Does Anyone Tell Non-Philatelic Stories With Stamps?

Most of what I read about topical collections says that it should tell a story, but by story, they often mean a philatelic story. Does anyone bother telling non-philatelic stories, trying to illustrate the stories with stamps.

I'm currently storyboarding several "horror" fiction stories, and planning out the stamps to help tell the story. Countries, authors, architecture, geological & geographical things, transportation, and many other themes fit neatly into this, not to mention having to depict the storyline itself. Some of the odder depictions I need include a couch, a bionic ear, blood transfusions, a penguin, the 10 plagues of Egypt, and a musk ox. No, they're not all for the same story. It might be fun to post a few stamps and play guess the story.

Since many these stories have been done in film, I'm planning to put the collection into albums that resemble DVD covers. That makes for another interesting project in constructing the albums.

Is anyone else doing anything similar with their topical stamps? I know people are telling history through stamps. Is anyone telling fiction stories?

Well history is non philatelic, Si.
As for fiction stories, I don't recall
ever seeing such a thing, there has been fictional
stories based around stamps, but not told by them,
that sounds very unusual.

I have a book from 1995 by a leslie Jonath
distributed in Canada, a book of a young girl's
early memories told by stamps.

She used font Garamond 3, on a mac computer,
the original type of claude garamond 1840! to 1861
first specimens are found in books printed in 1532

Years ago a Hungarian born Canadian cartoonist named George Fayer did a hilarious book called George Fayer's Stamp Book where he took stamps from all over the world and incorporated them into cartoons. Unfortunately, my copy was destroyed by my kids years ago, but if you can find one, hang onto it, it's a hoot!

In 11 years of collecting,
never seen anybody post a doonesbury stamp.

Doonesbury's good. Penguins and a couch are for reconstructing a particularly popular Monty Python sketch.

Does anyone have a stamp with a thin wafer?

I do not nor have I considered it but it is a fascinating idea and concept.

Love to see any finished work you may want to share.

Me too. I only hatched this idea two weeks ago when I ran into my old stamp collection while cleaning out a closet. Something stopped me from getting rid of it along with the other stuff, and my mind started wandering.

Just got the Scott catalogs the other day, and still figuring out how & where it's best to buy stamps for this. Was thinking of just getting some cheap topical packets and supplies to start storyboarding and stitch some album prototypes together.

SiBurning, when you ask if anyone has a stamp with a thin wafer, please explain exactly what you are looking for.

ScBurning, I found the following link which discusses Scinde Dawk stamps which are stamps on wafers of red sealing wax impressed on paper:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal...onth_archive

Is this the type of wafer you are referring to?

Oops! Sorry!

A wafer-thin mint is part of the restaurant skit in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.

One way to approach this kind of treatment is to do a homage to the tv show by illustrating the various skits through stamps. For example, including fruit in a display about self defense (Another Monty Python skit.) I'm not actually storyboarding Monty Python (yet!) but it did cross my mind when I saw a penguin stamp.

In the end, I'm just looking for some fun ways to approach collecting. Dracula and Dr. Phibes are on the top of my list for now, as well as a shaving display, and some other more traditional ideas.
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The Scinde Dawk stamps are wax seals. Very interesting. Did they adhere by heating the back before affixing them?

SiBurning, I look forward to hearing more about your use of stamps in this endeavour. As far as Sinde Dawk stamps, I only know what is in the link I referenced to earlier. Perhaps a collector of Indian stamps can supply more info on their usage.

I think that is a fun idea. Do you need a white rabbit and some knights?

I have my precancels from route 66 towns placed in order East to West. A few years ago I setup a multi frame exhibit that got me thinking about making a better album to house my collection. I have been wanting to put together an album using all my items: precancels, pictorial postmarks, postcards, etc. for a Roadtrip Route 66 stamp collection. I'd break it down by state moving from Chicago to Los Angeles. One day I'll find the time.

I have seen a couple of movies and a few tv episodes about stamps. In most cases, the stamps were given a ficticious name. I cannot think of the series, but I remember seeing a stamp similar, not exactly like, the One Penny Black QV but blue and referred to as the "Wellington Blue".

Just recently here on a satellite channel we get, there was an episode on "Heartbeat" with guest star (??) Clive (can't remember first name) but well known as "Richard" on "Keeping Up Appearances" and he was claiming a valuable cover stolen from him during WW 2 while he was in a concentration camp.

I think in all, I have seen about 7 movie and tv episodes combined, centered around stamps in one way or another.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Have you thought about an album that awkwardly unfolds like a real map? More simply, you could just bind every other page from the opposite side to make one long fold-up album--kind of like an accordion. You can make something using page protectors (without the ring hole section) and slip the pages into it, say two per protector, each facing out, with a plastic card for stability between the pages. Then just bind the first page into the book. This way you can pull the pages out for competitive displays. I'd probably add a velcro or snap fastening device to hold the book closed because something will happen.

Binding it might take some research. For my mock up, I'm just using cloth hinge tape (typically used for binding pages of sheet-music into a folio) and 70 lb card stock. It's not good for a permanent display. For one thing, the tape warps the paper. For an album made of paper, more traditional book binding methods seem like the route to take. Other materials, especially hard ones like stock pages, need some other binding method.

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Is there a list of movies with stamps somewhere? I maintain a couple of movie lists elsewhere, one on shaving, and one on new DVD & Blu-Ray releases of traditional horror movies. A list of movies with stamps in them would be fun and helpful.

--steve

I have written stories about places featured on stamps.

SiBurning, there was an SCF thread a while back on stamps in the movies - can't remember the title now - maybe try a search?