copyright © Capp Enterprises, Inc.
Denis Kitchen is a name synonymous with comics. An opportunity to discuss comics with him is to be treasured. Micahel Dooley interviews Denis Kitchen for Print Magazine’s Imprint blog about his latest project, a biography of master cartoonist, Al Capp. It is co-written with Michael Schumacher and entitled, “Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary,” which you can find here.
copyright © Capp Enterprises, Inc.
Al Capp was a larger-than-life pop culture icon without equal. His career is unique in every way. Never before, and never again, will there be such a comic strip superstar. Given a few more years, there won’t be any newspaper comic strips because there won’t be any newspapers. But, once there was a time when newspapers and comics strips were held in very high regard and an integral part of life. And, at the height of that era, there was one king of comics, Al Capp, creator of the transcendent comic strip, “Li’l Abner.”
Unfortunately, Al Capp was not without huge flaws. Despite his command of beautiful women with his ink brush renderings, he had great problems with actual flesh-and-blood women. It is documented that he attempted to rape a number of women, from college co-eds to Grace Kelly. Does it take away from his reputation? Yes, indeed, it does, as it should. However, the art, the career, and the accomplishment remains.
You can read the interview here.
