In preparation for the 30th anniversary of Star Wars later this month, Lucasfilm and the United States Postal Service have teamed up to deploy a legion of R2-D2 themed mailboxes, which are on the streets right now.

Over 400 [corrected from previous number cited] of the little guys are being deployed across the country, in around 200 cities, according to the USPS. They will be featured in high-traffic areas, including: 42rd St. and Sixth Ave., 42nd and Broadway, 45th and Broadway, 58th St. and 5th Ave., near Madison Square Garden at 34th St. and 8th Ave., near Radio City Music Hall on 6th Ave., by the Apollo Theater at 125th and 8th Ave., and near Yankee Stadium at E. 161st St.

(Edit 1:55 PM EDT) In San Francisco, there are boxes at three "definite" locations: 401 Post and Powell, Howard and 4th, and 199 Jefferson and Taylor. There's also one at 380 Hamilton, according to a mole. There may be others in the Embarcadero, near AT&T Park, and near Fort Mason. Word is that the mailbox locations may have changed at the last minute, but that's the best information we have.

"R2-D2 is the feisty little droid who embodies the trust and dependability for which the Postal Service is so renowned," the Post Office said. Makes sense; neither the ice planet of Hoth nor the deserts of Tatooine slowed down the little droid.

Interested in still more Star Wars geekery? Both Lucasfilm and the USPS have also launched a Web site, USPSJediMaster.com, which features a teaser trailer and a reminder to keep your eyes open for an announcement on March 28. Based on reports and our own guesses, it doesn't seem to far-fetched to expect a commemorative stamp (or, more likely, a set). In fact, the image (so far, singular) will be previewed on the 28th, the USPS said.

Unfortunately, the USPS isn't releasing a map of the locations: "Finding them is part of the fun," according to Melissa Dodge, a USPS spokeswoman. There are approximately seven in the San Francisco area, she said.

Interestingly, no money changed hands; the effort is a collaboration by both Lucasfilm and the USPS, according to Dodge. "It's kind of a natural fit; Star Wars' thirtieth anniversary bridges generations, and so does the Postal Service," she said."

We obviously don't have all the locations mapped out (not hardly!) so if you see one, feel free to post it in the comments section. Heck, post a picture to a site like Flickr (remember to include the Creative Commons license) and we might feature it on the site! (To see a list of all the cities where R2-D2 mailboxes have been deployed, check out Lucas's Star Wars site.

One final note: this isn't some stupid Cartoon Network prank. These are U.S. Post Office mailboxes, and protected by federal law. Dodge was very clear: steal the R2D2 wrap, and you'll face time in the federal pen.

Post by Mark Hachman

Wednesday, March 21: Here's a pic of a Chicago mailbox taken by Robyn Peterson, who just happened to stumble across it.