Alfred Avison (July 7, 1920 – December 1984) is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Marvel Comics characters Captain America and the Whizzer during the 1930-1940s period known to fans and historians as the Golden Age of comic books.
The son of Connecticut artist and WPA muralist George Avison, Influenced by the work of his father and of commercial illustrator Albert Dorne, Al Avison studied art at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. His first known comics work is co-inking Jack Kirby's lead story in Novelty Press' Blue Bolt Comics #4 (Sept. 1940).
For Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, penciler Avison and an unknown writer, co-created super-speedster the Whizzer in U.S.A. Comics #1 (August 1941). The character would appear in most issues of that comic, and was part of Timely/Marvel's first superhero team, the All-Winners Squad.
After Captain America creators Jack Kirby and Joe Simon moved on following Captain America Comics #10 (Jan. 1942), Avison and Syd Shores became regular pencilers of the celebrated title, with one generally inking over the other. Avison had been the inker over penciler Kirby on Captain America Comics #4-6 (June-Sept. 1941), and had penciled or inked that character's stories in All Winners Comics as early as issue #3 (Winter 1941-42). Shores would take over as regular penciller, inked by Vince Alascia, while Avison did his World War II military service.