And The Kitchen Sink Too

Within the world of comic books, one is expected to be either Marvel or DC. Why? Sure, the majority of the comic book collection I own is dominated by them. But, I love underground and indie comics. The Big Two sometimes has that corporate control feel. Freedom is somewhat stifled and censored. The Marvel Max series was great. They were more adult-oriented. I believe art should be without borders. Self-expression should be without limits. That is why I love Indies and Underground Comics.

My art influenced by comics like the Freak Brothers (Gilbert Shelton) and Denis Kitchen. I like the expressionism and exaggerated forms. Heavy innuendo and what I call headroom is evident on the pages. Headroom is where the writer leaves it up to the reader to use their imagination to fill in blanks. They don't force their perspective onto the readers.

Denis Kitchen started to self-publish his comics in 1969. The age of self-expressionism was all the rage within the Hippie Movement. Freak Brothers took full advantage of the "Anything Goes" mantra. But Denis struck a chord with me. His relationship with Will Eisner helped [IMO] form even mainstream comics.

To make this story short, one of my favorite comics from Kitchen Sink Comix is Megaton Man. Issue Number 5, 1985, maybe my all-time favorite. The exaggerated physical appearances Megaton Man and Rex Rigid juxtaposed against Stella Starlight are wonderfully done. Megaton's small wrists make me smile every time. His chin is much like Jay Leno's chin. I enjoy the comical imagery playing against real world imagery. However, the cartoon style doesn't take away from the writing. They work well together.

We get two splash pages side-by-side; pages 21 and 22. And we get Stella narrating her feelings: "My life was a nightmarish lie, but I didn't have the guts to end it, or the guts to change it. So, I stayed with the group, but my heart just wasn't in it anymore. I was too weak, on the inside, to do anything. But hang on to what I had." Stella in the foreground, while chaos and monsters are behind her. Powerful.

I respect the Hell out of guys and gals like Denis Sink, Todd McFarlane, Gail Simone, Bill Finger, Gilbert Shelton, Marie Severin, Julie Doucet, and many more. Too many to list. Another I need to mention that I have recently come to know, Michael Nunneley.

In closing, I want to share just a few pics from Megaton Man #5 here.

If you haven't read Megaton Man, or the no longer [end 1999] Kitchen Sink Comix, please do so if you can. Support Indie and Underground comics. Give it your all and throw in the Kitchen Sink too.