Dick Kulpa is best known for his work with Cracked and Weekly World News (as the creator of Bat Boy) in the 1990′s and early 2000′s, as well as on the Star Trek and Bruce Lee newspaper strips in the 1980′s.
Dick got his start in the cartooning business in 1969 when his hometown Illinois weekly newspaper, the Loves Park Post, published his first cartoon strip, Double Eagle & Co. The Double Eagle strip brought much attention to the young Kulpa, and he continued working as an independent editorial cartoonist and graphic artist. Kulpa’s first syndicated work appeared in 1983, when he produced the Star Trek and Bruce Lee newspaper comics for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.
From 1982-88, Kulpa served as graphic arts manager for the renowned Testor Corporation, manufacturer of model kits, where he designed cartoon instruction sheets and collateral materials for their line of Weird-Ohs models.
He illustrated Tribune Media Services’ nationally and internationally syndicated Ghost Story Club comic strip and the weekly cartoon panel, Draw Play, for the Chicago Bear Report newspaper. In 1998, Kulpa illustrated the humor book, The Redneck Guide to Raisin’ Children, written by Annie & Glen-Bob Smith.
For over 10 years, he served as Art Director for the nationally distributed supermarket tabloid, Weekly World News. Kulpa created the now-famous Bat Boy character which first appeared in Weekly World News on June 23, 1992. From 2000 – 2005, Kulpa served as publisher and editor of the national humor magazine, Cracked. Kulpa’s anti-gang comic book classic “Gangbuster” is currently being circulated by police departments.
Dick Kulpa will be appearing Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He will be located at Booths # 813 and 815 in the exhibition room.
