This is the mail: Vermont mailman creates his own USPS-themed Mandalorian helmet

Neither snow nor rain nor mudhorn ...

A Vermont-based mailman took the concept of wearing a face mask to an entirely new level by creating a USPS-themed Mandalorian helmet straight out of the Star Wars universe. The postman behind the galactic headgear is Hinesburg resident Sean Avram, who has also specialized as an airbrush artist and face/body painter for the last 15 years (you can currently catch him on Season 1 of Skin Wars). Now known to the internet as "The Mailmandalorian," Avram has transformed into a package-delivering bounty hunter, spreading joy and happiness throughout his route in the Colchester system and the wider galaxy beyond.

"I wanted to make something cool and positive and bring some levity to the front line as I delivered the mail," he exclusively tells SYFY WIRE. "So many of us love Star Wars, and even if we don't, most of the terms, styles, and characters are known to people ... The mail is also a connection that touches everyone in America. Everyone has a mail carrier. The Mailmandalorian merges two worlds, bringing a galaxy far, far away closer to us and giving us a greater connection to each other."

The helmet, which you can check out in the post below, is actually a spruced-up Boba Fett helmet made for kids that Avram bought seven years ago at a Kmart clearance sale for five bucks. He actually purchased two, but the first one got painted in the style of the Boston Bruins for his nephews. Since mail-people are required to have a "COVID barrier and sunglasses," Avram (a member of the cosplayer community) figured he'd kill two womp rats with one stone and use the remaining helmet as a two-in-one protection against the virus and UV rays.

"If I painted it, I'd have to paint something that told people I was an actual mail carrier and not some weirdo running up their neighbor's driveway with an Amazon package," he says. "I thought the easiest thing to [do] would be to paint it to look like a mail truck ... This is a fairly simple paint job compared to what I normally do. I masked off the 'T' with painter's tape, cleaned and prepped the rest of the area, primed it with automotive paint, and then used tape to mask off the red and blue areas. I cut a stencil to achieve the USPS logo on the forehead and had the whole project done in one evening, start to finish."

The next day, Avram took a selfie and posted it online before heading out to work. By the time he got home, the image had gone viral.

"I had no clue of the scope that I was dealing with ... People loved it right off the bat," he adds. "I've read thousands of comments now, and I'm blown away by how positive they all are. People are having fun with it, and that makes me feel good. There's a million Star Wars quotes and a million things that you can do with the mail, so shtick is very easy to generate. The one I like to say is 'I can bring your mail in warm, or I can bring it in cold. This is the way.' It's also really easy to stare people down with a Mando helmet on."

When someone on Reddit suggested he acquire some Beskar for the rest of his costume (and Avram has teased a full USPS getup), the Mailmandalorian replied: "Right now, all I have is government-issue aluminum."

Well, there you have it. If you want to make your own Star Wars armor, you don't necessarily need precious metals from Mandalore or Emily Swallow's Armorer (although we'd trust her to cover our escape any day). You just need some creative initiative and good ol'-fashioned bantha grease.

Credit: Disney

"I think my picture gave social media users a chance to be positive and spread something cool and fun about the Postal Service that was non-political," Avram continues. "My supervisor exclaimed the other day, 'The helmet made everyone like the mail again!' And really, that's all I wanted. I didn't make this go viral, the fans did, and that's why it's awesome."

Boba Fett (played by the prequels' Temuera Morrison) will be making an appearance in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, which is slated to premiere on Disney+ this October. Rosario Dawson, Timothy Olyphant, Michael Biehn, and Katee Sackhoff are also set to appear in the show's sophomore outing as characters new and old. Behind the camera, Robert Rodriguez (Alita: Battle Angel) and Peyton Reed (Ant-Man and the Wasp) are among the filmmakers tapped to direct.

Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, and Baby Yoda are all reprising their roles.

"I can't wait to have a name for the child instead of 'Baby Yoda,'" Avram says, referring to what excites him most about Season 2. "But all in all, I'm all about the Darksaber. Walter White wouldn't have messed with Gustavo Fring if the Pollos Hermanos had a Darksaber handy."

Season 1 is now streaming alongside an eight-part docuseries that goes behind the making of the show. Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian drops new episodes every Friday, with three left to air. A third season of The Mandalorian is already in the works, too.