Sunday 22 December 2013

Mythical Creatures

 
GB-2009: Mythical Creatures 
What better time for the fantastical in the dark days of midwinter when in past times story tellers gathered around fires and told their tales. Perhaps in those times unicorns hid in the forests and dragons waited in their lairs and lit the nigh sky breathing fire and giants walked the earth. 

Meanwhile smaller creatures were abroad on land, sea and air.

I only occasionally purchase presentation packs but this one was irresistible. Not only had Dave McKean (illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer) designed the stamps, but also the fold out presentation pack had more of his pen and ink drawings inside, and topped off by the fact that his long time collaborator, the author and fantasy genius Neil Gaiman, had done little stories to go with the stamps.  The one about fairies is only a few lines so here it is:
"Its not that they're small, the fair folk, especially not the queen of them all.  Mab of the flashing eyes and slow smile with lips that can conjure your heart under the hills for a hundred years.
It's not that they're are small.  It's that we're so far away".

7 comments:

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

I really do wish I had bought this beautiful issue of stamps and, of course, the PHQ cards. I remember it well but I let it pass me by.

Heleen said...

Wow, such impressive illustrations!
I've received the Pixie stamp as a postcard, but the other's I've never seen before. They are great. Thank you for sharing, Joy!

Postcardy said...

My favorite is the Pixies.

viridian said...

A great set that I have not seen! (Not surprising, really.) Thank you for sharing, and Merry Christmas.

Bob Scotney said...

A beautiful set of which I had only seen the dragons.

Happy Christmas.

Lisa B said...

I think I must have total blanks every now and again as this is another splendid set which I missed. Amazing designs, the mermaid would be my favourite. Merry Christmas!

Mail Adventures said...

I've received some of these!