The Per L’India Poster (which translates to For India) was produced by Fratelli Spada in Italy in 1966. The poster was produced to promote a charitable campaign, to raise funds for poor children in India. The Italian publishing house Fratelli Spada, who was publishing Phantom comic books at the time contributed the sales of a Phantom comic book to the campaign.
Initiated on the 17th of February 1966, the residents of Bari, Italy established a charitable campaign to raise funds to aid poor children in India, following Pope Paul VI prayers for the poor of India. The Archbishop of Bari at the time, Enrico Nicodemo communicated this message to his congregation, who commenced with the raising of funds to be sent to India.
Donations were given by a broad range of community leaders throughout the whole of Italy, including politicians, professional individuals, religious organizations and church parishes. Donations also came from families and business owners wanting to assist financially.
Fratelli Spada also heard the call to assist in the campaign. A poster was produced and displayed wherever their Phantom comics were sold under the heading of ‘Per L’India’, translating to ‘For India’. The poster depicts an image of the Phantom in his red costume, as he’s published in Italy, with a map of India and regional countries behind him. The country of India is very much the focal point, colored yellow to stand out visually.
At the base of the Per L’India poster, we read ‘Gli Editori hanno devoluto l’incasso della vendita del n. 168 de “L’UOMO MASCHERATO” dal titolo: ‘La casa di bambu’ a favore dei BAMBINI INDIANI’, which translates to ‘The Publishers donated the proceeds from the sale of no. 168 of “THE MASKED MAN” entitled: ‘The bamboo house’ in favor of the INDIAN CHILDREN.
Fratelli Spada also notify us on the poster as to where the funds were deposited, ‘Il versamento e gia effettualo alla sede di Roma della RAI-TV’ which translates to ‘The payment has already been made to the Rome office of RAI-TV’.
The Phantom comic book whose sales were donated to the charitable campaign was L’Uomo Mascherato edition number 168 in the Avventure Americane series, published on the 20th of February, 1966.
The Phantom 