Robert Crumb Interviewed for Oddly Compelling Documentary!
5 months ago
– Fri, Oct 03, 2025 at 03:40:51 PM
You read that subject line correctly! I'm very happy to report that Denis, Soren and myself have just returned from a whirlwind trip to a little medieval village in the south of France where we interviewed none other than Robert Crumb himself! We kept it a secret until we were sure it was going to happen. Robert does not grant many interviews and is notoriously private. But the stars aligned and we were able to travel to Robert's town and were welcomed into his abode for a conversation with Robert, Pete Poplaski, and Denis Kitchen. A quick thanks to the great Pete Poplaski, and Rika Deryckere for acting as liasons with Robert, being so accommodating in helping us make this trip a reality and coordinating the meetup. Also a big thank you to all of our backers as we would not been able to make this trip without your support!
Final 72 hours to pledge Oddly Compelling: The Denis Kitchen Story
9 months ago
– Mon, Jun 16, 2025 at 06:29:38 AM
We're in the last 3 days of the campaign. Let's get to $30K
We’re now in the final 72 hours of our Kickstarter campaign for Oddly Compelling: The Denis Kitchen Story, and we need your help to bring it across the finish line. Thanks to over 400 incredible backers, we’ve already surpassed $20,000 in pledges, but our internal goal is $30,000. Hitting that target will allow us to fully realize this documentary with the quality and depth that Denis’ story deserves. If you’ve been considering a pledge, now is the time. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a real difference and, if i do say so myself, we've got some wonderful and unique rewards available that you won't find anywhere else.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you that recent political events have only reinforced the urgency of telling Denis Kitchen’s story. As the National Guard and Marines are deployed in cities like Los Angeles to silence protestors and suppress dissent, the rights Denis has spent a lifetime defending: free expression, press freedom, and artistic autonomy are under visible threat. Denis was a champion of underground comics precisely because they gave voice to ideas the mainstream wanted to ignore or suppress. His legacy is more relevant than ever, and with your support, we can ensure it’s shared with the world.
New Rewards and an exclusive look at The Giant Penis That Invaded New York
9 months ago
– Thu, Jun 05, 2025 at 06:17:29 AM
Hello all,
Happy June! It’s hard to believe we are already halfway through the campaign for Oddly Compelling! Thank you for all of your incredible support!
As we enter the second half of the campaign, we’re thrilled to announce new limited-availability rewards! These unique treasures won’t last long, so act fast!
$50 United Cartoon Workers of America membership kit
The fabled United Cartoon Workers of America is a symbolic union created by Spain Rodriguez, Denis Kitchen, and R. Crumb in the early 1970s. Its logo appeared on many underground comix covers. Comics publishers, distributors, and Pinkerton men fear comics workers who proudly display the UCWA's inspirational symbol of class unity. As Kitchen has famously noted, “Comics Workers are like Sex Workers, but we get fucked more often.”
Includes:
T-shirt (specify M, L or XL) Official Membership card Acceptance letter on UCWA stationery 2 UCWA buttons (nearest affiliate city + generic)
8 membership kits available
$60 Kitchen Sink Press button assortment (12) by prominent cartoonists
An assortment of 12 all-different promotional buttons produced by this leading independent publisher, issued from 1971 into the mid-1990s. The assortment includes buttons drawn by Trina Robbins, R. Crumb, Charles Burns, Gilbert Shelton, Harvey Kurtzman, Mark Schultz, Doug Allen, Kitchen, and others! Sizes range from 1.25 to 2.25 inches.
8 sets available
$100 Bushmiller Society membership kit
A shadowy cult has grown around the late cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller of "Nancy & Sluggo" fame. His enduring appeal is tough to deny, and his hardcore fans reflect a zealotry rare for any artist in modern culture. The clandestine Bushmiller Society dates at least to the early 1970s jealously guards its privacy. Denis Kitchen, a known Nancy fan, has never admitted being part of the organization. Nonetheless he has “contacts” who have arranged an unprecedented opportunity for backers of this Kickstarter to become “Entry Level” members, without theusual background checks. Membership comes with very cool ancillary products. Available no where else!
Includes:
Official entry level Membership card Acceptance letter on BS stationery. 4 Nancy/B.S. buttons (official BS member + Ernie self-portraits) 3 Bushmiller Postcards (1990s) 2 deluxe B.S. Coasters (brand new) 2 B.S. stickers
8 memberships available
$125 A group of 6 Bugle-Americans with covers by Denis Kitchen
An underground weekly tabloid/magazine based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 1970-78, known for its progressive political coverage, countercultural themes, and vibrant comic strip section. Denis Kitchen, a key figure in the underground comix movement, was the co-founder and a prominent contributor. The Bugle was America's only underground newspaper with a regular comics section. For a while the Krupp Syndicate provided the Bugle strips to another fifty or so weekly papers. Kitchen drew the covers for numerous issues. Extremely rare and difficult to find, this Reward comprises six issues (in like new condition) with color covers, from Kitchen’s own archives.
4 sets available
$150 for 6 rare Fox River Patriots with covers by Denis Kitchen and R. Crumb
After the Bugle folded, Kitchen, then living in rural upstate Wisconsin, co-founded the Patriot as a counter-cultural weekly with a focus on back-to-the-land values, local history, organic farming, and environmental issues. Kitchen frequently contributed original cover art, illustrations, and local ad art, as did other underground artists like Peter Poplaski, Jay Lynch, and Robert Crumb (who called the Patriot his favorite publication). Extremely rare and difficult to find, this Reward, from Kitchen’s own archives, consists of six issues in like new condition featuring assorted covers by himself and Crumb.
4 sets available
“Grateful Dead Comix Sold Here” Poster & Postcards
In the 1990s Kitchen Sink Press published nine issues of officially-licensed Grateful Dead Comix, with stories proved by Jerry Garcia and others. Promotional posters were provided to cooperative comic shops at the time, but very few survived. As a Kickstarter reward Denis Kitchen is providing a handful of mint-condition posters from his personal archives, along with two rare postcards. The full-color poster measures 11 x 17 inches. One sepia tone postcard features Garcia holding the first issue and the other depicts the full-color issue.
$150 Nancy Silk ties
$150 Will Eisner hand-signed graphic novel!
In 1993 Kitchen Sink Press published Will Eisner’s Invisible People in a limited signed & numbered edition. Many consider the understated cover of this book to be his most beautiful. The book addresses the anonymous faces in every crowd—the “invisible people” we pass with indifference every day. In this classic Eisner focuses on the lives of three such persons, each with remarkable stories to tell. The legendary “father of the graphic novel” died in 2005, so if you are a fan of his long career you may never have had a chance to meet the man or get his autograph. This Reward is an opportunity to acquire a very scarce and mint condition hand-signed hardcover of Invisible People!
5 copies available
$400 Eisner-signed P’Gell serigraph
This is the first serigraph ever produced by legendary cartoonist Will Eisner (creator of The Spirit and inventor of the modern graphic novel). The thin-waisted femme fatale with a cigarette-holder is P'Gell, one of The Spirit's most dangerous and enticing foes. Shot from the original art of a classic 1947 "spash page," Eisner oversaw the production of the ten hand-pulled colors on deckle-edge cloth-based paper in the fine art silkscreen tradition. Published by Kitchen Sink Press in1990, the large 22 by 30-inch image was issued in an edition of only 250, all hand signed by Eisner.
3 available.
$1,650 - Crumb-signed Mr. Natural Zap serigraph
Published by Kitchen Sink Press in fourteen hand-pulled colors on heavy acid-free deckle-edge archival paper in 1993 in an edition of 250, it was only the second Crumb serigraph ever produced, and now long out-of-print. Crumb's following is now well beyond comics fandom. His last N.Y.C. gallery show sold out quickly, with gravy and wine-stained placemat drawings selling for several thousand dollars each and his key comic art has eclipsed six figures at Heritage auctions. A Crumb drawing graced the cover of Art Forum (first time for a "cartoonist") and art museums in America and Europe are buying his pieces for their permanent collections. This very early silkscreen featuring one of his most famous images is a true collectible and wise investment, all for a good cause.
