History of Comic Books Podcast · JT Wheatley

Archives - The History of Kitchen Sink Press, Part One

·34 min·3 clips

Why did this comic publisher force the podcast to add an explicit tag for the first time?

This episode details the origins of underground comic publisher Kitchen Sink Press and its founder, Dennis Kitchen. Host J.T. Wheatley provides a content warning for explicit material due to the publisher's adult themes. The narrative begins by framing underground "comix" as a direct reaction to the restrictive Comics Code Authority in the 1960s and 70s. Kitchen Sink Press was founded in 1968 by Dennis Kitchen, who was born in 1946 and raised in Wisconsin. His early publishing efforts included co-founding an unofficial school paper called *Klepto* in the eighth grade. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Kitchen co-founded and served as art director for the humor magazine *Snide*, contributing cartoons. His college career included participation in ROTC, which he left due to an allergy to wool uniforms. The magazine *Snide* collapsed after its first issue when the editor absconded with the profits. Kitchen was drafted into the Army in November 1968 shortly after graduating. He attempted to avoid the draft by losing weight but remained one pound over the minimum requirement for exemption. A surprising personal detail is Kitchen joking that his wool allergy prevented him from potentially becoming a lieutenant colonel. The failure of *Snide* left Kitchen with completed artwork he still hoped to publish. His frequenting of a local coffeehouse named Avant-Garde highlights his connection to countercultural scenes. The episode establishes how Kitchen's early setbacks and institutional clashes directly preceded his founding of a seminal underground press. The tone is educational and narrative, weaving biographical details with broader comic book history. The style is conversational, with the host incorporating casual asides and Kitchen's own humorous recollections. Fans of comic book history, especially the underground comix movement, will find this origin story compelling. Listeners uncomfortable with discussions of adult content or explicit language might choose to skip it.

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