Al Gabriele

Alfred J. Gabriele (December 22, 1916 – July 12, 1992) was an American comic book artist during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books. He was known for his work on some of Marvel Comics' earliest Captain America and Sub-Mariner stories, and for co-creating the company's superheroes Black Marvel,[1] Miss America, and possibly, the Whizzer.[2]

His last name is given erroneously in at least some standard references as "Al Gabrielle", with two "L"s,[3] though other references[4][5]

Biography

Early life and career

Gabriele was born in the Bronx, New York, on December 22, 1916.[7]

Writer and artist credits were not routinely given during the Golden Age of Comic Books, making full bibliographies difficult for many of the medium's pioneering creators. Al Gabriele's first confirmed credit is as an inker in Blue Bolt Comics #4 (Sept. 1940), from the publisher Novelty Press. Gabriele would continue to work on that character while also freelancing for Fiction House, Harvey Comics (for which drew the debut of the female superhero the Black Cat, in Pocket Comics #1, Aug. 1941), Prize Comics, and most notably Timely Comics, the 1930s–1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics. There Gabriele helped provide art for the hit characters Captain America and Namor the Sub-Mariner, as well as for the popular second-tier characters the Angel and the Destroyer.[6]

Gabriele's first confirmed work for Timely was both penciling and inking the "Mantor the Magician" feature in The Human Torch #2 (Fall 1940).[6]

Circa 1941–1942, Gabriele freelanced through the Jerry Iger Studio.[3]

Golden Age of Comics

Gabriele's other early work, some of it reprinted in the 1960s Silver Age of comic books and in the modern era, includes penciling and inking the debut of the Black Marvel, an early creation of future Marvel editor Stan Lee, in Mystic Comics #5 (March 1941); inking the caveboy character Tuk in Captain America Comics #2 (April 1941); inking another the early Stan Lee character, Father Time, in Captain America Comics #6 (Sept. 1941); co-penciling (with Alex Schomburg) the 40-page lead story in Sub-Mariner Comics #3 (Fall 1941); and inking character-creator Bill Everett in Sub-Mariner Comics #4 (Winter 1941).[6]

On Captain America, Gabriele inked pencil art by co-creator and future industry legend Jack Kirby on some stories in Captain America Comics #3–4 (May–June 1941) and All Winners Comics #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.

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 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).[6]

birth name	Alfred J. Gabriele
birth date	December 22, 1916
birth place	Bronx, New York, U.S.
death date	July 12, 1992
death place	Somers, New York, U.S.
pencil	y
ink	y
notable works	Black Marvel, Miss America

Biography

Early life and career

Golden Age of Comics

Later career

Golden Age reprints

External links

References