Pikachu is perhaps the best known of the Pokémon, the little monsters that arrived in the West thanks to Satoshi Tajiri’s video games. He is the protagonist of a stamp launched by Poste Italiane in the thematic series “The Italian artistic and cultural heritage”.
The stamp isn’t even bad. In the foreground there is a Smiling Pikachu with one paw raised. The design is simple, probably coming from some old artwork. Blue outline and underneath a writing: Philately Day. On 30 October the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy issued a stamp from the thematic series The Italian artistic and cultural heritage. Nothing strange, it happens every year. What is curious is the choice of subject.
What does Pikachu have to do with Italian artistic and cultural heritage? It is not known. Or almost. In fact, the stamp was presented on the occasion of Lucca Comicsone of the most important fairs in Europe for comics and video games. Poste Italiane, as has already happened on other occasions, participated in the event by presenting right here his stamp.
It’s not the first time. In the 2019again at Lucca Comics, Poste Italiane presented a stamp almost two meters high dedicated to 85 years of Donald Duck. Given its size, the Donald Duck stamp, printed in six copies, had also become part of the Guinness World Record. Certain. It is not known for things have been used.
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Because Pikachu has become a symbol of Italy
Now. Choosing Donald Duck as the protagonist of an Italian stamp makes sense: in our country there is a long tradition of Disney artists. For Pikachu, however, it is natural to have some more doubts, precisely because his stamp is included in the series on Italian artistic and cultural heritage. Maybe it’s all a little out of place. Pokémon is a franchise born in Japanalthough plans to set future series in Italy emerged in a recent leak. Yet this is not the first attempt by Poste Italiane to graft the world of anime.
Searching in archives there are several sets themed around Naruto, Ufo Robot, Jeeg steel robot, Holly&Benj and Lady Oscar. A strategy that second Giovanni Marchettihead of the Philately sector of Poste Italiane, should serve to reach young people: “It is a way to bring new generations closer to philatelic collecting”. In any case, the Pokémon stamp will not be a rare item: it will be printed in 500,024 specimensthe. The cost on the Poste Italiane website is 1.25 euros. However, at the moment the product is already finished.
