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.

Eric Singer will appear on Doug McIntyre's Red Eye Radio tonight at 10PM PT / 1AM ET. Red Eye Radio is a nationally syndicated radio show that covers just about any topic - music, politics, history, and sports.

Tonight's show will be hosted from 790 KABC in Los Angeles by talk radio icon Marc Germain.

1 (866) 90-REDEYE – 1 (866) 907-3339

The show is currently aired by WABC in New York City , 790 KABC in Los Angeles, 680 WRKO in Boston , MA, 700 KSEV Houston, TX, 98.9 KXBT Austin, TX, 850 WFTL, Ft. Lauderdale/Miami/West Palm Beach, FL, 1220/106.9 WSRQ, Sarasota, FL, 1200 WINK Ft. Meyers, FL, 1310/95.5 WLOB Portland, ME, 970 KCMB in Portland, OR, 100.5 WAPI Birmingham, Al, 105.9 WXTL Syracuse, NY, 99.7 WNTK New London, NH, 94.3 WTRW Scranton, PA, 99.1 KSMD Searcy, AR, 950 KXJK Forrest City, AR, 1240 WATN Watertown, NY, 1420 WLIS Old Saybrook, CT, 1150 WMRD Middletown, CT, 1400 WILI Wilimantic, CT, 106.7 WSRT Traverse City, MI, 105.5 WSRJ Traverse City, MI, 940 KYNO Fresno, CA, 106.7 KNKI , Show Lo, AZ, 1450 WBMW Wahpeton, ND, 960 WSBT South Bend, IN, 1300 WGDJ Albany, NY, 1240 WRTA Altoona, PA, 1300 WLSC Charlotte, NC/Kershaw, SC, 910 WAVL Apollo, PA, 1010/94.9 KIND Independence, KS and Cable Radio Network.

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 are the new KISS Destroyer Models from Polar Lights. The models are now available at retail stores and websites.

KISS DESTROYER MODELS:

They are one of the most iconic rock & roll bands of all time – KISS. The four member band have been pioneers of rock drawing huge crowds to their sold out stadium shows for decades. This lineup of kits is based on the artwork from their first certified platinum album, Destroyer. Each figure stands atop its own rocky base that joins with the others in the line. This easy to assemble kit comes pre-painted to allow even novice modelers to create a quality look. (glue not included) The kits are approximately 1/10 scale and measure 11” tall when assembled.

* Scale: 1/10
* Skill Level: 2 (ages 10 and up)
* Glue assembly
* 11" tall
o Pre-painted Parts
o Easy to assemble
o Bonus Poster
o Collect all four to assemble the Destroyer album art

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.

Here are a few more photos from Saturday's 5th Anniversary Party at the KISS Coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach.

Photos by Eric McKenna for KISSOnline & the KISS Coffeehouse.

From the fans:

As soon as I heard that Tommy & Eric were going to be at the KISS Coffeehouse at Myrtle Beach, I had to get tix for my 9 yr. old daughter Megan.....she is infatuated with KISS & just loves Tommy.....so I thought it was only fitting to let her meet some of her idols. Despite the heat, the lines & the rain....we had a blast. Tommy & Eric were the nicest guys.....they took the time to talk to everyone & ask questions....they signed everything you had & asked about some of the items. My daughter took two pictures we shot at the Bushkill Falls concert on 07/13/2011 & had them sign. She told Tommy that she got one of his pick from the concert & was going to frame it with the photo. Thanks KISS Coffeehouse, Tommy, & Eric for some really fantastic memories.

Jody Hendricks


On 8/13/2011, we took a mini vacation to Myrtle Beach,SC to attend the 5th Anniversary of the KISS Coffeehouse. I brought my 1978 KISS Mego Dolls to have signed by Eric and Tommy. I would like to thank them very much for taking there time to meet me, my husband, and our daughter during the photo. This was her 1st KISS event and she was very excited and it was a long day out for her. Thank you again for signing a piece of my collection. Now I only need Paul Stanley to sign his Mego doll.

Love,
Kathy,Dean & Kayla Papasso

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

We are excited to launch our completely re-designed KISS Shop! The new store is easy to navigate, offering KISS fans a better shopping experience.


CLICK HERE to visit KOL'S KISS SHOP.

Thanks to Fabio "Deuce" Mainardi for sending to article to KISSOnline.

Story by Dave Everley.

www.classicrockmagazine.com.

Here's a portion of the interview. Read the rest in the latest CLASSIC ROCK.


"It's Sonic Boom on steroids!"
Exclusive! Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons on KISS's new studio album. And the book. And the golf course...

Nearly 40 years into their career, and the fire is burning stronger than ever for Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. KISS's senior partners are back in the studio with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer to record their 20th album. Just as 2009's Sonic Boom revitalized them as both a viable recording band and a proper unit, this new album -- recorded, like its immediate predecessor, at L.A.'s Conway Studios -- finds them more focused than ever. "KISS, over the years, has strayed," says Simmons, giving Classic Rock the exclusive low-down on the as-yet-untitled album with Stanley. "We've had bitches who didn't love us, we just liked their asses and we did them for the night. But I will say unequivocally that the new record feels honest."

How far into the album are you?

Paul Stanley: We've recorded eight tracks. Everything's on except the vocals. There'll be 10 on the album, with a couple of tracks as bonuses for different projects.

How does it build on Sonic Boom?

PS: Sonic Boom was a pivotal album in the sense that we were aware of who we were as a performing band, but we had to re-establish who we are as a recording band. That being done, this is much easier and that much more self-assured.

Gene Simmons: This new record feels heavier than Sonic Boom. It feels like there's a connection between Destroyer and Revenge.

Care to throw us a few song titles?

PS: I'd be surprised if the album didn't start with "Hell or Hallelujah." It's up-tempo, a great riff, definitive KISS. There's a track called "Born to be a Sinner," and Tommy has a song called "Out of This World" which is terrific. They're anthemic soncs. That's the nature of how we write. There are no ballads.

GS: "Are You Ready?" is a new track that I worked out, wrote, and brought everyone into the studio and said: "Let's bang this out." Another of the new songs, tentatively titled "Wall of Sound," we just came up with on the spot. The guts of that song were written in 40 minutes.

Here's Tommy on the cover of the latest issue of Arizona Golf Central.

CLICK HERE to visit Golf Central's website. Once there, click on the magazine cover and scroll forward to page 27 to read a great interview with Tommy!