"An Ear for Music" is the title to the first story featured in issue #7 of the Captain America Comics ongoing comic book series published by Timely Comics. The story was written and illustrated by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby and inked by Joe Simon. The next Captain America story is "Death Loads the Bases", also by Simon & Kirby. This is followed by "Horror Plays the Scales", again produced by Simon & Kirby. The next story features Harry Kane called "Justice Laughs Last" by writer Stan Lee, artist Ken Bald, and inker Bill Ward. This is followed by a Stan Lee story called "Dust of Destruction". The final feature is "Race Against Doom", again written by Stan Lee and possibly illustrated by Al Avison and Al Gabriele. All stories were edited by Joe Simon. This issue shipped in October, 1941 and carries a cover price of .10 cents per copy.
According to the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, 1941, New Series, Vol. 36, No. 4., this issue shipped to retailers on August 4th, 1941.
It is unconfirmed whether Al Avison and Al Gabriele are the actual artists on "Race Against Doom".
This issue introduces the character of the Red Skull, whose real named will be revealed years later as Johann Shmidt. He will become the nemesis of Captain America and a recurring foe for years to come.
Although this is the first appearance of the Red Skull, it is actually his second conflict with Captain America. An unrevealed first encounter left Cap and Bucky believing that the Red Skull had died. By the end of this issue, they again believe that he had died by drowning. This is likely due to a different character named George Maxon, who has been retroactively identified as the Red Skull that appeared in Captain America Comics #1, and Captain America Comics #3. This is revealed in the Red Skull's origin story in Tales of Suspense #66.
This issue reveals that the Red Skull does not know how to swim.
