There are just two O titles I haven’t covered yet, both from the late 1980s, and both with only cover lettering by Saladino. THE OUTCASTS is up first, a twelve-issue series from 1987 to 1988. Gaspar’s blurb uses unusual letter shapes and texture that adds interest.
This blurb follows a similar idea, but the letters are a little more square. I think the texture in them adds a lot because the art is so slick.
More textured letters, but these are looser and scarier, contrasted by very square letters elsewhere.
Only the word HOT has texture on this one. That and the color give it emphasis. Gaspar might have added flames, but there were already some in the art.
This large display lettering is beautifully done with a very large round pen point, and then all the square corners were added with a tiny point to give it strength.
DC had success with BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS, a new team book that replaced the long-running THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD. It did so well that it was chosen in 1985 to be one of several series split into two books. This one, in the prestige format on higher quality paper, was priced higher. The original series became ADVENTURES OF THE OUTSIDERS and after a while reprinted stories from this series. Batman was not in either book, which I think was a mistake, but it did well enough to last until 1988 with 28 issues. Again, Gaspar did only cover lettering, but some fine examples. The blurb on this cover uses standard block letters, but rough outlines around them add impact.
This larger blurb in a ragged caption box uses a variety of styles that work together well.
This blurb should have been larger, but it reads fine. Gaspar has done a very simplified version of his Black Lightning logo.
Just when you thought Saladino might be coasting, he came up with this creative blurb loosely based on letters from the Cyrillic alphabet to make the Russia connection.
Usually Saladino preferred to do his own versions of already created character logos for his cover blurbs, but here he’s used two that I designed. I’m flattered! All the display lettering is large and appealing.
This caption celebrates the return of Batman and the villainous Eclipso with a Saladino version of his old logo.
It’s hard to see it, but a close look at EVIL TWINS shows it was done with a large dry brush, one of Gaspar’s specialties. The notched, textured caption box adds interest.
METAMORPHOSIS is a very long word to fit into a burst, but Gaspar makes it work, and the contrasting approach of STRANGE is great.
To sum up, I found Saladino lettering on these covers:
THE OUTCASTS: 2-4, 6, 9
THE OUTSIDERS: 1, 3, 6-7, 9-10, 14-15, 17-20, 23, 25-26, Special 1
That’s 21 in all. Other articles in this series and more you might enjoy are on the COMICS CREATION page of my blog.