Why I Am "So Negative"....

I was told yesterday that I've given up too much of my time to promoting publishers/creators and getting nothing back from it.

Today I'm reminded WHY I ought not to bother.  As the comment in question was posted I'll remind readers of the article in question and then you decide.

"How Come You Never Mentioned That Dark Horse Announced All-New KITCHEN SINK Imprint!?"

Why? Well, Dark Horse is one of the Big Three US Comic publishers and CBO prefers to give the little guy the publicity.

However, as some of you think I should be posting this item --late but you, MY public have demanded it (hang head humbly for a couple seconds...eyes closed...slowly raise head and open eyes and look to the sky...*).

Dark Horse Comics announced today that they have entered into a joint venture to add the newly formed Kitchen Sink Books as an exclusive and independent publishing imprint.

Kitchen Sink Books will begin a publishing program in late 2013, focusing on large-format, heavily illustrated art books, archival reprint collections, and original graphic novels.

The new imprint will be headed by alternative publishing pioneer Denis Kitchen and book designer/editor John Lind, who will share duties including acquiring and editing new projects, developing talent, and strategically guiding the imprint.

Their previous partnership, Kitchen, Lind & Associates, served as a packager on numerous award-winning and award-nominated books for companies including Abrams, Chronicle Books, Disney/Hyperion, and Bloomsbury. KLA also represented creator-owned projects at major publishing houses from an eclectic client list, including Todd Hignite, Jerry Robinson, Eleanor Davis and Drew Weing, Joey Chou, Rebecca Guay, Liniers, Howard Cruse, William Stout, and the literary estates of both Harvey Kurtzman and Al Capp.

Publisher Mike Richardson, editor Philip Simon, and assistant editor Everett Patterson will oversee responsibilities on behalf of Dark Horse Comics.

“I grew up an ardent fan of Kitchen Sink Press and Dark Horse Comics, so continuing to work with my business partner Denis Kitchen and Mike Richardson is always a thrill,” said Lind. “Their careers greatly influenced and inspired my interest in comics and graphic novels at a crucial stage—in many ways, it’s what drew me to work in this field.” Lind continued, “Kitchen Sink Books will be the nexus of our shared aesthetic values, united vision, and dedication to quality work.”

“John and I have packaged books for a number of first-rank publishers, but we have long discussed the ideal house to enjoy maximum freedom and creativity. In longtime friend and publisher Mike Richardson and Dark Horse Comics, we found just that,” said Kitchen. “It’s a kinship born of creator-friendly environments, a commitment to upholding comics history, and beautiful books produced by talented creators that we can be proud of. Our hope is that Kitchen Sink Books will connect with fans and aficionados by showcasing some of the best this medium has to offer.”

“I’m extremely pleased to be working with Denis and John on this new venture,” said Mike Richardson. “My relationship with Denis goes back to the earliest days of Dark Horse and we’ve had a shared aesthetic with regard to comics from day one. With John, we have one of the best designer/editors in the business. I’m very much looking forward to the exciting projects that will result from this new imprint.”

Kitchen Sink Books will initially release four to six books per year. The first book, scheduled for release in November 2013, will be The Best of Comix Book: When Marvel Went Underground!, a collection of the long-out-of-print underground Comix Book series (1974–1976) that was originally edited by Denis Kitchen and Stan Lee for Marvel Comics. The collection will include work from underground creators such as Joel Beck, Kim Deitch, Justin Green, Harvey Pekar, Trina Robbins, Art Spiegelman, Skip Williamson, and S. Clay Wilson. The book will feature an introduction by Lee, a foreword by Kitchen, and an essay written by James Vance (Kings in Disguise), accompanied by unpublished artwork, photographs, and correspondence from Kitchen’s archives.

Catch an exclusive preview of The Best of Comix Book: When Marvel Went Underground! on Bleeding Cool.

Look for more announcements in this exciting new line of books in the months to come!

Denis Kitchen is a legendary pioneer in underground and alternative publishing via his original company Kitchen Sink Press (1969–1998). For nearly 30 years, Kitchen served as publisher for an impressive list of creators including R. Crumb, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean, Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell, Art Spiegelman, Al Capp, Charles Burns, Milton Caniff, James O’Barr, Scott McCloud, Mark Schultz, Jack Jackson, Michael Allred, Simon Bisley, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Monte Beauchamp, Joe Matt, Kim Deitch, Trina Robbins, Will Elder, Jim Woodring, Alex Toth, and Ernie Bushmiller. In 1986 Kitchen founded the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization that defends the comics industry’s First Amendment rights, serving as its president for the first 18 years. A monograph of his cartooning career, The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen, was published in 2010.

