Having Fun in the Mail Shack, aka

Wacky Mail from McMurdo Station, Antartica (U.S.)

The time period 1984 to 1985 brought some of my most delightful, yet strange mailings, from the U.S. Antarctic program. 

I had sent covers to some of the private expeditions, including University teams involved in the U.S. program, but the biggest majority of it came back with some very "interesting" markings, including the famous "Church of the SubGenius" cachet. I had first had some hint of some private rubber stamps being in existence in early 1984, when a cover I had sent to the Cape Hallett Expedition Team came back with multiple markings, with a note inside signed by, and an autograph on the cover of one "J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs", ...of whom I have no idea if he is a real person ... I have some doubts that he is.  I think someone had tongue firmly planted in cheek...

Small COMNAVSUPPFORANTARCTICA Cachet and the "Uptown" Penguin Cachet on the backside


The best for sheer wackiness though, had to be these examples postmarked at McMurdo Station on Lincoln's Birthday, 1985. Take a look and see if I have assessed them correctly. 

A most interesting study in boredom in the philatelic mail shack? A way of expressing displeasure with having received way too much philatelic mail that year?  Who knows... I always wondered if this way someone's cute way of showing it!!  Of course, it is totally different from the ubiquitous USARP cachets everyone has already... Did anyone else get any similar to these that year??

Beware the Church of the SubGenius...?

Help me, I've fallen and can't get up!

This little penguin went to jail?

Snowball fight time at McMurdo Station?

Bombs away over McMurdo?

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QSL.net page last updated 07-30-2009 0407Z