NEW YORK - Sylvester & Tweety, the frolicking feline and feather-headed canary duo of animation fame, started getting top billing on cards and letters today when the U.S. Postal Service issued a new commemorative stamp at Warner Bros. brand new Studio Store in Times Square.
The noon stamp dedication ceremony featured the unveiling of a billboard of the Sylvester & Tweety stamp, positioned at one of the busiest and most famous corners in the world - 42nd Street and 7th Avenue. Stamps and postmarks for the first day of issue were available at the event, and 400 million Sylvester & Tweety 32-cent stamps became available at post offices nationwide.

"The Postal Service salutes the important role animated heroes and characters play in Americas great traditions of humor and entertainment," said Postal Service Chief Operating Officer William Henderson, who dedicated the stamp. Joining Henderson at the dedication were Warner Bros. characters Sylvester, Tweety and Bugs Bunny; actor Bronson Pinchot; Allen Kane, Postal Service Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President; Robert Daly and Terry Semel, chairmen and co-chief executive officers, Warner Bros. and Warner Music Group; and Warner Bros. legendary animation director Chuck Jones.

"Ever since the Postal Service issued its first commemorative stamp more than a hundred years ago, stamps have focused on a wide variety of people, places and events," said Henderson. "As a key stamp in the 1998 commemorative program, the Sylvester & Tweety stamp is sure to be a hit with young people and will help encourage them to enjoy the educational hobby of stamp collecting."

"Warner Bros. is honored that Sylvester & Tweety will be on the second U.S. postage stamp featuring animated characters, following in the tracks of Bugs Bunny," said Dan Romanelli, president, Warner Bros. Worldwide Consumer Products. "Bugs Bunny continues to be a great ambassador to Stampers, and we are confident the new Sylvester & Tweety stamp will also delight children of all ages."

Sylvester & Tweety join Bugs Bunny to help bring attention to Stampers, the Postal Services youth stamp collecting program. Since its start in fall 1996, more than 1.7 million children and adults have joined Stampers. Members receive free mailings which include magazines, posters and other educational items to help them start their own stamp collection. Children can become Stampers free of charge by calling toll free 1 888 STAMP FUN.

Issued April 27, 1998,
New York, NY 10199

The Bugs Bunny stamp was the Postal Services most popular stamp in fiscal year 1997, and the eighth most popular of all time. According to an independent survey, postal customers saved more than 45.3 million Bugs Bunny stamps during that period, earning an estimated $14.5 million for the Postal Service. To date, revenues from Bugs Bunny stamps and stamp-related products total more than $78 million. Sylvester is the beloved Looney Tunes feline whose famous line, "Sufferin succotash!" has become his classic trademark.

Tweety, the tiny, wide-eyed, baby-talking canary, can be instantly recognized by his innocent "I tawt I taw a puddy tat!" just-hatched view of the world, which makes the contradictory force of his actions hilarious. Neither malicious nor hostile, Tweety dispatches his predators with startling speed and a wallop that surprises and delights audiences.

Sylvester & Tweety, an established team, won two Academy Awards together, one for Tweetie Pie and one for Birds Anonymous. Together and individually, Sylvester & Tweety enjoyed several other Academy Award nominations over the years. They appeared together in more than 40 cartoons. Today they are stars of their own show, The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries on Kids WB, the childrens programming service for the WB Television Network.