Dennis Eichhorn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dennis Eichhorn |
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Eichhorn, photographed in 2015.
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| Born | August 19, 1945 Deer Lodge, Montana |
| Died | October 8, 2015 (aged 70) [Bremerton WA] |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Writer |
| Pseudonym(s) | Dr. D. D. Drakely, Reverend Drakely, Ike Horn, Federal Duck |
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Notable works
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Real Stuff |
| Awards | Harvey Award, 1999 |
Dennis P. Eichhorn (August 19, 1945 – October 8, 2015) was an American writer. He was best known for his comic book series Real Stuff, which told true stories from his own life.
About Dennis Eichhorn
Early Life and Education
Dennis Eichhorn was born in Deer Lodge, Montana, in 1945. He was adopted when he was just a few days old by Eileen and Elmer Eichhorn. He grew up in Boise, Idaho.
He graduated from Boise's Borah High School in 1963. He then attended Boise Junior College (now Boise State University). He also played football on scholarships at Whitman College and the University of Idaho. He earned a degree in Sociology from the University of Idaho in 1968.
His Many Jobs
Before and during his writing career, Dennis Eichhorn had many different jobs. He worked in hotels, as a driver, in social work, and did manual labor.
For four years, he helped organize the Blue Mountain Festival. This was an outdoor music festival at the University of Idaho's Arboretum. He also helped plan a large festival in 1971 at Farragut State Park in northern Idaho.
Becoming a Writer
While studying at the University of Idaho in 1968, Eichhorn wrote for The Argonaut. This was the university's student newspaper. He also edited an underground comic book called The Moscow Duck Review.
In 1977, his interview with the band Crime was published in Punk magazine. This was his first time being published nationally. He then worked briefly as a research assistant for writer Bill Cardoso.
Moving to Seattle in the late 1970s, Eichhorn became a writer for the Seattle Sun newspaper. He later became its entertainment editor from 1980 to 1982. After that, he worked as a writer and senior editor at The Rocket. This was a monthly music magazine, where he worked from 1982 to 1991. At The Rocket, he met many cartoonists who later drew for his comic series.
From 1983 to 1994, Eichhorn also wrote for Turman Publishing. He wrote hundreds of articles for Stars magazine and 18 books about celebrities and athletes.
From 1988 to 1990, Eichhorn published and edited Northwest EXTRA!. This was a "pulp tabloid" magazine that ran for 15 issues. He also wrote a monthly comic for Hype Magazine from 1991 to 1993. Many famous artists illustrated his comics for Hype.
In 1994, Eichhorn became the editorial director for Loompanics Unlimited. This was a publishing company in Port Townsend, Washington. He held this job for four years. He helped publish 65 books and wrote many articles and book summaries.
His Comic Books
Before he started writing comics, Eichhorn enjoyed the work of other comic artists. These included Justin Green, Robert Crumb, and Harvey Pekar.
In the early 1980s, Eichhorn met cartoonist Peter Bagge in Seattle. This led to Eichhorn writing true stories for Weirdo magazine. He described these stories as "regurgitations of pithy stories I'd regaled my friends with for years." The first two were drawn by Carel Moiseiwitsch and Michael Dougan.
This led to Eichhorn creating his own comic series, Real Stuff. Fantagraphics published it from 1990 to 1995. Eichhorn wrote true stories for other artists to illustrate. His stories often took place in his home state of Idaho.
Many artists drew for Real Stuff, including Ed Brubaker, Rick Altergott, Lynda Barry, Chester Brown, Julie Doucet, Mary Fleener, Ellen Forney, Renee French, Roberta Gregory, Peter Kuper, Joe Sacco, and Jim Woodring. The series was nominated for an Eisner Award.
From 1992 to 2006, Eichhorn also wrote comic stories and articles for Scram magazine.
In 1993, Eichhorn helped fund the publication of Real Schmuck comix by Starhead Comix. He also paid for two other titles: The Amazing Adventures of Ace International (1993) and Northwest Cartoon Cookery (1995).
In 2004, Top Shelf Productions released The Legend of Wild Man Fischer. This was a collection of comic stories about the musician Wild Man Fischer. Eichhorn co-wrote it with artists J. R. Williams and Holly Tuttle. That same year, Swifty Morales Press published Real Stuff by Dennis P. Eichhorn and a Host of Artists. This book collected stories from his comic books and other places.
In 2013, Eichhorn made an agreement with Boing Boing to share some of his old Real Stuff comics online. His work was also mentioned in The Best American Comics in 2015 and 2016.
Personal Life
Dennis Eichhorn was married three times. He had a daughter named Sarah, born in 1977, and a grandson named Knox, born in 2004. He lived in Bremerton, Washington.
Dennis Eichhorn passed away on October 8, 2015, from pneumonia.
Movies Featuring Dennis Eichhorn
Dennis Eichhorn appeared in two documentaries:
- Hooked On Comix - Volume 1 - Life On The Cutting Edge Of An All-American Artform (2006)
- Derailroaded: Inside The Mind Of Larry 'Wild Man' Fischer (2011)
Awards and Recognition
Eisner Award Nominations
- Finalist for Best Writer, 1993
- Finalist for Best Continuing Series (Real Stuff), 1993
- Finalist for Best Anthology (Real Stuff), 1993
- Finalist for Best Anthology (Real Stuff), 1994
Harvey Award
- Won the Harvey Award for Best New Series (The Spirit: The New Adventures), 1999
Ignatz Award Nomination
- Finalist for Outstanding Story (The Legend of Wildman Fischer), 2005
The Best American Comics (by Bill Kartaloupous)
- Noted in 2015 for Real Good Stuff #1 & #2
- Noted in 2016 for Extra Good Stuff
Images for kids
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Dennis Eichhorn, photographed in 2015.
