It’s been a terrible time for The Royal Mail here in the UK. This blogger is a fan of his local and friendly postie, but the company has been rightly pulled over hot coals for a decades-old faulty IT scandal in which people were sent to jail rather than the company admitted it had dodgy software.
I’ll write up some more of the negative in just a bit, just for balance but let’s skip on the Dungeons & Dragons news because that’s pretty cool.
Gamers, stamp collectors, and gaming stamp collectors can now pre-order 14 D&D 50th anniversary stamps.
The press release from the Royal Mail says 64 million people play D&D.
Wayne Reynolds has illustrated each of the D&D stamps, 14 in total and 11 especially commissioned. The artist has been working on RPGs for more than two decades.
Wayne told press;
Being asked to design the Dungeons & Dragons stamps for Royal Mail was a massive honour for me. As a British artist it was a wonderful opportunity to be able to contribute artwork that I’d created as a long-running D&D fantasy artist to something I consider to be an iconic institution. I get the opportunity to see my artwork on stamp!2
The illustrations are of Red Dragon, Owlbear, Vecna, Gelatinous Cube, Mind Flayer, Mimic, Displacer Beast and Beholder. However, there’s something else (apparently) visible to people with the set up can light them up with an ultraviolet glare.
Dan Rawson, Global Play Lead, D&D at Wizards of the Coast, added;
Building on Hasbro’s existing work with Royal Mail, we’re honoured to release this beautiful collection of stamps, officially approved by HM King Charles III, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game. With stunning art from long-time Dungeons & Dragons artist Wayne Reynolds showcasing our adventuring heroes and fearsome creatures, we’re sure these items will be treasured by D&D fans and stamp collectors alike.”
These stamps differ from the D&D US stamps available for the 50-year anniversary.
More dodgy news about the Royal Mail? As we frantically search for ways to be greener, the Royal Mail yesterday announced it would stop using its own freight trains and use roads more. The company has been using trains for nearly 200 years, but, in their defence, they say the new system is in line with their carbon zero targets.
Oh, and don’t let the name fool you. The Royal Mail is a private company currently being sold to a Czech billionaire for $4.6 billion. The buyers, the EP Group, have promised to keep many of the Royal Mail’s special commitments to the country, such as six-day-a-week delivery and a flat fee no matter where you are in the country.
Despite my grumbles about corporate past behaviour at the Royal Mail, I will admit it’s cool of them to do something so contemporary and geeky.
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