All Select Comics

"All Select Comics" is an American comic book series published by Timely Comics, the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. An omnibus series with several different superhero and other features each issue, it primarily starred Captain America and the original Human Torch, two of Timely's most popular characters, as well as fellow Timely star the Sub-Mariner in several.

Publication history

"All Select Comics" ran 11 issues, cover-dated Fall 1943 to Fall 1945. The series was renamed "Blonde Phantom Comics" from issues #12-22 (1947 - March 1949), and revamped as the romance comic "Lovers" from #23-86 (May 1949 - Aug. 1957).

The first 10 issues of "All Select Comics" starred the superheroes Captain America and the original Human Torch, as well as Namor the Sub-Mariner in the first five issues plus #10 (Summer 1946). The costumed crime-fighter the Blonde Phantom, created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Syd Shores, debuted in "All Select Comics" #11 (Fall 1946). The same issue also introduced the feature "Mr. Wu" (a.k.a. "The Mysterious Mr. Wu"), starring Marvel Comics' first Asian hero, an Asian-Indian private detective who went on to make one additional Timely appearance, in "Blonde Phantom" #12. [ [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/m/mrwu.htm An International Catalogue of Superheroes: Mr. Wu] ] [ [http://www.geocities.com/jjnevins/wu.html Jess Nevins' A Guide To Marvel's Golden Age Characters: Mister Wu] ]

Other Timely superheroes appearing in various issues were the Golden Age Black Widow, the Destroyer, super-speedster the Whizzer, and, in the final issue, Miss America. The war comics feature "Jap Buster Johnson", about a two-fisted U.S. Navy lieutenant out to avenge his dead buddy, [ [ [http://www.geocities.com/jjnevins/johnson.html Jess Nevins' A Guide To Marvel's Golden Age Characters: Doug Johnson a.k.a. "Jap Buster Johnson"] ] appeared in three issues, and the military humor feature "Jeep Jones" in two.

Writers and artists on the various features included Vince Alascia, Larry Antonette, Ken Bald, Dan Barry, Allen Bellman, Jack Binder, Stan Drake, Al Gabriele, Chad Grothkopf, Carl Pfeufer, Bob Powell, Chic Stone, and, on the final issue, Lee, Shores, Charles Nicholas, and Ed Winiarski.

All covers were by Alex Schomburg except the last, by Shores.

Reprints

The first issue was reprinted in 1974 by publisher Alan L. Light's company Flashback as "Special Edition Reprints" #14. [ [http://www.lib.msu.edu/comics/rri/frri/flashbac.htm Michigan State University Libraries: Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection] ]

Footnotes

References

* [http://www.comics.org/series.lasso?SeriesID=324 The Grand Comics Database: "All Select Comics"] , [http://www.comics.org/series.lasso?SeriesID=471 "Blonde Phantom Comics"] , and [http://www.comics.org/series.lasso?SeriesID=653 "Lovers"]
* [http://www.atlastales.com/sT/12 Atlas Tales: "All Select Comics"] (misspells with hyphen), [http://www.atlastales.com/sT/45 "Blonde Phantom"] ] (misnames without "Comics") and [http://www.atlastales.com/sT/150 "Lovers"]
* [http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/FRAMES00.HTM The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators]