Al Avison
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Alfred Avison (July 7, 1920 – December 1984) is an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America and The Whizzer during the 1940s Golden Age of comic books.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and career
The son of Connecticut artist and WPA muralist George Avison, Al Avison was educated at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. His first known comics work is co-inking Jack Kirby's lead story in Novelty Press' Blue Bolt Comics Vol. 1, #4 (Sept. 1940).
[edit] Timely touchstones
For Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, Avison and fellow artist Al Gabrielle, plus an unknown writer, co-created super-speedster The Whizzer in USA Comics #1 (August 1941). The character would appear in most issues of that comic, and was part of Timely/Marvel's first superhero team, the All-Winners Squad.
After Captain America creators Jack Kirby and Joe Simon moved on following Captain America Comics #10 (Jan. 1942), Avison and Syd Shores became regular pencilers of the celebrated title, with one generally inking over the other. Avison had been the inker over penciler Kirby on Captain America Comics #4-6 (June-Sept. 1941), and had penciled or inked Cap stories in All Winners Comics as early as issue #3 (Winter 1941-42). Shores would take over as regular penciller, inked by Vince Alascia, while Avison did his World War II military service.
Avison also worked as a penciler or, more often, as inker on characters including The Vision (in Marvel Mystery Comics); the Blonde Phantom; The Young Allies (in Amazing Comics, Kid Komics and Mystic Comics); writer-editor Stan Lee's The Black Marvel (in All Winners Comics); and Tommy Tyme (in Mystic Comics). With Joe Simon, he was one of two inkers on the Kirby-drawn debut of Marvel Boy in Daring Mystery Comics #6 (Sept. 1940). Avison's Timely work appears as late as Captain America Comics #71 (March 1949).
[edit] Other work
Avison additionally worked on the original Captain Marvel for Fawcett Comics in 1941-42. He also freelanced for Harvey Comics both during and after his Timely stint, on such features as "The Red Blazer" (introducing him in Pocket Comics #1, Aug. 1941), "Casper the Friendly Ghost", "Captain Freedom" (including inking Jack Kirby's cover art on Speed Comics #16 & #18, Jan. & May 1942), "Joe Palooka", "The Green Hornet", "Humphrey", "Little Dot" and "Shock Gibson" (including the cover of Speed Comics #14, Dec. 1941), through at least the early 1950s.
Avison's last known work is penciling and inking the cover of Harvey's horror anthology Chamber of Chills #26 (Dec. 1954).
[edit] Golden Age reprints
As inker, unless otherwise specified (p) for penciler, or (p)(i) for penciler & inker
- Marvel Super-Heroes #17 (Nov. 1968)
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- (p) The All-Winners Squad in "Chapter 1: Menace from the Future World", All Winners Comics #21 (Winter 1946-47)
- Marvel Super-Heroes #18 (Jan. 1969)
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- (p) The All-Winners Squad in "Chapter 4: Wave of Destruction", All Winners Comics #21 (Winter 1946)
- The All-Winners Squad in "Chapter 7: War Between the Worlds", All Winners Comics #21 (Winter 1946)
- Comix: A History of the Comic Book in America, by Les Daniels and John Peck (Bonanza B ooks, 1971; reprinted Random House Value Publishing, 1988; ISBN 0-517-11037-7)
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- (p) (i) "The Vampire Strikes", Captain America Comics #24 (March 1943)
- Captain America: The Classic Years (1998) ISBN 0-7851-0660-X
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- "Bomb Sight Thieves", Captain America Comics #4 (June 1941)
- "Captain America and Ivan the Terrible", Captain America Comics #4 (June 1941)
- "Captain America in Horror Hospital", Captain America Comics #4 (June 1941)
- "The Case of the Fake Money Fiends", Captain America Comics #4 (June 1941)
- "The Unholy Legion", Captain America Comics #4 (June 1941)
- "Captain America and the Ringmaster of Death", Captain America Comics #5 (Aug. 1941)
- "Killers of the Bund", Captain America Comics #5 (Aug. 1941)
- "The Gruesome Secret of the Dragon of Death", Captain America Comics #5 (Aug. 1941)
- "The Terror that was Devil's Island, Captain America Comics #5 (Aug. 1941)
- The Golden Age of Marvel Comics, Vol. 2 (1999) ISBN 0-7851-0713-4
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- (p) The Black Marvel in "The Order of the Hood", All Winners Comics #1 (Summer 1941)
- (p) "The Whizzer", USA Comics #1 (Aug. 1941)
- Captain America: The Classic Years, Vol. 2 (2000) ISBN 0-7851-0743-6
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- "Meet The Fang, Arch Fiend of the Orient", Captain America Comics #6 (Sept. 1941)
- "The Camera Fiend and His Darts of Doom", Captain America Comics #6 (Sept. 1941)
- "The Strange Case of Captain America and the Hangman Who Killed Dr. Vardoff?", Captain America Comics #6 (Sept. 1941)
- Marvel Visionaries: Stan Lee (2005) ISBN 0-7851-1693-1
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- (p) Captain America in "The Red Skull's Deadly Revenge", Captain America Comics #16 (July 1942):
