LINWOOD, NC —Marcus Hamilton, the artist for the daily “Dennis the Menace” comic strip, will be at Linwood Post Office for the dedication of the new Dennis the Menace commemorative postage stamp. The event will be held on Saturday, October 16, 2010, 10 am at the Post Office lobby, 4276 Old Linwood Road.

The Dennis the Menace stamp is part of the Sunday Funnies stamps honoring five different comic strips, originally issued nationally on July 16, 2010. The other comic strips are: Archie, Beetle Bailey, Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes. Hamilton will be at Linwood Post Office to help introduce the stamps and to sign stamp sheets or commemorative cachets with special postmarks available during the event.

The Dennis the Menace stamp features five-year-old Dennis dressed in red coveralls and striped shirt running off to some new adventure. Dennis the Menace follows the antics of Dennis Mitchell, a good-hearted but mischievous little boy who is perpetually “five-ana-half” years old. His curiosity tests the patience of his loving parents and neighbors, guaranteeing that their lives are anything but dull. The comic debuted in March 1951 as a single-panel gag.

“Like stamps, comic strips often tell a story through humor, adventure, fantasy and sometimes even drama,” said Linwood Postmaster Gina Myers Shaw. “With this event, we will commemorate one of our country’s most beloved comic strips and dedicate an amazing stamp pane that represents a unique part of American culture.”

This event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. For more information, please call Shaw at 336-956-8802.

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