By Jon Waterhouse

Everyday is Halloween for iconic rock band Kiss. On the recent Kiss Kruise nearly 2,000 fans got into the act celebrating the season of the witch a bit early.

The inaugural event, which sailed October 13 to 17, featured a series of Kiss concerts on board. Fans, however, were given plenty of opportunities to rep their geekdom throughout the long weekend. This included Friday night’s Halloween party and costume contest spiked with band nerd creativity.

Sure, you had plenty of Genes and Pauls, but Kiss-themed mash-ups got the most attention. The contest’s winning couple sported their version of the Kiss Navy complete with uniforms and standard issue face paint. Another crowd favorite was a pack of Kiss M&M’s. A Paul Stanley-ized version of Fred Flintstone had his own Wilma groupie. A Phantom of the Opera featured a Paul Stanley star on his mask, a nod to Stanley’s tenure in the title role of the popular musical.

And Dr. Seuss’ Thing 1 and Thing 2 from “The Cat in the Hat” got the Kiss treatment. A ghostly couple came in second in the costume contest. Other notable creatures of the night included Iron Maiden’s mascot Eddie, rock ‘n’ roll fingers, and a pumpkin-headed ghoul.

On Sunday afternoon a slew of guests prepared for the Kiss lookalike contest. Free make-up stations made sure fans of all ages received face time. Later in the the evening the contest drew countless versions of the Demon, Starchild, Catman and Spaceman characters. Each contestant paraded through the ship’s atrium hoping to garner the loudest applause.

See more KISS Kruise costume photos at MTV.com!

Here are some of the hundreds of great KISS tattoos spotted on the KISS Kruise last week.

_{Photos by Dean Snowden for KISSOnline.}

A week ago today, the first-ever KISS Kruise returned to Miami with thousands of elated KISS fans aboard. Enjoy even more video from KISS' unplugged show during the ship's sailaway concert! Here's "Forever" and "Every Time I Look At You."


 


Videos by Keith Leroux for KISSonline.

KISS' manager Doc McGhee did a long Q&A session with fans on the final day of the KISS Kruise! Here are some excerpts.


(And please forgive the shaky camera... the boat was rocking. Literally!)



Video by Keith Leroux for KISSonline.

Premiering on Sunday, October 23 at 8 pm ET

Like You’ve Never Seen Them Before

KISS Inc.

THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW on CNN PRESENTS

CNN’s Poppy Harlow has your backstage pass to the hottest band in the world as she goes behind-the-scenes and under-the-makeup with the legendary rock band KISS. From backstage at a show and a ride on their private plane to their private homes and a recording session, join Poppy as she talks to these rock legends about everything from their musical projects to their vast business empire.

Get a look at rock’s hottest band as you’ve never seen them before.

KISS Inc. premieres on CNN on Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 8 pm ET (Re-airing at 11 pm and 2 am ET)

Click here for more information on CNN's KISS Inc.

During the summer I sent in a letter about seeing KISS rock the Poconos. My parents surprised me a month later by booking the KISS Kruise as my 21st birthday present! It was the best experience and vacation of my life! My dad got to go on stage during the question and answer session to ask KISS a question. To my surprise, he starts to tell Paul how much I've loved him since I've been five years old. Paul gave him a guitar pic for me and I couldn't of been happier! This was our first cruise ever, and having it be a KISS cruise was just perfect. My dream came true of meeting KISS, and now I don't have to take any more pictures with my Paul Stanley card board cut out! ;) Thanks KISS, Sixthman, and all of the amazing KISS fans on board for this incredible experience. It was an honor to be amongst the KISS Army, KISS fans are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Hope to do this again next year!

Lisa

LETTERS

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

On October 15th, The Modesto Raiders held their Homecoming Football games and Events. All of the Cheerleading Teams did special Homecoming Cheers with different themes than the usual. The JV Team did their cheer to KISS' Rock And Roll All Nite, as well as donned the makeup of their favorite KISSers. It was a great time for all!!

Erik Cram

LETTERS

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Thanks to Joseph Martin for sending this photo of some Tar Heels fans that he spotted on Yahoo's homepage!

Here's our friend Alexey drumming to "Rock and Roll All Nite" as the Catman!

Check out the guys having a great time on the KISS Kruise! In this clip they perform a medley of Elder songs (with the help of a very willing audience), Anything For My Baby, Two Timer and C'mon and Love Me.



_{Video by Keith Leroux for KISSonline.}

CLICK HERE to visit Spin Magazine's KISS Kruise Photo Gallery

In the photos:

Catch a Chilling Starchild:
Steve Mitchell, a personal trainer from Phoenix, spent seven weekends working the Vegas strip as a Paul Stanley lookalike until he earned enough money to sail away on the Kiss Kruise.

Dressed to Kill:
Kontestants from the Kiss lookalike contest. Their costumes were so convincing that people were taking their photos as if they were the Gods of Thunder themselves!

Tommy Dearest:
Andy Moyan and his wife Deb show off his Tommy Thayer get-up. Andy is renowned as a Kiss superfan and was recognized as such on the boat all weekend.

Bjorn This Way:
A special cocktail party for members of the Kiss Army, which included wrestler Edge.

KISSPickWorld.com has just added all of the KISS guitar picks from the KISS Kruise! Very limited quantities remain of the stage-used dated picks from the three live Kruise shows (the guys were really throwing a ton into the crowd, more than usual.) As always, KISS's dated concert picks are created for one show only and are never reprinted.

The common white stage picks created especially for the Kruise are also now available on the site, with tons of recent additions, including all of the tour picks from KISS' 2011 shows too.

There are also limited quantities of the commemorative "I Rocked At Sea With KISS" picks given out at the band photo session, and the "KISS Navy" picks from the KISS Army private party aboard the ship.

Order your KISS Kruise Picks now!

Kiss Kruise: Three Ultimate Kiss Army/Navy Fan Experiences

By Reed Fischer
Photo by Ian Witlen

One young Kiss Army member put it best when he said, "All other music fans are measured against Kiss fans." With about 2,000 diehards aboard the Carnival Destiny -- many of whom never considered taking a cruise previously -- a weekend voyage dubbed the Kiss Kruise proved to be the ultimate test of this fan base's dedication.

It was surprising that pop culture writer Chuck Klosterman was nowhere to be found on the very first Kiss Kruise. Few people -- save official biographers Ken Sharp and David Leaf, and prolific author/bassist Gene Simmons -- have published such passionately written accounts of the band over the years.

Klosterman devotes much of a chapter of his 2005 book Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story to a road trip through Montana in which he excitedly listened to all four "unloved" 1978 Kiss solo records -- each titled after an individual member of the band -- back-to-back. He writes: "I love Kiss because the world makes sense when I think about them." And a large percentage of Kiss Kruisers feel exactly the same way.

When every person filling their plates in a buffet line, each vacationer dipping their toes in the cerulean waters surrounding Half Moon Cay, and, most of all, an entire fist-pumping crowd attending a trio of intimate Kiss shows is a member of the Kiss Army, it can be intimidating -- at first.

The hope is the Kiss Army is not be as hostile to "outsiders" as the face-painted fans of Insane Clown Posse, known as Juggalos. As a reference: at the 2010 Gathering of the Juggalos in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, social media starlet Tila Tequila's face was bloodied, and Wu-Tang Clan rapper Method Man got a flying bottle to the forehead. Not that the Kiss Army was expected to be a violent bunch, but would a reporter and photographer who love the undeniably sappy Kiss song featured in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey be a welcome addition?

Read the rest of the story at the New Times.

Check out this great shirt a fan presented to Doc at his Q&A on the KISS Kruise.

_{Photo by Niklas Olsson for KISSOnline.}