John Lind is Co-founder and Creative Director of Kitchen, Lind & Associates. Since 1999, Lind has art directed and designed books for a high-profile client list including Abrams, Bloomsbury, Chronicle Books, Disney/Hyperion, Egmont, Simon & Schuster, and W. W. Norton. Specifically focusing on graphic novels, art books, and children’s books, he has worked on numerous award-winning projects and New York Times best sellers and has had the pleasure of working with creators such as Tony DiTerlizzi, Will Eisner, Mo Willems, and R. Crumb. Before becoming a full-time designer, Lind was the Project Development Coordinator for Kevin Eastman’s Words & Pictures Museum in the mid-1990s.

*I'm going by the Ed Milliband method of pretending to be sincere.

And after my "negative" posting:

 comments:

1. 
   Comic Book College Weeklies17 October 2013 10:23

   Terry, thank you for posting this as a news type article. Dark Horse and Kitchen Sink are not exactly as large DC/Marvel. Both companies have started out committed to underground/independent comic creators and producers. And as far as we are concerned they are still committed to their roots. I am not sure why you seem so negative towards these two pioneer publishing groups, but I guess you know more than the rest of us about them. That is cool, but the artists they are working with are still genuine, serious and worthy of exposure regardless, in our opinion. Either way, thanks for "mentioning" the joint venture here on your blog.

   
   We recently published an independent comic book entitled (title deleted by me -TH) thru our own publishing group (deleted)  Comix,featuring R. Crumb, Jay Lynch, Skip Williamson, Monte Wolverton and Basil Wolverton. You would probably hate it, but we did introduce 4 new artists, one, a lady from London UK, Tiina Birgitta Raisasen who you might actually enjoy, (maybe). I have no idea how you would ever get a copy unless we sent it to you personally for a review or something, but it does not matter really. We hope your publishing is going well and that you will derive some pleasure from Kitchen Sink Books and Dark Horse's collaborative efforts in the future. We sincerely wish you the best, Robert W. Cox 

   
   

   Note -I removed the postal address from the above.  Now my reply.

   
   
2. 
   Terry Hooper-Scharf18 October 2013 09:39

   Hi.

   
   I'm mystified as to your saying "I am not sure why you seem so negative towards these two pioneer publishing groups" -What??? I mention Dark Horse IS one of the Big 3 comic publishers in the US and that CBO allways tends to give smaller publishers publicity. 

   
   

   DH IS one of the Big 3. 

   
   

   I've promoted Kitchen Sink in the past (going back to the 1980s when I was publishing comic news mags) and even tried to get their books into UK shops. I have no prejudice against Kitchen Sink. 

   None against Dark Horse and I cannot see a single negative comment in my piece. 

   
   

   I'm sorry but you need to check my bio -how dare you write:

   
   

    " You would probably hate it, but we did introduce 4 new artists, one, a lady from London UK, Tiina Birgitta Raisasen who you might actually enjoy, (maybe)."

   
   

    I grew up with Underground Comix, the Small Press and I've promoted them -I even got suspended at school for selling copies of OZ magazine. 

   
   

   How you DARE to read humorous opening comments like " Why? Well, Dark Horse is one of the Big Three US Comic publishers and CBO prefers to give the little guy the publicity.
   
   However, as some of you think I should be posting this item --late but you, MY public have demanded it (hang head humbly for a couple seconds...eyes closed...slowly raise head and open eyes and look to the sky...*)." 

   
   

   and assume I am anti Undergrounds and Kitchen Sink is unbelievable. 

   
   

   I am guessing that you NEVER EVER visit CBO -recently or in the past 12 years which makes the comments you left personally insulting to me. 

   
   

   I have spent more time, energy and money out of my own pocket helping new talent and small publishers than I care to think about. 

   
   

   I'm stopping here because I'm about to write something very rude.
   
   And this was a news item I received which goes to show idiot does not even know what CBO is!!!!!

   
   

   In fact, fuck off, do your research.