Irony can be subtle or obvious. For instance, if a Smart car is being driven the wrong way down a one-way street. Or when you're at a fast-food restaurant, and the person in front of you orders a triple burger, cheese fries and a diet soda. Or when our U.S. Olympic team enters the stadium wearing patriotic uniforms manufactured in China.

Last week I experienced it with two notifications from the USPS. They offered information on upcoming commemorative stamps honoring prominent U.S. notables — one for actor Charlton Heston and the other for Harvey Milk, the former San Francisco city supervisor. The irony wasn't lost on me. In 1978, a former police officer and supervisor in non-gun-embracing San Francisco shot and assassinated Milk. Conversely, Heston was a five-term president of the National Rifle Association.

Fortunately, the stamps are not scheduled to be simultaneously issued. The Milk stamp is slated for release next month, so the focus for now is on the Heston commemorative.

Even for younger people, Heston is no stranger to the big screen. Sci-fi junkies have long revered him from his iconic appearance in the film "Planet of the Apes." Of course, others would argue that was a low point in his award-winning and storied career.

Born in 1923, Heston appeared in over 100 films. Some of the more notable include: "The Greatest Show on Earth"; "El Cid"; "The Agony and the Ecstasy"; "Ben-Hur" — for which he won an Academy Award; and, of course, "The Ten Commandments."

Ironically, like most in Hollywood, for much of his career, Heston was a die-hard Democrat. He endorsed Democrat candidates and promoted liberal causes. He was also a key figure in the civil rights movement and actively publicized measures supporting gun control.

Much of that changed in 1972 with the Democrat nomination of George McGovern. Heston experienced a paradigm shift and supported the Republicans, including his friend and fellow actor Ronald Reagan.

From there, Heston became an outspoken supporter of the NRA and an advocate against reverse discrimination. His association with the NRA extended to his presidency of the organization and speeches made across the country supporting the Second Amendment right to own firearms. His most memorable signature phrase often came while he held a vintage flintlock rifle above his hands reciting with robust Hollywood flair the now famous line, "They can have my gun when they pry it from my cold, dead hands."

The image on the new "Forever" stamp doesn't share that dramatic flair. Instead, it shows a stylized portrait of a casual, relaxed and happy Heston, based on a snapshot taken by his wife, Lydia. On the outer portion of the stamp sheet is a more theatrical Heston in a colorized image from the film "Ben-Hur."

In 2002, Heston was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He died at his Beverly Hills, Calif., home six years later in 2008 at age 85. With the stamp, Heston's legacy will live on but never more so than through one or two of his iconic utterings in some of his guilty-pleasure films. Perhaps most indelible is his classic line from "Planet of the Apes." Sci-fi nerds everywhere will forever remember him for: "Get your stinking paws off me, you damn, dirty ape!"

The new Heston first-class postage stamp is now available at most post offices. Collectors can obtain special First Day of Issue cancels by mail from the Postal Service. To do so, purchase the stamps at a local post office and affix one to a self addressed envelope. Send that inside of a separate mailing envelope to: Charlton Heston Stamp, USPS Marketing — Admin Building, 7001 South Central Avenue, Room 307, Los Angeles, CA 90052-9998.

After applying the special postmark, the USPS will return the envelopes through the regular mail. There is no charge for the postmark, but all orders must be postmarked no later than June 10, 2014.

Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of the new Charlton Heston commemorative stamp has been sent with this column.

To find out more about Peter Rexford and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.