New Issue: Rick Wakeman by Roger Dean (IOM)

On 25th September the Isle of Man released a new issue, in which "Rick Wakeman’s iconic musical legacy, brought to life through Roger Dean’s visionary artwork."

I didn't really know very much about Rick Wakeman (sorry, Rick!) but I have since learned a bit about him and he seems very interesting. He is a composer and a keyboardist, and a pretty great one too.

The Isle of Man Post Office (IoMPO) describes his career on their website. It says: "Across more than 100 solo albums, Wakeman has explored everything from classical piano interpretations to full symphonic rock, building a catalogue as diverse as it is daring. His music has reached audiences worldwide, not only through records and concerts but also through his many appearances on television and radio, where his wit and storytelling make him as engaging off stage as on."

Roger Dean is also a legendary artist and the IoMPO says his "fantasy landscapes have become synonymous with progressive rock and are heavily featured throughout this new range of collectables". Rick Wakeman has lived in the Isle of Man since 1987 and he seems very pleased to be the subject of a stamp issue.

He said: "I am honoured to have my career featured on these stamps having spent many years as a resident of the Isle of Man. Roger Dean’s artwork has always felt like a natural extension of the music I’ve created, and to see our worlds brought together on stamps is both surreal and wonderful."

This is quite a special collaboration between what the IoMPO calls "two cultural giants whose creative journeys have shaped the visual and sonic worlds of progressive music for more than five decades". So, what do I think of these stamps?

Design Quality - There is some really great artwork from Roger Dean here. I don't think the design of the stamps themselves is anything special though. 6/10

Theme and Subject Choice - I think this is a really good one. Rick Wakeman has lived on the Isle of Man for almost 40 years so there is a real local connection. Stamps about music are very popular, and Royal Mail have made enough of them in recent years, but IoMPO hasn't just copied some record covers - they've pulled in a great artist to celebrate his work as well. This is brilliant and shows how important collaborations are in our artistic culture. 8/10

Historical and Cultural Relevance - Cultural relevance is very high. I had not actually heard of Rick or Roger but I had heard some of Rick's music and Roger's artwork is classic. As Maxine Cannon from Isle of Man Stamps and Coins said, "To be able to honour his extraordinary musical journey alongside Roger’s art feels like a perfect meeting of sound, story and image". 8/10

Innovation and Creativity - The artwork is very creative but I don't think the stamps' design itself is very innovative. I love the colours though... 7/10

Collectability - A lot of people are into stamps about music and musicians, including a lot of people who don't really collect stamps. Few stamp issues combine a celebration of music with a celebration of visual art, which makes this more collectable.  9/10

Personal Appeal - Although I didn't know much about Rick Wakeman or Roger Dean before, I think these are great stamps. They are a lot different from the stamps you normally get from the Isle of Man. Surreal and wonderful indeed! 8/10

Overall score: 44/60