The Omega Men were created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Joe Staton in the pages of GREEN LANTERN, and they appeared as guest stars in several titles, and had a connection to THE NEW TEEN TITANS through Starfire. They moved to a prestige format series in 1983 that lasted 38 issues and two Annuals to 1986. Gaspar Saladino lettered several covers for the book, and I’ll show them here, beginning with the first issue, above, where he did the blurb above the logo I designed. The lettering has an interesting style and fits the logo curve well. Saladino did not letter any of the stories.
By contrast, Gaspar’s top blurb on this cover is straight, not following the logo, and that works too. I like Art Deco curves in Prisoner and Citadel.
These cover blurbs use standard open block letters, but the bottom one adds subtle variety with some letters or letter parts extending down a little below the rest. I also like the way the open letters extend over the top of the caption box, an idea which I also used.
On this top blurb, Saladino has chosen the third likely option, making the top of the open letters straight and having the bottoms follow the curve of the logo. I think it looks great. Note that Gaspar liked to give a word beginning with I a serif version of that letter sometimes.
For a blurb directly under the logo, following the curve worked best, as here. NIGHTMARE has a slightly rough edge for variety.
For this bottom blurb, Gaspar echoes the curve of the logo and pulls the lower edge of the bottom line down straight for another type of curved open lettering.
Word balloons make an appearance for the first time on this cover, with a fine burst and open letters on the second one. This is an issue I wrote, and you’d think I could then answer the question, “Who wrote the cover balloons?” Unfortunately I don’t remember! I might have, or it could have been one of the editors, Marv Wolfman or Alan Gold.
Most letterers would have chosen to put a cover blurb over some of the rocks at the bottom. Gaspar’s idea was better, and the curved shape of his open letters again echo the logo.
Here he thought the bottom was the best place, and the caption box separates the open letters from the background art for easier reading.
To sum up, Saladino lettered these covers: 1, 3-4, 6-8, 11-12, 15, 18, and Annual 1, a total of eleven. Other articles in this series and more you might enjoy are on the COMICS CREATION page of my blog.