1 available
While you eagerly await the documentary, tune into this great interview with Denis in conversation with Brad and Lisa of Comic Book Couples Counseling! This career-spanning talk is a fun, inspiring look at Denis’s career - straight from the cartoonist himself. You can listen here!
Earlier today, Volume 1 Brooklyn shared an exclusive look at Tinto Press’s The Giant Penis That Invaded New York - a new anthology inspired by Denis Kitchen’s infamous cover to Bizarre Sex! Check out a preview of Noah Van Sciver and Hilary Barta’s pages here, and don’t forget to get your copy of the book through the Oddly Compelling Kickstarter.
You can check out the Oddly Compelling Campaign here
Speaking of great books!! There’s an amazing looking collection of cartoonist Mike Allred’s 3-D artwork now funding on Kickstarter! Madman Comin' Atcha 3-D: The Collection is an 80-page paperback collection of Mike Allred’s iconic 3-D Madman trading cards! It’s sure to be a beautiful addition to every Madman fanatic’s bookshelf! You can support it here.
Thank you all for your continued support of Oddly Compelling! Spread the word and be sure to follow @tintopress, @denis_kitchen_art, and @skyseevideo on Instagram for more updates!
Denis Kitchen on PBS!
10 months ago
– Thu, May 29, 2025 at 06:15:14 AM
Hello again!
We’re a week into the Oddly Compelling campaign and having a blast. Thank you all for helping us put this documentary together. We are grateful to already have over 130 backers signing up to help us tell Denis Kitchen’s story.
Denis recently spoke with Comics Culture’s Terence Dollard about comics, the CBLDF, and the documentary. You can watch the whole interview on PBS here.
Our pals at Animation Magazine shared this great clip featuring Ted’s animation of one of Denis’s drawings. Bringing these oddly compelling, surreal pieces of art to life has been one of our favorite parts of the documentary, and we’re looking forward to being able to share more with you!
If you’re passionate about the history of underground comics, be sure to check out MOUSETRAP: The Air Pirates War Against Disney, which is also currently live on Kickstarter.
MOUSETRAP follows a group of underground cartoonists, led by the audacious Dan O’Neill, in their quest for creative freedom and the right to parody - igniting one of the most incendiary legal battles in American cultural history. The Air Pirates’s irreverent and outrageous parody of Disney’s Mickey Mouse is the stuff of legend, and this documentary is sure to be a wild ride. Check it out, and support the project here!
Don’t forget to follow @tintopress, @denis_kitchen_art, and @skyseevideo on Instagram for more updates!
Oddly Compelling: The Denis Kitchen Story is live on Kickstarter
10 months ago
– Wed, May 21, 2025 at 09:25:06 AM
Hello all,
Yesterday we launched the Kickstarter campaign for Oddly Compelling: The Denis Kitchen Story. In just 24 hours, the Oddly Compelling campaign has already been fully funded and received support from over 70 backers! We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has helped us tell Denis Kitchen’s incredible story and for keeping the spirit of underground comics alive! You can support the Kickstarter here.
Denis spoke more about some of his collections with Daily Dead’s Jonathan Davis. “I do collect many things, from 30s-50s toy cars, comics figurines, Kewpies, Mona Lisa kitsch, original comic art, old candy bar wrappers, vintage photos of cartoonists, buttons, vinegar valentines, and so on,” says Kitchen. “but in recent years my biggest collecting passion has been topical postcards from around 1900-1920s. I think I have over 100,000 carefully sorted into categories and countless sub-categories.”
They discuss comics, censorship, the documentary, and more! You can read the full interview here.
In case you missed it, our friends at Comic Book Club shared a look at Denis’s incredible collection of outrageous vintage postcards. Check it out here. If you think that’s wild, just wait until you see the rest of the film.
