Cartoonist, writer, editor, publisher and entrepreneur DENIS KITCHEN began his professional career in 1968, creating Mom's Homemade Comics as a self-published underground cartoonist in Milwaukee WI. The success of this venture led in 1969 to his formation of Krupp Comic Works, Inc., a small hippie empire which encompassed: Kitchen Sink Press, the comix publishing company; Strickly Uppa Crust, a head shop; The Cartoon Factory, a commercial art studio; Ordinary Records; Krupp Mail Order and Krupp Distribution. In 1970 he separately co-founded The Bugle-American, a Wisconsin-based alternative weekly newspaper that lasted seven years. In 1976 he co-founded The Fox River Patriot, a weekly alternative rural newspaper. But Kitchen's main focus over three decades was publishing comics and books.
As a Publisher: For thirty years (1969-1999) Kitchen published a variety of classic and underground artists alike. Among the highlights: Will Eisner (twenty graphic novels, over a hundred Spirit comics, Will Eisner Quarterly), Harvey Kurtzman (Jungle Book, Hey Look!, Goodman Beaver, with Will Elder, and others), Milton Caniff (Male Call, two volumes of Terry & the Pirates, twenty-four volumes of Steve Canyon), Al Capp (twenty-seven hard and softcover volumes of Li'l Abner), George Herriman (two volumes of Krazy Kat), R. Crumb (The R. Crumb Coffee Table Art Book, Kafka, Carload o' Comics, Waiting For Food, and other books, comix and merchandise), Jack Jackson (Secret of San Saba, Lost Cause), R.F. Outcault (Yellow Kid), Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics, three volumes of Zot!), V.T. Hamlin (three volumes of Alley Oop), Alex Raymond (six volumes of Flash Gordon, Secret Agent X-9), Dave McKean (Violent Cases with Neil Gaiman, and Cages), Art Spiegelman (various undergrounds), Cliff Sterrett (two volumes of Polly & Her Pals), Reed Waller & Kate Worley (over twenty comix and five collections of Omaha the Cat Dancer), James Vance & Dan Burr (Kings in Disguise, Owlhoots), Mark Schultz (Xenozoic Tales/Cadillacs & Dinosaurs), Bill Sienkiewicz (Voodoo Child), Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (From Hell) Howard Cruse (Gay Comix, Barefootz, Dancin' Nekkid with the Angels), Frank Frazetta (Small Wonders, Pillow Book), Joe Shuster & Jerry Siegel (four volumes of Superman strips), Bob Kane (four volumes of Batman strips), Joe Matt (Peep Show), and Charles Burns (Molemen, Blood Club, Sketchbook, Black Hole 1-4). He also published numerous anthologies including Blab 1-8, Snarf 1-15, Dope Comix 1-5, Bizarre Sex 1-10, Twist 1-3, Buzz 1-3, Twisted Sisters 1-3, Blue Loco, Mona and others; plus histories such as the 2-volume Comic Strip Century. Additional comic books, magazines and graphic novels are too extensive to list here. A 1994 illustrated history, Kitchen Sink Press: The First 25 Years, by Dave Schreiner, provides the best primer to this era.
Courtesy of Deniskitchen.com