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 strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

s in hardcover and softcover volumes. One of their best-known products was the first full reprint of Will Eisner's '' The Spirit''—first in magazine format, then in standard comic book format. The company closed in 1999.

History

Origins

In 1969 Milwaukee artist Denis Kitchen decided to self-publish his

comics a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...

and cartoons in the magazine ''Mom's Homemade Comics'', inspired in part by the seminal underground comix titles '' Bijou Funnies'' and ''

Zap Comix ''Zap Comix'' is an underground comix series which was originally part of the youth counterculture of the late 1960s. While a few small-circulation self-published satirical comic books had been printed prior to this, ''Zap'' became the model for ...

''. The selling out of the 4,000 print-run inspired him further, and in 1970 he founded Kitchen Sink Press (initially as an artists' cooperative) and launched the Milwaukee-based underground newspaper ''The Bugle-American'', with Jim Mitchell and others. Under the name of the Krupp Syndicate, he syndicated

comic strips A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...

to almost fifty other underground and college newspapers. In addition to Milwaukee artists like himself, Mitchell, Bruce Walthers, Don Glassford, and Wendel Pugh, Kitchen began to publish works by such

cartoonists A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary a ...

as Howard Cruse, Trina Robbins and

S. Clay Wilson Steve Clay Wilson (July 25, 1941 – February 7, 2021) was an American underground cartoonist and central figure in the underground comix movement. Wilson attracted attention from readers with aggressively violent and sexually explicit panoramas ...

(as well as taking over the publishing duties of '' Bijou Funnies'' from 1970 to 1973), 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. Kitchen established a long-running relationship with Will Eisner beginning in 1973 with a two-issue series of Eisner's classic comics series The Spirit. As a result of the success of Kitchen Sink Press's underground reprints, Warren Publishing launched a regular ''Spirit'' reprint series in magazine format in 1974. After Warren's magazine folded in 1976, Kitchen Sink picked it up in 1977, continuing with Warren's numbering until issue #41 in 1983. Other notable Kitchen Sink titles from the 1970s include anthologies like the horror title '' Death Rattle'' vol. 1 (3 issues, launched in 1972), ''

Bizarre Sex Bizarre may refer to: *Bizarre (rapper) (born 1976), an American rapper and member of hip hop group D12 *Bizarre (band), a Spanish rock band * ''Bizarre'' (TV series), a Canadian sketch comedy television series * ''Bizarre'' (magazine), a sister ...

'' (10 issues, launched in 1972), ''

Snarf Snarf, SNARF, or their variants may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *''Snarf'', an underground comic published in the early 1970s by Denis Kitchen * Snarf (''ThunderCats''), one of several characters on the television show ''ThunderCats'' ...

'' (15 issues, launched Feb. 1972), and ''

Dope Comix Dope may refer to: Chemistry Biochemistry * Dope, a slang word for a euphoria-producing drug, particularly: ** Cocaine ** Cannabis (drug) ** Heroin ** Opium * DOPE, or 1,2-Dioleoyl-''sn''-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, a phospholipid * Discrete ...

'' (5 issues, launched in 1978). The publisher supplemented revenues with the sale of merchandise such as posters, buttons, trading cards, and sound records.

1980s

Legal restrictions in the mid-1970s closed down many head shops, which had been a primary outlet for underground comix. Kitchen Sink diversified what it published, expanding into post-underground alternative comics, such as with the works of Don Simpson, Charles Burns, and

Reed Waller Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * R ...

, and reprints of older works by artists such as Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, and Ernie Bushmiller. Kitchen Sink also maintained a large back catalogue. As Kitchen devoted himself to publishing, his own cartooning work became scarce. Transitioning from an underground publisher, in the 1980s Kitchen Sink launched such titles as '' Death Rattle'' vol. 2 (18 issues, beginning in 1985), Mark Schultz' post-apocalyptic ''

Xenozoic Tales ''Xenozoic Tales'' is an alternative comic book by Mark Schultz set in a post-apocalyptic future. Originally published by Kitchen Sink Press, the series began in 1986 with the story "Xenozoic!" which was included in the horror comics anthology ...

'' (14 issues, beginning in 1987), James Vance &

Dan Burr Dan E. Burr (born November 14, 1951)
''Lambiek's Comiclopedia''. Accessed Jan. 16, 2014. is an American citizen, ...

's acclaimed limited series '' Kings in Disguise'' (6 issues, 1988–1989), and

Doug Allen Doug Allen (born February 22, 1956) is an American underground cartoonist, illustrator, and musician. Best known for his long-running comic strip ''Steven'', Allen has over the years collaborated with long-time friend Gary Leib on music, anima ...

's ''Steven'' (8 issues, 1989–1996). Other titles launched by Kitchen Sink Press in this period, but later continued by other publishers, include Howard Cruse's '' Gay Comix'', Don Simpson's ''

Megaton Man Megaton Man (civilian alter ego: Trent Phloog) is a satirical superhero created by cartoonist "Dandy Don" Simpson. A parody of the superhero genre, Megaton Man is a gigantically-muscled but dim-witted oaf who starred in Simpson's cheerfully absurd ...

'', and

and

Kate Worley Kathleen Louise Worley (March 16, 1958 – June 6, 2004) was an American comic book writer, best known for her work on '' Omaha the Cat Dancer'', a sexually explicit anthropomorphic animal comic book series about a female stripper. Worley was a ...

's ''

Omaha the Cat Dancer Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

''. Kitchen Sink continued publishing the ''Snarf'' anthology until 1990. Kitchen launched a second volume of ''The Spirit'' reprints in 1983, with a smaller page count and in standard comic book format. This incarnation of the reprints ran for 87 issues until 1992. Also in 1983, he launched the magazine '' Will Eisner's Quarterly'', featuring new work by Eisner (previously, excerpts of Eisner's new projects had appeared in the ''Spirit'' magazine). The 1980s also saw Kitchen Sink branching out into reprints of classic comic strips beyond EIsner's work. Kitchen Sink published ''

Steve Canyon ''Steve Canyon'' is an American adventure comic strip by writer-artist Milton Caniff. Launched shortly after Caniff retired from his previous strip, '' Terry and the Pirates'', ''Steve Canyon'' ran from January 13, 1947, until June 4, 1988. It ...

'' reprints from 1983 to 1992, '' Li'l Abner'' collections from 1988 to 1999, and '' Nancy'' collections from 1989 to 1991.

1990s

Continuing their practice of collecting comic strips, in the 1990s Kitchen Sink reprinted volumes of '' Alley Oop'', ''

Flash Gordon Flash Gordon is the protagonist of a space adventure comic strip created and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by, and created to compete with, the already established ''Buck Rogers'' adve ...

'', and ''

Krazy Kat ''Krazy Kat'' (also known as ''Krazy & Ignatz'' in some reprints and compilations) is an US, American newspaper comic strip, by cartoonist George Herriman, which ran from 1913 to 1944. It first appeared in the ''New York Journal-American, New Yor ...

''. Original titles published by Kitchen Sink in the 1990s include ''

Grateful Dead Comix Grateful may refer to: * Gratitude, an emotion Albums * ''Grateful'' (Carpark North album), 2008 * ''Grateful'' (Coko album) or the title song, 2006 * ''Grateful'' (DJ Khaled album), 2017 Songs * "Grateful" (Edyta Górniak song), 2016 * "Gratefu ...

'' (9 total issues, 1991–1993), editor Diane Noomin's '' Twisted Sisters'' limited series, (1994), '' Death Rattle'' vol. 3 (5 issues, 1995–1996), and more Eisner projects. Kitchen Sink also launched Charles Burns' ''

Black Hole A black hole is a region of spacetime where gravitation, gravity is so strong that nothing, including light or other Electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic waves, has enough energy to escape it. The theory of general relativity predicts t ...

'', which was later republished and augmented by

Fantagraphics Books Fantagraphics (previously Fantagraphics Books) is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, manga, magazines, graphic novels, and the erotic Eros Comix imprint. History Founding Fantagraphics was found ...

