MARVEL'S TRANSFORMERS FEATURED ON GREAT BRITAIN STAMPS

The Transformers – alien robots who can change into vehicles, machinery and weapons – first appeared in toy shops and on TV screens in 1984. Nearly 40 years on, thanks to the addition of comic books, computer games and movies, the likes of Optimus Prime and Megatron have become pop-culture titans.

The story of the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons has been told in many different ways, but the core premise is usually the same: a deadly civil war engulfs the distant metal planet of Cybertron and eventually spreads to Earth. Key to the warring mechanoids’ success in the UK and Ireland was Marvel UK’s The Transformers comic, which told an epic seven-year story across 332 issues.

As well as launching the careers of British writers and artists, ‘TFUK’ inspired fans to follow in their footsteps, with James Roberts, Nick Roche and Jack Lawrence going on to help expand the mythos, establish the definitive origin of the Transformers, and reinvent the Robots in Disguise for the 21st century with characters and concepts that endure to this day.

The stamps feature original illustrations created by three established comic artists Andrew Wildman (pencils), Stephen Baskerville (inks) and John-Paul Bove (colours) who have all contributed to The Transformers UK comic series

The stamp designs arranged in pairs depict an Autobot and Decepticon locked in a battle, featuring eight characters in retro Generation 1 style from the 1980s