KISS RETURNS TO COMICS WITH PLATINUM

**MattBrady** · 01-30-2007, 08:23 AM

After nearly 30 years at being involved with comics with some attempts being very popular, some…not so much, KISS is coming back to comics, this time partnered with Platinum Studios.

According to Variety, Platinum and the newly formed Kiss Catalog (run by Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley) have joined to form the Kiss Comics Group, which will debut KISS 4K as a comic, and then move to other media.

From the trade:

"Kiss 4K," the story of the transformation of Simmons, Stanley and other Kiss band members from rock stars to world-protecting warrior spirits, will debut as the world's largest comicbook, priced at $50. It will be the first comicbook-based property to simultaneously launch all of its merchandise in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Eventually, a new Kiss comic involving characters King of All Beasts, Demon, Starchild and Celestial will appear weekly online at Kisscomicsgroup.com. "Kiss 4K" will be unveiled at the Wizard World convention in Los Angeles in March.

The second title is expected to be "Kiss Girls," which features four teenagers who "talk about shopping and are about as dysfunctional as anyone until something happens to them and they get to wear the Kiss makeup and look good doing it," Simmons said.

According to the report, the KISS characters will be integrated into the Platinum Universe, with Platinum characters appearing in the comic.

Platinum's Press Release reads:

Platinum Studios, Inc., an entertainment and comic book company that controls the world’s largest independent library of comic book characters, and KISS Catalog Ltd., the billion-dollar merchandising empire created and managed by original members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, announced the creation of a new comic book entertainment company, the KISS Comics Group. This is the first time KISS will be producing its own comic book-based characters.

The line kicks off at the Wizard World Los Angeles Convention on March 16-18, 2007 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where both Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will be present to promote the debut of KISS 4K #1, Destroyer Edition. The Destroyer Edition will be a super-sized largest comic book EVER printed, and the ongoing KISS 4K monthly series will begin in May. Newcomer Ricky Sprague writes KISS 4K, with #1 art by the hyper-talented painter, Kevin Crossley. Rodolfo Migliari (Freshmen) is the cover artist. Tickets and additional information on the Wizard World Los Angles Convention can be found at wizardworld.com.

KISS 4K tells the story of the transformation of the KISS band members into eternal, evil-fighting spirits. However, once they transform, they are unable to transform back into their human forms. Fans can get a sneak peak at KISS 4K images today at www.KISSComicsGroup.com and images are available for mobile download at www.PlatinumStudiosMobile.com.

“Gene Simmons approached me with the idea of launching KISS Comics Group and working together has simply been incredible,” said Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Platinum Studios’ founder and chairman. “Platinum Studios has been working with independent comic book creators for years; KISS’ worldwide legion of fans spans an enormous age range, providing this new company with a given global audience.”

"We’ve had licensed KISS comic books before but never our own imprint and never with the wide reach across so many multi-media platforms," said Gene Simmons, a founding member of KISS. “Paul Stanley and I are personally involved in all day-to-day decisions and we are looking forward to extending the KISS legacy, images and sound to our fans around the world.”

"As the iconic KISS characters have continued to evolve far beyond our beginning in rock music, we have always looked for the ideal situation for a KISS comic book outlet that was as far reaching as we originally conceived and intended. Platinum fills that slot perfectly," said KISS co-founder Paul Stanley.

Signatures Network and Dell Furano, which already handle worldwide licensing for KISS Catalogue Ltd, will be handling worldwide licensing for KISS Comics Group and for KISS 4K on behalf of the co-venture.
Fans can get the Limited Edition Collectors Preview book of KISS 4K and order Launch Edition KISS 4K merchandise including t-shirts, hats, mugs and posters at www.kisscomicsgroup.com or www.kissonline.com while supplies. In addition, Launch Edition Preview images of KISS 4K are available for mobile download at www.PlatinumStudiosMobile.com.

pez dispenser · 01-30-2007, 08:34 AM

......and the Gene Simmons whore machine just keeps on rolling........

The Skoot · 01-30-2007, 08:44 AM

Quote:

the story of the transformation of Simmons, Stanley and other Kiss band members from rock stars to world-protecting warrior spirits

Well yeah, go the obvious route why don't you...

Mike Hayden · 01-30-2007, 09:39 AM

Didn't Gene Simmons have his own comicbook company. I vaguely remember a few months back something like that.

