December was awards season for underground cartoonist, publisher, packager, free speech advocate, and agent Denis Kitchen, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by his alma mater and received the Underground Visionary Award from the Boston Comic Arts Foundation.

The honorary doctorate was awarded at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee winter commencement ceremony on December 15.  Kitchen’s undergraduate degree in journalism was awarded in 1968.

In conjunction with the honorary degree, the UWM Emile H. Mathis Gallery is currently presenting an exhibition of around 75 pieces of Kitchen’s art (re-opening after the semester break on January 21).

Kitchen was awarded the inaugural Underground Visionary Award at the Massachusetts independent Comics Expo (MICE) on December 8.  The new award will be given annually "...to honor the work of an individual, publisher, or community-builder whose dedication has brought opportunity, attention, and change to the comics medium.  With this award, the Boston Comic Arts Foundation recognizes people and organizations for their active engagement with the comics format, fostering creativity and community in the world of comics."

MICE Co-Founder and Co-Director Dan Mazur explained the reasons for the award.  "Denis Kitchen has been, quietly and modestly, one of the most important individuals in independent comics for as long as there have been independent comics, having done so much to help and promote other artists and defend their rights," he said in the announcement.  "AND, he lives in Massachusetts!  So it's very fitting, and a real privilege, for MICE to be able to give out an award in Denis' name that will both honor Denis and continue the practice of cartoonists helping cartoonists."

As might be expected from an award associated with a notorious punster, the award has a twist.  "I was surprised, honored, and humbled to receive the first annual Underground Visionary award at MICE, and amused to see that, in my honor, the award will consist each year of a different kitchen utensil," Kitchen explained.  "What a unique idea.  The only challenge for me is how to display this year's spatula on our mantelpiece!"