Conversations with Denis Kitchen
Conversations with Denis Kitchen
Conversations with Denis Kitchen offers an in-depth exploration of the multifaceted career of Denis Kitchen (b. 1946), one of the most influential figures in the world of comics. This book, comprised of interviews spanning decades, provides a rare glimpse into the mind of a man who has worn many hats—publisher, cartoonist, writer, and advocate. Beginning with Kitchen’s early days selling his self-created Mom’s Homemade Comics at a parade in 1969, the interviews chronicle the rise of Kitchen Sink Press, the underground comix movement, founding the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and the challenges of navigating the rapidly changing comics industry.
The interviews delve into the key phases of Kitchen’s career, from his work with underground comix icons like Robert Crumb and Trina Robbins to his efforts in revitalizing the careers of legends like Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman. The book also covers the tumultuous merger with Tundra Publishing in the 1990s, the eventual downfall of Kitchen Sink Press, and Kitchen’s successful reinvention as an agent, curator, and publisher in collaboration with Dark Horse.
More than just a retrospective, this book captures Kitchen’s ongoing influence on the comics world, highlighting his enduring commitment to creative freedom, his battles against censorship, and his recent projects in curation and art. Conversations with Denis Kitchen is an essential read for anyone interested in the history and future of comics, offering a personal and comprehensive look at a career defined by innovation, resilience, and a deep love for the medium.
Kim A. Munson has contributed to many publications, including TheCambridge Companion to Comics, The Comics of R. Crumb: Underground in the Art Museum, International Journal of Comic Art, and Places Journal. She is editor of the Eisner-nominated anthology Comic Art in Museums, published by University Press of Mississippi.
Foreword: Denis Kitchen: An Appreciation
Introduction
Chronology
An Interview with Denis Kitchen
Bill Cross / 1972
Interview with Denis Kitchen
Judy Jacobi / 1975
Interview with Denis Kitchen
Artie E. Romero / 1979
From the Heartland of America: An Interview with Krupp Comic’s Denis Kitchen
Bill Sherman / 1981
Excerpts from “An Industry Roundtable”
Internal Correspondence Special Edition / 1992
Interview with Denis Kitchen Capital’s Strategic Alliance Partner
Internal Correspondence / 1995
Everything and the Kitchen Sink, Part 2
Jim Zalesky / 1998
Talking Heads: Denis Kitchen
Johan de Neef / 1998
Comix Book—A Marvel Oddity: Denis Kitchen Talks About Stan Lee’s Short Strange Trip
Jon B. Cooke / 2000
True Confessions: The Bitter Truth About True Confections and Its Controversial Leader
George O’Brian / 2000
Spirited Allies or the Other Man behind The Spirit: Denis Kitchen on Representing Will Eisner
Bill Baker / 2001
Five Minutes with Denis Kitchen
Bill Baker / 2001
The Compelling Milwaukee Art of Denis Kitchen
Tea Krulos / 2003
Not-So-Secret Agent: The Denis Kitchen Interview
Danny Fingeroth / 2009
Denis Kitchen Q&A
Peter Bebergal / 2011
Li’l Abner’s Al Capp: A Monstrous Creature, a Masterful Cartoonist
Michael Dooley / 2013
Denis Kitchen on Harlan Ellison
Nat Segaloff / 2017
Gay Comics—Unearthing the History of the Seminal LGBTQ Publication Gay Comix
Ryan Cahill / 2020
Interview with Denis Kitchen
L’Esprit de Will Eisner / 2021
Episode 190: Politics of the Funnies Part 2, with Denis Kitchen and Kerry Soper
Eric Molinsky / 2021
The 3D Work of Denis Kitchen
Lawrence Kaufman / 2022
Withstanding the Heat: Denis Kitchen on Comics, Curiosity, and Censorship
Chloe Maveal / 2022
Index
