Moomins

A cover with another famous cartoon character - Moomin from Japan 🇯🇵 

Moomins - greetings stamps - issued on 10-01-2018

The Moomins  are the central characters in a series of books and a comic strip by Swedish-speaking Finnish illustrator Tove Jansson, originally published in Swedish by Schildts in Finland. They are a family of white, round fairy tale characters with large snouts that make them resemble hippopotamuses. The family lives in their house in Moominvalley, though in the past, their temporary residences have included a lighthouse and a theatre. They have had many adventures along with their various friends. In all, nine books were released in the series, together with five picture books and a comic strip being released between 1945 and 1993.

The Moomin stories concern several eccentric and oddly-shaped characters, some of whom are related to each other. The central family consists of Moominpappa, Moominmamma and Moomintroll.

Other characters, such as Hemulens, Sniff, the Snork Maiden, Snufkin and Little My are accepted into or attach themselves to the family group from time to time, generally living separate lives in the surrounding Moominvalley, where the series is set. 

Hemulens feature frequently in the books. One of them is an avid stamp collector, and another is an avid skier. A female Hemulen raised Moominpappa in an orphanage, and later Moominpappa met her aunt, who looked confusingly like her. Other characters frequently find the Hemulens annoying or overwhelming, as they can be somewhat loud, bossy, abrasive and insensitive, but they are well-intentioned and usually have other redeeming qualities. In the beginning of Finn Family Moomintroll, a hemulen who is a keen stamp collector is depressed, as he has every stamp on the face of earth and has lost his purpose in life. Later on, he finds a new purpose: to collect plants. 

Snufkin is a character in the Moomin series of books appearing in six of the nine books. He is the best friend of the series' protagonist, Moomintroll, and lives a nomadic lifestyle, only staying in Moominvalley in the spring and summer, but leaving for warmer climates down south every winter. He is the son of the elder Mymble and the Joxter, and is half-brother to the Mymble's daughter and Little My.

The cover has the commomerative postmark of the opening of Moominvalley park in Japan. 

The Moominvalley Park (ムーミンバレーパーク) is a theme park about the Moomin characters created by Finnish author and artist Tove Jansson. Opened in March 2019 about 40 kilometers northwest of Tokyo in Hanno, Saitama Prefecture, the theme park is the first one outside of Finland and offers visitors a look into the world of the author and her creation.

Thanks Chisako for this beautiful cover :)