Denis Kitchen

From Hey Kids Comics

Denis Kitchen
Parent company Krupp Comic Works
Status defunct (1999)
Founded 1970
Founder Denis Kitchen
Country of origin U.S.A.
Headquarters location Princeton, Wisconsin (1970–1992)
Northampton, Massachusetts (1993–1999)[1]
Publication types Comic books
Fiction genres Alternative, Underground
Official website Denis Kitchen and Kitchen Sink Press

Kitchen Sink Press was a comic book publishing company founded by Denis Kitchen in 1970. Kitchen Sink Press was a pioneering publisher of underground comics, and was also responsible for numerous republications of classic comic strips in hardcover and softcover volumes. These included comic strip reprints in hard cover and soft cover. One of their best known products was the first total reprinting of Will Eisner's The Spirit first in magazine format then in color. The company closed in 1999.

History[edit | edit source]

In 1969 artist Denis Kitchen decided to self-publish his comics and cartoons in the magazine Mom’s Homemade Comics, inspired in part by Bijou Funnies and Zap Comix. The selling out of the 4000 print-run inspired him further, and in 1970 he founded Kitchen Sink Press (initially as an artists' cooperative)[2][3] and launched the underground newspaper The Bugle-American, with Jim Mitchell and others.[4] Under the name of the Krupp Syndicate, he syndicated comic strips to almost fifty other underground and college newspapers.[5] In addition to Milwaukee artists like himself, Mitchell, Bruce Walthers, Don Glassford, and Wendel Pugh, Kitchen began to publish works by such cartoonists as Howard Cruse, Trina Robbins and S. Clay Wilson, and he soon expanded his operations, launching Krupp Comic Works, a parent organization into which he placed ownership of Kitchen Sink Press and through which he also launched such diverse ventures as a record company and a commercial art studio.

In 1993, Kitchen moved operations from Princeton, Wisconsin, to Northampton, Massachusetts in a controversial merger with Tundra Publishing. Media entrepreneur Fred Seibert cobbled together a group of small investors to try and reverse the fortunes of the company in 1997. After the failure of expansion into other venues of entertainment and merchandising, Kitchen Sink Press dissolved in 1999.

In 2001 and 2012, Dennis published comics under the publisher name of Denis Kitchen Publishing.[6]

In 2010 it was announced that Denis Kitchen was working with Boom! Studios to include reprints of old KSP products as part of the Boom's imprint called Boom! Town.[7] Items that have been reprinted include R. Crumb's Heroes Of The Blues Trading Card Set[8] which was previously published by KSP.[9]

Publications[edit | edit source]

Original titles[edit | edit source]

Reprint titles[edit | edit source]

Artists and authors associated with Kitchen Sink[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. "Kit" to "Kitchen", Michigan State University Libraries Special Collections Division: Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
  2. Acton, Jay, Le Mond, Alan, and Hodges, Parker. Mug Shots: Who's Who in the New Earth World Publishing: 1972; pp. 121
  3. Schreiner, Dave. Kitchen Sink Press, the First 25 Years. Northhampton, MA: Kitchen Sink Press, 1994; p. 14 et seq.
  4. Kitchen, Denis. "Notes on the Underground... Confessions of an Underground Comics Publisher." Funnyworld #13 (Spring 1971), p. 30
  5. Tanzilo, Bobby. "Milwaukee Talks: Denis Kitchen" onmilwaukee.com July 12, 2006
  6. Denis Kitchen Publishing at the Comic Book DB
  7. Jensen, Van (January 25, 2010). "Boom! Studios to Launch New Imprint". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved December 15, 2012. 
  8. BOOM! Studios Blog >> Shannon Wheeler Signs 3 Book Deal With Boom! Studios! Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  9. http://www.amazon.com/Crumbs-Heroes-Blues-Trading-Cards/dp/0878164170/
  10. Les Désarmés at Bedetheque (French)

References[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]