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scott eder gallery
fine art inspired by alternative comix and deviant media
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The Oddly Compelling
Art of

 
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Cartoonist, author, publisher, curator, and entrepreneur Denis Kitchen was one of the earliest artists in the "underground comix" movement of the late 1960s. Inspired by Bijou Funnies and Zap Comix, he self-published Mom's Homemade Comics in Milwaukee, WI. He also founded and for three decades ran Kitchen Sink Press (1969-99), a pioneering house that published definitive award-winning graphic works by R. Crumb, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Scott McCloud, Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, Charles Burns, and many other contemporary artists, as well as numerous collections of vintage comic strips.

In his characteristic wry and self-deprecating style, Kitchen has created strips for national magazines such as HeadHigh Times, and Playboy, and his art and stories have appeared in ArcadeBlabTwistBijou FunniesConsumer Comix, Mom's Homemade ComicsSnarf, Mondo SnarfoDope Comix, Energy Comics, Spirit Magazine, Comix Book, and many other venues, including an album cover (Major Arcana). Yet, if not for his significant business ventures, Kitchen would have been even more prolific.

In 1986, he founded the nonprofit Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, whose mission is to fight censorship and protect comic retailers’ and creators' First Amendment rights. He chaired the seminal organization for 18 years and still co-chairs its Advisory Board with Neil Gaiman.

More recently, Kitchen has co-authored books about comics: Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary (2012, Bloomsbury); The Art of Harvey Kurtzman (2009, Abrams); and Underground Classics (2009, Abrams). A frequent spokesperson for the comics industry, he has appeared on Larry King Live (CNN), NPR, and countless regional media outlets. He is also a literary and art agent for top talent, and with John Lind recently revived Kitchen Sink Books as a publishing imprint.

While business pulls him in different directions, Kitchen has also focused more in recent years toward his artistic roots: his "Dr. Seuss" contribution to Masterful Marks: Cartoonists Who Changed the World (2014, Simon & Schuster) was featured prominently in Huffington Post. The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen, a monograph of his own work, was published in 2010 by Dark Horse, winning both an American Graphic Design Award and a Harvey Award. Denis Kitchen's Chipboard Sketchbook (2011, Boom) followed, with a sequel forthcoming. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in San Diego in 2015. 

Kitchen's art has been exhibited throughout the United States and Europe, but has never before been offered for sale... Less

All images below can be enlarged. Contact us for prices.
Medium is pen and ink with screentone on paper, custom FRAMED, unless otherwise stated.

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scott eder gallery
888 Newark Ave.
Jersey City, NJ 07306 
Telephone: 201-630-4931