Nobody · 01-30-2007, 09:53 AM

Kiss Girls? And why does Ace look really gay in that art? Hasn't Paul always been the really gay one? Seriously, I thought Ace was a chick when I first glanced at it, and always thought Paul was a chick in real life.

tralfaz · 01-30-2007, 09:56 AM

did that just say $50?

nyhardcore · 01-30-2007, 10:00 AM

Ugh.........

Snikkas · 01-30-2007, 10:19 AM

Wait, KISS is still relevant?

sephiroth617 · 01-30-2007, 10:22 AM

And people complain about spending $3 on a comic....

stvnhthr · 01-30-2007, 10:24 AM

I am so glad I am not a KISS fan. I can not imagine following a more shallow greedy individual than Gene Simmons.

Nobody · 01-30-2007, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stvnhthr

I am so glad I am not a KISS fan. I can not imagine following a more shallow greedy individual than Gene Simmons.

Give him credit, at least he's honest about it.

defjoe · 01-30-2007, 10:34 AM

Once again milking the fans for all they are worth.

they are crazy and anyone who gets this is just as crazy... it's garbage.

JediMaster · 01-30-2007, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nobody

Kiss Girls? And why does Ace look really gay in that art? Hasn't Paul always been the really gay one? Seriously, I thought Ace was a chick when I first glanced at it, and always thought Paul was a chick in real life.

Well, Paul IS the gay one, but he's a hairy-chested, leather-wearing gay. He ain't a chick.

Ace does appear to be female in the images. Of course, Ace and Peter have nothing to do with KISS anymore (on the past couple of tours, KISS put other musicians in their makeup), so maybe they're new drummer will be a chick, and they're giving her Ace's makeup?. I dunno. At this point, it's only about milking the brand-name. A $50 comic about a band who had their heyday 30 years ago? Yeah, that will be a big hit...

CATMAN3 · 01-30-2007, 10:36 AM

I've been a KISS fan since 1976 but I don't collect everysingle bit of merchandise they put out

I'll wait for the monthly series..

boomboom · 01-30-2007, 10:47 AM

well...

I absolutely LOVED the MacFarlane-Image-stories !!!

But a 50 buck comic??!!

dethmtlmetro · 01-30-2007, 10:54 AM

KISS GIRLS SOUNDS SOFA KING AWESOME!!!!!!! :-D
SIKE.

boomboom · 01-30-2007, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dethmtlmetro

KISS GIRLS SOUNDS SOFA KING AWESOME!!!!!!! :-D
SIKE.

same here!! I do hope is sports a normal pricetag and then I am so there!!!

ajax · 01-30-2007, 11:23 AM

I was a big fan of the Psycho Circus series, but $50? Come on. At first I thought it was a typo, but then again we are talking about Gene Simmons.

O.J. Flow · 01-30-2007, 11:23 AM

...I thought they made Ace a chick.

jaredgood1 · 01-30-2007, 11:37 AM

Meh. I'll wait for the REO Speedwagon comic.

nyhardcore · 01-30-2007, 11:40 AM

They should make it a comedy series. Make them all old, fat and grey-haired, on their way to get a prostate exam in their make-up and spiked leather-ette pants. Maybe they run into some street toughs outside of the nursing home, trying to steal people's prescriptions.

ShinAkuma666 · 01-30-2007, 12:05 PM

Went to check out the site; and yeah it really seems like a bad product from the 90s at least marketting wise; cofee mug for 20$, 12 page preview for 10$ and giant comic you cant put anywhere for 50$ among others...

Well good luck with that project, your going to need it I think.

Most Kiss fans will probably wait for a tpb if it does come out one day.

Jed Saxon · 01-30-2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattBrady

It will be the first comicbook-based property to simultaneously launch all of its merchandise in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Because it worked so well with Narwain, when they simultaneously threw bunches of (crappy) comics on a market that didn't know what to think of it?

And $50 for an oversized book? Woah!
I'm quite curious if it really will be larger than those German deluxe editions of Kabuki and Tomb Raider/Witchblade.

dethmtlmetro · 01-30-2007, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaredgood1

Meh. I'll wait for the REO Speedwagon comic.

LOL!! awesome.

Maybe a Styx/Speedwagon crossover event?

boomboom · 01-30-2007, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jed Saxon

I'm quite curious if it really will be larger than those German deluxe editions of Kabuki and Tomb Raider/Witchblade.

I HAVE the Tomb Raider/Witchblade German deluxe edition

but those are really pages that are 1.50 meters high!!

You can not actually read that!!

EDIT: I have looked at the site and indeed. It is an oversized comic...a supercomic.
best wait for a normal format that is DUE to happen!!