Here are the latest KISSmas items from licensee Kurt Adler. Get them while you can...we've been informed the Demon and Starchild boot stockings are already SOLD OUT for 2011.

Row One:

Demon Nutcracker / Demon Dragon Boot Stocking / Starchild Boot Stocking / Gene Simmons Hand Crafted Glass Christmas Ornament

Row Two:

Starchild Glass Boot Ornament / Demon Glass Boot Ornament / Starchild Ornament, Demon Ornament, Paul Stanley Hand Crafted Glass Christmas Ornament

Row Three:

5-Inch KISS T-Shirt Glass Ornament / Gene Simmons Inside Painted Ball Glass Ornament / Paul Stanley Inside Painted Ball Glass Ornament / Solo Faces Hand Crafted Glass Christmas Ornament.

Archie Meets KISS Gets Rather Wonderful Variant Cover

by Rich Johnston

This is Francesco Francavilla’s variant cover (on the right) to Archie #628 with Archie Meets Kiss Part Two. I think it’s rather spectacular. I’m suddenly wondering what a Vertigo Archie comic would look like.

And here’s the standard cover (on the left) by Dan Parent. Which, you know, isn’t bad or anything…

www.bleedingcool.com

Recently, the Live Nation social community posted the following on their Facebook page:

You’re a hardcore fan and your tattoos say it loud and clear. “Like” this post if you have a band tattoo or show it off and upload a photo to our wall!

The winner (pictured) as voted by fans – has this most amazing KISS tattoo

Visit Live Nation's Facebook page - www.facebook.com/LiveNation

We've remember seeing this great KISS tattoo on the road, and we posted previously on KISSonline!

Keep those KISS tattoos coming to www,KISSOnline.com/letters. We LOVE seeing them!

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Thanks to Steve Letourneau for sending KISSOnline this photo of the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl rocking out in his favorite KISS T-shirt!

Steve spotted the photo at allaxess.com

Here are the latest additions to the line of KISS licensed merchandise available from Costumes Galore. All items are available for purchase on www.KISSCostumes.com, www.HalloweenCostumes.com and many other local shops around the nation. In addition to these new items, Costumes Galore continues to offer a full line of licensed merchandise for KISS fans of all ages at affordable prices.

Destroyer Line Additions:

Costumes for Adults and Children: available now

Adult Demon, Child and Toddler
Adult Starchild, Child and Toddler
Adult Catman, Child and Toddler
Adult Spaceman, Child and Toddler

Boots for Adults:

Demon Destroyer Boots (Available now)
Starchild Destroyer Boots (Available 10/1/2011)
Catman Destroyer Boots (Available 10/1/2011)
Spaceman Destroyer Boots (Available 10/1/2011)

Sexy KISS Line:

Sexy KISS Demon (Available 9/8/2011)
Sexy KISS Starchild (Available 9/8/2011)
Sexy KISS Catman (Available 9/8/2011)
Sexy KISS Spaceman (Available 9/8/2011)

KISS ARMY member Tara Reilly shares a photo of her KISS-themed cake from her bridal shower this weekend. She writes, "I didn't want to cut it!"

Thanks for sharing the photo with KISSonline.

By: Tony Lisanti

If you ever find yourself humming the tune of "Rock and Roll All Night," dressing up as Demon or Starchild at Halloween, or chugging a Destroyer brand beer, then you have experienced the world of KISSmania and taken a peek at what it's like to be a part of the popular KISS Army.

KISS, the iconic rock band led by its co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, manager Doc McGhee, along with their partnership with Live Nation Merchandise led by industry veteran Dell Furano, have built a multi-million dollar integrated marketing and merchandising brand that rivals many of the successful properties not only in the history of music licensing but across the entirety of brand licensing.

According to Furano, CEO of Live Nation Merchandise, KISS has generated $500 million in retail sales of licensed merchandise from concerts, online sales and at retail since 1996, making it the largest and best selling rock and roll band.

This legendary rock group has not only been focused on the creativity of their music and stage show, but it has always been in tune with the business side that has now produced a wide array of licensed products from condoms to coffins, from lighters to lottery tickets and from cars to cruises.

This week, fans have sent in some celebrity KISS fan sightings.

Here's Alex Gaskarth, singer for All Time Low in a KISS Army tee! And, check out San Diego Chargers Offensive Tackle Marcus McNeill in a classic Rock And Roll Over shirt.

Thanks to Denam and Jim Lunger for sending the photos to KISSonline.

Here's a great fan-filmed clip of the KISS meet and greet experience at Montreal's Heavy MTL festival this summer, along with a note from the fans who made it:

"We are sending you this great video we made about the ‘Meet and greet with Kiss on July 24th in Montréal’! The energy was over the top, the guys were great and the video tells it all… What a show it was!! The band was hotter than ever!! On fire really!! Paul Stanley WAS and STILL IS the no.1 Frontman in Rock, hands down! It amazes us after all these years that you guys are still giving us great rock and roll with everything around it, and still on top of your game! Thanks for everything!"

Sébastien Langlois
François Archibald

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Today's Chicago Sun-Times features a large photo of Dale "The Demon" Torborg in full makeup and blood-spitting glory. Dale is now the strength and conditioning coordinator for the Chicago White Sox.

Read the article here.

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

The Cartoon Network show "The Amazing World of Gumball" featured a piece of toast rocking out as Gene! Thanks to Ben for sharing this with KISSonline.

View the entire episode at CartoonNetwork.com.

KISS was saddened to learn that Joey Fatale has passed away. Joey portrayed Mini-Gene Simmons in the band Mini-KISS, and he also appeared with us in our series of Dr. Pepper Cherry commercials. Joey passed away on August 7th. He was 47.

By: Kai Ma

"I'll fight hell to hold you" ... in this urn.

Can you imagine your grieving relatives carrying this thing?

The band KISS is rocking the funeral industry with a new release that has nothing to do with music, but everything to do with remaining a “fan for life.” This cremation urn is now available for die-hard fans to store their ashes in, which means your surviving family members, most likely younger relatives who have no idea who these guys are, will be forced to place it on their fireplace mantel for decades to come.

Manufactured by Eternal Image, the officially licensed KISS urn is the latest piece of branded merchandise by the band known largely for its face-painted antics and vocalist Gene Simmons's perpetually wagging tongue. Almost 40 years ago, Simmons (“The Demon”) and Paul Stanley (“The Starchild”) co-founded KISS, the blood-spitting, fire-breathing band that has sold more than 100 million albums since its 1970s hell-raising heyday.

Eternal Image's Donna Shatter calls the “Monument model” urn a product that offers fans “a unique expression of their passion” for the legendary rock stars. The eight inch tall urn, which features a black metallic finish and an image of the band standing over the group's iconic logo and a row of flames, will sell for $650.

Three different KISS-themed urns will launch later this year. And if cremation isn't your thing, don't fret. KISS-themed coffins are also available.

Earlier this month, KISSonline shared a German news story about fans Tina and Günter getting married. Here's a German television report about their KISS wedding!

Just wanted to share with the KISS Army this recent portrait tattoo I did of Paul. Hope you like it!

Jamie Sapp

LETTERS