All Select Comics is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 comic book

Comic book

A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...

 series published by Timely Comics

Timely Comics

Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....

, the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics

Marvel Comics

Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...

, during the period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books

Golden Age of Comic Books

The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...

. An omnibus series with several different superhero

Superhero

A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...

 and other features each issue, it primarily starred Captain America

Captain America

Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...

 and the original Human Torch, two of Timely's most popular characters, as well as fellow Timely star the Sub-Mariner

Namor the Sub-Mariner

Namor the Sub-Mariner is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe, and one of the first superheroes, debuting in Spring 1939. The character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for Funnies Inc., one of the first "packagers" in the early days of comic books that supplied...

 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

Captain America

Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...

 and the original Human Torch, as well as Namor the Sub-Mariner

Namor the Sub-Mariner

Namor the Sub-Mariner is a fictional comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe, and one of the first superheroes, debuting in Spring 1939. The character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for Funnies Inc., one of the first "packagers" in the early days of comic books that supplied...

 in the first five issues plus #10 (Summer 1946). The costumed crime-fighter the Blonde Phantom

Blonde Phantom

The Blonde Phantom is a fictional masked crime fighter in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Syd Shores for Marvel predecessor Timely Comics, she first appeared in All Select Comics #11 , during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden...

, created by writer-editor Stan Lee

Stan Lee

Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....

 and artist Syd Shores

Syd Shores

Sydney Shores was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America both during the 1940s, in what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books, and during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books....

, 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

Asian people

Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...

 hero, an Asian-India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n private detective who went on to make one additional Timely appearance, in Blonde Phantom #12.

Other Timely superheroes appearing in various issues were the Golden Age Black Widow, the Destroyer, super-speedster the Whizzer

Whizzer (Robert Frank)

The Whizzer is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared during the 1930s-1940s period that fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Publication history:...

, and, in the final issue, Miss America. The war comics

War comics

War comics is a genre of comic books that gained popularity in English-speaking countries following World War II.-American war comics:Shortly after the birth of the modern comic book in the mid- to late 1930s, comics publishers began including stories of wartime adventures in the multi-genre...

 feature "Jap Buster Johnson", about a two-fisted U.S. Navy lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

 out to avenge his dead buddy, appeared in three issues, and the military humor

Military humor

Military humor is humor based on stereotypes of military life. Military humor portrays a wide range of characters and situations in the armed forces...

 feature "Jeep Jones" in two.

Writers and artists on the various features included Vince Alascia

Vince Alascia

Vincent Alascia , also known as Nicholas Alascia, was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America during the Golden Age of comics, and for his 23-year run as inker on a single creative team, with penciler Charles Nicholas Wojtkowski and writer Joe Gill at Charlton Comics...

, Larry Antonette, Ken Bald

Ken Bald

Kenneth Bruce Bald is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for the Judd Saxon, Dr. Kildare and Dark Shadows newspaper comic strips. Due to contractual obligations, he is credited as "K...

, Dan Barry, Allen Bellman, Jack Binder

Jack Binder (comics)

Jack Binder was a Golden Age comics creator and art packager. A fine artist by education, Binder had a prolific comics career that lasted from 1937–1946, then continued from "semi-retirement" until 1953. He was the creator of the original comic book Daredevil, for Lev Gleason Publications...

, Stan Drake

Stan Drake

Stanley Albert Drake was an American cartoonist best known as the founding artist of the comic strip The Heart of Juliet Jones....

, Al Gabriele

Al Gabriele

Albert Gabriele or possibly Alfred Gabriele was an American comic book artist during the 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books...

, Chad Grothkopf, Carl Pfeufer

Carl Pfeufer

Carl T. Pfeufer was an American comic-book artist, magazine illustrator, painter and sculptor best known as one of the earliest contributors to American comic books; one of the primary early artists of the Marvel Comics superhero the Sub-Mariner; and the longtime artist of Western hero Tom Mix's...

, Bob Powell

Bob Powell (comics)

Bob Powell né Stanislav Robert Pawlowski was an American comic book artist known for his work during the 1930-40s Golden Age of comic books, including on the features "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle" and "Mr. Mystic". He received a belated credit in 1999 for co-writing the debut of the popular...

, Chic Stone

Chic Stone

Charles Eber "Chic" Stone was an American comic book artist best known as one of Jack Kirby's Silver Age inkers, including on a landmark run of Fantastic Four.-Biography:...

, and, on the final issue, Lee, Shores, Charles Nicholas

Charles Nicholas (comics)

"Charles Nicholas" is the pseudonymous house name of three early creators of American comic books for the Fox Feature Syndicate and Fox Comics....

, and Ed Winiarski

Ed Winiarski

Ed Winiarski , who sometimes signed his work "Win" or "Winny" and sometimes used the pseudonym Fran Miller, is an American comic book writer-artist known for both adventure stories and funny-animal cartooning in the late-1930s and 1940s Golden Age of comic books.A former animator, Winiarski was one...

.

All covers were by Alex Schomburg

Alex Schomburg

Alex Schomburg was a prolific American commercial and comic book artist and painter whose career lasted over 70 years.-Biography:...

 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.