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crm/ow pgs; Sl(P) cvr clnd
classic Human Torch/Sub-Mariner/Capt. America Alex Schomburg cover
John Wise Collection


All Select Comics #1 came out in 1943 as the inevitable all-star title after Timely Publishing had crammed their heroes into every comic they possibly could. Of course, legendary Golden Age artist Alex Schomburg was also brought in to work Timely's top heroes into another battle-crazed WWII cover. The book was an instant success with Captain America, Human Torch, and Sub-Mariner under one banner. This first issue's cover also launched Schomburg's long stint as the magazine's sole cover artist through the next-to-last issue in 1945.

There's plenty of Golden Age greatness in the stories, too, featuring the headlining heroes in particularly brutal battles. Captain America takes on The Vulture (and casually dooms all his henchmen) in "The Case of the Mystery of the Human Bats." Prince Namor doesn't leave any survivors while protecting the crown jewels in "The Sub-Mariner Battles the Bloody Baron." The Human Torch battles a Nazi spy in "Corner The Clutching Claw," but only after a few thousand Americans are dying of food poisoning. Things aren't much better when the Black Widow goes after a con man in "Blood Money," but at least she uses her Satanic powers to undo the damage he does to a kid!
As Timelys grow in popularity and demand, and as Marvel's movie franchise keeps their heroes in the spotlight, expect high-grade Timely keys such as this to continue to gain in value. The restoration on this copy is professional and relatively minor, making it a very attractive purchase for a savvy collector wanting to maximize their buying power.



Overstreet Guide 2013 NM- (9.2) value = $31,500.



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Artist Information

Known for his dizzying, bustling war covers, bondage covers and airbrush Sci-Fi covers! Truly one of the most highly collected artists of the Golden Age. Alex Schomburg was born on May 10, 1905, in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Schomburg freelanced primarily for Timely Comics, the 1940s forerunner of Marvel, displaying his talent for action tableaux in covers featuring Captain America, the Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch, and other superheroes. He also provided covers for Pines Publications, for titles including Exciting Comics and America's Best Comics, featuring such superheroes as the Black Terror and the Fighting Yank, as well as for Harvey Comics. Stan Lee said the following about Schomburg "I've always felt that Alex Schomburg was to comic books what Norman Rockwell was to The Saturday Evening Post. He was totally unique, with an amazing distinctive style. You could never mistake a Schomburg cover for any other artist's. ... I remember hearing Timely Comics publisher Martin Goodman tell me time and again how great a cover illustrator Alex was, and how he wished we had more like him. Despite the quantity of work we gave him, despite the care and effort that went into every Schomburg cover, I cannot remember Alex ever being late with any illustration."