Alfred J. Gabriele (December 22, 1916 – July 12, 1992) was an American

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

during the 1940s period fans and historians call the

Golden Age of comic books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era in the history of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and ma ...

. He was known for his work on some of

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

' earliest

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

and Sub-Mariner stories, and for co-creating the company's

superheroes A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

Black Marvel The Black Marvel (Daniel Lyons) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Al Gabriele with an unknown writer, he first appeared in ''Mystic Comics'' #5 (March 1941), published by Mar ...

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 18 and 28. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is judged on competition segments with scoring percentages: ''Priva ...

, and possibly, the Whizzer. Source lists "

Al Avison Alfred Dean Avison (July 7, 1920 – December 1984) was an American comic book artist known for his work on the Marvel Comics characters the Whizzer, which he co-created, and Captain America during the 1930–1940s period known to fans and hi ...

and Al Gabrielle" as that character's creator. However
''USA Comics'' #1 (Aug. 1941)
at the

Grand Comics Database The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information use ...

lists Avison as

penciler A penciller (or penciler) is an artist who works on the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms, with a focus on the initial pencil illustrations. In the American comic book industry, the penciller is the first step ...

for the character's debut, and Gabriele solely as

inker The inker (sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher) is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production. After the penciller creates a drawing with pencil, the inker interprets this drawing by outlining and embellishing ...

, not generally considered a co-creator position. His last name is given erroneously in at least some standard references as "Al Gabrielle", with two "L"s, Bails, Jerry, ed
Gabrielle, Al
at ''Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999''
WebCitation archive
though other references and the vast majority of his credits spell his name with one "L".Al Gabriele
an
Al Gabrielle
at the Grand Comics Database

Biography

Early life and career

Gabriele was born in the Bronx, New York, on December 22, 1916. Writer and artist credits were not routinely given during the

Golden Age of Comic Books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era in the history of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and ma ...

, making full bibliographies difficult for many of the

medium Medium may refer to: Aircraft *Medium bomber, a class of warplane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Medium'' (1921 film), a German silent film * ''The Medium'' (1951 film), a film vers ...

's pioneering creators. Al Gabriele's first confirmed credit is as an

in '' Blue Bolt Comics'' #4 (Sept. 1940), from the publisher

Novelty Press Novelty Press (a.k.a. Premium Service Co., Inc.; a.k.a. Novelty Publications; a.k.a. Premier Group) was an American Golden Age comic-book publisher that operated from 1940 to 1949. It was the comic book imprint of Curtis Publishing Company, pu ...

. Gabriele would continue to work on that character while also freelancing for

Fiction House Fiction House was an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books that existed from the 1920s to the 1950s. It was founded by John B. "Jack" Kelly and John W. Glenister.Saunders, David"JACK BYRNE (1902-1972),"Field Guide to Wild American P ...

Harvey Comics Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey World Famous Comics, Harvey Publications, Harvey Comics Entertainment, Harvey Hits, Harvey Illustrated Humor, and Harvey Picture Magazines) was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alf ...

(for which drew the debut of the female superhero the

Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...

, in ''Pocket Comics'' #1, Aug. 1941),

Prize Comics A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

, and most notably

Timely Comics Timely Comics was the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman (publisher), Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely P ...

, the 1930s–1940s predecessor of

. There Gabriele helped provide art for the hit characters

and

Namor the Sub-Mariner Namor McKenzie (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc., the character first appea ...

, as well as for the popular second-tier characters the

Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...

and the

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

. Gabriele's first confirmed work for Timely was both penciling and inking the "Mantor the Magician" feature in ''

The Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan Lowell Spencer "Johnny" Storm) is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and arti ...

'' #2 (Fall 1940). Circa 1941–1942, Gabriele freelanced through the Jerry Iger Studio.

Golden Age of Comics

Gabriele's other early work, some of it reprinted in the 1960s

Silver Age of comic books The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books, the Silver A ...

and in the modern era, includes penciling and inking the debut of the

, an early creation of future Marvel editor

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

, in ''

Mystic Comics ''Mystic Comics'' is the name of three comic book series published by the company that eventually became Marvel Comics. The first two series were superhero anthologies published by Marvel's 1930-1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, during what fans a ...

'' #5 (March 1941); inking the caveboy character Tuk in ''

Captain America Comics ''Captain America Comics'' is a comic book series featuring the superhero character Captain America. The series was originally published by Timely Comics from 1941 to 1950, with a brief revival by Atlas Comics (1950s), Atlas Comics in 1954. Pub ...

'' #2 (April 1941); inking another the early Stan Lee character,

Father Time Father Time is a personification of time, in particular the progression of history and the approach of death. In recent centuries, he is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, sometimes with wings, dressed in a robe and carrying a scythe ...

, in ''Captain America Comics'' #6 (Sept. 1941); co-penciling (with

Alex Schomburg Alexander A. Schomburg, born Alejandro Schomburg y Rosa (; May 10, 1905Alejandro Schomburg Y Rosa

) the 40-page lead story in '' Sub-Mariner Comics'' #3 (Fall 1941); and inking character-creator

Bill Everett William Blake Everett (; May 18, 1917 – February 27, 1973) was an American comic book writer-artist best known for creating Namor the Sub-Mariner as well as co-creating Zombie (comics), Zombie and Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), Daredevil ...

in ''Sub-Mariner Comics'' #4 (Winter 1941). On Captain America, Gabriele inked pencil art by co-creator and future industry legend

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...

on some stories in ''Captain America Comics'' #3–4 (May–June 1941) and ''

All Winners Comics ''All Winners Comics'' is the name of two American comic book series of the 1940s, both were published by Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books. A superhero anthology co ...