Tundra, move to Massachusetts, and demise

In 1993, Kitchen moved operations from Princeton, Wisconsin, to

Northampton, Massachusetts The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence and Leeds) was 29,571. Northampton is known as an acade ...

, in a controversial – and ultimately disastrous – merger with Tundra Publishing. Kitchen Sink/Tundra's output was strong through 1993, as reflected in the company's success at the 1994 Harvey Awards, coming away with Harveys for Best Writer ( Scott McCloud for '' Understanding Comics''), Best New Series (''

Captain Sternn Captain Lincoln F. Sternn is a comic book character created by Bernie Wrightson. Personality and appearance Captain Sternn is considered "part Han Solo, part James Garner from '' The Great Escape''". The character, as written by Wrightson, is an ...

''), Best Graphic Album of Original Work (''Understanding Comics''), Best Anthology ('' Blab!''), and Best Biographical, Historical, or Journalistic Presentation (''Understanding Comics''). (The company also picked up an

Eisner Award The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...

that year for Best Comics-Related Book for ''Understanding Comics''.) In 1994, the company was sold to a Los Angeles-based investment group. The company spent the bulk of 1996–1998 releasing various original ''

The Crow The Crow is a supernatural superhero comic book series created by James O'Barr revolving around the titular character of the same name. The series, which was originally created by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fiancée at t ...

'' limited series, but the writing was on the wall. Media entrepreneur Fred Seibert cobbled together a group of small investors to try to 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.

Later projects

In 2001 and 2012, Kitchen published comics under the publisher name of Denis Kitchen Publishing. In 2013, Dark Horse Comics announced an imprint, helmed by Denis Kitchen and John Lind, called Kitchen Sink Books. Dark Horse editor Philip Simon commented on unannounced projects saying "everything

enis and John Enis is a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Enis Alushi, German footballer * Enis Bešlagić, Bosnia and Herzegovina actor * Enis Batur, Turkish poet * Enis Esmer, Canadian actor * Enis Hajri, Tunisian footballer Other uses * ...

are bringing to the table is going to be historically important". Also in 2013, Columbia University's

Rare Book & Manuscript Library The Rare Book & Manuscript Library is principal repository for special collections of Columbia University. Located in New York City on the university's Morningside Heights campus, its collections span more than 4,000 years, from early Mesopotam ...

made arrangements with Kitchen to acquire the archives of Kitchen Sink Press, including business documents, artwork, and correspondence. Columbia librarian Karen Green said the archives were "meticulously preserved".

Publications (selected)

Original titles

1960s–1970s

* '' Bijou Funnies'' (4 issues, 1970–1973) — issues #5–8, taking over from the Print Mint) * ''

'' (10 issues, May 1972–December 1982) * '' Comix Book'' (2 issues, 1976, acquired from Marvel Comics) * '' Death Rattle'' vol. 1 (3 issues, 1972) * ''Deep 3D Comix'' (Summer 1970) — Don Glassford * ''Don Dohler's

ProJunior ProJunior, sometimes styled as Pro Junior, is an American comics character created by Don Dohler in 1958.Fox, M. Steven"Don Dohler's Projunior" ComixJoint. Accessed June 4, 2018. He debuted in a fanzine in 1961, and in underground comix in 1970. K ...

'' (1971) — anthology of ProJunior (created by

Don Dohler Donald Michael Dohler (January 27, 1946 – December 2, 2006) was an American film director known for making low-budget science fiction and horror films, as well as his work in underground comix and publishing.Vanderbilt, Mike"Don Dohler’s Nig ...

) strips by underground cartoonists, including Jay Lynch, Robert Crumb,

, Evert Geradts,

Jay Kinney Jay Kinney (born 1950) is an American author, editor, and former underground cartoonist. Kinney has been noted for "adding new dimensions to the political comic" in the underground comix press of the 1970s and '80s. Kinney was a member, along wi ...

