The squonk, a cryptid said to be found in northern Pennsylvania's hemlock forests, will be featured on an upcoming U.S. Postal Service stamp set of mythical creatures.
On Monday, USPS announced 15 new stamp sets for 2027, including Black Heritage, Year of the Goat and Cure Childhood Cancers. Proceeds will fund childhood cancer research at the National Institutes of Health, according to a USPS release.
The "Mythical Creatures" stamp set features mothman, jackalope, squonk, sasquatch and champ.
The squonk was included in a 1910 collection of folklore, called "Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods." According to legend, the squonk is disgusted by its own wrinkled appearance and constantly cries over it in distress.
A newer annual festival in Johnstown honors the squonk and holds competitions to "cheer up" the creature. The description of the squonk in a USPS release explains the creature's rise to fame.
"In recent years, the melancholy character has been revived as a darling mascot of introverts and anyone else who relates to the Squonk’s social anxiety," the release on mythical creatures read.
Texas-based tattoo artist Nat Power drew the creatures, while USPS art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps. The new set will release sometime in 2027 and will include 20 stamps.
