NEW KISS SERIES FROM IDW IN JUNE!
This June, IDW Publishing is bringing back the rock group KISS in comic form. Last year, Archie Comics released a story in which Archie Meets Kiss, this time IDW is giving them marquee status.
According to IDW, the series is rooted in KISS fandom, featuring KISS characters like “Wicked” Lester, the Destroyer, She, the Elder, and more, but it will be very accessible to all comic readers.
KISS will be written by Chris Ryall (Zombies vs Robots) with art by Jamal Igle (The Ray) and KISS #1-4 come with a special “solo album” covers by artist Michael Gaydos.
Variant covers will also be available, including a Michael Gaydos “Demon” cover and a KISS photo cover!
Kiss Online spoke to IDW Publishing’s Chief Creative Officer and Editor-in-Chief Tom Waltz and Senior Staff Writer Chris Ryall last July at the San Diego Comic Con. You can find the whole article here.
KISS has been the subject of several comic book series with several different publishers. Why did IDW pick the group to work with?
Chris Ryall: It pretty much follows the way we choose to pursue any license: we’re fans of the material. Both Tom Waltz and I are lifelong KISS fans; and add to that the fact that we produced a line of Simmons Comic Group releases with Gene Simmons a few years back and it’s just been something we’ve always wanted to do. Some of my earliest comic-reading moments are of enjoying the KISS Super Specials that Marvel produced in the ’70s, and it’s a personal thrill to not only be able to carry on with Kiss comics but to now write them myself, too.
Tom Waltz: As Chris states, we tend not to pursue any license at IDW that won’t have an editor behind it who is a fan and willing to champion it through the long process of getting it approved and into print. In the case of KISS, Chris and I are not only champions of the license, we’re uber-fans of the band and their music, not to mention the KISS comics from various other publishers in the past. Like Chris, I ate up those Marvel KISS comics and to now be able to be a part of the ongoing adventures of our hard-rockin’, kabuki-wearin’ heroes is a real highlight of my career as a writer/editor.
KISS #1
Chris Ryall (w) • Jamal Igle (a) • Nick Runge, Igle (c)
You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best! KISS is back in an all-new comic series that will appeal to longtime fans and new readers alike! Four ordinary humans in 1920s Chicago find themselves caught up in a battle of epic proportions that will reverberate across time and space in “Dressed to Kill,” part 1!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Also in June, IDW is reprinting the KISS Marvel Super Specials originally released in the 1970’s by Marvel Comics!
KISS Greatest Hits, Vol. 1: The Marvel Years
Stan Lee, Ralph Macchio (w) • John Buscema, John Romita Jr. (a) • Nick Runge (c)
In 1977, Kiss was not only the biggest band in the world, they were the biggest comic-book stars around! For the first time ever, both classic Marvel Super Specials are collected in one in trade paperback, with story and art from Stan Lee, John Buscema, John Romita Jr., and more! Featuring an all-new cover recreation by Kiss: Avatars cover artist Nick Runge!
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 144 pages • ISBN 978-1-61377-226-3
· The perfect companion piece to the all-new KISS series launching this month!
· Collects the two classic Marvel KISS comics in one edition!
· All-new Marvel Super Special cover-recreation by Kiss cover artist Nick Runge!
– The Comic Book Critic
KISS ON LINE HAS A PHOTO OF ALL 6 IDWs KISS COMIC, WHERE CAN THE ONE THEY CALL THE BLACK COVER BE FOUND FOR SALE, I HAVE MY BASES COVERED FOR THE OTHER 5 ONE IS ONLY SOLD ON KOL, BUT IT HAS NO INFO ON WHERE TO BUY THE BLACK COVER( THE COVER JUST A BLACK BACKGROUND AN THEIR 4 KISS SYMBOLS ON IT)
ANY HELP PLEASE,
BloodyGene
Greetings! I just checked out your new kiss comic and felt compelled to write. There was something of a glaring omission in your text piece in issue # 1pertaining to the Kiss Marvel mag in the 70s…There was nary a mention of Steve Gerber (1947-2008) who was largely responsible for the mag’s existence, to wit: “I was the prime advocate of doing the book, and Sol Brodsky and I virtually invented the physical format, even to picking the paper stock. I personally supervised everything from writing and editing to the selection of the typography — which was a bad choice; my mistake; I learned something … and the layout of the text pages and the selection of the photos. I even wrote that “Welcome to the Marvel Universe” ad, the first bit of sophisticated ad copy for itself that the company has ever put before the public.” and “I was over at Gene Simmons’s apartment — this was during the time we were working on the Kiss book — and he was showing me some of the group’s fan mail. Someone wrote them a very strange letter that said, “Come over to the house. We’ll have some good music, some good wine and some bonging.” Whatever that meant. Gene didn’t know, and neither did I. We had different assumptions about it. But it struck me as very funny, and it stuck with me, and when it was time to create this new villain, Dr. Bong was it.” Also, I didn’t see you even mention the “Kiss blood” in the ink! Tsk tsk! I’m sure the slate could be wiped clean w/ the publication of this letter! Otherwise, neat job! Thanks!
Sam Zaninovich
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