First-day ceremony details announced for U.S. Bruce Lee stamp

By Linn’s Staff

As part of the 2026 United States stamp program, the U.S. Postal Service will host a first-day ceremony for the Bruce Lee forever (78¢) commemorative stamp Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. Pacific Time at the Nippon Kan Theater, 628 S. Washington St., in Seattle, Wash. The first-day event will include Derek Kan, vice chairman of the USPS Board of Governors, and Shannon Lee, Bruce Lee Enterprises chief executive officer, as speakers.

The stamp, available in panes of 20, features a black-and-white painting of Lee by artist Kam Mak showing the Chinese-American actor and martial artist executing a flying kick with the vertical inscriptions “BRUCE LEE” and “FOREVER USA” being the targets on the right side of the design. Designed by USPS art director Antonio Alcala, Lee is pictured against a yellow brushstroke backdrop from Mak’s egg tempera painting on traditional gesso.

Born in San Francisco, Calif., Lee (1940-73) grew up in Hong Kong before moving back to the United States in 1959 and living in Seattle. In Hong Kong, where he developed his early martial arts abilities, Lee was introduced to the film industry as a child actor by his father. After moving to Seattle, Lee began teaching martial arts, opening his first martial arts school out of his home.

As an aspiring actor, Lee starred in five feature-length martial arts films and is regarded as the first global Chinese film star and one of the most influential martial artists in film history. He is widely credited with popularizing martial arts films worldwide in the 1970s.

“Lee captivated film audiences with his skill, charisma and screen presence and inspired a generation of young fans to explore action movies, mixed martial arts and Asian culture,” the Postal Service said in a Jan. 9 media advisory.

Although free and open to the public, the USPS encourages those wishing to attend the first-day event to register at usps.com/bruceleestamp.

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