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)

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

National Periodical Publications, Inc., 1973

pages 19 and 20 

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A. Machine and Royal Cartoon, Mario Acquaviva, Al Allard, Gerald Altman, Gene Barnett, Vivian Berg, Daniel Bhang, John Bulthuis, Ray Burley, Ray Burzon,

Jean Callahan, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Milton Cohen, Ellen Cole, Herb Cooper, Danny Crespi, Laurens Crossley,

Jon D’Agostino, James Daleo, Martin DeMuth, Shel Dorf, Marty Epp, Howard Ferguson, Herb Field, 

Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Louis L. Goldklang, Angelo Grasso, Anita Greene, Al Grenet, Ed Hamilton, Delores Heilman, Ray Holloway, IBM Directory, Alex Jay, Albert and Charlotte Jetter, 

Abe Kanegson, George Kapitan, Anna Kaufman, Gary Keller, Rick Keller, Nadine French King, Ralph Komisarow, Grace Kremer, Morrie Kuramoto, Al Kurzrok, 

Bob Lander, Bob Laughlin, Bob Leatherbarrow, Shelly Leferman, Len Leone, Joe Letterese, Veda Lufkin, 

Robert N. MacLeod/Leroy Lettering, Lee Maroshek, Larry Mayer, Ed McLean, Jack Meltzer, Mel Millar, Jim Novak, Bill Oakley, Ben Oda,

Walter Palais, Stephen Palmisano, Charles Paris, Otto Pirkola, Fred Proctor, Jerry Robinson, Joe and Sam Rosen, George Roussos,

Georgette Sauterel, Ira Schnapp, Irving Settel, Rome Siemon, Artie Simek, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Herman Stackel, Stan Starkman, Daisy Swayze, Zoltan and Terry Szenics, 

Richard Deane Taylor, Alberta Tews, Matthew Tweedy, Frank Vina, George Ward, Irv Watanabe, Irving Werstein, Leo Wurtzel, John Yakata, Bill Yoshida, Bernie Zuber

(Updated August 4, 2022; next post on Monday: The Rising Son)

Street Scene: B. Shackman and Co.

• N E W Y O R K C I T Y •

Fifth Avenue at 16th Street, Manhattan

(Next post on Monday: Joe Letterese, Letterer)

Lettering: Trademarks, September 8, 1935

Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office

(Next post on Monday: B. Shackman and Co.)

Comics: Danny Crespi, Letterer

1975 Mighty Marvel Comic Convention Program

Daniel “Danny” Crespi was born on February 13, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York. His birthdate is from the Social Security Death Index and the birthplace is based on census records. Crespi’s parents were Turkish emigrants.

According to a passenger list at Ancestry.com, Crespi’s father, “J. Nessem Crespie”, a shoemaker, sailed on the steamship Floride from Havre, France on July 1, 1911 and arrived at the port of New York on July 11. In the column “Race or People” was written “Hebrew.” Another column asked for the name and address of the “nearest relative or friend in country whence alien came”. Nessem named his father, Daniel, who lived in “Angora, Turkey”. Today the city is known as Ankara. Nessem’s passage was paid by his brother, “Jacques D. Crespie”, the oldest of five siblings, who resided at 1196 Second Avenue in Manhattan. Both brothers made minor changes to their names.

On June 5, 1917 Crespi’s father, Nissim Crespi, and uncle, Jacob Crespi, signed their World War I draft cards. Nissim was employed at a paper box manufacturer. Jacob, later known as Jack, was a porter at the Colonial Hotel. They resided in Manhattan at 75 East 110 Street. (A family tree at Ancestry.com said Jack had a son named Daniel, 1918–2015).

Nissim has not yet been found in the 1920 U.S. Federal Census.

According to Crespi’s Social Security application, his mother was Sarah Asher. Crespi’s parents obtained a marriage license in Manhattan on September 30, 1920. They married in Brooklyn on October 4, 1920 according to the New York, New York, Marriage Certificate Index at Ancestry.com. At some point Nissim adopted the name Sam.

The 1925 New York state census recorded Sam, Sarah, Sam’s daughter and mother, both named Rachel. They lived in Brooklyn at 622 Junius Street.

The same address was in the 1930 census. The household included Crespi, his parents and sister. Crespi’s father owned a shoe repair store.

On August 4, 1928, Crespi’s father filed an naturalization application. His Petition for Citizenship was approved June 28, 1932 in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New York at Brooklyn. At the time, the Crespi family resided at 668 Georgia Avenue.

“A Journey Through Time”: Portraits of the American Jewish Family and the American Sephardic Jewish Family (1993) published the wedding photograph of Mary Asher and Israel Elias, who married on june 18, 1932. Young Crespi and his parents are in the picture.

According to the 1940 census, the family moved to the Bronx after 1935. The Crespi family’s address was 447 Claremont Parkway. That address was also on Crespi’s father’s World War II draft card which was signed on April 27, 1942.

During World War II, Crespi enlisted in the Army Air Corps, at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on April 17, 1944. According to Crespi’s veteran’s file, he was discharged May 2, 1946.

