This article is for seven DC Comics titles beginning with the letter P that had a relatively small amount of lettering work by Gaspar Saladino. PEACEMAKER, above, was a four-issue miniseries using the former Charlton Comics character, which DC had purchased. Gaspar’s blurb has appealing block letters on a rare oval shape that helps it read against the busy cover art. The texture in TZIN adds interest, and the wording is a clever pun perhaps by writer Paul Kupperberg.
This venerable newspaper strip character had a four-issue DC miniseries that was successful enough to launch a monthly series running 13 issues in 1989-90. Gaspar’s blurb under the logo has a slight Art Deco feel, which works fine.
The bottom blurb on this cover has a strong first word made with a brush to add drama. These were the only covers lettered by Saladino.
A four issue miniseries from 1982, all four covers have lots of fine Saladino lettering. I particularly like the treatment of TWILIGHT DIMENSION on this one.
Gaspar’s strong balloons add drama, and the caption uses an Art Deco style for the guest star names.
The bottom blurb on this cover has the kind of informal teasing appeal that Marvel Comics did so well under Stan Lee, and the bottom banner is nice too.
Another four-issue miniseries from 1988 has Saladino lettering on two of the covers. This one’s blurb is organic and textured, and cleverly shaped to avoid all the figure art.
Gaspar’s blurb here would almost fit into a circle, and is again organic and textured in an appealing way.
This 1983-84 three issue toy tie-in had Saladino lettering on two covers. The display lettering in the villain’s balloons works well, and Gaspar also did the top line.
The top blurb by Gaspar adds drama to this somewhat static posed cover.
After not getting much attention in the 1970s, The Atom made a comeback as a kind of sword and sorcery hero in the 1983 miniseries SWORD OF THE ATOM. This led to a new monthly series, first issue above, that ran 18 issues in 1988-89. About half had Saladino cover lettering. His burst caption on this cover sells the series well.
Gaspar had been trying these nearly rectangular balloons in the late 1960s on covers, and perhaps thought they worked here for TV reporters. The treatment of STROBE EFFECT looks like it was done on a computer, but it’s by hand.
Humor is more effective when played straight, and that’s what Gaspar did on all his amusing lettering here.
I don’t know who Humbug is, but I want to find out after seeing Saladino’s great character lettering here.
In the early 1970s, DC was giving Joe Simon, former partner of Jack Kirby, some chances to try new ideas, and a teenage president of the United States was one. Gaspar lettered two of the four published issues. It’s likely that Simon, who often did logo and title designs for his projects, did that here.
This story title is probably by the artist, Jerry Grandenetti. The handsome calligraphy below it is certainly by Gaspar.
To sum up, I found Saladino lettering on these covers:
PEACEMAKER #2
THE PHANTOM #3-4
THE PHANTOM ZONE #1-4
POWER GIRL #2, 4
POWER LORDS #1, 3
POWER OF THE ATOM #1-3, 5, 7, 10
That’s 17 in all. Below are the details for his story lettering on PREZ.
#2 Oct-Nov 1973: 24pp
#3 Dec 1973-Jan 1974: 20pp
That’s 44 pages total. More articles in this series and others you might like are on the COMICS CREATION page of my blog.