Denis Kitchen is a legend. An iconic underground cartoonist. A publisher. And the creator of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. He is, in two words, Oddly Compelling, the name of the new documentary about him that is available as Kickstarter pre-launch page now. But he can’t be compelling on his own, and Comic Book Club is pleased to exclusively reveal some of the cast joining him in the new movie.
That cast includes: Alison Bechdel, Warren Bernard, Eddie Campbell, Paul Gravett, Karen Green, Justin Hall, Gary Hallgren,Tom Heintjes, MariNaomi, Peter Poplaski, Carol Tyler, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Interim Director Jeff Trexler.
Not only that, but the film also features rare archival footage of comic book legends Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, and Harvey Kurtzman, along with new animation of Kitchen’s iconic cartooning. Check out. anifty graphic of all of that, below:
Coming from filmmaker’s Soren Christiansen and Ted Intorcio, the movie follows Kitchen from 1969, when he founded Kitchen Sink Press, over the course of the next 30 years where he published everyone from Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman, to Robert Crumb and Charles Burns, and many more. And through 1989 and forming the CBLDF after comic store owner Michael Correa was convicted of selling “obscene” material” through the publisher.
“Who would’ve thought that in the 21st century the world would watch Americans ban books, challenge free speech, and threaten its own democratic principles,” said Soren Christiansen via PR provided to Comic Book Club. “We’ve had threats to our democracy before, and every time these threats occurred, it took people, like Denis, to stand up and fight for those inalienable rights. He may be the least appreciated of the underground legends, in part because he devoted a disproportionate amount of his career to publishing the work of others. He was there at the very beginning of the Underground Comix movement, and his contributions, starting with Mom’s Homemade Comics, Krupp, Distribution, and Kitchen Sink Press are responsible for bringing ground-breaking and much-loved content to a much wider audience.”
Added Intorcio, “Let’s face it, Denis Kitchen is needed now more than ever. We want people to know about Denis Kitchen to benefit or learn from his struggles in confronting their own challenges. Denis has been (and continues to fight be) an advocate for artists, free speech, and underrepresented voices. The work he published under Kitchen Sink Press and his formation of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund have provided untold assistance to comics retailers busted for product that offends local authorities and creators feeling the pressure of censorship and cancellation.”
Not only does Oddly Compelling delve into how Kitchen changed the comic book industry, it also dives into his collection of collectibles ranging from 100,000 vintage postcards, to metal toys, robots and political buttons.
Oddly Compelling is made in collaboration with Tinto Press and Denis Kitchen Archives. The Kickstarter will be offering rare Underground Comix, remarqued books, personalized prints, film posters, and original Kitchen art, along with streaming and Blu-ray versions of the documentary.
“The lion’s share of the Oddly Compelling documentary footage has been captured, although there are some elusive interviews we hope to secure,” said Christiansen. “Our goal is to raise enough to finish editing and production and prepare for the festival circuit. We estimate several months of work remain to finish shooting, edits, adding effects, animation of Kitchen creatures, and sound design.”
You can check out the pre-launch page for Oddly Compelling on Kickstarter now. Watch a trailer for the project, below:
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