Austin tattoo artist Nat Power has created art for five new United States Postal Service stamps in 2027. The stamps come in a mixed pack dedicated to mythical creatures like a Jackalope and Sasquatch, all in a colorful American traditional style.

The official USPS page showing off the stamps has listed both the issue date and location as "TBA."

Cryptids, beings whose existence is scientifically disputed, can be a surprisingly patriotic, populist topic. Many are connected to folklore and specific geographic regions, making them perfect for representing the people of a region over time. People around the country will see their communities in these creatures; the Jackalope is actually from Wyoming, but Texans likely identify with the associated Western motifs. Plus, we have real antelopes.

The five featured creatures are as follows:

• Mothman: First reported by a West Virginia gravedigger in 1966, Mothman is one of the spookier cryptids. Two couples also reported that Mothman flew after them as they drove into town. Mothman has evolved over the decades into a pop culture symbol. This one's round, red eyes look cute under fluffy antennae.
  
• Jackalope: The USPS distinguishes the jackalope as a cryptid that "has been spotted by a great many Americans." Being part rabbit, it makes sense that its descendants have gotten around. Two brothers created the creature as a hoax that was displayed in an inn; now it's easy to find other jackalopes mounted at bars, on art in gift shops, and in other popular media.
• Squonk: The squonk is a pathetic, wrinkled forest creature in Pennsylvania who is always crying. It is usually depicted as being ugly, but Power's rendition looks like a normal piglet — if you don't look at its webbed feet. The Squonk is beloved and is even celebrated with Squonkapalooza in Johnston, Pennsylvania.
  
• Sasquatch: Perhaps the most recognizable cryptid of all time, the Sasquatch — also known as Bigfoot — is humanlike, elusive, and covered in hair. USPS points to Indigenous tales in the Pacific Northwest that encouraged people to be mindful in the forest. But versions of the Sasquatch have appeared all over the world, including the yeti in the Himalayas and the yowie in Australia.
  
• Champ: "Champ" is a friendly nickname for the Lake Champlain monster, who lives in a glacial lake along the New York-Vermont border. Hundreds have reported the aquatic monster in the waters that reach 400 feet deep. As the nickname suggests, people in the region are proud to count Champ among them. A witness, Sandra Mansi, said her grandfather used Champ to convince her to behave while in a fishing boat.

Though Power drew the final creatures, Virgina-based graphic designer Antonio Alcalá provided art direction and design. Alcalá has a long history making stamps; he was on the Postmaster General’s Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee from 2010-2011, then was an art director for the U.S. Postal Service's stamp development program. He keeps a gallery of stamps he's created on Instagram.

That's good mentorship for Power, who has never made a stamp for USPS before. Her background, before tattooing, was in printmaking and painting. According to the artist bio she shared with the postal service, she uses her experience in serigraphy came to inform her approach to tattooing; she pulls from the bold and bright techniques she enjoyed in serigraphy (silk-screen printing) to "create tattoo designs of a similar structure" at Royal Legion Tattoo.

Her work often focuses on animals, many of which are fantastical interpretations like a cowboy shrimp, a fish with its own tattooed legs, or even just a favorite Pokémon. It would have been fun to have a flirty Mothwoman as a U.S. stamp, but no dice.

If anyone falls in love with one of the stars of the stamps, Powers has said she'll tattoo them as flash designs. However, the art technically belongs to USPS, so there won't be any prints or merchandise. Fans who don't want to miss the collection's launch date can follow Powers on social media.