U.S. #4681

2012 45¢ Monsters, Inc.
Mail a Smile

Issue Date: June 1, 2012
City: Orlando, FL
Quantity: 25,000,000
Printed By: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Color: multicolored

Fan reactions to Toy Story as well as the cre...  more

U.S. #4681

2012 45¢ Monsters, Inc.
Mail a Smile

Issue Date: June 1, 2012
City: Orlando, FL
Quantity: 25,000,000
Printed By: Avery Dennison
Printing Method: Photogravure
Color: multicolored

Fan reactions to Toy Story as well as the creator’s childhood experiences served as the inspiration for Monsters, Inc. Director Pete Docter recalled, “I knew monsters were coming out of my closet when I was a kid.”

The earliest versions of the story were about a 30-year-old man who drew the monsters he saw as a child that then came to life. Over time, the story evolved and new breakthroughs were made to give the film a realistic look.

One of the animators’ greatest challenges was in rendering the main character, Sulley’s, fur. They designed a groundbreaking new program that individually animated all 2.3 million hairs, giving each one distinct color and allowing it to flow according to his movements. The film’s technical team also designed software they named “McMonster” to model 150 unique characters.

The animators visited a blimp hangar, gas refinery, foundry, industrial towns, and factories for research. This helped them create a realistic-looking factory.

A restaurant featured in the film is called the Harryhausen. This is a nod to Ray Harryhausen, the special effects creator who made early stop-motion monsters such as those in Jason and the Argonauts.