The Messed Up Reality Of KISS

KISS rocked and rolled their way into legend. Whether it be because of their iconic makeup and instantly recognizable costumes, hit songs like “I Was Made For Lovin’ You,” “Rock and Roll All Nite,” and “Lick It Up,” or a combination of both, no one can deny the mark the group left on the genre and the music industry as a whole. However, there’s a darker side to the band that’s often hushed, locked away, and never spoken about.

That messed-up reality includes events such as KISS using their own blood for a comic book, their merchandising team instituting a hostile takeover of a fan club, and the questionable nature of the lyrical content of one of their most famous songs. It doesn’t end there, though, as one member even accused another of crossing a major line with their significant other.

Of course, this band is no stranger to controversy and scandal — and the number of stars who can’t stand KISS is a lengthy list — but some of these upcoming facts wander off into the realm of the strange, bizarre, and — quite frankly — concerning. So, buckle up and prepare to read all about the dark truth of KISS.

KISS used their actual blood in a comic book

When it comes to merchandising opportunities, KISS never turned down the chance to add a few extra zeroes to their bank accounts, regardless of how silly and unrelated it might have seemed to their image. That being said, when considering their over-the-top costumes and on-stage personas, it’s easy to see how the brand lends itself well to the world of comic books and superheroes. In 1977, Marvel Comics brought the Demon, Starchild, Cat, and Space Ace to their pages in “Marvel Comics Super Special” #1. On the cover, it boasted that KISS’ real blood was used in the making of the comic book.

Gene Simmons claimed it wasn’t the band’s idea to do this, but the suggestion came from members of their management team, so they flew out to Marvel’s plant and mixed their blood with ink intended for the comic. To anyone hearing this story, it sounds like a publicity stunt and an urban legend that doesn’t sound too far-fetched for rock ‘n’ roll standards. According to Snopes, though, the event is entirely true — KISS provided their blood to the comic. Not only were there photos of the process, but a notary public was also on hand to witness the band adding their blood to the red ink, and even issued a certificate of authenticity.

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How WCW’s Planned New Year’s Eve PPV Failed To Launch

Rewind twenty-five years, and WCW was at an interesting point in its journey. The company had enjoyed some remarkable highs that included a famed eighty-three weeks of Nitro beating Raw in the cable ratings, not to mention surging popularity on the back of the nWo angle.

By 1999, however, the wheels were starting to come off. WCW had the juice to negotiate a partnership with Kiss as one of the biggest bands in the world at that time. The deal included the launch of The Kiss Demon as a wrestling character and was actually intended to culminate in a unique presentation that was titled New Year’s Evil.

The Concept Behind The WCW New Year’s Evil Idea

WCW New Year’s Evil Would Have Happened On December 31, 1999

  • The event would have been split between a Kiss concert and a wrestling event.
  • WCW had the resources and clout to still be a credible partner to Kiss at that point.
  • Working with a rock band like Kiss followed the template WCW had set up for cross-promoting with other rock brands.

The idea of New Year’s Evil was to combine a wrestling show with a rock ‘n’ roll concert. Live on pay-per-view, fans would be able to tune in on December 31, 1999 to watch a WCW PPV combined with a musical performance by Kiss.

The concept had some merit, or at least it would have in the not-too-distant past. Despite creative woes and cracks in their business model, WCW had actually enjoyed the heights of its financial success as recently as 1998. Moreover, Kiss truly was a major draw as a band. For a wrestling company that had combined monster trucks, Sturgis motorcycle rallies, NFL and NBA stars, and other hypermasculine endeavors with their in-ring product before, a Kiss crossover on the momentous occasion of the year rolling over to 2000 had real potential.

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Former Kiss guitarist is keeping the band’s music alive on the road

He hasn’t been part of the band since 2002, but in the wake of Kiss’ retirement from touring at the end of last year guitarist Paul “Ace” Frehley — aka The Spaceman — finds himself a kind of last man standing for fans who want to hear the group’s music on stage.

“Yeah, right now I’m the only game in town because Kiss is supposedly retired — which I don’t believe is gonna happen,” the New York-born Frehley, 73, says be a phone. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they reformed. But be that as it may…I’ve actually added two more Kiss songs to my set. I added ‘Shout It Out Loud’ and ‘Rock and Roll All Nite,’ and…Everybody was on their feet and having a good time.

As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t matter who wrote the song; I played the guitar solos on those records, and that’s good enough for me.”

Frehley was playing in a variety of other New York bands — including one, Molimo, which released an album in 1971 — before answering an ad in the Village Voice that introduced him to Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Peter Criss the following year. He quit his job as a taxi cab driver and signed on, and as Kiss the quartet adopted face paint, elaborate costumes and theatrics — eventually becoming the self- (but accurately) described “hottest band in the land” after the release of 1975’s “Alive!” album (recorded at Detroit’s Cobo Arena). Frehley co-wrote a number of the group’s biggest hits and sang lead on 1977’s “Shock Me,” and his self-titled debut solo album was the best-selling of the four the band members released simultaneously in 1978.

Frehley left Kiss for the first time in 1982 and returned for the 1996 reunion of the original lineup, leaving again six years later. There’s been plenty of acrimony expressed by all concerned — and acknowledgements of substance abuse issues — but The Spaceman has a more benevolent view of things these days.

“We had some great times together — more good than bad,” acknowledges Frehley, whose concerts are dominated by Kiss songs. “We’re all still friends. I know a lot of people think we hate each other, but that’s not true. We’re just like a family; sometimes brothers and sisters have arguments and so on, but when the s*** hits the fan, we’re there for each other.

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Celebrating 30 Years of KISSAsylum.com and 20 Years of KISSArmyWarehouse.com in 2025!

What an incredibly busy and exciting year it has been! Back in May, we purchased the KISSAsylum.com domain and the KISS Museum inventory, which has significantly boosted our efforts at KISSArmyWarehouse.com. Since then, traffic on KISSAsylum.com has tripled, and KISSArmyWarehouse.com has experienced a sharp increase in year-over-year sales. This growth is especially thrilling given the challenges of the current economy. We have offered more discounts this year than ever before to help combat this.
Looking ahead to 2025, everything is trending positively. KISSArmyWarehouse.com will be celebrating 20 years, while KISSAsylum.com marks an impressive 30 years online! We’re so grateful for your continued support. Be sure to check out KISSAsylum.com for the latest KISS news and shop for all your KISS merchandise at KISSArmyWarehouse.com.
We’re still adding a ton of inventory to the site, so stay tuned for even more exciting hard to find relics from KISStory! Don’t miss out—visit both sites for the latest updates on the greatest band of all time and all your KISS merchandise needs!
Steve Stierwalt, Jr.