Star Wars stamps ripple the universe, set to arrive May 25

It started as a buzz surrounding 400 collection boxes wrapped to look like R2-D2. It spread across the Inter­net as friends told friends about the Star Wars teaser on the USPS Web site. And then, in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, it burst across television screens like the Millennium Falcon going into hyperdrive — the Star Wars stamps were finally unveiled.

Within minutes after the unveiling, television and news outlets here and abroad were reporting on air and online about the 15 stamps that go on sale May 25.

To find out which is the most popular character, the Postal Service is urging people to go to www.uspsjedimaster.com between now and May 23 to cast a vote for their favorite Star Wars image. The winner will get his or her own stamp later this summer.

USPS employees are allowed to vote for their favorite image but are ineligible to enter the contest to win the Grand Prize VIP trip for four to Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles, May 24–28, since the contest is a postal-sponsored event. See www.uspsjedimaster.com/main/rules.html for a complete listing of rules and eligibility requirements.