Al Avison

Infobox Comics creator


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birthname = Alfred Avison
birthdate = July 7, 1920
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deathdate = December 1984
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nationality = American
area = Penciller
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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 period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of comic books.

Biography

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).

Timely touchstones

For Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, Avison and fellow artist Al Gabriele, 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).

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).

Golden Age reprints

As inker, unless otherwise specified (p) for penciler, or (p)(i) for penciler & inker

* "Marvel Super-Heroes" #17 (Nov. 1968):: (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):: (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 Books, 1971; reprinted Random House Value Publishing, 1988; ISBN 0-517-11037-7):: (p) (i) "The Vampire Strikes", "Captain America Comics" #24 (March 1943)
* "Captain America: The Classic Years" (1998) ISBN 0-7851-0660-X:: "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:: (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:: "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:: (p) Captain America in "The Red Skull's Deadly Revenge", "Captain America Comics" #16 (July 1942):

References

* [http://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/avison_al.htm Lambiek Comiclopedia: Al Avison]
* [http://www.askart.com/askart/a/alfred_(al)_avison/alfred_(al)_avison.aspx Ask Art - The American Artists Bluebook: Alfred Avison]
* [http://kirbymuseum.org The Jack Kirby Museum]
* [http://www.ess.comics.org/ess/shores/timely/shtime01.html The Syd Shores Timely Gallery]
* [http://www.comicartville.com/bellmanpg2.htm "A Timely Talk with Allen Bellman"]
* [http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/4775/golden.html Heroes of the Golden Age]
* [http://www.comics.org/ The Grand Comics Database]