''Comix Book'' is an underground

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

series published from 1974 to 1976, originally by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

. It was the first comic of this type to be published by a mainstream publisher. Edited by

Denis Kitchen Denis Kitchen (born August 27, 1946) is an American underground cartoonist, publisher, author, agent, and the founder of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Early life Kitchen grew up in Wisconsin, attending William Horlick High School, Raci ...

, ''Comix Book'' featured work by such underground luminaries as Justin Green, Kim Deitch, Trina Robbins,

Art Spiegelman Itzhak Avraham ben Zeev Spiegelman ( ; born February 15, 1948), professionally known as Art Spiegelman, is an American cartoonist, editor, and comics advocate best known for his graphic novel ''Maus''. His work as co-editor on the comics magazin ...

, and S. Clay Wilson. While it did not depict the explicit content that was often featured in underground comix, it was more socially relevant than anything Marvel had previously published.Sabin, Roger (1996). "Going underground". ''Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels: A History Of Comic Art''. London, United Kingdom: Phaidon Press. pp. 92–128.

Publication history

In 1973, Marvel publisher

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

became attracted to the energy and cutting-edge art styles of the

underground comix Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books that are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, ...

movement (which, ironically, by this period was already beginning to wane). Interested in capitalizing on the genre, Lee approached artist and

Kitchen Sink Press Kitchen Sink Press was a comic book publishing company founded by Denis Kitchen in 1970. Kitchen Sink Press was a pioneering publisher of underground comics, and was also responsible for numerous republications of classic comic strips in hardcov ...

publisher Denis Kitchen about packaging an underground-style publication for Marvel. Lee requested only that contributors would submit significantly less explicit work, appropriate for newsstands sales. Kitchen, eager to broaden the economic and distribution opportunities for underground cartoonists, agreed to Lee's proposal.Manning, Shaun
"Denis Kitchen Discusses His 'Oddly Compelling' Art Book"
Comic Book Resources (Mar. 18, 2010). Lee, apprehensive about push-back from fans and distributors,Cooke, Jon B. "CBA Interview: ''Comix Book'': A Marvel Oddity: Denis Kitchen Talks About Stan's Short Strange Trip", ''Comic Book Artist Collection, Volume 3''. (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2005), pp. 100–106. insisted that ''Comix Book'' not carry the Marvel name, instead being released by Magazine Management Co. (a

company). Lee himself was only credited on the masthead as "instigator". He and Kitchen agreed to produce a black-and-white oversize magazine similar to that of the contemporaneous Marvel imprint

Curtis Magazines Curtis or Curtiss is a common English given name and surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from the Old French ''curteis'' (Modern French">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of Fren ...

. As with the Curtis publications, the format allowed Marvel to dispense with the restrictions of the

Comics Code Authority The Comics Code Authority (CCA) was formed in 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America as an alternative to government regulation. The CCA enabled comic publishers to self-regulate the content of American comic book, comic books in the ...

, thereby creating a freer creative space more akin to the no-holds-barred ethos of the underground. In addition, like most underground comics, ''Comix Book'' carried no advertising. Kitchen was also able to win a number of unprecedented concessions for his contributors, including the return of all artwork, and eventually allowing artists to keep their

copyrights A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive legal right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, ...

. ''Comix Book'' #1 was launched with a cover-date of Oct. 1974. In addition to comics, issues of ''Comix Book'' usually featured text pieces like Kitchen editorials, interviews, and a letters page. ''Comix Book'' either failed to find its audience, was mishandled by baffled newsstand distributors, or both. Lee cancelled the book when issue #3 hit the newsstands. Kitchen, however, had assembled two additional issues. After a year of negotiations, he persuaded Marvel to let his own

publish issues #4 and 5 in 1976. ''The Best of Comix Book: When Marvel Went Underground'' collection was published in December 2013 by the Kitchen Sink Books imprint of

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...

. The collection contains an essay by James Vance and introductions by both Kitchen and Stan Lee. In his introduction, Stan Lee calls ''Comix Book'' "totally original and totally unique, one of the most courageous things I've ever done".Lee, Stan. ''The Best of Comix Book: When Marvel Went Underground'' (Dark Horse Comics/Kitchen Sink Books, Dec. 2013).

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Publication history

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Further reading