Austin tattoo artist illustrates new USPS stamp design 'Mythical Creatures'

America’s rich tradition of cryptid folklore is getting a postage-sized makeover, led by an Austin-based tattoo artist whose background in printmaking and traditional ink is bringing regional legends to mailboxes nationwide.

Nat Power designs new USPS stamps

The backstory:

Nat Power, a resident artist at Royal Legion Tattoo in Austin, digitally illustrated the U.S. Postal Service’s upcoming "Mythical Creatures" stamp set. Designed under the direction of USPS Art Director Antonio Alcalá, the five-stamp pane features regional legends spanning from coast to coast.

Raised in the North Texas city of Cedar Hill, Power moved to Austin to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art from the University of Texas in 2016. Her academic focus on printmaking and serigraphy directly shapes her approach to tattooing and illustration, combining strong shapes, vivid color palettes, and bold black linework.

After beginning her tattoo apprenticeship at Royal Legion Tattoo in 2019, Power built a reputation for work that frequently focuses on animals, ranging from the ordinary to folkloric fauna and strange chimerical beings.

For her first stamp project with the Postal Service, Power brought that classic American traditional aesthetic to render five of the nation's most famous mythical beings alongside icons representing their native environments:

• Mothman: A flying, red-eyed, human-sized being first reported in 1966 in West Virginia, where festivalgoers today often wear "spooky-cute" costumes in its honor.
• The Jackalope: The antlered rabbit mashup that leapt into Western legend during the 1930s thanks to a pair of taxidermist brothers in Wyoming.
• The Squonk: A tearful, self-conscious creature from old Pennsylvania lumbermen’s lore that has evolved into a modern symbol of anxiety.
• Sasquatch: Also known as Bigfoot, the elusive giant that leaves an outsized footprint on American culture far beyond its Pacific Northwest origins.
• Champ: The legendary lake monster of centuries-old lore that serves as the official mascot for the Lake Champlain region bordering New York and Vermont.

"America’s many folkloric animals reflect our love of the unknown and odd," the Postal Service said of the collection.

The "Mythical Creatures" series marks Power's debut release for the U.S. Postal Service.

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