath and Kosta Tsetsekas, of Signals Design Group, the stamps share a similar look to those issued in 2016 but with a slightly more modern touch.
This Permanent stamp depicts Captain James Kirk with Khan Noonien Singh looming in the background.
KIRK & KHAN
After completing his original five-year mission and earning a promotion, the newly appointed Admiral Kirk set an unassailable standard for every Starfleet captain; however, being stuck behind a desk at Starfleet Command made the aging admiral restless. He rejoined the U.S.S. Enterprise, the first step toward a final show-down with his most cunning and deadly adversary: Khan Noonien Singh, who’s also featured on this stamp.
PICARD & LOCUTUS
More by the book than Kirk, Captain Picard led his crew with stern professionalism. When Borg drones invaded the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, they captured and assimilated Picard into the Borg Collective. Renamed Locutus, who’s also depicted on this stamp, he was forced to be the Borg’s spokesperson before being rescued by his crew, though not before he was the Borg’s unwilling agent of destruction. Haunted, Picard finally overcame his demons in a final showdown with the Borg Queen.
This Permanent stamp features Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
SISKO & DUKAT
Posted to the space station Deep Space 9, near the planet Bajor, Captain Sisko took to heart his mission to help the Bajorans recover from the Cardassian occupation. Dukat, the dangerous former prefect of the station, is also featured on the stamp. He considered Sisko’s new role as a personal affront and wanted revenge. This animosity led to escalating tensions between the Federation and a new, powerful enemy known as the Dominion, and placed Captain Sisko at the centre of a battle between good and evil.
Captain Benjamin Sisko is depicted alongside Dukat on this Permanent stamp.
JANEWAY & BORG QUEEN
Sent to pursue renegades known as the Maquis, Captain Janeway and the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager thought they’d be home in no time. Unexpectedly, Voyager and a Maquis vessel were transported to the other side of the galaxy. Far from home, the two crews united and began a decades-long journey back to the Federation. In the end, Janeway faced off against the enigmatic Borg Queen, who’s also featured on this stamp, and used the Collective’s advanced technology to speed Voyager’s return home.
ARCHER & DOLIM
Captain Kathryn Janeway and the Borg Queen are featured on this stamp.
One of Starfleet’s earliest pioneers, Captain Archer represented United Earth before the founding of the Federation. In 2153, Archer and the Enterprise NX-01 responded when the mysterious Xindi suddenly attacked Earth. The Enterprise trailed the Xindi to a dangerous region of space known as the Delphic Expanse, where Archer confronted Commander Dolim, a genocidal Xindi-Reptilian convinced that the destruction of humanity would ensure the survival of his people. Dolim is also depicted on this stamp.
Captain Jonathan Archer and the genocidal Xindi-Reptilian Commander Dolim face off on this Permanent stamp.
SHUTTLECRAFT GALILEO
The U.S.S. Enterprise carried a fleet of shuttlecraft designed for short-range space exploration, planetary landings, and often-dangerous missions. The first of these shuttles – named Galileo (NCC-1701⁄ 7) – met an explosive fate in orbit around Taurus II, seconds after its crew was beamed safely to the Enterprise. In honour of the spunky little craft, its name was passed on to future models, making it the most famous of the Enterprise sidekicks.
BORG CUBE
The short-range shuttle Galileo is featured on this Permanent stamp.
The cybernetic Borg had no interest in diplomacy; they sought only to achieve perfection by assimilating different species. Those assimilated lost all sense of individual identity and became merely an extension of the Borg Collective, a fate many considered worse than death. The appearance of a Borg cube – the Collective’s formidable spaceship – often meant the destruction of a civilization. Resistance, as the Borg said, was futile.
Seven official first-day covers will also be issued tomorrow.
PRESTIGE BOOKLET
In a sequel to last year’s prestige booklet celebrating 50 years of Star Trek, Canada Post will issue another prestige booklet for this year’s release. It includes all the Star Trek stamps issued in 2017.
The booklet also depicts classic stills of Admiral Kirk’s adventures on the big screen and shots of the crew members who brought four TV series to life.
Both the 2017 and 2016 booklets were also designed by Horvath, who turned to the CBS archives and episode stills to find images of some of the most memorable moments from the top four episodes in each series.
He also created what’s arguably the set’s most interesting stamp: a uniquely shaped, Borg cube stamp, enhanced with holographic foil and multi-layered embossing.
“I’m excited for fans and collectors. It’s cool and commanding, just like the Borg,” said Horvath. “With the colour and texture added by the special effects, it really looks like it’s coming right at you.”
In addition to prestige booklets, the new Star Trek stamps are available as booklets of 10 stamps; panes of five stamps; uncut press sheets of six souvenir sheets from the prestige booklets; and coils of 50 stamps. Seven official first-day covers were also released. The issue was printed by Lowe-Martin.
For more information, visit canadapost.ca.