| All-Flash | |
|---|---|
 Cover toAll-Flash Quarterly #1 (Summer 1941) by E.E. Hibbard. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Schedule | Quarterly (#1–5) Bi-monthly (#6–32) One-shot (vol. 2 #1) |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Publication date | (vol. 1) Summer 1941 – December 1947 / January 1948 (vol. 2) September 2007 |
| No. of issues | (vol. 1) 32 (vol. 2) 1 |
| Main character | The Flash |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Gardner Fox E. E. Hibbard |
| Written by | Gardner Fox Robert Kanigher John Broome |
| Artist(s) | E. E. Hibbard Harry Tschida Lou Ferstadt Martin Naydel Lee Elias Carmine Infantino |
All-Flash, originally published asAll-Flash Quarterly, was acomic book magazine series published byAll-American Publications and later National Periodicals (DC Comics) featuringsuperheroJay Garrick, the originalFlash. The series was the first solo feature given to the Flash, who also appeared in the anthologiesFlash Comics,All-Star Comics, andComic Cavalcade. It ran for 32 issues from 1941 to 1947 and was originally published on a quarterly basis before changing over to a bi-monthly schedule with issue #6. Each issue regularly contained several stories featuring the Flash, as well as minor back-up features likeHop Harrigan,Butch McLobster, The Super Mobster, andFat and Slat by cartoonistEd Wheelan and, in later issues,Ton-O-Fun by Flash co-creatorHarry Lampert.
The series debuted with a Summer 1941cover date.[1] Since the titleFlash Comics was already in use another name was needed for the series, so it was decided that a contest was to be held in which readers were encouraged to submit their own ideas for the title of the new series. Twenty-five dollars in cash prizes were offered to the four best names submitted, with $10.00 promised to the 1st-place winner of the contest. To the first 500 who submitted a free copy ofAll-Star Comics #5 was offered. An advertisement for the contest appeared in the pages ofAll-Star Comics #4 stating "The Flash wins and becomes the next quarterly likeSuperman andBatman! Boys and girls! Here is a message fromGardner F. Fox and E.E. Hibbard, the author and artist of your favorite feature, the Flash!"[2]
Thanks, Boys and Girls, for selecting our feature THE FLASH, for the next Quarterly like "Superman" and "Batman"! We were both very happy when we received the good news, but we suddenly discovered that we have aproblem---and we'd likeyou to help us solve it!
As you know, the FLASH not only appears here inAll-Star Comics but is also a regular feature of the monthly magazine,Flash Comics! Now here is our problem:
If we call our Quarterly simplyThe Flash, which seems like the natural thing to do, our editors feel that too many of you readers would confuse it withFlash Comics, the monthly magazine.
Your job will be to think up a suitable title for the Flash Quarterly that will distinguish it from Flash Comics. An example of a possible title would beJay Garrick, the Flash orThe Adventures of the Flash, etc. --- as long as it doesn't sound too much likeFlash Comics.
— Gardner Fox & E. E. Hibbard, 1941
The winner of the contest was announced in the pages ofAll-Star Comics #5, with an ad featuring the cover art for the first issue ofAll-Flash.
Flash co-creator Gardner Fox wrote the bulk of the series, scripting the main feature in the first 24 issues. From issue #25 and on, the main Flash features in the book were scripted by writersRobert Kanigher andJohn Broome. Art duties for the series were handled by a host of contributors, like artist E. E. Hibbard, Harry Tschida, Lou Ferstadt, Martin Naydel,Lee Elias, andCarmine Infantino.
The series marked the first time writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino worked on the Flash character.[3] Kanigher, Broome, and Infantino would later help create theSilver AgeFlash, as well as his sidekickKid Flash, who would in turn becomethe third incarnation of the character.
All-Flash ended its run in 1947 with issue #32[4]
The title returned in 2007 as aone-shot by writerMark Waid and artistsKarl Kerschl, Manuel Garcia,Joe Bennett, andDaniel Acuna, with cover art byJosh Middleton and avariant cover byBill Sienkiewicz. The one-shot served as a lead-in toFlash vol. 2 #231.[5]
| Issue | Note | Story title | Story writer | Story artist | Publication date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #5 | First appearance ofWinky, Blinky, and Noddy | Case of the "Patsy Colt"! | Gardner Fox | E. E. Hibbard | Summer 1942 |
| #12 | First appearance ofThe Thinker | Tumble Inn to Trouble | Gardner Fox | E. E. Hibbard | Fall 1943 |
| #21 | First appearance ofThe Turtle | The Fastest Man Alive vs. the Slowest Man Alive | Gardner Fox | Martin Naydel | Winter 1945 |
| #22 | FirstFlash story written by John Broome | The City of Shifting Sand | John Broome | Martin Naydel | April–May 1946 |
| #24 | FirstFlash story written by Robert Kanigher | Appointment with Destiny | Robert Kanigher | Martin Naydel | August–September 1946 |
| #31 | FirstFlash story drawn by Carmine Infantino | The Secret City | Robert Kanigher | Carmine Infantino | Oct–Nov 1947 |
| #32 | First appearance of theStar Sapphire andThe Fiddler | The Amazing Star Sapphire! Duet of Danger | Robert Kanigher | Lee Elias | December 1947 – January 1948 |
The first Carmine Infantino art of the Flash character appeared in this issue's twelve-page adventure "The Secret City"...it was Infantino's work on the Flash that would become the cornerstone of his career.
| The Flash Family |
| ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supporting characters | |||||||||||
| Enemies |
| ||||||||||
| Publications |
| ||||||||||
| Storylines |
| ||||||||||
| Locations |
| ||||||||||
| In other media |
| ||||||||||