, Art Spiegelman, Justin Green, Trina Robbins, Denis Kitchen, Bruce Walthers, Skip Williamson,

Joel Beck Joel Beck (May 7, 1943 – September 14, 1999) was a San Francisco Bay Area artist and cartoonist. His comic book, ''Lenny of Laredo'', one of the earliest underground comic books of the 1960s, was the first underground comic book published o ...

, Bill Griffith, and

himself * ''

'' (5 issues, 1978–1984) — anti-drug anthology * ''Home Grown Funnies'' (January 1971) — Robert Crumb * ''Hungry Chuck Biscuits Comics and Stories'' (1971) — anthology featuring Dan Clyne, Skip Williamson,

, Denis Kitchen, Don Glassford, Jim Mitchell, and Dave Dozier * ''Mom's Homemade Comics'' (2 issues, June 1969, Oct. 1972) — 3 issues; 2nd issue published by the Print Mint * ''Smile'' (3 issues, Summer 1970 - Aug. 1972) — omnibus mostly featuring Jim Mitchell * ''

'' (15 issues, February 1972 – October 1990) * ''Teen-Age Horizons of Shangrila'' (2 issues, Summer 1970 – November 1972) — teen humor spoof anthology with contributors like Jay Lynch, Denis Kitchen, Justin Green,

Richard "Grass" Green Richard Edward "Grass" Green (May 7, 1939Social Security Death Index. – August 5, 2002) was an African American cartoonist notable for being the first black participant in both the 1960s fan art movement and the 1970s underground comics movement. ...

, Trina Robbins, and Robert Armstrong

1980s

* '' BLAB!'' (6 issues, #3–8, 1988–1995; later continued by Fantagraphics) * ''

Border Worlds Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ...

'' (7 issues, 1986–1987) * '' Death Rattle'' vol. 2 (18 issues, 1985–1988) *'' Gay Comix'' (5 issues, 1980–1984; later published by Bob Ross) * ''

Denizens of Deep City Denization is an obsolete or defunct process in England and Ireland and the later Kingdom of Great Britain, the United Kingdom, and the British Empire, dating back to the 13th century, by which an alien (foreigner), through letters patent, bec ...

'' (8 issues, 1988–1990) — Doug Potter *'' Kings in Disguise'' (6 issues, 1988–1989) *''

'' (10 issues, 1984–1986; now published by

Image Comics Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...

) *''

Melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...

'' (10 issues, 1988–1995; now published by Eros Comix) *''

'' (21 issues, #0–20; 1986–June 1994; now published by NBM Publishing) * ''

Steven Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

'' (8 issues, 1989–1996) * '' Will Eisner's Quarterly'' (8 issues, 1983–1986) * ''

'' (14 issues, 1987–1996)

1990s

* ''

'' (4 issues, 1995–1998) (later republished with additional 8 issues by

) *''

Button Man ''Button Man'' is a comic strip created for the British comic '' 2000 AD'', written by John Wagner and illustrated by Arthur Ranson. The series is unrelated to the earlier ''Bad City Blue'' featuring Button Men in ''2000 AD'' #468-479. Premise ...

'' (1994; previously serialized in '' 2000 AD'' by

Rebellion Developments Rebellion Developments Limited is a British video game developer based in Oxford, England. Founded by Jason and Chris Kingsley in December 1992, the company is best known for its ''Sniper Elite'' series and multiple games in the ''Alien vs. Pre ...

* ''

Cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The nam ...

'' (6 issues, #14–19, 1993–1996; taking over from Last Gasp; later published by Cherry Comics) *''

'' (various original mini-series, 1996–1998) * '' Death Rattle'' vol. 3 (5 issues, 1995–1996) *'' From Hell'' (1998; previously serialized in '' Taboo'' by Spiderbaby Grafix & Publications before the series ceased publishing. Kitchen Sink then reprinted the series after Moore and Campbell Published it through

Mad Love __NOTOC__ Mad Love may refer to: Books *''Mad Love'' (French ''L'amour fou''), collection of poems by André Breton *'' The Batman Adventures: Mad Love'', an Eisner and Harvey award-winning comic by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm * Mad Love (publisher), ...