Crespi’s art training was at Burne Hogarth’s Cartoonists and Illustrators School. (I contacted Todd Klein, who contacted Nel Yomtov, a relative of Crespi, who said Crespi used the G.I. Bill to enroll in 1946 or 1947.)

Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999 said Crespi’s comic book lettering career began at Timely Comics in 1948. In 1957, most of the Timely staff was disbanded. In Comics Interview #9, March 1984, D. Jon Zimmerman asked Crespie what he did next.

Danny: I began doing freelance lettering.

Z: In comics?

Danny: No, in advertising. I told myself, “To Hell with comics—it must be dying if a big company like Timely can close up.” I went to art studios doing board work and paste ups, then went to the presentation department of BBD&O and did Speedball lettering for them for 12 years.

In John Romita and All That Jazz! (2007), Jim Amash interviewed Romita and asked about Crespi. Romita said

Danny Crespi goes back even before I got there. He was working at the Empire State Building as one of the letterers during the Timely days. And then he wasn’t working with Stan for years, and all of a sudden he was back in the Bullpen again….

Who’s Who said Crespie returned to comics in 1969. However, in Comics Interview, Crespie said, “Well, about twelve years ago [1972] I called up Morrie Kuramoto—I don’t talk to him that often and once every twelve years is enough. (Laughter.) I didn’t even know if he was still working at Marvel, but I heard he was. I asked if he had any work for me. He said, “Hey, man, I can use a hand. Come on down!’”

The New York City, Marriage License Indexes, at Ancestry.com, said Crespi and Rosalyn R. Jaffe obtained a Bronx marriage license 1952. Their daughter, Susan, also worked for Marvel in the early 1990s and may still be there.

Crespi passed away May 30, 1985, according to his veteran’s file. The Social Security Death index said his last residence was the Bronx. Crespi’s father’s death was on September 3, 1992. His oral history was recorded March 13, 1991. Crespi’s mother died October 15, 2002. The death of Crespi’s wife was on October 14, 2013. All were laid to rest at New Montefiore Cemetery.

Marvel comic books dated December 1985 had Jim Shooter’s tribute to Crespi in the “Bullpen Bulletins”.

The Comics Journal #101, August 1985, said “Crespi came on staff at Marvel in 1972 as the head letterer, having been a freelance letterer since the 1950s. In 1978, he became the assistant production manager, working closely with John Verpoorten. When Verpoorten died, Crespi became the coordinator for the art and production departments. Since then, Crespi became the central figure responsible for day-to-day operations in the Bullpen.”


Further Reading and Viewing
Todd’s Blog, The Danny Crespi Files

Eliot R. Brown
April 18, 1982, The Marvel Wack-Offs!
Danny Crespi and Stu Schwarzberg, 1979
Danny Crespi and Lenny Grow, March 1979

Scott Edelman
Marie Severin’s ’70s Marvel Bullpen map: “As for The Turk, I can’t say 100% for sure, but I believe that referred to then assistant production manager Danny Crespi….”
Cook Danny Crespi’s ribsClem Robins

Related Posts

A. Machine and Royal Cartoon, Mario Acquaviva, Al Allard, Gerald Altman, Gene Barnett, Vivian Berg, Daniel Bhang, John Bulthuis, Ray Burley, Ray Burzon,

Jean Callahan, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Milton Cohen, Ellen Cole, Herb Cooper, Danny Crespi, Laurens Crossley,

Jon D’Agostino, James Daleo, Martin DeMuth, Shel Dorf, Marty Epp, Howard Ferguson, Herb Field, 

Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Louis L. Goldklang, Angelo Grasso, Anita Greene, Al Grenet, Ed Hamilton, Delores Heilman, Ray Holloway, IBM Directory, Alex Jay, Albert and Charlotte Jetter, 

Abe Kanegson, George Kapitan, Anna Kaufman, Gary Keller, Rick Keller, Nadine French King, Ralph Komisarow, Grace Kremer, Morrie Kuramoto, Al Kurzrok, 

Bob Lander, Bob Laughlin, Bob Leatherbarrow, Shelly Leferman, Len Leone, Joe Letterese, Veda Lufkin, 

Robert N. MacLeod/Leroy Lettering, Lee Maroshek, Larry Mayer, Ed McLean, Jack Meltzer, Mel Millar, Jim Novak, Bill Oakley, Ben Oda,

Walter Palais, Stephen Palmisano, Charles Paris, Otto Pirkola, Fred Proctor, Jerry Robinson, Joe and Sam Rosen, George Roussos,

Georgette Sauterel, Ira Schnapp, Irving Settel, Rome Siemon, Artie Simek, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Herman Stackel, Stan Starkman, Daisy Swayze, Zoltan and Terry Szenics, 

Richard Deane Taylor, Alberta Tews, Matthew Tweedy, Frank Vina, George Ward, Irv Watanabe, Irving Werstein, Leo Wurtzel, John Yakata, Bill Yoshida, Bernie Zuber

(Next post on Monday: Trademarks, September 8, 1935)