GASPAR SALADINO in SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS

All images © Marvel. From SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS #7, May 1986

This prestige twelve-issue series from Marvel’s Epic line combined swords and sorcery with science fiction. Gaspar Saladino lettered the stories in issues 7-12. I’ll show one page from each issue. His first, above, has well-made captions. I’m not sure if the decorative initial caps are lettered by him or press-down type.

From SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS #8, July 1986

Gaspar could always be counted on to add drama where needed, as he did here with a burst, display lettering, and rough balloon shapes.

From SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS #9, Sept 1986

The large T in this second caption definitely looks hand-lettered. Notice those little zig-zags in the upper caption border to add interest? Saladino had been using that style choice occasionally since his very first comics lettering in 1949.

From SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS #10, Nov 1986

Here the T in the caption matches the Asian style of the title.

From SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS #11, Jan 1987

This is a more typical Saladino story title. The large rough balloon full of energetic display lettering again adds to the drama.

From SWORDS OF THE SWASHBUCKLERS #12, March 1987

Clearly this was a dramatic, or melodramatic series, and Gaspar knew just where to emphasize that with larger display lettering and rough balloon shapes.

To sum up, here are the details of Saladino’s story lettering.

#7 May 1986: 30pp

#8 July 1986: 31pp

#9 Sept 1986: 30pp

#10 Nov 1986: 31pp

#11 Jan 1987: 31pp

#12 March 1987: 32pp

That’s 185 pages in all. Other articles in this series and more you might enjoy are on the COMICS CREATION page of my blog.

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