. Currently a collected edition is published by Top Shelf Productions) *''

'' (9 total issues, 1991–1993) *'' Illegal Alien'' (1994; reprinted by Titan Books and Dark Horse Comics) *''

Life on Another Planet ''Life On Another Planet'', also known as ''Signal from Space'', is a science fiction graphic novel by Will Eisner dealing with the social and political consequences of a first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. It was first serialize ...

'' (1996) * '' The Spirit: The New Adventures'' (8 issues, 1998) * '' Twisted Sisters'' (4 issues, 1994)

Reprint titles

*'' Alley Oop'' (1990–1995) *'' Armed and Dangerous'' by

Mezzo Mezzo is the Italian word for "half", "middle" or "medium". It may refer to: Music *Mezzo-soprano or mezzo, a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices *Mezzo forte ("medium-loud") ...

and Pirus (originally ''Les Désarmés'') *''

'' (1990 – c. 1995; now being reprinted by Checker Book) *''

'' (1990–1991; now being reprinted by Fantagraphics) *'' Li'l Abner'' (1988–1999) *'' Nancy'' (1989–1991) * '' Nard n' Pat'' (1978, 1981) * '' Phoebe & the Pigeon People'' (1979–1981) *'' The Spirit'' (various editions, 1974, 1977–1992; now being reprinted by DC Comics) *''

'' (1983–1992; now being reprinted by Checker Books) *'' The Yellow Kid'' (1995) * '' Zot!'' (1996–1998)

Artists and authors associated with Kitchen Sink

* Simon Bisley * Eddie Campbell *

Al Capp Alfred Gerald Caplin (September 28, 1909 – November 5, 1979), better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip ''Li'l Abner'', which he created in 1934 and continued writing and (wi ...

Matt Coyle Matt Coyle (born 1971) is an Australian artist and graphic novelist living in Hobart, Tasmania. Born in Nantwich, United Kingdom, Coyle has created two graphic novels, '' Registry of Death'' (1996), co-authored with Peter Lamb and published by ...

* Robert Crumb * Howard Cruse * Robert Triptow * Kim Deitch * Will Elder * Will Eisner *

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

Jean “Moebius” Giraud Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (; 8 May 1938 – 10 March 2012) was a French artist, cartoonist, and writer who worked in the Franco-Belgian ''bandes dessinées'' (BD) tradition. Giraud garnered worldwide acclaim under the pseudonym Mœbius (; ) ...

Don Glassford Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name *Don, Benin, a town in Benin *Don, Dang, a vill ...

* Justin Green * Denis Kitchen * Harvey Kurtzman * Carol Lay * Jay Lynch * Joe Matt * Scott McCloud *

Dave McKean David McKean (born 29 December 1963) is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician. His work incorporates drawing, painting, photography, collage, found objects, digital art, and sculpt ...

* Jim Mitchell * Alan Moore *

James O'Barr James O'Barr (born January 1, 1960) is an American comics artist, writer and graphic artist, best known as the creator of the comic book series ''The Crow''. Early life O'Barr, an orphan, was raised in the foster care system. Career In 1978, O' ...

* Wendel Pugh * Trina Robbins * Mark Schultz * Art Spiegelman *

* Bruce Walthers *

Catherine Yronwode Catherine Anna Yronwode (née Manfredi; May 12, 1947) is an American writer, editor, graphic designer, typesetter, and publisher with an extensive career in the comic book industry. She is also a practitioner of folk magic. Early life Catherine A ...

Notes

References

Works cited

External links

Denis Kitchen and Kitchen Sink Press
* * {{Authority control 1970 establishments in Wisconsin 1999 disestablishments in Massachusetts Defunct comics and manga publishing companies

History

Origins

1980s

1990s

Tundra, move to Massachusetts, and demise

Later projects

Publications (selected)

Original titles

1960s–1970s

1980s

1990s

Reprint titles

Artists and authors associated with Kitchen Sink

See also

Notes

References

Works cited

External links