'' #1 (Summer 1941), and on the cover and in all three of the hero's stories in ''Captain America Comics'' #8 (Nov. 1941). He would continue contributing to that series and to ''Sub-Mariner Comics'' through 1949 and the ends of their respective runs. Gabriele and fellow artist

, plus an unknown writer, crafted the debut of Timely's super-speedster the Whizzer in '' USA Comics'' #1 (Aug. 1941), though precise creator credits for the character are difficult to confirm. The Whizzer would go to appear in most issues of '' USA Comics'' and was part of Timely/Marvel's first superhero team, the

All-Winners Squad The All-Winners Squad is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The company's first such team, it first appeared in ''All Winners Comics'' #19 (fall 1946), published by Marvel predecessor Timely Co ...

. The character returned, much older, in 1970s Marvel Comics stories, as well as in flashback stories set during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. With writer

Otto Binder Otto Oscar Binder (; August 26, 1911 – October 13, 1974) was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books. He is best known as the co-creator of Supergirl and for his many scripts for '' Captain Ma ...

, penciler-inker Gabriele created the superheroine

in ''

Marvel Mystery Comics ''Marvel Mystery Comics'' (first issue titled simply ''Marvel Comics'') is an American comic book series published during the 1930s–1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of Comic Books. It was the first publication of Mar ...

'' #49 (Nov. 1943). Throughout the decade, Gabriele provided art as well to Timely's ''

Blonde Phantom Comics The Blonde Phantom (Louise Grant Mason) is a fictional masked crime fighter appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created for Marvel predecessor Timely Comics by Stan Lee and Syd Shores, the character first appearance, fir ...

'', ''Comedy Comics'', ''Kid Comics'', and '' Young Allies Comics''. Gabriele worked as well for

Quality Comics Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, ...

, penciling and inking covers and stories both of the spirit-of-America character

Uncle Sam Uncle Sam (with the same initials as ''United States'') is a common national personification of the United States, depicting the federal government of the United States, federal government or the country as a whole. Since the early 19th centu ...

in ''National Comics'' and ''Uncle Sam Quarterly''. Gabriele also penciled and inked the character Yankee Eagle in Quality's ''Smash Comics''. Gabriele died on July 12, 1992, aged 75.

Later career

Gabriele's last confirmed comics work is inking the eight-page Captain America story "The Man Who Wouldn't Give Up", penciled by

Carl Burgos Carl Burgos ( ; born Max Finkelstein ; April 18, 1916 – March 1984 Note: Gives only month and year of death.) was an American comic book and advertising artist best known for creating the Human Torch (android), original Human Torch in ''Marvel ...

in ''Marvel Mystery Comics'' #92 (June 1949), the final issue of that title. The Grand Comics Database also lists a tentative Gabriele credit as the cover artist of the following month's ''Captain America Comics'' #73 (July 1949).

Golden Age reprints

As inker, unless otherwise specified (p) for penciler, or (p)(i) for penciler & inker * ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' #15 (July 1968) ::''Mystic Comics'' #5 (March 1941) :::"Origin of the Black Marvel" (p)(i) *''

The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasi ...

'' #10 (Nov. 1976) ::''Captain America'' #22 (January 1943) :::"The Wrath of the Reaper" *''The Original Black Cat'' #6 (Aug. 1991) ::''Pocket Comics'' #1 (Aug. 1941) :::"Origin of the Black Cat" (p)(i) * ''Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Captain America'' (Marvel, 2005) ::''Captain America Comics'' #2 (April 1941) :::Tuk, Caveboy: "The Valley of the Mist" ::''Captain America Comics'' #3 (May 1941) :::"The Return of the Red Skull" (co-inker) ::''Captain America Comics'' #4 (June 1941) :::"The Unholy Legion" (co-inker) ::''Captain America Comics'' #8 (Nov. 1941): :::"The Strange Mystery of The Ruby of the Nile...And its Heritage of Horror" :::"Murder Stalks The Maneuvers" :::"Case Of The Black Witch" *''Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Sub-Mariner'' (Marvel, 2005) ::''Sub-Mariner Comics'' #4 (Winter 1941) :::"The Horror That Walked" *''Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age All-Winners Comics'' (Marvel, 2006) ::''All Winners Comics'' #1 (Summer 1941) :::Black Marvel: "The Order of the Hood" :::Captain America: "The Case of the Hollow Men" (co-inker) *''Marvel Milestones: Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, Microman & Mantor the Magician'' (Nov. 2006) ::''The Human Torch'' #2 (Fall 1940) :::Mantor the Magician: "Hidden Treasure Means Death"

References

External links

Al Gabrielle
at

Lambiek Comiclopedia Galerie Lambiek is a Dutch comic book store and art gallery in Amsterdam, founded on November 8, 1968 by Kees Kousemaker (, – Bussum, ). His son Boris Kousemaker has been the owner since 2007. From 1968 to 2015, it was located in the Ke ...

Archived
2009-11-26. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gabriele, Al Golden Age comics creators 20th-century American artists Marvel Comics people 1916 births 1992 deaths