Vince Alascia was on staff at Timely Comics, the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics, where the artist and comics historian Jim Steranko credits him for art as early as "USA Comics" #5 (Summer 1942), on the masked-crimefighter feature "American Avenger". When Captain America creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby left Timely after issue #10 (Jan. 1942) of the eponymous book, Alascia penciled the hero's adventures in the sister title "All Select Comics" #2–10 (Winter 1943/1944 to Summer 1946), generally inked by Allen Bellman, and in several issues of "All Winners Comics", with a variety of inkers, starting with #11 (Winter 1943/1944). Syd Shores and Al Avison had taken over art duties on "Captain America Comics", and Alascia shortly afterward filled-in as Shores' inker while Avison did his World War II military service.