Tenth Letter of the Alphabet: June 2018

Monday, June 25, 2018

Anatomy of a Logo: The Rising Son

The Rising Son was an African American newspaper published weekly, beginning in 1896, in Kansas City, Missouri. An image of the first logo is not available. The earliest available issues are from 1903. In the early 1900s, J. A. Haner designed a new logo for the newspaper. His signature is below the pen and inkwell.

ABOUT JAMES ALTHA HANER

Born: June 21, 1871, Mifflin or Marseilles, Ohio

1880 United States Federal Census
Exeter, Nebraska
Name / Age
J.G. Hainer, 43
Harriet Hainer, 44
Wilroy Hainer, 20
Elnorah Hainer, 18
Angie Hainer, 11
Altha Hainer, 9

An Ancestry.com family tree profile said Haner graduated from the Exeter high school and attended Cotner College in Lincoln, Nebraska then studied at “College for Art” in Omaha, Nebraska. Haner joined the staff of the Kansas City Journal around June 1899. On December 28, 1899, he married Olive Patton. The newlyweds moved to Kansas City Missouri.

1900 United States Federal Census
1425 Oak Street, Kansas City, Missouri
Name / Age / Occupation
Altha J Hauer, 28, artist
Olive P Hauer, 24

1910 United States Federal Census
1324 Hudson Avenue, Rosedale, Kansas
Name / Age / Occupation
James A Haner, 38, illustrator
Olive P Haner, 34

1915 Kansas State Census
Rosedale, Kansas
Name / Age
James A Haner, 43
Olive P Haner, 38
Margaret Haner, 3

1917 Kansas City, Missouri, City Directory
Name: J A Haner
Street address: 3924 Hudson rd Rosedale
Occupation: Artist

The family tree profile said Haner was affiliated with the Holland Engraving Company for many years.

1920 United States Federal Census
3924 Rainbow Boulevard, Rosedale, Kansas
Name / Age / Occupation
James A Haner, 47, engraving company artist
Olive P Haner, 43
Margaret P Haner, 8
George W Patton, 77
Margaret A Patton, 75
Pamelia J Nettleton, 64

1921 Kansas City, Missouri, City Directory
Name: J A Haner
Street address: KCK [Kansas City, Kansas]
Occupation: Pesmen & Haner

Name: Louis A Pesmen
Street address: 3834 Garfield
Occupation: Pesmen & Haner

Name: Pesmen & Haner (Louis A Pesmen JA Haner)
Street address: 1331 Oak
Occupation: Artists

1925 Kansas State Census
Kansas City, Kansas
Name / Age
J A Haner, 53
Olive P Haner, 47
Margaret Haner, 13

1930 United States Federal Census
3924 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas
Occupation:
Name / Age / Occupation
James A Haner, 57, commercial artist
Olive P Haner, 54
Margaret Haner, 18
Margaret Patton, 85

1940 United States Federal Census
3924 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas
Name / Age / Occupation
James A Haner, 69, proprietor, tea room
Olive P Haner, 63, waitress, tea room

1946 Iowa City, Iowa, City Directory
Name: J A Haner
Street address: 615 N Dubuque apt 10
Occupation: Commercial Artist
Spouse: Olive P Haner

Died: July 3, 1961, Kansas City, Missouri
Burial: Exeter Cemetery

Further Reading
Biographical Dictionary of Kansas Artists (active before 1945)
Haner, James A. fl. [flourished] 1910-40s, Kansas City. Commercial artist. Married to Olive. Lived at 3924 Rainbow Blvd., 1942; 1324 Hudson Road, Rosedale, 1910-12; 3924 Hudson Avenue, Rosedale, 1916.
Kansas City Dir. 1910, 1911, 1912, 1916, 1942.

Related Post
The Freeman

(Next post on Monday: Harvey Kurtzman, 4th of July Barbecue)

Monday, June 18, 2018

Comics: Joe Letterese, Letterer

Photograph of Joe Letterese at DC by José Luis García-López; courtesy of Todd Klein

Joseph F. “Joe” Letterese was born on June 14, 1917, in the Bronx, New York. His birth date is from the Social Security Death Index and the birthplace is based on census records.

In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Letterese was the oldest of two sons born to Pasquale and Katie (Catherine Devirgiles), both Italian emigrants. Letterese’s father was employed as a hatter. The family resided in the Bronx at 4547 Park Avenue.

According to the 1925 New York state census, the address was the same and included two more children, Frances and Marie.

The 1930 census said the Letterese family’s address was 1926 Yates Avenue in the Bronx.

Letterese was the subject of “DC Profiles Number 50” which appeared in DC comic books dated November 1979. The profile said he graduated from the School of Industrial Art in the late 1930s and “started as a commercial artist”.

However, in the 1940 census, Letterese was a helper in the milk industry. He lived with his parents and four siblings in the Bronx at 1921 Melrose Avenue.

During World War II Letterese was drafted and enlisted in the army on July 8, 1942. His occupation was stock clerk. The DC profile said he served “in England, fighting Hitler’s bombers as an aircraft identification expert, injured during the bombing of London, Joe returned to the U.S.…” Letterese’s veterans Beneficiary Identification Records Locater Subsystem file said he was discharged October 6, 1943. Letterese received the New Jersey Distinguished Service Medal in 2001.

The profile said:

After a brief stint doing art and lettering for Parents Magazine, Joe moved to the production department of Atlas (later Marvel) Comics where he worked on covers, designed logos (several of which are still being used today) and served as Stan Lee’s assistant.”

When Atlas shut down and nearly went out of business in the late 1950s, Joe approached DC for some freelance work. Then-Assistant Editor Murray Boltinoff and Editor Mort Weisinger admired Joe's abilities and gave him the assignments that ultimately led to his being hired as a full-time Corrections Artist in DC’s Production Department….

In John Romita and All That Jazz! (2007), Romita was interviewed by Jim Amash who mentioned Letterese. Romita said, “Oh, yes, I knew Joe Letterese from my DC years. He worked at Marvel in the ’40s, before I knew him. But in the ’50s, whenever I delivered a story to DC and had to do corrections, I’d go into the Bullpen, so I got to know Joe Letterese, Stan Starkman, Eddie Eisenberg, and Sol Harrison. I got to know a lot of guys in the Bullpen….”

Some of Letterese’s credits are at the Grand Comics Database and Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1922–1999.

The DC logos mentioned in the above profile may not have been for the covers but for interior pages, advertising or merchandising.

Ridgewood, New Jersey city directories for 1954, 1956 and 1960 listed Letterese as a letterer in New York. His wife was Katherine and their address was 10-03 Canger in Fair Lawn.

Letterese passed away June 3, 1991. The Record (Hackensack, New Jersey), June 5, 1991, said:

Joseph F. Letterese Sr., 73, of Wyckoff, formerly of Fair Lawn, died Monday. Before retiring in 1981, he was a commercial artist for DC Comics/Warner Communications, New York City.

He was an Army veteran of World War II.

Surviving are his wife, Katherine Kondogianis Letterese, and a son, Joseph Jr. of Wyckoff.

Letterese was laid to rest at George Washington Memorial Park.

Further Reading and Viewing

Todd’s Blog

Logo Study: Batman part 2

Logo Study: WORLD’S FINEST Part 3

Visiting DC Comics in the 1960s Part 1

Visiting DC Comics in the 1960s Part 2

DC Comics’ Production Dept., 1979 Part 1

DC Comics’ Production Dept., 1979 Part 2

The Beat

Fascinating photos of DC in 1979

The Amazing World of Superman Metropolis Edition #1